The  Behavioural Science Centre  is a voluntary organisation which exists to empower marginalised communities, particularly dalits, tribals and women to bring about social change, by conceiving and conducting programmes of an educational nature facilitating peoples movements and creating sustainable livelihood options.
 

• BSC as an organisation is committed to a cause  - PEOPLE ….

    "People"  our focus
    "People"  our priority community - the Dalits, Tribals and Women
 
• BSC as an organisation believes in building people's MOVEMENT ….

 "Movement"  creating organisations owned and managed by the people
 "Movement" issue-based mobilisation of the marginalised people for sustainable development

• BSC as an organisation believes in people's movement for CHANGE ….

    "Change" towards equality and dignity
    "Change" towards empowerment of the poor

The Behavioural Science Centre, which is run by the St. Xavier's Nonformal Education Society has been working in the State of Gujarat, India, for over 25 years with the economically deprived and oppressed sections of Indian society- Dalits, Adivasis and other backward communities and women. The Centre strongly believes that impoverishment of human beings and environment is a structural phenomenon, a situation which can only be transformed by organising the people. Since eradication of poverty and transformation of a society that practices discrimination based on caste and gender do not come easily, individual efforts are to be encouraged. But this by itself lacks wider impact and collective responsibility. It is because of this that the Centre advocates a community-based approach where people realise their responsibility towards their own people and are motivated to act.

The BSC’s work has been in the twin areas of social awareness (caste, gender, culture and impact of poverty on people) education and techno-economic organizations (agriculture, forestry, fishery co-operatives, savings and credit co-operatives of women, paddy processing unit, fish breeding centre) of the peops in three geographical areas of Gujarat. The oldest area of operation is the Bhal area of Khambhat Taluka, Kheda district. The other area is Dhandhuka Taluka of Ahmedabad district, once again a coastal saline area round the Gulf of Cambay. The other area in which the Centre is working in is North Gujarat among the tribals of Danta Taluka in Banaskantha district. Post-earthquake the centre has also initiated its efforts in the Kutchh district.

 The efforts of the Centre have resulted in creation of following people’s organisations, owned and managed by the rural poor:

1. Fifteen Co-operatives of Scheduled Caste communities.
2. An area-level Federation of the Co-operatives of the Scheduled Castes in Khambhat Taluka of Kheda district in Gujarat.
3. A Common Carp Fish Breeding Centre
4. A Saving and Credit Co-operative of Dalit Women of Bhal in Khambhat
5. A Saving and Credit Co-operative of Dalit and Backward Caste communities in Bhal of Dhandhuka Taluka
6. Bhalbara Manav Vikas Sangh (area-level socio-economic organization of women and men in Dhandhuka Taluka)
7. Antyodaya Vikas Shikshan Centre,  Daheda (Khambhat Taluka)
8.Adivasi Sarvangi Vikas Sangh (Danta Taluka, Banaskantha District)
9. Banaskantha Dalit Sangathan (a district-level organization of Dalits set up to establish a people's movement in the district).

The Centre carries out three major functions, educational (creating critical awareness and mobilising), technical (developing indigenous technology or introducing new technology) and research and training (for our own area level groups and other development agencies or social value organizations)

The BSC has maintained its dynamic organizational structure and culture to respond to the needs of the people and the social environment. It has been a continuous effort at the BSC to consciously keep the elements of stability while, at the same time, not lose sight of dynamism in its approach.

For more details visit our website :  www.angelfire.com/hi/NGOBSC