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There is a misconception about Augustin Brutus Jaykumar and INDP.  It is believed that this organization, and its director, manage basic micro financing and help the poor.  The engagement and activities of the INDP team in and around Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu go much deeper and encompass much more than this simplistic view implies.

It was during his studies at the French School of Pondicherry, where he passed his baccalaureate in 1977, that Augustin became aware in the differences in the qualities of life between the rich and middle classes that live in the city center and the lower classes and poor who live in the rural areas surrounding the city especially in the fishing villages.

Augustin and some friends began to interact with these underprivileged communities.  They began to present street theater to generate revenue in order to develop educational activities and provide support for the most disadvantaged in these areas.  This was Augustin’s first true exposure to the underprivileged of India and his first effort to respond to and counteract injustices he continues to refuse to accept.

Leaving Pondy for university in cosmopolitan Paris, he was confronted with new experiences initiating a more global and multicultural understanding of both urban and rural life and the physical and economic contrasts between them.

Armed with this newly developed global understanding, a vision of the possibilities, and a tenacious will to fight against inequalities, he returned to the northern India five years later. Backed by the NGO “Frere des Hommes”, he began his research of the social structure India. Paradoxically, he was not to find success within this organization.  Too administration oriented, and without direct community access, Augustin became less and less impressed by non-proactive theories.  Looking after the Asia desk and contributing to develop south-south dialogue between Asia and Latina America, he has the chance to gain an understanding of Latin American and Asian cultures adding to his multicultural experience?

It seemed the perfect time to return to Pondicherry.  At this time, ADECOM Network of India and the France based ADECOM Network showed interest in having Augustin participate in the development of a cooperative of associations in Pondicherry.  “ To help each organization to put their capabilities on the table, and to also to recognize where to stop its efforts and work one with another which was better suited for a specific task.”  He audited, supported and coordinated the activities of dozens of associations in Pondicherry and around all of India.  In 1999, he passed this network development project on to one of the members of his team and went out on his own to found INDP.

“Intercultural Network for Development and Peace” operates from a Rue Montorsier based office where Augustin manages public relations and both in-house and foreign funded research and documentation projects for Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu. His work is dedicated to reinventing the rapport between researchers, social workers and the benefiting populations.  INDP presents an educated perspective of village life with projects including child Tsunami victim written and illustrated personal accounts of their vision of this tragic event; and published accounts of Dalit experiences of cast and racism.  INDP provides an environment where foreign humanitarians exchange impressions and research and French social workers share with their Indian counterparts in mediums including books, films, CDs… These forms of exchange create and support the permanent link between theories and practice that INDP was created to ensure.

The last part of Augustin’s vision for INDP, which is now in place, was the creation of a development bank, the BRWD (Base for Rural Women Development) an instrument providing micro-finance support for small business projects of women entrepreneurs in the villages of Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu.

Whether you arrive at INDP as a researcher with a hands on, pro-active project, or as an entrepreneur searching for an open and socially intelligent means of helping those in need around Pondicherry, Agustin and his organization, INDP, present an impressive infrastructure supported by a global vision of human development.