Cornell/SEWA/EDP/WIEGO International Conference

Membership Based Organizations of the Poor:
Theory, Experience and Policy
Ahmedabad, India
January 17-21, 2005

This conference was predicated on the hypothesis that membership based organizations of the poor--organizations whose governance structures respond to the needs and aspirations of the poor because they are accountable to their members-are central to achieving equitable growth and poverty reduction.

A membership based organization of the poor (MBOP) is to be distinguished from a conventional NGO which, however well-intentioned, operates as an outside entity that is not formed out of a membership base of the poor. Political parties are membership based organizations but are not exclusively concerned about the welfare of the poor. Trade Unions are membership based, but only some of them are directly concerned with advancing the cause of poor workers. Cooperatives are classic membership based organizations, but again not all of them are poor focused.

The example we have in mind when we talk of MBOPs is that of SEWA, the Self Employed Women's Association in India. SEWA is governed by its members, poor informal sector women whom SEWA serves through a range of activities. As a MBOP, SEWA acts as a channel for carrying the voice of its members to policy makers and in turn helps to transmit the benefits of poverty focused government projects and programs to its members. Its twin pillars are economic activities to enhance income earning opportunities, and organization to enable its members to claim and exercise their rights in the economic, legal and social spheres.

Some MBOPs have been remarkably successful, while others have failed. What structures and activities characterize MBOPs? What is meant by success? What factors account for success? In particular, what are the internal (governance structure and leadership) and external (policy environment) factors that account for success? Are these factors replicable across countries or even within countries? What are the constraints to successful MBOPs expanding, or to new ones being formed? What sort of policy environment enables the success of MBOPs, and the formation of successful MBOPs? What types of institutional reforms are needed to ensure the representation of the poor through their own MBOs? These are the types of questions to be addressed in this conference.

The conference was organized by Cornell University, SEWA and WIEGO. The conference organizers were Martha Chen (Harvard University and WIEGO), Renana Jhabvala (SEWA) and Ravi Kanbur (Cornell University).

Papers presented at the conference were published by Routledge in an edited academic volume :

Chen, Martha, Renana Jhabvala, Ravi Kanbur, Nidhi Mirani, Karl Osner and Carol Richards, eds. 2007. Membership Based Organizations of the Poor. London: Routledge.