Svaraj
is an Indian organization, registered as Oxfam India
Registration No: S/9644
Registered in: 1978
Registered under: Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860
Founders: A group of passionate social change agents including
Sri. Kishore Saint, Dr. S. Parusuram, Sri. Rama Murthy, Sri.
T. Pradeep and Prof. Vasanthi Srinivasan
Present Leader: Bharti Patel
Tax Exemptions: # 80G
FCRA: 231660203
Vision
Svaraj
vision is of a just society in a just environment
Mission
To
enable communities to take control of their destiny in the spirit
of voluntarism, to organise and mobilize for collective action
in the revitalization, protection and equitable distribution
of natural resources.
Brief
Svaraj
- Society for Voluntary Action Revitalization and Justice
(changing its name from Oxfam India) is a registered, national,
voluntary organization set up in 1978 with the aim of fighting
poverty and working towards a just society. Svaraj is
a secular organization with a distinct Indian identity and
a global vision. Working in partnership with community based
organizations across India on action research, and interventions
to bring about long term benefits to the poor and vulnerable
communities.
Svaraj believes • Economic, political, social and cultural
development can be enabled through decentralized planning
and programmes embedded in local governing structures • It is important to respect human
rights and fundamental freedom. • Protection of land, water and forests,
which face daily abuse, pollution, degradation and desertification,
is crucial.
How we work • In partnerships with communities
and other agencies to enable sustainable and just use of natural
resources • Support effective management of community
based programmes • Enable experiential learning through
the use and mainstreaming of indigenous knowledge • Promote self reliance and citizenship
among communities through social and civic education • Ensuring transparency and accountability
to funders
Governing
Body
Prof.
Vasanthi Srinivasan, Professor, IIMB - President
Mr. Rajendra Singh, Social Activist -Vice President
Ms. Bharti Patel, Director, Svaraj - Secretary
Mr. Dinesh Kumar Mishra, Social Activist -Treasurer
Dr. S. Parasuraman, Director, TISS, Mumbai - Member
Prof. Hasan Mansur, Professor - Member
Mr. Chand Kishore Saint, Social Activist - Member
Mr. Amir Bhatia, Entrepreneur - Member
Mr. Narasimha Ramamurthy, Social Activist - Member
Mr. Ajay Kanchan, Social Activist - Member
Mr. Sarat Dash, Social Activist - Member
Mr. Shivaramakrishna, Social Activist - Member
Dr. Sudarshan Iyengar, Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Vidyapeeth -
Member
Svaraj
sees a mutuality of interests and works in close collaboration
with appropriate segments of civil societies within the country
and outside in the following areas:
1 Integrated water resource management including soil and water
conservation, common property resource management, vermi culture,
afforestation, women empowerment etc.
2
Community Initiatives for water resource management like water
resource mapping, participatory rural appraisal, public hearing
on the impact on water and land pollution
3 Action research on sustainable farming comprising of soil
fertility, biodiversity, habitations, synergy between forest
and agriculture ecosystem, agro forestry, field based research
pertaining to both eco-system and livelihoods, challenges
of upstream slope land cultivation and sanitation and solid
waste management
4
Technical support, promotion of organic farming and farmer’s
collectives to promote food security
5 Advocacy work on in situ water conservation and in situ
biomass conservation and low cost alternative technology for
agriculture
6
Environmental risk assessment and effluent testing
7
Community-managed sewage treatment plants
8
Twinning of Towns, Participative Town Water & Sanitation
Planning, Development Education
9
Twinning of country specific/Indian Research Students on Research
Titles – pollution of water bodies, lake remediation,
soil rejuvenation and bio –diversity
10
Publication of IEC materials
Programmes
1.
Integrated water resource management and right to water
Svaraj interventions on integrated water management in micro
watersheds in sub basins, integrate action with legal and policy
framework. This ensures improvement as well as equity in access
and availability of safe water for drinking and livelihood.
2. Strengthening food security and livelihoods of poor
and vulnerable groups Svaraj works to ensure equitable access of food security
to marginal and tribal communities in the sub basins by restoring
to them, rights, ownership and management of water, agriculture
practices and land use.
3. Environment Protection
Svaraj promotes multi agency dialogue forums for environmental
protection and raises awareness on the causes for environmental
degradation. There is also an effort to garner community, public
and private sector support to halt the discharge of hazardous
industrial and agricultural effluents and raw sewage into water
bodies as well as to seek appropriate technology to treat waste.
