Institute for Self Management

Adv. Edward M.Arockia Doss, born in a rural and poor family graduated, completed his Law and M.B.A., courses. He got the concept of Social Analysis an Read mored Poverty Awareness, wrote Social awareness songs, joined People’s Education for Action & Liberation, underwent 3 months course on “Community Development and Community Organization” in Indian Social Institute, Bangalore. Then was designated as Coordinator in organizing the workers of different sectors, converted them into Handloom Weavers, Quarry Workers and Agricultural Workers Movements respectively. He resigned from PEAL. His ambition is to make the workers Self reliant hence started the NGO ISM - Institute for Self Management and registered in the year 1983 under Societies Act.            The Institute of Self-Management (ISM) is the mother organization of Tamil Nadu Labour Union. The ISM started its development interventions during the year 1983. In the first phase, it focused on supporting weaver’s community in southern districts of Tamil Nadu and helping them to come out of poverty by organizing them in livelihood groups. Then it started working for the betterment of Tamil refugees, who came from Sri Lanka and settled in various parts of Tamilnadu. ISM helped in accessing their rights and ensuring basic needs. It also helped in providing livelihood training to the refugees for making them as economically self-reliant.                   From 1990 onwards, ISM started working with Scheduled castes and tribes for their social and economic upliftment. It also identified few livelihood-based fringe communities, cremation workers, manual scavengers, sanitary workers, waste products pickers, etc., these people have no social respect and no basic human rights in those days.           The ISM could facilitate them to form trade unions and cooperatives for their development for the past 30+ years.