PANI (WATER) Director: Sushma Joshi Producer: IRC and Nepal Water for Health, and Ton Schouten Film Company, Netherlands Format: Beta and digital Running Time: 29 minutes Featured on CNN International's Q and A with Riz Khan in 2000 WATER (PANI) is a documentary that explores the notions of "community", in the context of development. The people of Lele, a village near Kathmandu, narrate the history of how they set up a committee to manage their drinking water system. The narrative moves from a fairly uncomplicated story told by the leaders about the initial installation to the complexities of gender and caste relations. Women, the main users of water, voice their exclusion. The water committee is made up of upper caste Chettri men. Women, while token members, are not allowed to make decisions. In contrast, a neighbouring Tamang village, in which a women's group has also been set up, cite their successes in raising cattle and savings activities. This wome...

You can buy PANI from IRC Netherlands. Directed by Sushma Joshi, produced by NEWAH (Nepal Water for Health Kathmandu, Nepal) (2001) This 28-minute video presentation in Nepali (with English subtitles) shows the very lively discussions between the inhabitants of the rural Nepali village, Lele, about the daily problems of their water supply system and its management. It follows the growing conflict in the community after a water pipe and tap system was installed. Gender and caste differences play a vital part in the disputes as women and lower caste members are excluded from decision making even though they are the principal users. The video tracks the wide disparity in control and communication revealing frustrations that result in the pipe being cut and maintenance fees unpaid. The lesson portrayed is that even small scale models of development will not work unless traditional social infrastructure, especially gender biases and cultural discrimination, are not addressed by dono...

This teaching guide for high school teachers was developed by Educate the Children and Cornell's South Asia Program. Download it from ETC. http://www.etc-nepal.org/Assets/pdf/Nepal_water.pdf Download it from Pustakalaya.