Location: India
Strengthening the implementation of laws that address violence against women
Strengthening advocacy for better implementation of the Prevention of Atrocities Act
Family caregiving and public policy in India: creating new opportunities for recognition and support
Amplifying the voices of women community leaders in city-planning processes in India
Realising the right to health in the sustainable development goals
Issue
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has been recognised by world leaders at the UN General Assembly in 2016 as ‘one of the biggest threats to global health.’ Commitments were made by countries to develop national action plans on AMR, based on the ‘Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance’.
Project
Third World Network (TWN) is advancing the formulation and implementation of national AMR policies and plans by engaging with policy makers, parliamentarians, civil servants and generic drug manufacturers to discuss challenges and propose solutions that promote access to affordable medicines at national level. The project is also raising awareness among the general public of the impact of Intellectual Property (IP) regimes on access to affordable medicines and AMR, and carrying out research in relation to the IP provisions and their impact on access to medicines in India and Malaysia.
By the end of the project greater awareness on the links between IP regimes and access to affordable medicines in India and Malaysia would have been generated. It is hoped that research produced and constructive engagement with decision makers carried out during the project will influence government decisions in relations to legislation, policies and trade agreements, resulting in greater access to affordable medicines in target countries.
Third World Network
Third World Network (TWN) is an international network of organisations involved in issues relating to development. It aims to strengthen cooperation among development and environment groups in the South. TWN provides a platform representing broadly Third World interests and perspectives at international fora such as United Nations agencies and the WTO, conducts research on economic, social and environmental issues pertaining to the South and builds the capacity of Southern CSOs to engage in policy and law making processes.
Improving the implementation of climate change and disaster risk reduction plan
Issue
Adverse effects of climate change in South Asia threaten the livelihoods of individuals. Sustainable and green solutions are needed to mitigate disasters in the region with the help of those at the grassroots.
Project
Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), in cooperation with 149 local partners Janathakshan in Sri Lanka and Poorvanchal Gramin Vikas Sansathan (PGVS) in India, is supporting the domestication of the international climate change plans so they tangibly benefit local communities in Sri Lanka and India.
The project is focusing its intervention on four development sectors: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Education, Nutrition and Health across India and Sri Lanka in the regions of Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha in India and the provinces of Western, Eastern and North Western Sri Lanka. CANSA is undertaking a careful analysis of government plans at the sub-national level to determine the extent in which climate resilient action is included, before building the capacity of local government and civil society organisations to access funds, collaborating to design and implement recommendations and gather and disseminate good practices to promote replication by other states and provinces.
By the end of the project sub-national level governments in target states and provinces will have developed plans and interventions that can better contribute to localising international commitments to fight climate change.
Climate Action Network South Asia
Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), in cooperation with 149 local partners Janathakshan in Sri Lanka and Poorvanchal Gramin Vikas Sansathan (PGVS) in India, is supporting the domestication of the international climate change plans so they tangibly benefit local communities in Sri Lanka and India. It works towards linking policy, research and action based work in the region to address the adverse effects of climate change on the region. The network has been working with its members to convert international decisions into actions at national and sub-national level. As the only network on climate change in the region, CANSA has been working to promote the voices of CSOs from South Asia in regional and global forums, including at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Janathakshan
Janathakshan seeks to promote sustainable and green solutions in development to Sri Lanka and beyond. Its main areas of focus include sustainable energy, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. The organisation works at grassroots level on policy advocacy around climate change issues. It has been following up and engaging in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change processes.
Poorvanchal Gramin Vikas Sansathan
PGVS has been working in India since 1987 on development and humanitarian response. Its main areas of work are disaster preparedness and risk reduction and emergency action in disaster situations. PGVS seeks to mobilise local communities to engage critical thinking and action for developmental issues.
Accelerating national commitments to reduce non-communicable diseases
Issue
The Government of India is taking action and targeting the greatest risk factors contributing to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). As part of its efforts, India has implemented the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It has also adapted the Global Monitoring Framework on NCDs and set specific targets under the National NCD Action Plan, in order to reduce the number of premature deaths from NCDs.
Project
Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY), along with its partners from the Healthy India Alliance – A national coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) working on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases NCDs – is engaging with multiple stakeholders to form a clear picture of the progress made by the government and mitigation strategies required to overcome any challenges faced in achieving the targets. This process involves establishing a task force under the auspices of the Healthy India Alliance that documents and maps key NCD indicators to capture and update evidence on progress, recommend solutions to address impediments to progress, and develop an NCD Accountability Framework.
HRIDAY is facilitating consultations, round tables, forums and meetings and conducting a programme of concerted action focused on accelerating the implementation of the key steps first identified in the National NCD Action Plan. Policy briefs are being produced to inform decision makers at the national level on the impact of tobacco on economic and social development, and the need to strengthen national tobacco control policies. Monitoring and accountability reports are being made available to the Government and other stakeholders for use at the national and international review of progress on NCD prevention and control.
Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth
HRIDAY, established in 1992, is a voluntary organisation engaged in awareness raising, capacity building, advocacy and research to promote informed health activism through multi-stakeholder partnerships to prevent NCDs. The organisation’s main areas of focus are: tobacco control; diet and physical activity; diabetes, CVD and obesity prevention; alcohol control; road safety; mental health; and the environment. www.hridayindia.in
Strengthening the effective implementation of pro-tribal legislation and policies
Issue
The indigenous peoples of India known as Adivasi constitute 8.6 per cent of India’s population, equivalent to 104 million people. Although the Indian government has introduced a number of laws and policies that are specifically designed to promote the rights of tribal communities, more needs to be done to monitor the implementation of legislation and policy at the central and state levels of government. A network of Tribal Rights Fora (TRF) was established by Find Your Feet to do just this, but they need to be strengthened so they can effectively engage policy makers and make recommendations to the institutions responsible for implementing legislative changes.
Project
Find Your Feet is designing and implementing a tailored programme of capacity development for TRF members in leadership, advocacy skills and engagement with governance and the media. The project is also forging strategic partnerships between TRF members and other alliances and networks so they can campaign on issues of mutual concern and engage with the government’s implementing bodies, particularly the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs). The TRF will document incidences of rights violations, hold regular meetings with NHRI representatives, and contribute to NHRI procedures such as formal complaints, expert inquiries and fact-finding missions.
By the end of the project, it is expected that the TRF will be able to independently engage in policy dialogue and decision-making alongside government institutions. It is also anticipated that there will be improved monitoring of legislation and tribal policies by NHRIs as a result of interaction and information sharing with the TRF.
Find Your Feet
Find Your Feet, established in 1960, works in South Asia and Southern Africa to mobilise local knowledge, skills and resources, so poor, rural families can find sustainable solutions to poverty, exclusion and discrimination. Find Your Feet works with small family farmers who depend on plots of land for their livelihood; tribal people who are often denied access to the land and forest on which they depend for their survival; women who seldom have an equal voice in their communities; and young people who are seeking an opportunity to break the ongoing cycle of poverty for their families. www.find-your-feet.org
Badlao Foundation
Badlao Foundation based in Jharkhand is committed to working with tribal communities for their transformation. For more than three decades, it has been working in the areas of women’s empowerment, gender justice and livelihood development. Lokshakti Samaj Sevi Sanstha, is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1986. It is involved in women’s empowerment, livelihood promotion and rights based advocacy with community based organisations and self-help groups in Chhattisgarh. www.badlao.org.in
Pioneering financial inclusion for refugees
Issue
In November 2016, the Indian government announced the immediate demonetization of large currency notes, whereby these would no longer be legal tender. The objective was for India to transform into a cashless economy where every individual has a bank account, thus achieving complete financial inclusion. This necessarily excludes those who do not have access to the formal banking system, such as refugees. Their lack of legal status and access to government documentation had already rendered them extremely marginalized, vulnerable, and at risk. With the overnight change in policy and no access to banking services, refugees had no means of acquiring the new currency. They have thus been left completely destitute and excluded from the economy. This has particularly impacted women and children who constitute nearly 70% of the refugee population and are most vulnerable to economic and other forms of exploitation.
Project
The Ara Trust is studying the new financial policy so it can identify the appropriate avenues to help the 40,000 affected refugees, registered with United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) India, to access financial services. Further, it will engage with the relevant authorities to create awareness about the specific needs of this population, advocate for their financial inclusion, and seek clarifications on the implementation of current financial policies. It will share the findings with UNHCR and other interlocutors to inform appropriate interventions. The project will also use these findings to implement a targeted financial education programme for the refugee community and train service providers so as to create a referral pathway between the community and service providers.
At the end of the project, it is expected that government and other relevant authorities will be better able to respond to the needs of refugees, enabling them to access financial services, thus paving the way for their inclusion into the mainstream economy.
The Ara Trust was established in 2013 as a centre for the study of refugee law and forced migration. The Ara Trust is a woman-led organisation with an all-woman staff. It seeks to use innovative methods to expand the protection space available for forced migrants and refugees in India. The Ara Trust works closely on refugee issues with UNCHR, India. It receives funding from several institutional donors including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, The Clifford Chance Foundation, University of York and AmplifyChange.
The Ara Trust
The Ara Trust was established in 2013 as a centre for the study of refugee law and forced migration. The Ara Trust is a woman-led organisation with an all-woman staff. It seeks to use innovative methods to expand the protection space available for forced migrants and refugees in India. The Ara Trust works closely on refugee issues with UNCHR, India. It receives funding from several institutional donors including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, The Clifford Chance Foundation, University of York and AmplifyChange. www.aratrust.in
