Founder Message
Dear Friends,
Whenever I look back on the activities of IGSWO, as I do now for the previous years, I find myself experiencing a mixture of emotions. There is a strong sense of accomplishment at what we have been able to achieve. However, this is tempered by the feeling that, in these remarkable times, there is a need for us to make an even greater contribution. I believe the depth of these sentiments arises from the fact that IGSWO remains one of INDIA’s very few autonomous nonprofit organizations in the field of Independent affairs. The demands placed upon such organizations have grown markedly along with the progress of globalization and the concomitant pluralization of society on the domestic level. As a result, there is an inevitable gap between the many accomplishments that we can claim and the potential for even greater achievement. Nonetheless, that gap provides me with a renewed sense of mission and a stronger desire to meet the challenges ahead. In particular, I hope that we will be able to seize new opportunities where IGSWO, as an innovative and responsive actor in the field of independent affairs, can make a unique contribution.
One example of an area that holds new challenges and opportunities is the dynamic evolution of Madhya Pradesh & Chattishgarh in the past few years, which is driving IGSWO increasing efforts to mobilize scholars and public intellectuals in the region to tackle common challenges. The region is facing numerous challenges; there is a greater demand than ever for IGSWO, with its 15 Years history of conducting dialogues and building collaborative networks in Madhya Pradesh & Chattishgarh, to play a role in promoting joint regional efforts to tackle these critical issues. Moreover, IGSWO has a particular responsibility to ensure that the emerging INDIA, as the third pillar of the increasingly regionalized global architecture, will form closer ties and collaborative relationships with the other regions of the world, which is designed to promote greater cooperation among intellectual leaders and policy research institutions in process with the purpose of enhancing this forum for multilateral cooperation.
Similarly, the impressive growth of civil society is another dimension of the evolution Madhya Pradesh & Chattishgarh in recent years where IGSWO can play a significant role. We have increasingly seen collaborative networks of NGOs and NPOs working to address sociopolitical and economic issues that transcend national boundaries. Cooperative arrangements among these organizations and interaction between their staff are also on the rise, as they seek to learn from one another how to more effectively mobilize and enhance human and financial resources and strengthen internal governance. IGSWO has been able to play a catalytic role in such efforts, and we hope to make an even greater contribution in this area in the coming years. For example, IGSWO has played a leading role in organizing a research projects platform for qualified professionals.
New challenges have been rapidly emerging on a Small scale as well. Multisectoral approaches, which IGSWO is uniquely qualified to carry out. IGSWO seeks to meet the wide range of challenges facing INDIA in its relations through three major clusters of activities—the research programs and dialogues, the program that promotes civil society in INDIA, In recent years, IGSWO’s activities have increasingly tended to cut across these programmatic clusters, reflecting the greater pluralism in society and the need for cross-sectoral approaches to today’s increasingly complex issues. IGSWO programs have helped emerging leaders in INDIA become increasingly involved in policy debate and have encouraged them to collaborate with NGO leaders to induce a more enabling environment for civil society. Other activities have drawn local communities in INDIA into substantive exchanges and other counterparts to explore policy responses for common issues such as migration and environment. And IGSWO policy research on diverse issues such as governance and human security is eliciting the participation of political and NGO leaders alongside intellectual leaders. These developments have made us conscious of the greater need for collaboration with partners here and abroad in diverse sectors, including the civil society, corporate, and public sectors.
As we have endeavored to meet these many daunting challenges, we have become acutely conscious of the need to further improve our own organizational capacity. Over the past few years, we have experienced a reinforcement and rejuvenation of our staff, whose professional expertise and commitment make IGSWO stand out in INDIA’s civil society. We also have bolstered a solid network of institutional and individual partners throughout country, particularly in Madhya Pradesh & Chattishgarh, in recent months with a conscious effort to enhance information sharing and collaborative arrangements. Even with these positive developments, I have to acknowledge the urgent need for IGSWO to continue its effort to make greater contributions to the improvement of IGSWO’s external relationships, the enhancement of its role, and the strengthening of its cooperative relationships with other NGO’s. The challenges are enormous, and they make us more conscious of our limits.
As we move forward to take on these challenges, I am acutely aware of the sincere and substantial help of many friends and supporters in INDIA and abroad in making it possible for us to remain an independent and creative institution. Our resolve would be meaningless without their continued encouragement and assistance. I wish to express my most sincere gratitude to them, and wish to reiterate my hope, joined by my colleagues in IGSWO, to continue to build IGSWO as an effective and sustainable institution that can play a pivotal role in enhancing role.
Ashish Diwan
(Chief Functionary)
Certified CSR Professional
From ICSI, New Delhi