About Us - People's Action for Rural Awakening

Significance

The significance of PARA exists in the very name itself, PARA in Telugu is colloquial term for a spade (or shovel) which is most commonly used by the rural peasants depending on Agriculture. Our work is mainly aimed for the causes of Dalits, Coolies (Agricultural Labourers) and the marginalised poor, who constitute a major chunk of the population of the area since 1986.

Our Objectives
- To engage in the education of the rural poor and to inculcate social and moral values.
- To initiate and encourage the education of women and promotion of women’s welfare activities.
- To facilitate the involvement of youth and youth groups in activities related to youth and human resources development.
- To organise community action in the fields of social, economic and cultural development.
- To set up centres for identifying and developing cultural media as a tool for awakening the people and to train the people in the use of this media.
- To undertake relief activities among people in times of floods, famine, droughts and other natural calamities and emergencies.
- To assemble adequate resources, manpower, institutions, technology and finance in order to achieve the above mentioned objectives.
- To do or cause to be done any or all such acts or things as deemed to be conducive for the social, economic, cultural, educational, civil, patriotic or physical welfare of the people provided it is not contrary to the objectives mentioned herein
PARA came into existence as a response to the devastation caused by the 1986 Godavari floods. One and half years into rehabilitation work by which time PARA had helped to reconstruct around 200 houses. PARA decided to enlarge its focus and to a great extent has been directing its resources both human and material towards social justice issues ever since

In 1990 we realized that for greater effectiveness we need to broad base our activities in terms of area of operation. In this effort we consciously shut out the option of opening up branches of our organization in other areas and opted for identifying groups of individuals who could take up the these issues and go ahead on their own if given the financial support. Thus we identified four such groups. For the last six years we work from a common platform called KONASEEMA INITATIVE. Vis a vis government and funding organizations PARA is responsible for the project. But with regard to implementation of the project it is done from the banner of KI. BFW has been supporting PARA for the past three and a half years and KI by HEKS for the past three years.
Vision

The vision of PARA, as enunciated in the project proposal, is to work for the unification of all the unorganized, marginalized and powerless communities under the banner of ‘dalit power’. PARA also works to instill a ‘dalit consciousness’ among these people and to revive and develop a dalit culture to give a separate identity and dignity to these people.

Thrust

The thrust of PARA is to work in a geopolitical area and issue based approach emphasizing on social, cultural, educational, economical and political aspects. Its role is more of facilitating the target people to become masters of their own development.
From the Director’s Desk:

Dear viewers,

It is a privilege for me to present to you the new website of People’s Action For Rural Awakening. It is a privilege because it is the result of the trust we have placed in our students who said that they would take on the task of developing this website as a tribute to the inspiration they have derived from this organisation. Everyone in the organisation believed that Chandu and Arun would live up the trust we placed in them. And they have not disappointed us.frthomas

We will keep you informed of the activities that keep us busy in our effort to work for a more just, equitable, non-discriminative and forward looking society. Our work will focus on making development inclusive, development that places the marginalised at the centre of its efforts.

We invite your suggestions, support and encouragement.

Together we can live the Hope “Another World Is Possible”
Fr.Thomas Pallithanam, SDB

A journey Healing the TRAUMA of Inequality and Initiating the MISSION of Equality

Significance

Our Objectives

Vision

Thrust

From the Director’s Desk: