Imperative to all programmes and projects of the Foundation is a commitment to gender justice and equality. Gender democracy is an overarching and crosscutting issue being mainstreamed in all activities and approaches.
National conferences and political campaigns on many critical issues, as well as active engagement with the international community on Global and South Asian experiences of democracy and inclusion have been key tools of political education to face political challenges. HBF India’s encouragement of new forms of civil society assertions has been significant in this light.
Our overall approach is to (a) generate opportunities of sharing, analysing and learning among formations of civil society (b) engaging in independent and critical analysis of societal trends and issues (c) enabling dialogue across varied perspectives, sectors and institutions of the concerned stakeholders.
An India That Can Say Yes: a Climate-Responsible Development Agenda for Copenhagen and Beyond – - The book analysis at environmental policy framing approaches within India, its priorities, challenges and opportunities. The climate change as an issue have been looked through in detail from all aspects like equity, poverty, diplomacy, policy framework, etc… The COP in Copenhagen was an important milestone in International climate Negotiations and weighing all the aspects of taking a decision, the author has proposed a way forward more»
Latest research on climate change and the Indian monsoon. An interview with Prof. Levermann (PIK) –
The Q & A with Prof. Anders Levermann clarifies the disturbances in Indian monsoon phenomenon due to anthropogenic activities causing abrupt transition. Since the economy of the country is still agrarian in nature, it adversely affects the livelihoods of poor and marginal.
more»
HALF LIFE: Radioactive Waste in India – Nuclear Energy generation is slated to rise in the coming decades from the present 3 percent to upto 20 percent in the energy mix of India. With climate change concerns, nuclear energy is now being brought back and reconsidered as 'clean' and 'zero cost' energy. The amount of waste created will increase manifold. more»
The Great Betrayal at Copenhagen, India caves in to a bad deal: – - India along with other countries forming together BASIC group supported developed countries move to clinch a deal leaving vulnerable and poor countries aside. The outcome was ‘Copenhagen Accord’ that were criticised widely in terms of low ambition. Praful shares his analysis on role of India in such move. more»
.jpg)
- In search of economic alternatives: Voices from India" is a new publication from WIDE and Hbf. It is an edited collection of short essays by Indian authors on economic structures, relations and principles that are needed to serve the goals of sustainable economic and human development, poverty eradication, social justice, and empowerment of the most vulnerable segments of society: women, Taken together, the 12 essays form an agenda of alternative thinking, linking gender with other social, livelihood, and democratic concerns. more»
Doubling the Damage: World Bank Climate Investment Funds Undermine Climate and Gender Justice – April 2009
Based on the premise that “there will be no climate justice without gender justice,”7 and vice versa, this introductory paper takes a preliminary look at the linkages between climate change, gender justice and the International Financial Institutions (IFIs). more»
The Current Economic and Financial Crisis: a Gender Perspective – This paper shows how the mortage debacle in the US affected not only the world economy, but also, and most seriously women and the poor. more»
At the end of August India’s new Foreign Trade Policy 2009-14 entered into force. The new Foreign Trade Policy lays out ambitious objectives in times of the challenging worldwide economic, food, fuel and climate crises. Commerce Minister Sharma states “We would like to achieve an annual export growth of 15% over 2010-11 with an annual export target of $200 billion by March 2011.
more»
Trade Liberalisation, Gender Equality, Policy Space: the case of the contested EU-India FTA – In the context of the multidimensional crises and the restructuring of economic and political power relations, a fresh look at trade policies between the EU and India and at the nexus of social justice, gender, development and trade is necessary. Christa Wichterich and Kalyani Menon-Sen explore social and gender justice dimensions of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations. more»
On the EU-Indo Free Trade Agreement and its impact on gender issues – Globalization and trade liberalisation affect group of individuals differently including men and women as separate groups.An interview with Amarendra Khatua, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce and Chair Steering Committee on Gender and Trade more»
It is a Report from a one-month training programme cum field trip from 10 December 2009 to 10 January 2010, under which a batch of students from University of Madurai and University of Mumbai were sensitized to the concepts of Peace and Communal Harmony. The participants were given a theoretical training at the Centre through lectures on the subjects of Peace and Communal Harmony, Religious tolerance, Fundamental Rights of Citizens and Human Rights etc., for a period of 15 days. Following the theoretical sessions, they were taken on a field visit to Ahmedabad for 15 days to enable them meet the families of the victims of the communal violence that rocked Gujarat in February-May 2002 and study the status of rehabilitation, their lives in the rehabilitation camps/colonies and their problems.
more»
Gender Politics Makes a Difference - Experiences of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Across the World – Politics can only succeed when it is inclusive of all genders. Gender justice is an ambitious goal, one that the Heinrich Böll Foundation is pursuing together with many different allies worldwide. This publication gives an overview of their work. more»
Roadmap to 1325 – The UN resolution 1325 It could be a milestone for gender-equitable security policy. This volume contributes to filling the gap in knowledge about approaches both to gender-sensitive peace and security policy. Edited by the Gunda-Werner-Institut. more»
Women in Electoral Politics – Although women from almost 50% of the country’s population, their representation in the Parliament and State Legislatures has been depressingly low even after sixty years of Independence. So is the case with Maharashtra, one of the states in the forefront of Indian politics since the days of freedom struggle. The aim of the project is to study the status of political participation of women in Maharashtra and ascertain the reasons for the inability of the State’s women to enter the legislative Assembly in more numbers than at present. The inquiry also proposes to look into the present status of the All Women parties that were launched earlier. The study also touches on the socio-economic background of some of the women who could make it to the Assembly in the past and what criteria are followed by the political parties in selecting their women candidates. more»
Indiaand Pakistan constitute a volatile region of Asia. Distrust, suspicion and hostility has flared into wars and conflict on occasion, and kept relations between the two countries simmering even in the best of times. Ten organisations are part of this initiative: ANHAD, Centre for Policy Analysis, COVA, Focus on the Global South, India; Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Hind-Pak Dosti Manch, Peace Mumbai, SAHR, SANGAT, and SAPA. more»
London Conference and Pakistan – - "In the post-London scenario, caution becomes even more necessary; if the international community wants to try the dialogue option, it shall have to lower the temperature by scaling down combat operations." more»
State-building light won’t work. The path of re-constructing Afghanistan – In this commentary, former UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, discusses the outcome of the London Conference with a focus on US and German engagement in reconstructing Afghanistan. more»
Afghanistan on the Eve of the London Conference – "Nine years after 9/11 and all the blood and treasure expended on efforts in the region, President Barack Obama told People magazine on January 11 that 'the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan remains the epicenter of al’ Qaeda, their leadership and their extremist allies.'" more»
.jpg)
