[Reader-list] Informal Workers’ Narratives is a Platform for Dialogue and to Create Solidarities

[Kabir Khan]

Informal Workers’ Narratives is a Platform for Dialogue and to Create
Solidarities
<https://wastenarratives.com/2018/01/08/informal-workers-narratives-is-a-platform-for-dialogue-and-to-create-solidarities/>

Last year on 2nd June, in India Habitat Centre, Alliance of Indian
Wastepickers organized Waste Narratives
<https://wastenarratives.com/2016/05/19/waste-narratives-an-evening-of-celebration-solidarities/>
with wastepickers as panelists. Someone* in the audience asked the
panelists- how does it feel to be working as an unacknowledged, invisible
worker? My colleague, member of wastepickers cooperative SwaCH, Pune, in
impeccable Marathi responded saying- we are not invisible, it is you who
are blind to our existence. That was where we realized we need more such
platforms to ensure that the given blindness is cured. Informal Workers'
Narratives is one such platform constituted under the aegis of Working
People's Charter**.

*Reflection from the last year's waste narratives*

The most inspiring moment was when two-hour session went ahead in six
languages- Hindi, Marathi, Oriya, Telugu, Kannada, Bangla, with
simultaneous translations. That was where we learned the politics of
language (a different discourse which we miss in English), articulation of
workers imagination in all major languages of India and solidarities of
workers coming from all over the country to put out their concerns and
articulate the pride of their work. They were loud and visible.

*Informal Workers Narratives in Delhi & Bengaluru*

We at Working People's Charter want to repeat that and want to break this
artificial obscurity imposed by society, *we are organizing Informal
Workers' Narratives in Delhi, on 14 January in India Habitat Centre in
Gulmohar Hall at 18.45 and followed by part -2, in Safdar Studio (2253E
Shadi Khampur, Guru Nanak Nagar, New Ranjeet Nagar) on 19 January at 18.30.*

During the Informal Workers Narratives, we will learn and unlearn our
understanding of informal and informality. Informal Workers constitute more
than 90 percent of our workforce. They are everywhere in mammoth numbers,
yet their narratives are unheard, their imagination is invisible. There
will be a panel discussion with workers from different trades, including
domestic workers, e-rickshaw drivers, waste-pickers, street vendors, Hamal
and other workers. The conversation with the panelist will seek to throw
light on the role played by informal workers in making of our cities, and
how the city continues to marginalizes them. We will be looking at the
connects and disconnects between the cities and the informal livelihoods.

Bengaluru will have it around the beginning of February. We are looking for
venues, in all major cities of India to organize this dialogue to reach out
to articulate sections of society and create a listening space, where
workers put out their imagination of the better world and strengthened
social and livelihood protection measures. Please do participate in the
events organized in Delhi and Bengaluru and help us find more places, where
such events can be held. You can write to kabir.postbox at gmail.com or
workerscharterprocess at gmail.com, for more the proposition of Informal
Workers' Narratives in your city.

*Members of the audience were from media, many residents welfare
associations, industrialists and businessmen, and women.

**Working Peoples' Charter. Charter is a network of informal workers
organizations from all over India. Street vendors, waste-pickers, domestic
workers, construction workers and many others are its constituency.


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Regards

कबीर/کبیر

Phone:00-91-9663427315
Email: kabir.postbox at gmail.com
Follow me on:
Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/KaafirMasiha>, blog
<http://maleccha.wordpress.com/> & Twitter <https://twitter.com/Maleccha>

http://www.hasirudala.in

http://www.wastenarratives.com

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