Back to resources

Understanding Movements

Civil Society | Societal Thinking | Dec 3, 2021

We often hear of the word “movement” in social change but what we have struggled with is the depth of the idea.

A movement is much more than collective confrontational action. A movement offers an approach to social change that is different from and complementary to programs and collective impact. It encompasses shared, bottom-up action by a diverse collective of participants to bring wide-scale change. It often commits to shifting norms, attitudes and policies, thereby transforming the field in which social and political change happens.

In this brief and presentation on “Understanding Movements”, we explore:
What are movements?
What is their relevance in social change?
What are some of their defining features?
How do they differ from programs or collective impact?

Today’s challenges require ‘samaaj’ (society) to lead the conversation and the ‘sarkaar’ (government) and ‘bazaar’(markets) to listen, understand and engage with them. We see movement-based approaches build a muscle in ‘samaaj’ to play their role in the change process.

We have put together this understanding by conversing with change-makers in the Indian context and referring to research on movements at a global scale. We are curious to know your views on it.

Report | Understanding Movements

Deck | Understanding Movements

 

More like this

Civil Society  |  Strategic Philanthropy

The Architecture of Good Markets

This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Naushad Forbes, business leader and ex-President of the Confederation of Indian Industry, for an episode of India Development Review’s podcast, On the Contrary. Along with Arun Maira, the host of the show, they discuss what markets must include, whom they should serve, and the […]
Apr 14, 2021 |

Active Citizenship  |  Civil Society  |  Strategic Philanthropy

Off The Cuff with Rohini Nilekani

In ThePrint ‘Off The Cuff’, watch author and philanthropist Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta and Senior Editor Sandhya Ramesh, where they discuss the changing nature of philosophy, the role of women and how technology can be used to improve education and Rohini Nilekani’s latest book ‘Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar: A Citizen-First Approach’. Transcript […]
Sep 9, 2022 |

Active Citizenship  |  Civil Society  |  COVID-19

What has COVID-19 taught us about disaster response? | IDR

Civil society organisations became the first responders during the #Covid19. Read about their response to the second wave as well as 4 key take-aways from it that can help us prepare for future disasters. Written by Natasha Joshi & Sahana Jose of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies for India Development Review. If you were a disaster, where would […]
Oct 28, 2021 |

Civil Society  |  Accountability & Transparency  |  Others  |  COVID-19

Settlers Unsettled: How can Bengaluru Retain its Dynamic Workforce?

Bangalore is a city of migrants. But we do not know yet how many of them have left the city in the wake of the pandemic. With the lockdown partially lifted, many more may want to return home. There are indications that they may not wish to hurry back. The idea of home has never […]
May 13, 2020 |