About SVARAJ
Changing our name to SVARAJ – Society for Voluntary Action Revitalization and Justice – is part of our Indianisation process. The name, it is hoped, will epitomize our beliefs and values and encapsulate all Indians.

The Society has mobilized resources from the Indian public since 1996 in a unique attempt at partnering with the common people for bringing about social change and development. Over the last nine years, our partner base has expanded to over 7,000 individuals who have supported us in our mission towards an equitable and just society free from hunger, exploitation and poverty.

Donation Options
Education
Promoting community self-responsibility and citizenship through social and civic education, organization, and action

Fellowship programme
to build leadership skills of individual from the poor community  committed to social justice for all

Support and effective management of community based programmes
to ensure accountability and deliverables for the beneficiaries’ intervention include construction of rain water harvesting structures, rejuvenation of traditional water bodies; capacity building of self help groups;

Action Research
Improved farming practices and market solution; Research studies on causes of soil and environment damage in India. Action research farm laboratory to learn and practice in situ.

Communication – Publications and dissemination
documenting experiential learning, research findings and case studies;

Seminars and workshops
to provide forum to discuss approaches to and unresolved issues arising from practice and research on social, economic and environmental justice and understand the viable local alternative and solutions.

A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history-
- M.K. Gandhi
Take a moment to feel…..
for the mother who sees their children go hungry day after day..
for women who walk miles to get a pot of water..
for the young ones who work for a living instead of enjoying childhood..
for those who are stricken  with illnesses that can be cured if only they had the means
for the farmer whose despair drives them to suicide..

Yes, it touches our heart and makes us grateful for what we have. And we want to do something to make a difference to those less fortunate.  Now you can.

What you do matters. If every one of us decides to do a little bit, you would be surprised at the difference we can make to thousands of lives.

Svaraj is working with countless communities to ensure food and livelihood security for all and challenges the causes of poverty in India.  The basis for our hope and optimism is the continued and regular support from individuals like you.

We need your support. Open your heart and just give. That is all it takes to put a smile in some one’s face.

DONATION BOXES

SVARAJ believes that engaging the public in its fundraising efforts not only increases the fund base and therefore the work base, it also engages attention and creates awareness about issues that may need public support.

SVARAJ donation boxes are placed in prominent places around the cities through which funds are collected. Nearly 100 donation boxes have been placed across Bangalore (Commercial Street, White Field, Dispensary Road, MG Road, etc.), Chennai (Nungambakkam, T. Nagar, Mount Road, Adyar, Vadapalani, Anna Nagar, etc.) and Delhi (Rajouri Garden, Connaught Place, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Janak Puri District Centre, Noida, Karol Bagh and Okhla). We have had the cooperation of many corporates and entrepreneurs in this endeavour.

APPEALS

We are fortunate to have a broad based support. We are grateful to all our donors including the Swedish International Development Agency, large and small corporates – WIPRO, IBM and HP, IFF, General Mills, individuals from India as well as abroad, who continue to extend their support to us in our mission towards an equitable and just society free from hunger, exploitation and poverty.

The Public Campaign Unit continues its efforts to sensitise the public to support the process of sustainable development through initiatives such as :
- Fundraising Events
- Old Newspaper Campaigns
- Donation Boxes

In the year 2005, three appeals were mailed to existing donors (10,000 members):

SVARAJ – The People of Coastal India need your Help.

The Light of Darkness can Wipe out the Darkness of Devastation.

Four Years Later People Still Feel the Pain.

The response was good and helped raise Rs.37 lakh with a pledge of another 54 lakh.

Appeals during 2006

SVARAJ Appeal – July 2006 Rejuvination of River Arkavathi – October 2006

Appeals during 2007

Rotary-Scope Wheel chair Olympics-2007 – A little from you will go along way!

Every Drop Counts – Help us protect our precious resource – Water

You can a make a donation by sending us a cheque favoring Oxfam India (until the name change to SVARAJ) and post it to us at the address given below.

You can also fill the printable form and email it to us at svaraj.blr@svaraj.in

SVARAJ
95/2, 6th Main Road,  15th Cross
Malleswaram, Bangalore 560 003, India
Ph : +91-80-23347491, 41281664 / 665,  Fax: 23347504
Email:   svaraj.blr@svaraj.in
Website: http://www.svaraj.in/
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Volunteering Options

* Administration
* PR/ Branding
* Resource Mobilization
* Research Support
* Programme Support
* Event Management Support
* Expertise in all the above fields

Want to be a Volunteer ?

Looking for a Volunteer ?

SVARAJ aims to revive the spirit of voluntarism among people, by providing challenging volunteer opportunities where people can contribute their time, energy and talent to causes they feel strongly about. We provide opportunities for volunteers and interns from diverse professions and institutions from India as well as across the globe – (Sweden, UK, Canada and interns from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Delhi School of Social Science, Commits, Action Aid) to actively participate in our programmes, gaining valuable hands-on experience among the communities and enhancing their knowledge on development-related issues. Volunteers and interns bring great economic, social and diverse cultural values to the organisation and communities they interact with.

Programmes / Interventions

1. Integrated water resource management and right to water
To demonstrate integrated water management in micro water sheds in sub basins contributing to the evolution of appropriate action, legal and policy framework ensuring  improvement and equity in access and availability to safe water for drinking and livelihood.  Interventions include:

Water Budgeting

Watershed management and ground water recharge

Participatory rejuvenation of water bodies, tanks and channels

Rain water harvesting

Water literacy

Assessment of water quality in coastal area

Appraisal of Wetland ecosystems

2. Strengthening food security and securing livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable groups
To ensure equitable access to and distribution of natural resources for food security to women and men of poor and  tribal community in the sub basins by restoring rights, ownership and management of water and land use and agriculture practices to communities.  To include

Capacity Building of Community Based Organizations including self help groups

Support and promote sustainable and natural farming practices enhancing the capacity to produce for family needs and sale

Soil and water conservation through ploy-cropping, mulching and use of vermi- compost

3. Environment Protection-
To promote Multi stakeholder dialogue forums for environmental protection, raising awareness on the causes of environmental degradation and to seek collaboration with community; public and private sectors in actions to eradicate discharge of hazardous industrial and agricultural effluent as well as raw sewage from entering our water bodies; and to seek appropriate technology to treat waste. To include:

Communities’ active participation in Environment Impact Assessment initiatives

Communities’ participation in health impact on women and children living in polluted environment

People’s vigilance against the polluters

4. Disaster response
To enhance people’s coping capacity through the focus on individual development and collective understanding of the long term impact on poor communities subjected to natural and manmade disasters.

SVARAJ’s  intervention following the  Gujarat earth quake includes a rehabilitation centre paraplegics and for people with other disability -  Nav Jeevan Kendra which provides Physiotherapy care; Information centre to raise awareness  on government rehabilitation and welfare  programmes as well as building capacity to increase their opportunities to secure livelihoods.

Svaraj programme in the Tsunami effected communities included setting up village information centers; Training women in IT; Facilitating SHG activities and Providing psycho social support

Gujarat violence ; a study on the Socio-economic situation of people living in relief colonies who were internally displaced by the mass violence

Year of Establishment : 1978

Registered in :
Societies Act XXI of 1860, No. S/9644 in 1978 and  under Foreign contribution Act of 1976 with the registration No. 231660203

Registered as : Oxfam India Society

Founders
A group of passionate social change agents including Sri. Kishore Saint,
Dr. Parusuram, Sri. Rama Murthy, Sri. T. Pradeep and Prof. Vasanthi Srinivasan

Present Leader
Bharati Patel

Tax Exemptions
80G of the Income Tax Act

FCRA : No.231660203

Svaraj – Vision
A just society in a  just environment

Svaraj – 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.

About us

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 secular organization with a distinct Indian identity and a global vision. Working in partnership with community based organizations across India on action research, interventions and implementation to bring about long term benefits to the poor and vulnerable communities.

How we work

* Mobilizing and Promoting collaborative action on protection,  equitable and sustainable sharing of natural resources
* Supporting effective management of community based programmes
* Experiential learning, bridging technology, science and indigenous knowledge and advocating for systemic changes
* Promoting community self-responsibility and citizenship through social and civic education, organization, and action
* Ensuring transparency and accountability to funders

Annual Budget
Over 100 Lakhs

Svaraj – Beliefs

* Institutional and normative conditions for the realization of economic, political, social and cultural development is to be realized through decentralized planning and implementation embedded in local governing structure.
* The institutional conditions are to be shaped by the principles of self-determination and permanent sovereignty over natural resources and local development
* The normative conditions are to be shaped by the respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms
* Our work in the protection of the environment is a key condition for sustainable development strategy ensuring the wellbeing of people in the basins. The basins are currently facing a range of environmental problems some of which are trans-boundary in nature including such problems as water pollution, waste, (including dangerous and highly toxic), land degradation and desertification and fragile ecosystems.

Svaraj – Board

Ms. Vasanthi Srinivasan
Professor, IIMB – President

Mr. Rajendra Singh
Social Activist, India – Vice President

Ms. Bharti Patel
Director ,SVARAJ-Secretary

Mr. D. K. Mishra
Social Activist, India- Treasurer

Dr. S. Parasuraman
Director, TISS, Mumbai

Mr. Chand Kishore Saint
Social Activist, India – Member

Prof. Hasan Mansur
Social Activist, India – Member

Mr. N. Ramamurthy
Social Activist ,UK – Member

Mr. Amir Bhatia
Business Leader, UK– Member

Future Plans

Bring in scientific, social, economic and political integrated solution to protection of environment

Facilitate and support and strengthening South India people’s movement for water and development

Encourage multi -sectoral /multi-stakeholder dialogues to address water conflicts

Mobilize resources for supporting and effective management of community initiatives

Mobilize volunteers for social justice

Advocate for state and national level policy on community centric and environment sustainable development programmes

Svaraj
About Svaraj
Careers
Press Releases
Archieves
Case Studies

Partnership
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- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
- Tamilnadu
- Kerala
- Rajasthan
- Uttar Pradesh
- Gujrat

Networks

Newsroom
Svaraj in News
Press & Media
Letters to Press
The View

Contact Us
Svaraj : Society for Voluntary Action Revitalisation and Justice
Svaraj
No.95/2, 6th Main
15th Cross
Malleshwaram
Bangalore 560 003
Karnataka
Phone : 080 2334 7491 / 4128 1664 / 665
Fax: 080 – 2334 7504

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