HOME

ADIVASIS

PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TRIBAL GROUPS (PVTGs)

CONTACTS

ADIWASI SAMTA MANCH

Adiwasi Samta Manch (ASM) is an organisation which works for rights and livelihoods of Adivasis. ASM was founded in the year 2000 and is led by Adivasi women. ASM president Indu Netam, who is Gond Adivasi is in the photo on the right side.

ASM works for indegeneous community control over natural resources - land, water, forest, minerals, biodiversity with special focus on indigenous women. It works also for gender rights of Adivasi women and to empower and facilitate community in securing rights and entitlements in India's pro-poor acts and schemes which are poorly implemented.

ASM has over 15 years experience in development cooperation for marginalised Adivasi communities by advocacy, grassroots actions, action research, community mobilization, capacity building and Adivasi forum/organization building.

ASM has supported Adivasi forest rights, women self-help groups, rural development work, income generation programs, traditional cultivation and health practices, addressing malnutrition through rural employment guarantee and on evidence and data based people-centric advocacy.

ASM believes and practises culture of transparency and beneficiaries are well represented in decision making process. It also believes and practises peaceful and non-violent means of social change.

- To ensure for marginalised Adivasi communities and their women dignity and community control over land, water, forest, biodiversity and minerals.

- To capacitate Adivasi/forest communities to protect forest, environment, biodiversity and their culture and promote their cultural values of collective and sustainable living

-To work for gender justice and economic empowerment of women

-To facilitate securing of rights under pro poor acts and schemes and work fo income enhancement.

To defend these their rights on their forest life the communities are supported by awareness training, research and involvement in people centred advocacy.

People learn thus how to claim their rights under the acts and schemes which protect them.

ASM acts as a legal holder of a development cooperation project for the benefit of the PVTG-wing of Adivasi Jan Van Adhikar Manch (AJVAM) with support of Emmaus Aurinkotehdas ry.

Among the PVTGs special attention is given to PVTG women, unemployed and Persons With Disabilities. .

Other non-PVTG groups who directly benefit from this project include Pandos, Gond, Kanwar, Binjwar tribes and also Dalits & OBC forest dwellers who live in PVTG villages

ASM works mainly in Chhattishgarh but it has had also some activities in neighboring states and nation-wide cooperation activities.

ASM networks with many coalitions, like AJVAM, Chhattishgarh Bachao Andolan, Right to Food Campaign, VVM Anti Displacement Forum, Vaidya Mahasangh- Forum of Traditional Health Practitioners, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, National Adivasi Andolan, AIFFM, Koya Bhoomkaal, VSM Forest Worker Forum and Mines Minerals & People.

At international level ASM has participated to Citizens Global Platform and FAO process on forest governance.