The Dalits of Haryana has been subjected to humiliation and violence whenever they endeavour to live with dignity and respect. Given such a scenario, CADAM helped the local community to develop awareness about raising voices against injustice. The project supported by Action Aid involved activities like village-level awareness meetings on entitlements and government schemes, the formation of youth groups, the perspective building of youth and gender training, and so forth. Youth leaders and members of women groups were trained on human rights and oriented to various government schemes.

CADAM’s intervention had created a conducive atmosphere in the reference area. Dalit communities’ participation in policy discussion in the Panchayat and block level had increased. Community-Based Organisations (CBO) had been encouraged to promote the right of the people and their organisations. CADAM also attempted to promote effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political, and economic decision-making at the local level in pursuit of development. This process had helped to improve the local negotiation processes with government officials for effective implementation of the ongoing government programs. Awareness meetings in villages on entitlements and govt schemes: a total of 176 awareness meetings were organised in the Dalit hamlets. In these meetings, Dalit families were informed about different government schemes and entitlements. People were also informed about the ways and means of applying it. As a result of these awareness meetings, people submitted their applications to Block Development Officer (BDO) by highlighting the irregularities in BP and land distribution.

A total of 24 new youth groups were formed and 8 old youth groups were oriented to identify their needs, opportunities, rights and responsibilities. CADAM had trained them on the management of group, leadership, govt. schemes ad entitlement and lobby and advocacy, etc. In addition to this, the group members were oriented to plan, organise, and take action and evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the action all in ways which challenge oppression and tackle inequalities. The group members were also oriented to help communities to analyze their situation and take action for change, development or transformation.

The old youth group members were also oriented to people-centered participatory practice and philosophy like “Go to the people, Live among them, Learn from them, Plan with them, Work with them, Start with what they know, Build on what they have, Teach by showing, Learn by doing, Not a showcase, But a pattern, Not odds and ends but a system, Not to conform but to transform and Not relief but release. These training and orientation helped to internalise their background realities in comparison to other youth from general communities. In addition to this, a three-day exposure visit to Dalit Dasta Virodhi Andolan, Punjab, also generated revolutionary thinking among youth.