If you wanted to do something good for the society, but did not know whom to approach, or how to go about it, your search ends here.
Head Held High, a non-profit organisation that works in rural areas to educate villagers and provide employment opportunities for them, has launched a platform called GAP, or the Global Action on Poverty.
GAP brings together individuals who want to usher in changes, called Changemakers, and resource persons, called Catalysts, who will support them. They will be guided by a panel of internationally renowned experts like Muhammad Yunus and Ela Bhatt.
The key drivers of this ambitious social transformation project say it seeks to bridge a major gap -- the gap between a person’s dream to bring about a social change, and the support he needs to realise that dream.
GAP is currently in the process of identifying the Changemakers and the Catalysts, through a series of round tables across the country; the first one was held in Bangalore recently.
“We have now about 20 requests for Changemakers,” says Madan Padaki, MD & CEO of Head Held High Services. “We are looking at 100 of them. These will be typically people who are deeply passionate about bringing about changes,” he says. The 100 Catalysts could be organisations, NGOs, government or high networth individuals.
Mr. Padaki explains, “You might want to build a library in your home village. But you need support in terms of money or logistics. Catalysts will provide you that. They could bring one or more of the following: finance, human resources, local infrastructure or sectoral expertise. Two state governments have evinced interest.”
Lijo Chacko, COO of Head Held High Foundation and Programme Director of GAP, says, “The path we tread involves a clear roadmap with practical ideas that can be executed on the ground. There will be timelines and processes to assess the progress.”
At a conclave at Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, on March 12 and 13 next year, the Changemakers and Catalysts will pledge their commitment to see through their project in one year.
Among on those on board GAP are economist Jean Dreze, social activists like Bunker Roy, Ela Bhatt, Bill Drayton and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who will handhold the Change-makers and the Catalysts.
“Organisations like TISS, International Council of Social Welfare, Ashoka and global youth network AIESEC are partnering with GAP. CII’s Yi is helping us with the round tables and IRMA has agreed to host one in Ahmedabad,” said Mr Chacko.
What if either a Change-maker or a Catalyst abandons the project midway? “Well, at the outset we do not expect that to happen, because these are people who are driven by passion. Even if they have to leave, it will be for a genuine reason. But to pre-empt any breakdown, we will have a bank of Change-makers and Catalysts who might not get a project this year, but who might want to fill in case there is an eventuality,” says Mr. Padaki.
Details of the project are available at http://globalactiononpoverty.org/
