Dalit Empowerment
Commencing in 2000, VICALP and 50 partner villages were engaged in an animation project concerning Dalit Rights.In course of time the process of Dalit Empowerment emerged into an autonomous state level Dalit People’s Platform known as Utkal Dalit Mahasabha-UDMS covering whole of the South Odisha.
The animation processes also sought to develop a network of community based NGOs addressing Dalit Rights and Dalit-Adivasi unity and mobilization of state resources for community development.
This platform guided the religious communities constructively engage with the state government and in due course the Christian dalits of Odisha obtained Socio-Economically Backward Status and reservations in education and job quotas as well as other economic entitlements.
This partnership was instrumental in promoting Odisha Livelihood programmes Network, known as OLPN, which partnered 10 NGOs across the state and developed community owned watershed based land and agriculture development activities in 112 tribal and dalit villages across the state.
