Welcome to my blog in its new avatar!
I had been brooding over the metamorphosis of this space for long. Since I have gotten down to doing it finally, let me set out the kind of things you will find me writing here. But first, a brief flashback to what I have been upto.
It was over 2 years back, in July 2007 that I decided to follow my heart and give a career in public service a serious try. I took a few months off from my previous job and began as a full-time volunteer at Janaagraha. I soon realized that my passion for public change deserved a long term commitment, and joined Janaagraha as an employee in November 2007.
Before I came across Janaagraha, I had NEVER volunteered for any cause nor did I have any first-hand knowledge of the kind of work happening in
First and foremost, I wanted to test if I was really cut out for a career in pubic service. Yes, there was a degree of self-doubt whether my passion for public service was a brief fantasy or a genuine desire to make a difference.
Second, I wanted to seriously engage in issues of urban governance. Janaagraha is widely regarded as a thought leader on urban issues today in
Finally, and this is what relates closely with the theme of this blog, I wanted to test my own effectiveness in making a difference. I had a reasonable belief in my capabilities (sheepish grin!), but viewed “making a difference” as something completely out of reach. For one, I had no idea of how one goes about making a difference!
Today, after 2 thrilling years within Janaagraha, I can comfortably answer the first two points above. I have firmly committed myself to a lifelong career in public service, and have gained a good understanding of the fundamental issues plaguing
On the third point however, I have realized that there are no set answers. There is no recipe for “making a difference” but the ingredients are well known – passion, passion and passion. Everything else I think, follows. The context for each issue is different, and so are the stakeholders and their motivations.
But I have a resounding belief in one thing, that one individual CAN make a huuuuuuuuge difference. I know this sounds cliché but I am speaking out of a deep conviction based on experiences from the last two years, seeing many individuals and organizations doing fabulous work in
I haven’t achieved much personally, but I try to apply myself passionately on all the issues that I work on. I get delighted when a new challenge presents itself, and love to “experiment” various solutions and find which one works. This then enriches my way of thinking in future. Hence the title of this blog – A young Indian’s experiments with public change.
This is what you will find me writing frequently about in this space:
- The inside story of how my team and I go about building “Jaagte Raho! campaign” – an ambitious initiative to redefine how urban
- My experiences at Janaagraha while engaging on various urban issues
- My experiences with working in the grassroots at
- Any interesting activity or initiative I come across that is aligned to my interests i.e. urban governance and civic engagement of the youth
Happy reading!
2 comments:
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