Report: Understanding Discourse Around Active Citizenship in India

Key Questions What are the major interests and online discourse around the four pillars of active citizenship—volunteerism, co-creation, claim-making and resistance & mobilisation in India? What are the key influences and impacts of online and offline volunteering? Which topics in citizen-led co-creation are dominant on social media, and what platforms are citizens and CSOs using […]

Report | Hum Log: Active Citizenship and Civic Engagement in India

Key Questions What is active citizenship and how do members of society participate in civic issues in big and small ways?  How do different stakeholders interact one another and what are some positive outcomes of such civic expressions?  How can it be catalysed in the Indian context? What can the state, philanthropies, and civil society […]

Report: What’s it like being a young man in urban India today?

Beneath the apparent privileges that boys enjoy, there is immense pressure to perform. The societal expectations are set for them, irrespective of economic background. Men are an equal half of the societal dynamic. For behaviour to shift, we need to acknowledge the anxieties and motivations that propel actions. This understanding is relevant not just for […]

The Dialogic Method & Uncommon Grounds: Dialogic Processes for Dispute Resolution in the Social Sphere

Can the Dialogic Method be a means of empowerment, dispersed capacity for conflict resolution and problem-solving, and a way of creating community-oriented, win-win-win solutions? These possibilities emerge from a recent (2022) research conducted by VikasAnvesh Foundation for Kshetra / Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies. The study, titled “Dialogic spaces for dispute resolution in the social sphere,” aimed […]

Understanding Movements

We often hear of the word “movement” in social change but what we have struggled with is the depth of the idea. A movement is much more than collective confrontational action. A movement offers an approach to social change that is different from and complementary to programs and collective impact. It encompasses shared, bottom-up action […]

Uncommon Ground | Playbook & Manual

Uncommon Ground is a movement co-created by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and the CAMP Centre for Arbitration and Mediation practice, that is centered around the value that the balance between samaaj, sarkaar and bazaar (society, government and business) needs to be reestablished through processes of dialogue and exchange that are embedded as a way of working […]

Working with Young Men and Boys – A Landscape

This landscape study provides a high level view of the efforts being undertaken to include boys and men in gender based work. It includes a snapshot of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies own work in this space.  In order to realize a gender equal society, it might not be enough to empower or work only with women. […]

Identifying Climate Adjacency – key findings from four case studies and a synthesis

More often than not, people are aware that their work and actions have climate adjacencies. Farmers agree that the excessive use of pesticides and fertilizer reduces the soil’s ability to remain fertile and makes farming more vulnerable to rainfall changes. Pastoralists are finding it hard to cope with the increased climate stress, partly attributable to growth […]

Opportunities for Philanthropy: Community Resilience and Climate Action

Today, more than ever, we need ambitious, accelerated climate action that targets the most vulnerable. We need to start from the first mile, where the impact is felt most. We need approaches that enhance community resilience against the health, livelihood, and other shocks arising from climate change related disasters. We hope this paper will inspire […]

Everyday Giving in India: Harnessing the potential of a billion givers for social impact

From September 2018 to April 2019, Sattva undertook a first-of-its-kind study on the everyday giving ecosystem in India, with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies. The study does a comprehensive mapping of the giving ecosystem, including the givers, the NGOs that engage with retail givers, online and offline […]

Landscaping the Field of Agriculture in India

Agriculture makes 15.4% of India’s GDP. It employs 45% of people in traditional farming and modern agriculture methods and its contribution towards the betterment of the Indian economy is declining due to various reasons. Rising climate changes are leading to low crop yields across the world. Despite a drop in hunger rates, India’s economic growth […]

Report | Why Philanthropy Must Support Crowdfunding in India

Since the beginning of this decade, crowdfunding has enabled an ever-growing number of projects, from films to products to charitable work, to be successfully funded through online platforms. The proliferation of crowdfunding platforms in India that enable individuals and groups to seek funds for non-profit and charitable causes, is an indication that the public is […]

Changing Coverage: An Assessment of the FEJI – ATREE Fellowships 2013-2017

The Forum for Environmental Journalists in India and Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment have partnered to implement three years of journalism fellowships in India. Over the last three years, FEJI has tried to bridge the divide between the scientific community and journalists in order to bring the public the news it […]