Thought Bank

Marginalized communities, including Tribal, Dalit, and other underrepresented groups, often lack direct representation in formal policy forums. Policies for them are often designed without an in-depth understanding of ground realities. These groups often have little influence over the policies that affect their lives. Many marginalized groups suffer from a lack of visibility in data, making it difficult to advocate for their needs. Atmashakti Trust has been working for the marginalized groups for over 15 years. Currently, our grassroot engagement and reach extends to over one million families spanning across six states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. While working with the groups, we have been inspired to analyze their needs in order to address the existing gap in grassroots representation within traditional think tanks and policy-making processes. Our approach of a “Thought Bank” intends to offer a transformative shift from the traditional think tank model which is often dominated by intellectual elites. The main objective of this consortium is to bring ground-level voices into discussions and decision-making processes, ensuring that the experiences and needs of marginalized communities are considered in shaping national and state-level policies. Furthermore, it will also build the capacity of grassroots leaders, mentoring them to participate in policy dialogues, advocacy, and governance.

Thought Bank for strengthening grassroot narratives and inclusive policy-making can be divided into three categories:

a) Thought bank for strengthening grassroot narratives and inclusive policy-making
b) Policy analysis and strategy group with grassroot participation
c) Collaborative and collective action for empowering tribal and rural marginalized communities