AVAG’s exchange programmes provide a setting for discussion between groups that would have little probability of interacting within traditional Indian society. Exchange programmes bring together women and men, groups from different castes, and SHG’s of differing ages and length of AVAG tenure. These interactions are aimed at rectifying prejudices that are endemic to India, such as fear of Dalit (formerly ‘Untouchables’) individuals and communities and other ‘Scheduled Castes’, as well as India’s particular forms of gender discrimination. Favoritism and partiality, so often found in India’s politics, remains a challenge for SHG’s that pledge to treat all members equally and are based on ideals of unity and cooperation.

To counteract negative attitudes toward other groups, AVAG arranges exchange visits where one group hosts another. The importance of these exchanges is seen in a set of common results:

• members from different groups often form friendships that continue to grow after the exchange’s conclusion
• villages develop inter-community relationships that would have otherwise been unlikely to form
• groups are provided a forum to discuss impressions of each other
• groups develop new project ideas for their villages by hearing of another group’s past activities.

By building communication between formerly unknown groups, knowledge and understanding replaces mistrust and myths helping to break down previously held assumptions of other peoples.