Participatory study on Santal culture in Bangladesh
Timeframe: Sep 1996 - Sep 1999
Funder: Strømme Memorial Foundation
The project, which started in September 1996 and ran over three years, was funded by the Strømme Memorial Foundation, a Norwegian NGO. The project was co-ordinated by Tone Bleie and a counterpart Bangladeshi NGO, and involved 16 young village researchers. The village researchers are all Santali youth who underwent successive sessions combining classroom exercises with field trials, followed by periods of information collection guided by local field supervisors.
The project is documenting livelihood changes by employing a combination of PRA-techniques and survey methodes. The project also co-ordinated a process of dialogue between traditional community leaders, religious leaders and local NGOs. This effort is aimed at promoting trust and understanding as the basis for building a more accountable and capable Santali leadership. The final project report was submitted in 1998.
