Daily Times

For any human to sustain, social interaction is one of the key indicators. This interaction helps in solving problems at local level and also helps in sustaining human life. This social interaction is in the form of collective approach in the form of different levels of organizations i.e. collective approach can be in the form of community level organizations, village level organizations and organizations at union council level. Such approach will also empower the people at local level for strengthening of the institutions both in terms of human capital and capacity to resolve issues.

Organizations such as community level organizations, village level organizations and organizations at union council level also is one of the indicators to determine how much humans living in the society are social and how much they are cooperating in building the society in order to have human sustainability in the region.

In one of the recent on-going survey by SDPI in selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa it has been found that organizations at different levels have significantly contributed to solve problems at local level. In some villages it was found that people have so much close connection in between in the village, on inquiry about problem resolving elders responded that no one goes to government whenever there is problem. Procedure followed in the village is associated to jirga system. Elders call a jirga of all people living in the village and put all problems on the table and ask for solution. When there is agreed solution to the problem that solution is implemented.

Such type of approach helps in retaining the social thinking and approach towards building a better society which can sustain on humanity but a threat here becomes lack of trust on the government responsible for resolving problems.

Government need to devolve its powers to local level i.e. powers should be till village and community level so that effective resource mobilization can be ensured. For this purpose, need is to engage with local communities through more public-private dialogue

Though positivity is there with such organizations but such organizations are present in the remote areas where access to basic services is another challenge. The access to service is primarily due to missing infrastructure. Similarly, another challenge in such areas is associated to avoid disaster which for example can be done in case of earth quake as per standard procedures but locality itself is sufficient enough to increase threat level in this case.

These challenges though are met while using community level approaches and local systems but efforts of such level are not significant enough to reduce losses therefore questions human sustainability in that particular region. Along with human sustainability, another question comes into question is the inclusion of people living in remote areas within the society for making the society more inclusive.

Similarly, another challenge for such organizations is to look after and deal with the cultural taboos. E.g. it was found that many areas where there are female community organizations there is lack of education to basic needs and there is lack of thinking and awareness to work closely.

Therefore, to address these challenges for better social life, for better society and sustainability to humans many key measures should be taken with more work to do by the government to ensure that trust is not lost or the lost trust is gained.

First, government need to devolve its powers to local level i.e. powers should be till village and community level so that effective resource mobilization can be ensured. For this purpose, need is to engage with local communities through more public-private dialogue. This will not only help government in understanding the local needs but solutions proposed locally as per the demography.

Second, to strengthen and more effective working of the government this concept should be introduced both in rural and urban areas for effective implementation of policies formulated at sub-national and national level.

Third, to reach remote areas where such organizations are currently working government itself needs to focus on the matters linked to connectivity. There is need for roads so that access to market and access to resources should be made easy.

Fourth, government needs to look into the education agenda at each level and ensure a policy of education for all through which there can be a possibility of adding such type of schools where citizens of all level can get education on access and giving basic rights along with working in the system where collective approach has significant role.

Fifth, stress should be there on improving the capacity of such local representatives who are working in the areas where disaster has significant chances to create a problem. Though, as per local needs they are aware of the methods but for effective use and saving many precious lives and property new techniques should be put on the development agenda by government.

Sixth, for such systems to grow further there is need to have concept of inclusivity inculcated. This inclusivity should be linked to the communication and coordination of such organizations at all levels of the union councils and districts. This inclusivity will help in bringing better solutions to the problems faced.

The above-mentioned ingredients are key for development and key for success of any community/society and country but these ingredients can also ensure that there is more focus on human capital, more focus on society and more focus on Sustainable Development. Through these ingredients inter-linkages between social, society and human society can be ensured and these linkages will work in positive direction.

The writer is Research Associate at Sustainable Development Policy Institute