Unnati System
The project investigates into a marginalized community in Gujarat to provide an inclusive solution to help them as well as rest of the community to merge with each other.
Timeline: 02 Weeks
Plurality and Wellbeing
Wellbeing is often thought of at the individual level, but there is also the wellbeing of larger groups of people; families, communities, society as a whole, and also beyond the human, of the larger ecosystem and our planet. Wellbeing is measured through social and economic indicators such as income levels, education, advantages or not of caste and class, among other.
While adoring the plurality of society, we often ignore the marginalized sections of our community. Even within a pluralistic society, the opinions and practices of a marginalized section stand out sharply. Their struggle to adapt or change the popular mainstream beliefs hampers the wellbeing of the entire society.
The concept of marginalization can be represented through the approaches by neo-classical economists, social exclusion theory and marxism. The characteristics of a marginalized group are:
• Victim of discrimination and subordination
• Have certain traits that usually separate them from a dominant group.
• They believe in collective identity and one voice for all.
• They have isolated social rules and decide who belongs and who does not.
• They are vulnerable in society.
Traces of past
Muslim marginalization is a complex condition experienced by the community before and after the independence from the hands of British and Hindu forces. In Gujarat, the Muslim population faces unfair options in terms of education, employment, housing, and business opportunities. Cultural Chauvinism and Religious Bigotry intensify this process. The incidents of the 1990’s Communal riots, the Gujarat program of 2002, and the contemporary issues of the Dadri lynching in 2005 have undermined the fabric of secularity and diversity in India.
Empathy Map
In the map, oral stories from many Muslim women in Gujarat (especially in rural areas) are mapped.
Concept Note
The Unnati system is an inclusive solution for marginalized Muslims in Gujarat to be a part of socio-economic structures. It is a project for people, by people, and of people. The idea promotes collective efforts that could result in inclusive growth and values relationship building.
The system will bring people from various communities together by building spaces that will offer them jobs. Unnati will be a manufacturing unit that will use the best of each individual's skills to produce objects/artifacts that could be sold worldwide.
Community centers will be located in major cities and towns of Gujarat. People can register with the center online by filling in their basic details.
How will the funding work: The center will be funded by companies associated with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). People can borrow money in the form of a loan and can return them with the due interest.
Illustrated Book - Unnati Community Center
The book aims to narrate the story of "exclusion to inclusion." It will show how the Unnati system can effectively bring a change in the society.
Note: All the data and findings from this project are not published on the website. This project contains sensitive data and personal stories. To know more, please feel free to contact me at - ayushishah18@gmail.com