The Hindu Business Line : Helping the poor help themselves thru MBOPs

Political parties, NGOs, trade unions and cooperatives all claim to work for the welfare of the people. But all of them have limitations. The bottom line is that the poor feel that either their case is not represented well or that they don't have a membership at all.

The time has come to form Membership Based Organisations of the Poor (MBOP), which can give poor people the leverage to fight for their rights.

Prof. Ravi Kanbur of Cornell University (the US) has cited the example of SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association), which acted as a channel for carrying the voice of its members to policymakers and, in turn, helped transmit the benefits of poverty focussed government programmes.

Delivering a lecture on `MBOPs: Concepts, Experience and Policy' at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) here on Tuesday, he said the two main pillars of MBOPs were economic activities and the ability of members to claim their place in the economic, legal and social spheres.

He, however, felt that not all MBOPs were successful. Discussing the problem in detail, he said it was important for countries to review their legislations and regulations that impinged on MBOPs.

It was also important to initiate reforms that facilitated the operation and expansion of MBOPs. Besides, there was a need to make these organisations part of national and international deliberation and policymaking.

Challenges

As they grew bigger, MBOPs faced complex issues such as management capacities and accountability.

Prof Kanbur felt that the poor would not be able to mediate the wider environment or turn it to their benefit in the absence of MBOPs.

He, however, was well aware of the limitations. "There are internal and external factors behind the success and failures of these organisations. These factors included effective functioning of democratic structures, capacity to run the organisation and a moral code that guides their actions," he said.

An enabling political, legal and policy environment too played an important role in the success of MBOPs.

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