Politics

People-centred governance and decision-making, ensuring accountability and transparency

This section features initiatives and approaches towards people-centred governance and decision-making, with direct participation, and based on principles of social and environmental justice. This includes initiatives attempting to realize local non-hierarchical systems of decision-making in urban and rural areas, and linkages of these to each other at bio-cultural levels. This would also include collectives or communities that raise non-party political concerns at the local level and beyond, as well as initiatives that enhance accountability and transparency of political bodies. It will include alternative policy frameworks that are based on or promote the alternative economies featured elsewhere on this site, such as meaningful practices and concepts of well-being, instead of the mainstream development model which focuses on economic growth.

Grassroots women map air pollution hotspots, spur a coal company to curb dust

Trained in air quality mapping, women leaders monitored air quality across 69 sites in Jharkhand, identifying 26 pollution hotspots. The local women that co-led the study took ownership of the data to drive action, prompting decision-makers to install water sprinklers, cover coal loads during transport, and set up air quality monitors in public places.

How people power reclaimed the Vishwamitri for Vadodara

From building a coalition against the Vishwamitri Riverfront Development Project to getting it scrapped, people’s movements have interwoven passionate activism with law, science, and data. Their collective engagement and dogged sense of purpose made all the difference. Not only have activists been appointed to a committee overseeing a flood mitigation project, they also do on-ground monitoring, record official work, track plans and progress, and document irregularities.

The Gatpo of Spiti: Current Relevance of a Traditional Governance System

This study is on the present status and relevance of the traditional governance system of Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh, with a focus on the gatpo (or lambardar/nambardar).

Seeding an Ecologically Healthy and Inclusive Future

The world needs decentralized initiatives of in situ conservation and participatory breeding by farmers and local communities in their fields and forests.

श्रमयोग: कैसे एक हिमालयी क्षेत्र, सल्ट, अपना सशक्तिकरण कर रहा है (In Hindi)

श्रमयोग का उद्देश्य विभिन्न गतिविधियों और पहलों के माध्यम से “सहयोग”, “शिक्षा” और “संगठन” के इन स्तंभों को मजबूत करना है।

ആനയുടെയും അന്ധരുടെയും കഥയ്ക്കപ്പുറം: കൂട്ടായ അർത്ഥരൂപീകരണത്തിലേക്ക് (In Malayalam)

ആനയുടെയും അന്ധരുടെയും കഥയുമായി വികൽപ് സംഗം പ്രക്രിയ എങ്ങനെ ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നുവെന്ന് വായിക്കാം.

अंडमान में सतरंगी झंडा कइसे लहराई? (In Bhojpuri)

क्वियर-फ्रेंडली में गिनाए वाला भारत के एह शहर के बिकास के कहानी का बा? क्वियर समुदाय एतना छोट बा कि दोस्ती आ साथ देवे वाला लोग एकरा खातिर बहुते जरूरी बा.

Legends of Sher Dariya (The Lion River)

The existential challenge for all of us now is: How can we listen to the rivers again? How can we become the voice for Indus and other rivers that are being polluted, dammed, divided and diverted?

‘Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens, it is they who have protected it for the past 40 years’: Pune-based environment activist Dr Sushma Date

Sceptical of government-commissioned reports, Dr Sushma Date prefers to consult independent ecologists, hydrogeologists, urban planners and traffic experts for cross-checking the data.