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IDR | Dear 2024, make conferences fun again

Written by Natasha Joshi, Associate Director, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies

Recently, our team put together an Excel sheet of all the events we attended last year. Using a loose method of calculation involving factors such as the number of days, number of team members attending, travel time, and preliminary work put in, I found that as a team we had clocked 60 full days in convenings.

Have conferences and events really increased? And if we are spending so much time convening and being convened, should we critically examine events and their purpose as closely as we look at programmes?

The Planner Pulse survey and the North Star/Cvent Meetings Industry PULSE survey corroborate the fact that in-person industry events have steadily grown through 2022 and 2023. In the 2024 survey, 58 percent of event planners reported that they will be planning more meetings in 2024 than they did in 2023. As it is hard to come by similar data for other countries, that too disaggregated by sector, I reached out to fellow social sector colleagues who shared that they had also noticed an increase in the number of meetings and conferences. However, their larger issue was that the events were not as energising as they hoped.

In-person gatherings, meetings, and congregations offer the space and opportunity for solidarity, ideation, innovation, collaboration, and, most importantly, celebration. So, getting events right feels important. Not to mention that events also take up considerable time, effort, and money. If programmatic impact is tracked and evaluated so closely, shouldn’t events have a strong ‘why’, and a post-op on how closely the event delivered against the ‘why’?

In the spirit of collective inquiry, we approached some organisers whose events we found particularly meaningful last year, and asked them to share how they had gone about designing those spaces and events. These include Agami, a nonprofit advancing ideas of justice; Co.labx, a coaching organisation that helps start-ups build a high-performing leadership team; India Climate Collaborative (ICC), a leading climate collaborative comprising donors, high-net-worth individuals, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofits working on climate solutions; The Gender Lab, a nonprofit working with adolescents and youth in urban and rural communities to reshape existing gender narratives; and Reap Benefit, an organisation engaging young people to solve local climate and civic issues.

We also examined our own practice of convening and, interestingly, some common principles emerged from all of us who are interested in harnessing the real potential of in-person gatherings.

These principles are by no means exhaustive, neither are they fail-proof. What they are is a good starting point to build better, dynamic spaces for human interaction.

The actions of the organising team can drift away from the intention, and the event can end up feeling inauthentic. | Picture courtesy: Gautam John

Principle 1: Intention is not a lodestar, but a continuous animating force

Anyone planning to host an event comes up with some reason for bringing people together. This is typically called ‘setting an intention’. But this does not automatically mean the intention will be served. Every aspect of the event—from the design to the schedule and from the physical space to the logistics—needs to be constructed in a way that delivers against the set intention.

When we spoke to Varun Hemachandran, senior curator—lead, OpenNyAI at Agami, he emphasised that the intention behind a gathering must trickle down to every level. In many events, there is a tendency to break down roles into operational groups such as hospitality or logistics. However, not enough attention is given to aligning every role to the larger intention of the event. For example, at the Agami Summit in December last year, the volunteers handling food were guided by the following ‘intention question’: How can we make the act of eating together a joyous, connecting, and grounding one? This one question, and similar questions for other roles, ensured that every volunteer was aligned on the larger experience the summit was designed to create versus managing lists of tasks they needed to check off. Similarly, Arhan Bezbora, founding partner at Co.labx, shared that oftentimes intention becomes just a set of words or a high-level direction that is not at the forefront in the minds and hearts of the organisers and facilitators. As a result, the actions of the organising team can drift away from the intention, and the event can end up feeling inauthentic.

According to Kuldeep Dantewadia, co-founder of Reap Benefit, while terms such as ‘collaboration’, ‘ecosystem building’, and ‘safe spaces’ may look impressive on promotional materials, the true test is whether these intentions are embodied in concrete actions and in the collective ethos of the organisers.

From our own experience, we now strongly believe that intention matters, but it needs to be thoroughly queried using multiple ‘why’s: Why are you bringing people together? Why in person? Why for x hours and not more/fewer? Why 100 people and not 2,000 (or vice versa)? Once this is clear, the schedule is designed such that it responds properly to the many ‘why’s.

Principle 2: Light agendas, held strongly

Have you looked at a conference agenda and felt fatigue tug at your temples? You are not alone.

The unanimous no-no from all the organisers we spoke to was in having back-to-back or too many panels. Yet conferences continue to run panel-heavy formats, with too many panelists, shallow moderation, a loss of control over time, and very little real engagement with the audience. This is not to say panels, as a format, don’t work. The point is that good panels are very hard to put together. Even round tables, workshops, showcase events, and networking and pitch events can be designed more thoughtfully.

Here are some concrete design principles and practices that Co.labx follows when arriving at an agenda:

Put yourselves in the shoes of the user and visualise their journey and experience.
Sense and validate the needs of the participants through a mix of conversations, pre-event survey forms, and observations.
Integrate clear routines and rituals in the agenda that build predictability and rhythm (for example, starting with ‘warm-ups’, ending with ‘cool-downs’, doing regular ‘playbacks’ to mirror back the progress and wins).
Keep open spaces in the agenda for attendees to take ownership and drive action.
Continuously capture key ideas, insights, and turning points that emerge through Post-its, images, screenshots, audio clips, and other mediums.
Incorporate stillness practices to help people slow down.
Close the loop with participants and follow up on next steps.

If we want attendees to actually participate, lighter agendas work better than busy ones, and three long sessions throughout the day are better than six short ones. A real ‘discussion’ or ‘brainstorm’ cannot happen in 15 minutes, unless the group size is under five people. Having flexibility in the agenda, and trusting the group to fill the time with their own inputs, gets people closer. Moreover, it builds a sense of ownership among participants because they see themselves contributing to the agenda, rather than passively consuming what the host has planned for them.

There are also certain rules of thumb that can guide you towards designing a better agenda and on-day experience. Assuming you know your ‘why’ by now, before deciding the ‘how’, which is usually the panel, session, keynote speech, activity, or discussion topic, ask yourself:

Would I want to be in this session at someone else’s event?
At which point in this session will people start looking at their phones?
Will the main contestations happen inside the room or outside or on the sidelines/more privately?
Are people sitting in one place/space for longer than 90 minutes without any change in energy? This in and of itself isn’t a bad thing but the quality of conversation needs to be high if people are to stay grounded in one place for a long time.
Is the session that is likely to run over slotted right before lunch?

According to Urvashi Devidayal, senior adviser at ICC, multiple formats are key to sustaining the attention of the audience. Having something completely off topic, something that is fun or emotional, also helps add to the stickiness of the event. For instance, ICC has hosted drum circles, sharing circles, boat rides, and numerous other sessions that have no direct relationship to the topic everyone has gathered to discuss.

Principle 3: Execution eats design for breakfast

Every idea, no matter how good, fails when executed poorly. This sounds banal because no one sets out to execute badly. Yet, repeated internal dry runs, dress rehearsals, and run sheets are not part of the run-up for many organisers.

When we reached out to Akshat Singhal, co-founder and director at The Gender Lab, he emphasised the importance of inclusivity while planning any event. This comprises considerations for dietary preferences; translations; disability inclusivity (guide for visually impaired individuals, wheelchair access, seating arrangements); toilet access for all; volunteers to guide the participants; programming activities that are mindful of accessibility; and being collaborative and flexible with participant engagement to make it comfortable for people who might find these challenging.

Overall preparedness also helps in being nimble on the day because participant needs emerge, especially when diverse groups are brought together. Say you want to organise a discussion with a group of farmers focused on nature-based solutions. One approach could be to randomly divide them into groups, moderate the discussion, do the work of enumerating and synthesising each group’s points, and then share it back with the whole group. The other could be to speak with them before the meeting or event, look at all the data generated through those conversations, organise these into a few themes/tracks, and run a deeper discussion on the day based on what has already been established.

This takes more effort, and may not always be feasible, but it dramatically improves the progress one can make in group sessions. The use of pre-designed materials including worksheets, cue cards, and surveys also helps take the load off a bit on the day, and leaves one with handy pieces of knowledge that are easier to digest post the event.

Given the fast pace of business and society today, getting people in a room is a luxury in itself.

At our recent active citizenship portfolio retreat, we tried using written notes taken on Day 1 as raw inputs into designing the discussion topics and flow for Day 2. Active citizenship is one of our key portfolios and we were keen to understand how our partners were responding to the rapid digitisation of civic life. To mine the experience of 20 partners, we used cue cards where they wrote their experiences from their specific contexts. On Day 2 we collapsed the insights into broad buckets, omitted parts where full consensus already existed, and managed to have a spirited discussion on grey areas in just 45 minutes because a lot of the background had already been established.

Principle 4: The shelf life of a conference can be extended

The final piece is about what happens once the event is over. We ourselves have seen the value in sharing materials back, making good on conversation threads that were opened in person, and doing offline follow-ups. Last year, we hosted an all-partner gathering in Kochi, where we brought together 100 partners (250 people) to explore synergies and build solidarity. Six months after this retreat, 70 percent of attendees shared that they were initiating or collaborating with organisations that they had met there. This gave us confidence in the power of intention and design, and in the value of building on moments from our convenings much after the event had ended.

Given the fast pace of business and society today, getting people in a room is a luxury in itself. And so how to gather well is a question worth considering irrespective of the industry one belongs to. As we mark events in our calendars this year, I am curious about ways in which others think about bringing people together with a deeply human purpose.

ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ: 2024ರ ಚುನಾವಣೆಗೆ 2014ರ ಕಥೆ

ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಹತ್ತು ವರ್ಷ ಗಳ ಹಿಂ ದೆ ನಾವು ನನ್ನ ಪತಿ ನಂ ದನ್ ನಿಲೇ ಕಣಿ ಅವರಿಗಾಗಿ ಬೆಂ ಗಳೂರು ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಲೋ ಕಸಭಾ ಕ್ಷೇ ತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಚುನಾವಣಾ ಪ್ರಚಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಇಳಿದಿದ್ದೆವು. ಆ ಕಥೆ ಕೊನೆಗೊಂಡಿದ್ದು ಹೇ ಗೆ ಎಂ ಬುದು ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಗೊತ್ತಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಅಂ ದು ನಾವು ಕಲಿತಿದ್ದು ಈಗ ದೇ ಶದಾದ್ಯಂ ತ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿರುವ ಆ ಕಥೆಯ ಮುಂ ದುವರಿದ ಭಾಗಕ್ಕೆ ಬಹಳ ಸಂ ಗತವಾಗಿದೆ.

ರಾಜಕಾರಣವು ವಿಶ್ವದ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಕಷ್ಟದ ಕೆಲಸವಾಗಿರಬಹುದು ಎಂಬುದು ಸಮಸ್ತ ಮತದಾರರು ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬಹುದಾದ ಮೊದಲ ಸಂಗತಿ. ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಯು ವರ್ಷದ ಅಷ್ಟೂ ದಿನ, ಹಗಲು–ರಾತ್ರಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾನೆ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ನಾವು ಖುದ್ದಾಗಿ ಕಂಡೆವು. ಹಲವು ಬಾರಿ ಯಾವ ಪ್ರತಿಫಲವೂ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ, ಮತದಾರರ ಬೇಡಿಕೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಸ್ಪಂದಿಸಲು ಅವರು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ, ನಾವು ಹತ್ತಾರು ಪಕ್ಷಗಳ ಸಹಸ್ರಾರು ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ, ಅವರಲ್ಲಿ ಗೆಲ್ಲುವವರ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ 543 ಮಾತ್ರ, ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಮೆಚ್ಚುಗೆ ಸೂಚಿಸೋಣವೇ?

ಎರಡನೆಯ ಸಂಗತಿ, ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು ಮತದಾರರು, ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ನಗರಗಳ ಸ್ಥಿತಿವಂತ ವರ್ಗದವರು, ಚುನಾವಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ಬಹಳ ಹಗುರವಾಗಿ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾರೆ ಎಂಬುದು. 21 ದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವಂತೆ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಮತದಾನ ಕಡ್ಡಾಯವಲ್ಲ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಮತದಾನವೆಂದರೆ ಹಕ್ಕನ್ನು ಸಂಭ್ರಮದಿಂದ ಚಲಾಯಿಸುವುದು. ಆದರೆ, ಚುನಾವಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗಿಯಾಗದೆ ಇದ್ದಾಗ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ನಾವೇ ನಿರಾಸೆಗೊಳಿಸಿ.

ಕೊಂಡಂತಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಚುನಾವಣೆಗಳು ಅಮೂಲ್ಯವಾದ ಬೇಸಿಗೆ ರಜೆಯ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುತ್ತವೆ, ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವರ ಹೆಸರು ಮತದಾರರ ಪಟ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ಬಿಟ್ಟುಹೋಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ನಿಜ. ಆದರೆ, ಮತದಾನ ಮಾಡುವುದು ಸಮಯ ವ್ಯರ್ಥ ಮಾಡುವ ಕೆಲಸ ಎಂದು ದೇಶದ ಬಹುಜನರು ಆಲೋಚಿಸಿದರೆ ಏನಾಗಬಹುದು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಯೋಚಿಸಿ. ಮೂರನೆಯ ಸಂಗತಿಯೆಂದರೆ, ತಮ್ಮ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಂದ ಜನ ಏನನ್ನು ನಿರೀಕ್ಷಿಸಬೇಕು ಎಂಬುದು. ನಾವು ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡುವವರ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಕೆಲಸವು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಶಾಸನ ರಚಿಸುವವರಾಗಿ ಸಂಸತ್ತಿಗೆ ನೆರವಾಗಬೇಕಿರುವುದು ಎಂಬುದು ಬಹುತೇಕ ಮತದಾರರಿಗೆ ಅರ್ಥವಾಗದೇ ಇರಬಹುದು. ಇದನ್ನು ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳು ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ತೋರಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳು ಈ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತನಾಡುವುದು ಬಹಳ ಕಡಿಮೆ.

ಸಂಸದರು ತಮ್ಮ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ಜನರನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿನಿಧಿಸುವ, ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ವೆಚ್ಚಗಳಿಗೆ ಅಂಗೀಕಾರ ನೀಡುವ, ಕಾರ್ಯಾಂಗದ ಕೆಲಸಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಒಂದಿಷ್ಟು ನಿಗಾ ಇರಿಸುವ ಹೊಣೆ ಹೊಂದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ ಅವರ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಕೆಲಸ ಶಾಸನಗಳನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು, ಅವುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಚರ್ಚಿಸಿ, ಅವುಗಳ ಅಂಗೀಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ನೆರವಾಗುವುದು. ಈ ಶಾಸನಗಳು ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸಗಳು ಸುಗಮವಾಗಿ, ನ್ಯಾಯಸಮ್ಮತವಾಗಿ ನಡೆಯಲು ನೆರವಾಗುತ್ತವೆ. ಆದರೆ 2014ರ ನಮ್ಮ ಅನುಭವದ ಆಧಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳುವುದಾದರೆ, ಮತದಾರರು ಬಯಸುವುದು ಅಥವಾ ಅವರು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವುದು ಇದನ್ನಲ್ಲ.

ಹಲವು ಕೊಳೆಗೇರಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ, ಮಧ್ಯಮ ವರ್ಗದವರ ಬಡಾವಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಅಪಾರ್ಟ್‌ಮೆಂಟ್‌ ಸಮುಚ್ಚಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಜನರ ಮಾತಿಗೆ ಇಡೀ ದಿನ ಕಿವಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆವು. ಬಹಳ ಸೆಕೆ ಇದ್ದ ಒಂದು ದಿನ ಒಂದು ಅಪಾರ್ಟ್‌ಮೆಂಟ್‌ ಸಮುಚ್ಚಯದಲ್ಲಿ, ನಂದನ್ ಅವರು ಚುನಾಯಿತರಾದರೆ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಧಾರಣೆ ತರಲು ಹೇಗೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂಬ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಭಾವುಕ ಮಾತುಗಳನ್ನು ಆಲಿಸಿದ ನಂತರ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯೊಬ್ಬರು ‘ಬಹಳ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ನನ್ನ ನೆರೆಯ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಮಧ್ಯರಾತ್ರಿ 1 ಗಂಟೆಯ ಹೊತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಯಿಗೆ ಆಹಾರ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅವರ ವಿಚಾರವಾಗಿ ಏನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ’ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದ್ದರು! ಮಧ್ಯಮ ವರ್ಗದವರ ಬಡಾವಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜನ ಬೀದಿ ದೀಪಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ, ಉದ್ಯಾನವನ್ನು ಹಸಿರಾಗಿ ಇರಿಸುವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಏನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತೀರಿ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ‘ನನ್ನ ಮತ ಉಚಿತವಾಗಿ ಬೇಕಾ? ನೀವು ನನಗೇನು ಕೊಡುತ್ತೀರಿ’ ಎಂದು ಮಹಿಳೆಯೊಬ್ಬರು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಕಷ್ಟಪಟ್ಟು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುವ, ನೈತಿಕವಾಗಿ ಉತ್ತಮನಾಗಿರುವ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿ ಎಂದು ನಾನು ಏನೋ ಹೇಳಲು ಮುಂದಾದಾಗ, ಆಕೆಗೆ ಅದು ತಮಾಷೆಯಂತೆ ಅನ್ನಿಸಿತು.

ಕೊಳೆಗೇರಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಜನರು ‘ಬರೀ ನೀರು ಕೊಡಿ ಸಾಕು’ ಎಂದಿದ್ದರು. ಇತರ ಕೆಲವರು ವಿದ್ಯುತ್ ಸಂಪರ್ಕ, ಸಾರಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದ್ದರು. ತಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿನ ಹತಾಶೆಗಳನ್ನು ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳ ಹಾಗೂ ಅವರ ಜೊತೆಗಾರರ ಎದುರು ಹೇಳಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಅದು ಜನರಿಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಒಂದು ಅವಕಾಶವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಂತಹ ಸುಶಿಕ್ಷಿತ ನಗರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕೂಡ ಜನರಿಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಸಂಸದರಿಂದ ಬೇಕಾಗಿರುವುದು ತಾವು ಒಗ್ಗೂಡಿ ಪಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಿರುವ ಅಥವಾ ತಮ್ಮ ಕಾರ್ಪೊರೇಟರ್‌ಗಳು, ಸ್ಥಳೀಯ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು, ಶಾಸಕರಿಂದ ಪಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಿರುವ ಸಂಗತಿಗಳು ಎಂಬುದು ನಮಗೆ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಗೊತ್ತಾಯಿತು. ಸ್ಥಳೀಯ ಮಟ್ಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಎದುರಾಗುವ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಜನರು ನೇರ ಪರಿಹಾರವನ್ನು ಬಯಸುತ್ತಾರೆ.

ಇವುಗಳಿಗೆ ಕಾರಣವಿಲ್ಲ ಎನ್ನಲಾಗದು. ಮೂಲಭೂತ ಸೇವೆಗಳು ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಹಲವು ಸೇವೆಗಳನ್ನು ಒದಗಿಸಬೇಕಿರುವುದು ತೀರಾ ಮಹತ್ವದ್ದು. ಆದರೆ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಇರುವುದು ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು ಒದಗಿಸಬೇಕಿರುವವರು ಯಾರು ಎಂಬುದು. ಇದನ್ನು ಬಹಳ ಸಣ್ಣ ಮೊತ್ತದ ಎಂಪಿಲ್ಯಾಡ್‌ ಅನುದಾನ ಹೊರತುಪಡಿಸಿ ಬೇರೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ಶಾಸನಾತ್ಮಕ ಸಂಪನ್ಮೂಲ ಅಥವಾ ಅಧಿಕಾರ ಇಲ್ಲದ ಸಂಸದರಿಂದ ಒದಗಿಸುವುದು ಆಗದ ಕೆಲಸ.

ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಸಂಕೀರ್ಣವಾದ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳನ್ನು ಪರಿಹರಿಸಲು ಸಮರ್ಥ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ ಜೊತೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುವ ಅರಿವಿರುವ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳು ಆಧುನಿಕ ಪ್ರಜಾತಂತ್ರ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಗೆ ಬೇಕು. ಬಹಳ ಸಂದರ್ಭಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ನೀತಿಗಳು, ಕಾನೂನುಗಳು ಚರ್ಚೆಗಳಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಜಾರಿಗೆ ಬಂದಿರುತ್ತವೆ. ಬಹುತೇಕ ಸಂದರ್ಭಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅವು ನಮ್ಮ ದಿನನಿತ್ಯದ ಬದುಕಿನ ಮೇಲೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಪರಿಣಾಮ ಬೀರುತ್ತವೆ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಯಲು ಆಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗೆ ಹೇಳುವುದಾದರೆ, ‘ದೂರಸಂಪರ್ಕ ಕಾಯ್ದೆ– 2023’ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಸೇವೆಗಳನ್ನು ಅಮಾನತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಇರಿಸಲು ಸರ್ಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು ಬಲ ನೀಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಕೆಲವು ಗಂಟೆಗಳಿಗಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಹೊತ್ತಿನವರೆಗೆ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ ಬದುಕುವುದು ಹೇಗೆಂಬುದು ನಗರವಾಸಿ ಮತದಾರರಿಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ನಮ್ಮ ಸಂಸದರು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಮಧ್ಯಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿ, ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಅಪರೂಪದ ಸಂದರ್ಭಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊರತುಪಡಿಸಿ ಬೇರೆ ಸಂದರ್ಭಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಸೇವೆ ಸ್ಥಗಿತಗೊಳಿಸದಂತೆ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು ಅಲ್ಲವೇ? ಕೆಲಸದ ಭವಿಷ್ಯದ ಸ್ವರೂಪಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ನೀತಿಗಳು ಹೊಸ, ಯುವ ಮತದಾರರ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಮಹತ್ವದವು. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ, ಮಹಿಳೆಯರ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ಸುರಕ್ಷತೆ, ಆರೋಗ್ಯ, ಸಮಾನತೆಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಕಾನೂನುಗಳು ತಕ್ಷಣದ ಯಾವುದೇ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯಗಳಿಗಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮಹತ್ವ

ದ್ದಾಗುತ್ತವೆ. 17ನೇ ಲೋಕಸಭಾ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮತದಾರರಾಗಿ ನಮಗೆ ಹಳೆಯ ಮಾದರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಪಕ್ಕಕ್ಕೆ ಇರಿಸಲು ಒಂದು ಅವಕಾಶ ಇದೆ. ಹೊಸ ಕಾನೂನುಗಳನ್ನು ರೂಪಿಸುವಾಗ ಅಥವಾ ಹಳೆಯ ಕಾನೂನುಗಳಿಗೆ ತಿದ್ದುಪಡಿ ತರುವಾಗ ನಮ್ಮ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯದ ಪರವಾಗಿ ಮಾತನಾಡುವವರನ್ನು ನಾವು ಚುನಾಯಿಸಬಹುದು.

ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಸಂಸದೀಯ ಪಟುಗಳು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಶಾಸನಗಳನ್ನು ರೂಪಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಶಾಸನಗಳು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟುತ್ತವೆ. ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಶಾಸನಗಳನ್ನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಅನುಷ್ಠಾನಕ್ಕೆ ತಂದಾಗ ಪ್ರಜಾತಂತ್ರ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯು ಸಮಾನತೆ, ನ್ಯಾಯ, ಹಕ್ಕುಗಳಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಶ್ರೀಮಂತವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಇಂದು ರೂಪುಗೊಳ್ಳುವ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಕಾನೂನುಗಳು ಮುಂದೆ ಅಸಂಖ್ಯ ತಲೆಮಾರುಗಳಿಗೆ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಭವಿಷ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಡುತ್ತವೆ.

ಸ್ಥಳೀಯ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ಸಂಸದರನ್ನು ತಮ್ಮತ್ತ ಸೆಳೆಯಬೇಕಿಲ್ಲ; ಆ ವಿಷಯಗಳಿಗೆ ನಾವು ಸ್ಥಳೀಯ ಸರ್ಕಾರವನ್ನು ಹೊಣೆಗಾರ ಆಗಿಸಬೇಕು. 543 ಮಂದಿ ನಾಯಕರನ್ನು ಸದ್ಯದ ಅಗತ್ಯಗಳಿಗಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಮಹತ್ವದ ವಿಷಯಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಗಮನಹರಿಸುವ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಬಿಡಬಹುದು. ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರನ್ನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಪೊರೆಯಲು ಬೇಕಿರುವ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಶಾಸನಗಳನ್ನು ರೂಪಿಸುವ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳನ್ನು ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡುವ ಮೂಲಕ ಭಾರತದ ಸಮಾಜವು ಭಾರತದ ಪ್ರಜಾತಂತ್ರವನ್ನು ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ಗಟ್ಟಿಗೊಳಿಸಬಹುದು.

ಲೇಖಕಿ: ‘ರೋಹಿಣಿ ನಿಲೇಕಣಿ ಫಿಲಾಂಥ್ರೊಪೀಸ್‌’ನ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷೆ‌

(ಲೇಖನವು ಈ ಮೊದಲು ‘ದಿ ಇಂಡಿಯನ್ ಎಕ್ಸ್‌ಪ್ರೆಸ್‌’ನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾಗಿತ್ತು)

Prajavani

Skoll | Launching the Centre For Exponential Change: A support network for system orchestrators

By Rohini Nilekani (Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies) & Donald Gips (CEO, Skoll Foundation)

If you happen to drive along the highway connecting Guwahati and Shillong in the Northeast of India, you may want to stop at a few of the 350 rural Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and interact with the healthcare professionals. These centres are a thriving testament to the systemic transformation in progress.

Nurse Joyce would explain how she can ensure proper maternal care of the most vulnerable rural women because she has access to uninterrupted power and functional medical facilities such as baby warmers. This is no accident; it’s a thoughtful system orchestration by SELCO Foundation, a 2018 Skoll Awardee and co-traveller with Centre For Exponential Change.

Bringing together state government resources with private players to ensure reliable operations, maintenance, and building capacity of primary healthcare staff is no easy task. Systemic change is underway to make PHCs and other crucial health service points no longer just functional, but resilient and self-reliant. Isn’t it remarkable that such a model of exponential change is emerging as a blueprint for 50,000 rural PHCs across India?

Human history is peppered with long periods of small changes that were disrupted by compounding big shifts. We are living through such a transition, where both our problems and our ability to respond are multiplying at an unprecedented pace. This moment compels us to pause, reflect, and reimagine our response to social problems with exponential thinking. Would linear solutions that may have worked in the past be adequate for the future?

How can we learn from exponential thinking and action in progress? Most successful social innovations scale because of the collective work of many problem solvers across communities, civil society, government, and private sector (Samaaj, Sarkar, Bazaar). One example is the global financing and professionalization of frontline Community Health Workers (CHWs), the backbone of community health services in many countries. A more professionalized workforce active hand-in-hand across communities, civil society, government, and business, is key to responding to public health outbreaks and developing strong health systems.

But much more investment is needed to unlock the full potential of CHWs and to ensure communities have access to professionalized, trained, compensated, and integrated CHWs. Within the Skoll community, we see locally-based partnerships and coordination successfully happening with multiple governments to develop national community health strategies and financing pathways. The Africa Frontline First Catalytic Fund is an example that has already secured $100 million in funding as it seeks to scale-up and sustain 200K professional CHWs across 10 countries by 2030, expanding healthcare coverage to 100M people. But this work takes a specific profile of innovator to build, coordinate, and activate this type of exponential change over time.

What type of innovator does it take to catalyze such exponential change? This requires system orchestration: connecting the dots, fostering partnerships, and driving whole ecosystems forward. Working behind the scenes, system orchestrators bring about transformational social change by knitting together key actors, providing resources and digital infrastructure, and mobilizing collective change efforts. They shape a new paradigm, leverage systems’ resources, navigate complexity and persist with authenticity to create impact at societal scale.

When system orchestrators are networked and resourced, they are able to “conduct” social change symphonies that trigger positive domino effects of change. While not always at the center, or even out front, their coordinating and activating capabilities are critical.

System orchestrators exist and have existed for years. They continue to do influential work behind the scenes that often does not get the public spotlight. By no means is this journey of system orchestrators an easy one. These endeavors are very complex, extend over long periods of time, and bridge many chasms on the way. Does it not behoove us to do our best to unlock their imagination, reinforce their capabilities, and reduce the friction they face?

Can all of us focused on impact at scale come together as an enabling force for them? Can we ensure that knowledge is reused, reimagination is encouraged, prototyping is celebrated, and self-efficacy of leaders is reinforced? Can we join hands to catalyze positive change by accelerating the work of the social innovators who are tackling our planet’s most existential challenges, and provide a network of support for system orchestrators? That is the vision with which we are establishing the new Centre For Exponential Change.

In the Skoll community and across the network of Centre For Exponential Change, we continue to see system orchestrators emerge. Many started with social innovations they were scaling within their organizations and over time their credibility in the space led to a system orchestrator role. Other social innovators are system orchestrators from the start.

Given the scale of impact system orchestrators are helping drive, it’s hard for us to imagine a scenario in which the big, audacious goals that we have set for ourselves can be achieved without them. Yet the common theme we hear from them is that raising funds for what they do is challenging, even when most have lean budgets ($5M annually) and staff (~10 or less). Through surveying the field with Bridgespan, we’ve found that most system orchestrators have severe finance gaps, on average between half to 2x their budget, or about $2.5M. The Centre for Exponential Change is designed to build a community of enablers, including funders, for system orchestrators, so they can flourish and consistently leverage critical networks.

Nilekani Philanthropies works closely with system orchestrators, such as EkStep Foundation and many others engaged with Societal Thinking, and has experienced not only many successes but also setbacks. Some lessons from these experiences have become the guideposts for how philanthropy is practiced. One of them is that we need a new lens to reimagine the way we look at and solve social problems – going beyond plucking out the weeds, instead digging deep to the intertwined roots of a problem. This means opening up a space to reimagine the way we look at problems and our role in solving them, a space for experimentation, and a space for diverse actors across civil society, government and markets to come together to solve.

In the journey towards systemic change, the triad of Samaaj (society), Sarkaar (government), and Bazaar (market) plays a pivotal role. Through successful cross-sector collaborations, we’ve seen firsthand how the synergy between these sectors amplifies our collective impact. For instance, initiatives that bring together the grassroots innovation of Samaaj, the regulatory framework and resources of Sarkaar, and the scalability and efficiency of Bazaar demonstrate the power of united action. This collaborative ecosystem is at the heart of the mission for the Centre for Exponential Change, leveraging the unique strengths of each sector to foster exponential change.

It is with this vision that the Centre for Exponential Change is emerging as a co-creation space to bring together diverse enablers that support the journeys of system orchestrators in solving social problems faster, sooner, and at scale. Skoll Foundation and Nilekani Philanthropies are co-founding the Centre For Exponential Change along with New Profit and Instituto Beja with a shared vision and aspiration. Conceived as a global action network, the Centre for Exponential Change (C4EC) and its Global Members will offer:

Exchange of open and practical knowledge on how to induce exponential change
Actionable advisory for deep design and prototyping to explore new pathways
Paradigm grants to unlock the imagination of validated system orchestrators
Hands-on experienced mentors who can help navigate challenges with insights
Spaces and communities to reinforce the self-efficacy of system orchestrators

When catalyzing positive exponential change, it’s possible to inadvertently perpetuate existing disparities in our society that harm marginalized populations. What may seem ambitious from a dominant paradigm may have hidden costs for the vulnerable, if not empathetically considered from their lived experience. With the right values, design principles and approach, social innovators can balance innovation with responsibility. Founded on core values of restoring agency, nurturing dignity, and empowering choices for traditionally marginalized and underrepresented groups, the Centre For Exponential Change will co-travel with system orchestrators to actively integrate and elevate voices from multiple axes of difference, lend fresh perspectives, surface blindspots and nourish equity.

Like the attention we pay to conserve and regenerate the systems in nature that preserve and rejuvenate our ecology, such as coral reefs and rainforests, we must pay similar attention to system orchestrators in our society that are essential for rapid progress towards a sustainable and equitable future. It is our responsibility to engage, listen, learn, and strive to improve our systems to reduce the friction these actors face and bridge the chasms they must cross. That commitment is at the heart of the Centre For Exponential Change.

We invite you to join this movement, reach out to become an active member of the emerging C4EC Global Network, extend your financial support or expertise with system orchestrators, share your journey and insights, strengthen the narrative, or collaborate on existing or new exponential change journeys. Visit us at the Centre for Exponential Change, and get involved!

skoll.org

Loksatta | शंभरीतलं शहाणपण!

भाषांतर संपदा सोवनी
आयुष्य तर जगायचंच असतं, परंतु ते आनंदी आणि ‘ग्रेसफुली’ कसं जगायचं हे प्रत्येकाच्या विवेकावर अवलंबून असतं. नुकत्याच शंभरीत पदार्पण केलेल्या दुर्गाबाई निलेकणी यांनी काळाबरोबर चालताना मायक्रोवेव्ह, झूम कॉलसारख्या अनेक आधुनिक गोष्टी तर शिकून घेतल्याच, शिवाय अत्याधुनिक अशा दीर्घायुष्यासाठीच्या संशोधनासाठीही त्या तयार झाल्या आहेत. ‘इतरांवर ओझं होणार नाही असं जगावं!’ हे त्यांचं ‘शंभरीतलं शहाणपण’ तर सगळ्यांसाठीच अनुकरणीय… सूनबाई रोहिणी निलेकणी यांच्या लेखणीतून उतरलेलं त्यांचं हे शब्दचित्र.

माझ्या सासूबाई- दुर्गाबाई निलेकणी- ‘अम्मा’ यांनी नुकतंच वयाच्या शंभराव्या वर्षात पदार्पण केलं. वयामुळे उद्भवणाऱ्या काही तक्रारी सोडल्या, तर त्या चालत्याफिरत्या आहेत. आरोग्य उत्तम आणि मन शांत. त्यांना कधीही विचारलं, ‘‘कशा आहात?’’ तर म्हणतात, ‘‘मी ठीक!’’ तर कधी हसून म्हणतात, ‘‘एकदम ठीक!’’ अगदी कधी श्वास घेताना त्रास होत असला किंवा काही दुखतखुपत असेल, तरीही त्यांचं उत्तर हेच असतं.

त्यांचं जीवन हे, ‘आयुष्य ‘ग्रेसफुली’ कसं जगावं’ याचं प्रात्यक्षिकच आहे जणू! कधी मलाच निराश वाटतं, तेव्हा मी त्यांना म्हणते, ‘‘अम्मा, तुम्ही अशा कशा आहात?’’ त्या म्हणतात, ‘‘सोप्पं आहे! मी मृत्यूची कधी फिकीर करत नाही. जगण्याचा विचार करते. आणि मी आनंदी आहे!’’ साधी, आहे त्यात सुखी राहण्याची एक संस्कृती होती (कधीच नाहीशी झालीय ती!), ती दुर्गाबाईंमध्ये पुरेपूर आहे. त्यांचे वडील- डॉ. अण्णाजी राव सिरूर. कर्नाटकातल्या धारवाडमधले ते मोठे डॉक्टर. चौदा भावंडं आणि असंख्य नातेवाईकांच्या गराड्यात अम्मा वाढल्या. कुटुंब खाऊनपिऊन सुखी असलं, तरी गाठीशी फार काही उरायचं नाही. एखादी गोष्ट वाया जाण्याची शक्यता असेल, तर मुळात ती मागून घेऊच नका, हा घरातला दंडक. धारवाडच्या घरात प्रत्येक वस्तूचा अगदी शेवटचा तुकडा, चिंधी, याचाही काही तरी उपयोग असे. आजच्या ‘यूझ अँड थ्रो’ काळात हे समजणंही अनेकांना अवघड जाईल. ‘साधी राहणी, उच्च विचारसरणी’ हा फक्त सुविचार नव्हता, लोकांच्या जगण्याचा धर्म होता तो! तसंच ‘माणुसकी’ ही पुस्तकी संकल्पना नव्हती. कुणी कधी मदतीसाठी दार ठोठावलं, तर शक्य ती मदत करायची, हे गृहीत होतं. एकदा अम्मांच्या एका पुतण्याला वैद्याकीय उपचारांसाठी पैसा लागणार होता. अम्मांनी त्यांच्याजवळचे जवळपास सगळे पैसे देऊन टाकले नि वर ‘माझी मुलं बघतायत माझ्याकडे, मग मला वेगळा पैसा कशाला हवा?’ असं म्हणून खांदे उडवले होते! आता कुणाविषयीही माणुसकीच्या आधी संशय मनात येण्याचा जमाना आहे. अगदी शेजारच्या घरात राहणाराही खूपदा अनोळखीच असतो, असा काळ. त्यात अम्मांसारखी माणसं दुर्मीळच!

१०० वर्षं. केवढे बदल पाहिलेत त्यात अम्मांनी! मानवी इतिहासातले अतिशय समृद्ध क्षण त्या जगल्यात. जागतिक महायुद्ध, स्वातंत्र्यलढा… तंत्रज्ञानात झपाट्यानं झालेले बदल, देशाची प्रगती… आर्थिक समृद्धी आणि चणचण… जवळच्यांचे मृत्यूही खूप पाहिले त्यांनी- पती मोहनराव निलेकणी आणि अम्मांची अनेक भावंडं, यांचे. सगळ्यातून त्या तरल्या. पूर्वी चुलीवर भाकरी करण्याची किंवा आप्तांना पोस्टकार्ड लिहिण्याची सवय असलेल्या अम्मा मायक्रोवेव्ह वापरताना किंवा ‘झूम’ कॉलवर बोलतानाही तितक्याच सहजतेनं ती गोष्ट करतात. ‘जुळवून घ्यायला हवं. नाही का?’ साध्या, स्पष्ट स्वरात त्या सांगतात. एका गोष्टीशी मात्र त्यांना जुळवून घेता आलं नाही- महागाई, चलनवाढ! खरं तर आता त्यांना स्वत:ला पर्स उघडण्याची वेळ येत नाही, पण कधी बोलताना रोजच्या वस्तूंच्या किमती माझ्याकडून कळल्या की त्यांच्या चेहऱ्यावर आठ्या उमटतात. म्हणतात, ‘‘गरीब लोक कसं भागवत असतील?…’’

त्यांच्या वयाचा उल्लेख झाला कीसुद्धा त्यांच्या चेहऱ्यावर असाच आश्चर्यचकित भाव असतो. ‘‘देव मला विसरलाय की काय?’’ असं मिश्कीलपणे विचारतात. मग मी म्हणते, ‘‘नव्याण्णव नॉट आऊट आहात तुम्ही. म्हणजे सेंच्युरी होणार नक्की!’’ त्यावर होकार देताना खळखळून हसतात.

१९२५ मध्ये त्यांचा जन्म झाला. तेव्हा आपल्या भारतीय उपखंडात सरासरी जीवनमान अवघं २७.६ वर्षं होतं! आज ते दुपटीपेक्षा अधिक झालंय- सरासरी ६७.२ वर्षं. म्हणजे पुढच्या काही वर्षांत देशाचं वय झपाट्यानं वाढणार. ‘इंडिया एजिंग रिपोर्ट २०२३’नुसार २०५० पर्यंत ६० वर्षं किंवा त्यावरच्या वयाच्या नागरिकांचं प्रमाण एकूण लोकसंख्येच्या २०.८ टक्के होण्याची चिन्हं आहेत. म्हणजे जवळपास ३५ कोटी लोक. अमेरिकेच्या लोकसंख्येएवढा आकडा आहे हा! २०२२ मध्ये १४.९ कोटी ज्येष्ठ नागरिकांची नोंद झाली होती- म्हणजे लोकसंख्येच्या १०.५ टक्के. याचाच अर्थ आज आपण जे देशाच्या तरुण लोकसंख्येविषयी बोलतो, ते चित्र २०५० पर्यंत जुनं होणार आहे. तेव्हा आपलं लक्ष आरोग्य, मानवकल्याण, आहे त्या मनुष्यबळाची कार्यक्षमता कशी वाढवायची? सर्व ज्येष्ठांना निवृत्तीनंतरचे फायदे, निवृत्तिवेतन देण्याचा आर्थिक भार कसा उचलायचा? यावर असेल. अनेक देशांपुढे अशीच आव्हानं असतील. म्हणजे मानवजातीला वृद्धत्वाच्या आव्हानांचा इतक्या मोठ्या प्रमाणावर प्रथमच सामना करावा लागेल.

काही अंदाजांनुसार जगात सध्या ५ लाखांच्या आसपास लोकांनी शंभरी गाठली आहे. पाश्चिमात्य देशांत दीर्घायुषी असण्याबद्दल संशोधन वेगानं सुरू आहे. अम्मांच्या अगदी विरुद्ध, सिलिकॉन व्हॅलीमधले काही कोट्याधीश दीर्घायू होण्याचं रहस्य जाणून घ्यायला उत्सुक आहेत. त्यातल्या एकानं तर मृत्यूला जीवनाचा भाग मानायलाच नकार दिलाय. त्याच्या मते मृत्यू हा कंप्युटरमध्ये एखादा ‘बग’ येतो ना, तसा मानायला हरकत नसावी! ‘मेथुसेलाह फाऊंडेशन’चं असं म्हणणं आहे की, २०३० पर्यंत वय वर्षं ९० हे वय ५० सारखं वाटावं. हा सर्व प्रयोग प्रत्यक्षात फसेल असंच अनेकांना वाटतंय, पण त्यातून डिमेन्शिया (विस्मरण) आणि वयाशी संबंधित इतर समस्यांवर काही उपाय सापडू शकेल.

अम्मासुद्धा अशा एका संशोधनाचा भाग होणार आहेत. ‘नॅशनल इन्स्टिट्युट ऑफ मेंटल हेल्थ अँड न्युरोसायन्सेस’च्या ( NIMHANS) एका प्रकल्पासाठी आपलं रक्त चाचणीला द्यायला त्या तयार झाल्यात. ज्येष्ठ नागरिकांत शरीरातल्या पेशी मरतात कशा, पुन्हा पूर्ववत कशा होतात, असा त्याचा विषय आहे. संशोधनाला उपयोग होणार असेल तर मृत्यूपश्चात देहदान करण्यासाठीही अम्मा तयारी दाखवतात.

अम्मांच्या शंभराव्या वाढदिवसाचे बेत आम्ही करत असतो. मी एकदा त्यांना विचारलं, ‘‘लोकांनी किती जगायला हवं?’’ त्या म्हणाल्या, ‘‘इतरांवर ओझं होणार नाही इतकं! पण ते आपल्या हातात नाहीये… नाही का?!’’ नुसतं एकेक वर्ष पुढे जात वय न वाढलेल्या, तर खरोखर रसरसून ते जगलेल्या शंभरीच्या व्यक्तीचे हे शब्द, किती सार्थ!

Loksatta

The Indian Express | Rohini Nilekani writes: Notes from our 2014 campaign for 2024

The headlines brought back sharp memories of a hot summer wind. Exactly 10 years ago, we had embarked on a grueling campaign for my husband Nandan Nilekani from Bangalore South constituency for the Lok Sabha elections of 2014.

Everyone knows how that particular movie ended, but there was so much we learnt which may be relevant for the sequel now playing out around the country. The first lesson that 900 million plus voters could acknowledge is that politics may be the world’s most difficult profession. We personally witnessed how politicians work 24/7, 365 days a year, surprisingly often without rewards, to meet voter demands. So, can we give a thumbs up to the thousands of candidates from dozens of parties, of whom only 543 will win, but who will all keep our vital electoral democracy humming?

The second issue is that too many voters, especially from the elite urban classes, still take the elections too lightly. They should not. India does not have a compulsory vote like 21 countries do. Our elections are more of a celebration of the right to vote than a cumbersome duty.

But we let ourselves down when we don’t participate in the free and fair elections India is so proud of, when we don’t vote. Sure, our elections come in the way of the precious summer holidays; sure, some of us may find our names removed from the voter list. But think hard of what would happen if a majority thought it was not worth their time to vote. What kind of country would India be?

The third, critical question is what people should expect from their candidates. Most voters may not have internalised that we will be choosing those whose main job is to minister parliament as good law makers. The media does not highlight this enough. Politicians only rarely talk about it themselves.

MPs have the representative responsibility to reflect the aspirations of their constituents, the power of the purse responsibility to approve the expenditure of

the government, and some oversight over the executive. But their main job is to participate in understanding, debating on and helping pass legislation that enables the nation to function smoothly, fairly and without conflict. In our experience of the 2014 campaign, that is not what the voters had understood or even wanted.

Walking for months through many slums, middle class neighbourhoods and fancy apartment complexes, we listened deeply to the people all day long. Some moments were particularly illuminating.

One sweltering day, in a fancy apartment complex, after my impassioned speech on how Nandan, if elected, would help drive systems reform, one man nodded wisely and said, “Wonderful. But what will he do about my crazy neighbour who feeds stray dogs at 1 am?”

In middle class neighbourhoods, people asked what we would do for street lights, or to keep their park green. In one such park, a lady probed — “You want my vote free or what? What will you give me?” When I mumbled something about a hardworking, ethical candidate, she was amused.

In slum areas, people were still desperate for basic services. “Bari neeru kodi, saaku,” they begged. If you can provide water, it is enough. Others spoke of electricity, transport, and hospitals. This was their one chance to pour out their frustrations to candidates and their crews.

Eventually, our team realised, even in a developed and educated city like Bengaluru, people want personally from their MPs what they should collectively organise for, or solicit from their corporators, local bureaucrats or MLAs. They want a direct solution to their local irritants, not abstract rewards.

None of these demands are unreasonable. Many, especially on basic services, are critical to meet. The question is, who should be fulfilling them? It cannot possibly be up to the MP, who has no authority or legally sanctioned resources apart from a meagre MPLAD scheme, to meet any of these aspirations. If he or she has to please such a voter, the winning candidate has to perform a politics of patronage and brokerage.

A modern democracy needs enlightened politicians to work with efficient bureaucrats to solve forever more complex issues. Too often, our laws and policies are signed off on without any discussion. Too often, we the people can’t see how that affects our day-to-day lives.

To take just one example, the Telecommunications Act 2023 cements the power of the government to suspend internet services. No urban voter even knows anymore how to live without the internet for more than a few hours. Do we not need our MP to intervene to ensure internet shutdowns can be ordered only in the rarest of rare circumstances?

For the nearly 2 crore new young voters, policy issues may be critical for what they care about most — the future of work. Similarly, for women enrolling in larger numbers than ever, laws and rules on safety and health, equity and access, may be even more important than immediate relief.

Good parliamentarians make good laws. Good laws make for a good society. Good laws when well implemented enrich a democracy with justice, equity, rights and protections. Good laws written today create a better future for countless generations ahead.

Our MPs need not be distracted by local issues, for which we must hold local governments accountable. Surely we can spare 543 leaders to focus on ideas that matter more than we can immediately perceive.

Ten years ago, our campaign team treaded the heated streets, canvassing for strategic votes. In a few weeks, we will ink our fingers as members of the world’s largest and proudest voting population.

We, the samaaj of India can deepen India’s democracy by electing those candidates who will design good laws to nourish us all.

The Indian Express

The Indian Express | Rohini Nilekani writes: On Women’s Day, lessons on compassion and resilience from a 99-year-old

Durgabai Nilekani recently entered the 100th year of her life. My mother-in-law is in good health, physically active, and mentally calm. She has mild cognitive impairment and some age-related decline. But every time you ask her how she is, Amma will say, “Oh, I am fine!” On some days, she will giggle and say she is “Ekdam fine”. This is even when we can hear her wheezing, or when we know she is in pain.

It is a lifelong training on how to live gracefully. Some days, when I may be feeling depressed, I quiz her, “Amma, how are you like this?” “Simple,” she answers. “I don’t worry about death. I think about life. And I am happy.”

Durgabai epitomises the long-gone culture of a simple, content society.

Her father, Dr Annaji Rao Sirur, was a very popular medical practitioner in the university town of Dharwad in Karnataka, where Amma grew up with 14 siblings and many other relatives. While there was enough to go around, there was not much to spare. “Waste not, want not” was the axiom they grew up with, alongside the idea of moderation in all things.

And the phrase “Reduce, recycle, reuse” might well have been modelled on her. In the days when she expertly ran her household in Dharwad, every last scrap had a life extension that would be incredible to today’s use-and-throw consumers.

Simple living and high thinking were not just words but a dharma to live by. Compassion to all was not just written in the scriptures but something to practise on everyone who knocked at the mostly unlocked door.

Amma once gave away almost all her personal wealth to help a nephew who needed expensive medical treatment. “Why do I need money when my sons are looking after me?” she shrugged.

Amma now seems like a rare commodity in a world where suspicion is more common than compassion and where neighbours may themselves be strangers.

Her lifetime has coincided with the most prosperous age in human history, where more people have experienced more abundance than ever before.

She has witnessed so much change in these 100 years — from a World War and the Independence movement to rapid technological advances, and a prospering nation. She has experienced abundance and scarcity, death and loss, including that of Mohanrao Nilekani, her husband, and many siblings too. She has coped remarkably well and is as comfortable with microwaves as she used to be making jowar rotis on an open fire, and as easy with Zoom calls as she was writing postcards. “We have to adjust, is it not?” Amma will say, in her ever simple and ever direct way.

There is one thing she cannot adjust to, though. And that is inflation. While she no longer has to make her own purchases, her face crumples up when I tell her the price of everyday items. “But how do poor people manage?” she wonders, shaken.

Amma is equally shocked at how old she has become. “Has God forgotten about me?” she asks jokingly. But when I coax, “Since you are 99 not out, you may as well hit a century,” she agrees, emitting her signature rat-a-tat gunfire laugh.

In 1925, the year Durgabai was born, life expectancy in the Subcontinent was 27.6 years. Today, life expectancy in India has more than doubled to 67.2 years. Which means that the country will age rapidly over the next few decades. According to the India Ageing Report 2023 , the share of senior citizens — aged 60 years and above — will rise to 20.8 per cent of the population by 2050. That is almost 350 million people, approximately the population of the United States. It is double the 2022 demographic of 149 million elderly persons — roughly 10.5 per cent of the population.

By 2050, today’s conversation, about a young nation’s demographic dividend, will seem a distant dream. The focus will be on human health and well-being, the productivity of a shrunken workforce, and the fiscal challenge of providing retirement benefits and pensions for all.

Many countries will face similar challenges. Humanity will have to deal, for the first time ever, with issues of mass ageing. By some estimates, there are already half a million centenarians in the world today. Research on longevity has also speeded up, especially in the West. Unlike Amma, Silicon Valley billionaires seem particularly obsessed with increasing lifespans. One of them allegedly declared death to be a bug, not a feature of life! And the Methuselah Foundation wants 90 to become the new 50 by 2030. If that fanciful project fails, many hope that it will, more importantly, yield answers to the problems of dementia and other age-related disorders.

Amma may herself contribute something of significance to medical research. She has agreed to donate her blood to a project at NIMHANS, which analyses cell degeneration and rejuvenation in older people. She would surely volunteer to donate her body for research if she believed it would help others.

As we plan for her 100th birthday, I ask Amma, “How long should people live?” “So long as they are not a burden to others,” she says. “But it is not in our hands, is it?”

Wise words from a compassionate centenarian, who has gracefully added life to her years, not just years to her life.

The Indian Express

The EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023

Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson – Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, has been named the ‘most generous woman philanthropist’ for the fourth consecutive year, according to The EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023. She donated Rs 170 crore in FY23, finding a place both in the top 10 philanthropists in terms of overall giving, as well as the top 10 philanthropists donating entirely out of their personal wealth.

Hurun India Media Release

Forbes Article

Alliance Mag | The Trust Imperative: Reshaping Society’s Participation in Systems Change

I was walking with a young leader of an Indian civic engagement organisation last week, when he shared a perspective that stayed with me. He said, “Sometimes, society believes its role is solely to resist deep-rooted power structures. But what if we, as citizens, fundamentally reconstructed these power structures?”

The triad of markets, states, and society often determines change in the world. Society can highlight problems in holding power accountable, an increasingly complex role in today’s polarised world. However, these approaches are intertwined. They are two sides of the same coin, underpinned by the drive for change and societal betterment.

An example of such change is the Akshara Foundation’s Ganitha Kalika Andolana program. This education initiative in Karnataka, India, actively involves the community in the learning process and has bridged the gap between schools and their communities, fostering mutual development and responsibility. Centered around math contests, this initiative sparked excitement throughout various public spaces – schools, community buildings, and temples. However, the initiative’s reach extended far beyond the students — the program aimed to involve parents, heightening their awareness of their children’s numerical abilities.

Along with student participation, the community’s involvement, reflected in the local contributions of resources and donations, was a crucial part of the program’s achievement. By facilitating a unique connection between schools and communities, the Akshara Foundation’s Ganitha Kalika Andolana program reframed the ‘us versus them’ paradigm, creating an interconnected, mutually beneficial network of stakeholders who are united in enhancing educational outcomes.

The Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue also exemplifies this approach through its construction of ‘dialogic spaces.’ They use the Dialogic Method to support individuals, organisations, and communities to deal with conflict, create spaces for dialogue, and build cultures and systems that foster dialogue as a default way of doing things. The true power of these spaces lies in the attitudinal shifts they engender. Individuals leave these spaces with a sense of trust, new perspectives and insights that foster systemic change over time.

Another initiative, Reap Benefit, based in Bangalore, India, employs this unique method. Reap Benefit primarily aims to build civic muscle in young people to solve local issues through their network of ‘Solve Ninjas’. A tool called ‘Samaja’ further enhances this initiative. It empowers any young person or community to leverage technology in resolving their local problems. Reap Benefit’s goal is not to expand its own organisation, but to ignite a movement that enables communities to become problem solvers.

The imperative of trust reshapes societal engagement in systems change. It serves as both glue and lubricant in the social change machinery, promoting cohesion and facilitating dynamic transitions in an ever-changing world.

A prime example is Prasanna, an 8th grader who noticed the absence of a suitable place to read in his village. Through his efforts, he successfully advocated restoring an unused library. His journey from being a Solve Ninja to a civic leader embodies the transformational power of engagement.

While these examples demonstrate positive engagement, resistance still serves as a necessary check on power. However, when resistance becomes the default mode of engagement, it can inadvertently reinforce narratives of antagonism, potentially eroding the fragile ecosystems of trust vital to a thriving society.

Trust-based philanthropy acts as a catalyst, embedding trust, intentionality, and transparency in relationships with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). This foundational trust significantly influences the community’s broader interactions and relationships, fostering openness and commitment to shared values between CSOs and communities.

Rather than simply recipients, CSOs are transformed into carriers and multipliers of trust. By ‘paying forward’ the trust received from philanthropists, CSOs create a ripple effect of trust and collaboration throughout the civic network. This trust fortifies each interaction, contributing to a resilient civic engagement framework capable of navigating social complexities with cooperation and mutual respect. In turn, trust-based philanthropy becomes pivotal in transforming civil society’s engagement strategies and championing collaborative approaches to social change.

The imperative of trust reshapes societal engagement in systems change. It serves as both glue and lubricant in the social change machinery, promoting cohesion and facilitating dynamic transitions in an ever-changing world. This deep infusion of trust into philanthropic efforts ensures participation extends beyond mere involvement to encompass influence and co-creation towards meaningful change. With the trust imperative active, the participation narrative shifts from token inclusion to empowered engagement, where societal actors can collaborate and influence, driving resilient systems change and embodying transformative, trust-based philanthropy.

Within our current Overton window – the range of policies and ideas considered acceptable in public discourse – pure oppositional tactics may have limited impact. A transformation of systems through active participation may yield better results than opposition alone. Society can construct more equitable power structures aligned with our shared values by shaping narratives, building trust, and widening the Overton window from within.

Civil society’s engagement with power structures isn’t a binary choice between resistance and participation. It is a spectrum of various approaches that include these strategies, part of a broader repertoire of civic engagement, which also encompasses collaboration, negotiation, innovation, and more.

Realising a just society also necessitates systemic changes in our economic, political, and social structures. Recognising these complexities showcases our capacity for self-reflection, dedication to progress, and aspiration to contribute to an equitable society.

Trust-based philanthropy plays a significant part in this transformation. It promotes a more egalitarian, inclusive model, challenging the power imbalances of the traditional top-down approach. It recognises the need to redistribute power, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and foster a more responsive, adaptive, and impactful philanthropic sector.

Substantial trust-based realignments in our societal structures require a change to take root within us first. This internal shift readies the ground for an external transformation, enabling society to progress from a simple overseer to an active cultivator of trust and change.

However, trust-based philanthropy doesn’t cure all. It functions within larger systems that can still perpetuate inequality and injustice. Realising a just society also necessitates systemic changes in our economic, political, and social structures. Recognising these complexities showcases our capacity for self-reflection, dedication to progress, and aspiration to contribute to an equitable society.

We have the opportunity to transform our society into one rooted in trust, shared responsibility, and mutual understanding. The path ahead is challenging, but trust offers a roadmap to walk together as we listen, understand, and build the social fabric we all depend upon. There is no more critical work than this: to realise a society rooted in trust, where responsibility is mutual and power balanced. The time for change is now.

The Indian Express | Rohini Nilekani writes: Requiem for a dying tree

No living being likes to be uprooted. Not people, not trees

For exactly 25 years, almost every morning, I have drawn open the curtains and saluted the sun’s rays diffused through the branches of the magnificent old mango tree outside. Recently, we acquired the site on which it stood, hoping to create an urban mini-forest and add ecosystem services in the vicinity.

The Mangifera Indica along with its many denizens has pride of place in our new design. Dozens of species have been feeding, nesting, and roosting on this heavily branched tree. Koels and kites, barbets and bulbuls, shikras and sunbirds, owls and orioles, to name just some birds. There are squirrels and fruit bats, butterflies and moths, spiders and ants. The list seems endless. “For me, trees have always been the most penetrating of preachers,” said Hermann Hesse. I have spent hours learning from this 60-foot-high tree draped with a creeping monstera, the air heady with its fragrant blossoms, its small fruits much prized for their tasty pulp.

Just recently, we woke up to a shocking sight. The previous night’s heavy thunderstorm had uprooted the tree. At 3 am sharp, it had simply keeled over with a painful thud, knocking down the retaining walls.

It was a revelation that one could feel such physical pain from the loss of a tree. Eyes streaming, I tried to make sense of what had happened. We were creating an urban wetland a few metres from the tree. An extra retaining wall was underway. But the unexpected fury of an October rain shower, put paid to all plans. It felled a thing of ethereal beauty, a 50-year-old companion to birds and bees, a giver of shade, an absorber of sound and air pollution and a veritable king of trees.

Carl Linnaeus described the mango tree in 1753 as belonging to the Anacardiaceae family and probably originating between Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Northeastern India. There are at least 500 varieties of mangos in India. Together with cricket and cinema, the national fruit probably is one of the best unifiers of our people. Who doesn’t love mangos? Who doesn’t boast that their regional one is the best? How many childhood memories are associated with the messy pleasures of sucking the last sweet drop from its seed, or of wincing at the sharpness of a raw mango drowned in chilli and salt?

How does one make reparations for the loss of a tree? By planting 10 more? A 100 more? By prayer or fasting or some other penance? I have planted hundreds of trees in my life and plan to plant hundreds more, but that seems inadequate. You cannot compensate for the time it takes, the wind and sun, the soil and water it takes, and the incredible mutuality it takes to grow a tree to its full-blown grandeur.

Emerging science has shed much new light on the life of trees above our heads and below the ground. Thanks to pioneers like Suzanne Simard and Margaret D Lowman, we have learnt how tree roots use mycorrhizal fungi to communicate with each other on the Wood Wide Web. We know that treetop canopies are like an eighth continent sustaining myriad life, and critical against climate change.

Millions of people around the world understand that those trees that can be saved, should be. Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement in Africa and India’s Chipko agitation are only two examples.

India has 2,603 species of trees and at least 650 are endemic. Almost a fifth of them now face extinction.

Why do some people care so deeply, while others are more pragmatic about cutting trees for development? Maybe, like trees themselves, people are diverse in their thinking and attitudes, shaped through nature and nurture.

Trees will fall. They will die. Not every tree can or should be saved. Many trees are wrongly planted, especially on urban avenues. Several well-intentioned tree planting drives need to be reimagined because trees don’t belong on floodplains or grasslands.

But no living being likes to be uprooted. Not people, not trees.

We decided to replant the tree to renew its lease of life. Swiftly, the benevolent giant had to be chopped down to its bare trunk first. Tree experts prepared the pit with biocides and nutrients. An excavator was brought in, to level the ground. A crane was called for to lift back the tree. More rain made the ground slushy, dangerous. Puzzled bats and kites whizzed about in the absence of the familiar canopy.

Eventually, the tree was put up. A shrunken version of itself, somewhat away from its original spot, but upright again. We heartily hope the replanted tree will survive. We will water it; we will pray; and we will watch keenly for signs of life.

Men and machines had worked late into the night. Masala chai and biscuits were shared around. No one complained about the hour.

Vriksho Rakshati Rakshatah (Those who protect trees will be protected by them) — workers nodded at the phrase.

If this credo remains intact in our samaj, we might yet save ourselves from the worst fears unleashed by our own ambitions. To paraphrase E O Wilson, maybe we won’t destroy our species-rich ecosystems to cook our development dinner. Maybe we will preserve our irreplaceable ancient forests and regrow our dying ones, even as we build dams and highways.

Then the requiem for any dying tree can also become a hymn to an emerging forest.

The Indian Express

IDR | What does the DPDP Act mean for philanthropy in India?

Written by Gautam John, CEO of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act of 2023 marks a significant shift in India’s legislative landscape. By establishing a comprehensive national framework for processing personal data, it replaces the previously limited data protection regime under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The DPDP Act applies to the processing of digital personal data within India, and to data collected outside India if one is offering goods or services to Indian residents. The act encapsulates various principles of data protection, such as purpose limitation, data minimisation, storage limitation, and accountability. It also provides multiple data subject¹ rights (rights of individuals whose data is being collected), including access, data correction, deletion, and grievance redressal.

Beyond its legal ramifications, however, the passage of the DPDP Act calls for a moment of introspection for the philanthropic community. The act’s emphasis on data protection and privacy rights is a timely reminder of the evolving responsibilities and challenges faced by philanthropic organisations and their grantees.

While the DPDP Act covers a broad spectrum of data concerns, this article focuses on exploring its implications on impact measurement within the philanthropic realm. As we delve into this facet, it’s worth noting that the act, like any evolving legislation, will invite further interpretations.

CSR’s focus on data-driven impact measurement

India’s CSR regulations have historically pushed companies towards a data-driven approach to demonstrate their social and environmental impact, insisting on detailed tracking of both user data and impact measurement. This is regardless of the model adopted by CSRs, that is, whether they run their own social and environmental projects or allocate grants to nonprofits to execute initiatives on their behalf.

The rigorous demand for data and impact evidence is now at odds with the stringent provisions of the DPDP Act.

For instance, if a company undertakes an education initiative directly, it might require detailed student profiles to demonstrate the tangible outcomes of its interventions. In a similar vein, nonprofits being funded by companies are often asked to furnish comprehensive reports showcasing impact—this necessitates the collection of data such as medical histories, personal narratives, or academic progress, depending on the project.

This rigorous demand for data and impact evidence (in both approaches) is now at odds with the stringent provisions of the DPDP Act, especially those pertaining to user data collection, storage, and reporting.²Such a clash has significant implications for funders and civil society organisations that engage in impact measurement and evaluation, and raises important questions about user data collection and reporting and compliance.

What will change?

Collecting personal details without informed consent was an ethical conundrum even before the introduction of the DPDP Act.³ The act merely crystallises these ethical concerns into tangible legal mandates. For example, under Sections 3 and 4 of the new legislation, gathering intimate personal information such as health records or financial data without explicit consent could pose legal risks.

Moreover, the act’s emphasis on data security, minimisation, and explicit consent complicates the previously straightforward reporting processes integral to CSR. Complying with data security and minimisation requirements in Sections 8 and 11 may add substantial administrative burdens for resource-strapped organisations.

In addition, if nonprofits are to comply, they will be confronted with increased legal liabilities and administrative overheads. This cost is more than just financial; it takes away from resources that could be channelled into doing transformative work.

Going beyond numbers

Given the stringent requirements of the DPDP Act, there’s a pressing need for revisiting and potentially revising the CSR guidelines. Striking a balance between accountability and privacy becomes crucial in ensuring compliance with both CSR and data protection mandates.

While accountability remains paramount, it’s time to transition from rigid metrics to narratives of change. By fostering relationships built on mutual respect and shared learning, practices followed by donor organisations can resonate with the ethos of the DPDP Act and nurture a more collaborative philanthropic ecosystem.

This necessitates a fundamental rethinking of how social impact can be measured, and shifting the focus from data collection to storytelling and community empowerment. By upholding privacy and agency, as per Sections 6 and 12, the law provides an opening to develop more participatory and human-centred evaluation frameworks. Funders are pivotal in enabling this evolution by modifying expectations, building capacity, and championing new trust-based and collaborative models of assessing progress.

While the philanthropic sector, especially CSR, has traditionally leaned heavily on quantitative metrics to measure impact, it’s becoming increasingly evident that numbers alone don’t capture the full spectrum of change. Trust-based philanthropy does not seek to abandon these metrics but to complement them. It suggests that, alongside traditional measurements, there’s room for more qualitative, human-centric indicators.

Drawing from the experiences of pioneering funders and nonprofits, here are our learnings on implementing trust-based philanthropy in the context of the DPDP Act.

1. Have conversations with your grantees

Funders have an obligation to understand impact, but the understanding becomes more profound when it’s rooted in both data as well as human experiences. Strict numerical metrics sometimes miss the nuanced changes and adaptations taking place in communities.

Instead of solely focusing on end results, trust-based philanthropy encourages funders to appreciate the journey—the collaborative learning processes, the stories of resilience, and the community-led innovations that are responsible for those results. This doesn’t mean throwing away the numbers, but instead adding layers of narratives and community feedback to them.

Rooted in values such as equity, community, and opportunity, trust-based philanthropy aims to build stronger relationships with grantees, cultivate mutual learning, centre trust with nonprofits, and redistribute power in the philanthropic sector.

Funders can start by initiating conversations with grantees about their experiences and stories on the ground. Impact assessment can become a richer, more holistic process by incorporating tools such as participatory storytelling and feedback loops. The idea is to strive for a balance between quantitative outcomes and qualitative process learnings.

Trust-based philanthropy envisions a future where impact measurement is not only about hitting targets but also about understanding the depth and breadth of change—change that is driven by people and their stories, and supported by numbers, not dictated by them.

2. Streamline data demands

By streamlining data demands, trust-based philanthropy liberates grantee partners from the complexities of data management and aligns seamlessly with the DPDP Act. The implications of excessive data collection extend beyond administrative burdens. Constant monitoring can feel invasive to communities and reduce their rich life experiences to mere data points. Such scrutiny can be emotionally taxing and may alienate the very individuals we aim to uplift.

Trust-based philanthropy inherently champions data minimisation and privacy—both of which the DPDP Act emphasises—by valuing qualitative insights over exhaustive quantitative data.

From an economic perspective, trust-based philanthropy offers undeniable benefits. By minimising costs related to data collection and compliance, funds can be redirected to more impactful initiatives, optimising the societal value of every rupee invested.

A compass for CSR and philanthropy

Recent research provides mounting evidence that trust-based practices are taking hold in philanthropy. A 2023 CEP study found that more than half of the nonprofit leaders surveyed reported increased trust from funders compared to the previous year. Many nonprofits also experienced shifts towards alignment with trust-based tenets, including 48 percent seeing reduced grant restrictions, 40 percent receiving more multi-year funding, and more than 50 percent facing streamlined applications and reporting. Nonprofit leaders specifically cited unrestricted and multi-year funding as the most helpful changes. This demonstrates the growing embrace of flexibility, responsiveness, and mutual understanding.

The DPDP Act should serve as a compass for CSRs and the philanthropic community. By moderating our data demands, we uphold the privacy and agency of the people we serve and alleviate the burdens on our grantee partners.

As we stand at this crossroads, we envision a future where Indian philanthropy is celebrated for both its generosity as well as its trustworthiness. This is an opportunity to champion philanthropy that’s not just compliant with the law but also resonates with the communities

Source: DPDP Act

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Footnotes:

The terminology used in the DPDP Act is ‘data principal’ for the person to whom the data relates and ‘data fiduciary’ for the processor of the data. This is intended to recast the provider as the primary owner and rights holder (as the principal) and implies fiduciary duties on the data processor (to ensure that processing remains in the interest of the data principal).
It should be noted that Section 7(d) of the DPDP Act allows for the processing of personal information used in reporting required by the State.
The requirement of active and affirmative consent for sensitive personal data (health records and financial data) was already a feature of the IT Rules. With the DPDP Act, there has been some easing of norms—while informed consent is the norm, Section 7 allows a data fiduciary to proceed with processing personal information that the user provides voluntarily and for a specific purpose. This is in the spirit of opting out rather than in. However, providing notice and opportunity to exercise rights (access, correction, and erasure) are required even in non-consensual processing, and so there will be administrative overheads to ensure compliance.