People’s Education and Action for Community Empowerment

IIRD’s grassroots development facilitation is based on an alternative development strategy, with two interlocking components, known as PEACE – People’s Education and Action for Community Empowerment.

People’s Education –

IIRD facilitates people’s education through participatory methods of learning to enable grassroots people to analyse their socio-economic and environmental situations and design and implement action programmes for sustainable development. In order to promote vocational and technical education for the rural community, IIRD has established a technical training centre – Parrie Centre for Technology. IIRD also facilitates community learning and sharing of knowledge through Community Learning Centers (CLCs) established in six villages, each serving between 5 and 10 nearby villages. Regular training courses in organic agriculture, environment, health, micro-enterprises and other relevant subjects are organized for the field workers and local participants.

Action for Community Empowerment –

The main action programmes facilitated by IIRD include –
- Promotion of organic farming practices
- Alternative marketing systems for traditional and organic products
- Women empowerment
- Eco-development and biodiversity conservation
- Research in organic agriculture
- Rural housing and community shelters
- Care of the elderly poor, especially women
- Vocational and technical education
- Alternative health care and nutrition programmes
- National and international training programmes on rural development and organic agriculture.