From Saviour to Partner: Reflections on Relational Needs-Based Organising in India

This paper reflects on a new way of doing community work in urban slums in India, recognising that shifts in power begin with shifts in practice. We critique the traditional form of development practice, that we call salvational problem-solving (SPS), and reflect on the design, delivery and effects of an alternative relational needs-based (RNB) approach. This project, called “UBI Plus”, combined the provision of unconditional cash (UBI) with relational and needs-based community organising (Plus) in urban slums in India, through a partner NGO. We present the theoretical framework of the model, and document the effects it had on the pilot’s implementers, their relationships with the participant communities, and the relationships within the communities themselves. We reflect on the structural constraints facing a new praxis and how a relational approach can contribute to a counter-hegemonic practice. UBI Plus and our RNB praxis offer exciting possibilities for reimagining both NGO-led community development work and international researcher–policy partnerships.