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

Rohini Nilekani Comments on #REVIVEIndia

Namaste. For years now, I’ve been thinking about how should we all come together to reduce the friction to collaborate between Samaj, Bazaar and Sarkar. Because one thing has become very clear to all of us, right? Because of this pandemic, especially, that unless these three sectors can collaborate more seamlessly, there is no way […]
Nov 5, 2020 |

Civil Society  |  Active Citizenship

Rohini Nilekani | Want to make a difference? Then initiate it.

Good governance, no matter how you define it, is about more than govt and its institutions. Its about citizens investing and engaging in transformation process. View PDF
Mar 19, 2015 | Article

Civil Society  |  Others

The young, optimistic and idealistic will shape India at 100

It is 75 years since we raised our own flag in our own country, reclaiming it for ever more. What a time for celebration. Here we are, a young democracy, alive with the throbbing hopes of a young population, seeking to fulfil the promise of the Constitution that we gave ourselves in the new India. […]
Aug 15, 2022 |

Societal Thinking  |  Strategic Philanthropy  |  Civil Society

Trust is the Absolute Foundation of Any Partnership: Q&A with Rohini Nilekani

Rohini Nilekani is a fierce believer in the power of being an active, participatory citizen. She quips that her friends could get irritated with her Gandhigiri, as she went about picking up waste which people had thrown on the road or requested people to stand in line at bus stops right from her childhood days. Today, […]
Mar 3, 2021 |