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Ashoka-AIF fellowships for social entrepreneurs announced

Aziz Haniffa in Washington DC

A Virginia-based global professional association for and of social entrepreneurs has entered into a partnership with the American Indian Foundation.

For starters, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, the Arlington, and the AIF have announced the selection of the first Ashoka-AIF Fellows.

Ashoka and AIF said they have selected and are launching 12 leading social entrepreneurs in India whose work spans the subcontinent, from Nagaland to Tamil Nadu. AIF also said it would invest in Ashoka's search and selection process over the next three years.

They have agreed to invest jointly in Ashoka Fellows in India on an ongoing basis, and these social entrepreneurs will be recognised as Ashoka-AIF Fellows.

The two also plan to connect leading social entrepreneurs in India with the private sector, linking social entrepreneurs with their business counterparts who are committed to positive social change.

"We are delighted to announce our partnership with the AIF," Bill Drayton, founder chairman and CEO of Ashoka, said and noted that this is 'the first partnership of its kind, and we believe that the AIF will give us the resources to deepen and broaden our impact in India'.

"Social entrepreneurs are practical visionaries -- with their creativity and drive, and they have what it takes to solve society's most complex social problems," he said.

Echoing similar sentiments, AIF's executive director Pradeep Kashyap said, "Our strategic partnership with Ashoka reflects AIF's fundamental value of supporting innovative grass-roots programmes."

"This partnership with Ashoka will double their original capacity in India," he said. "AIF ultimately aims to facilitate the exchange of ideas, provide intellectual capital and financial resources that benefit the entire Indian community. The Ashoka partnership is invaluable to reaching our goals," he said.

Carol Grodzins, Ashoka's managing director for international operations, said, "Ashoka has a proven track record of high impact social venture investments in India and around the world, and our unique focus on new ideas in the hands of social entrepreneurs allows us to leverage small investments into huge returns."

"Our non-financial investments ensure that our Fellows succeed to nationwide scale and beyond," she said.

Since its founding in 1980, Ashoka has launched over 1,200 social entrepreneurs in 43 countries, with a majority of them being in India.

AIF, which was founded in the wake of the devastating Gujarat earthquake in India in 2001 by leading Indian American business and community leaders under the leadership of former president Bill Clinton, has as its objective, a commitment to providing financial, technological and managerial resources toward long-term socio-economic development in India and strengthening the bonds between the US and India.

The first batch of Ashoka-AIF Fellows:

Sandhya Srinivasan, Forum for Medical Ethics Society in Maharashtra, that promotes discussion on medical ethics among all stakeholders -- medical doctors, researchers, students, patients and policy makers

Father K A Thomas, who is involved in strengthening tribal communities in Assam and is trying to reverse the pattern of social unrest that has stymied the peace and prosperity of India's northeast minorities

Sunil Khairnar, Indian Society of Agriculture Professionals in New Delhi, which aims to increase the efficiency of agricultural production in India through the implementation of agri-clinics

Ilango Rangaswamy, Panchayat Academy in Tamil Nadu, that hopes to revolutionise the concept of village-rule in India by strengthening the institution of Panchayat

Dilip Banerjee, who is involved in community-managed disaster relief in West Bengal

Chingmak Kejong, an activist for civil society education and citizens reform in Nagaland, who is in the midst of building up governance base on traditional Naga community values and practices by bringing back the role of elders, promoting leaders with character, and bringing back accountability

Rama and Padmanabha Rao of the Rishi Valley Institute for Education Resources which promotes a learner-guided method to teaching that not only increases learning, but also re-engages teachers in their responsibility as educators

Krishna Roy, an activist for domestic violence response and prevention in West Bengal using established social frameworks in her domestic violence reporting, rescue and public education efforts

Ravichanda Raju, Mana Center, Andhra Pradesh, who is involving families of disabled children in designing appropriate technology and services so that disabled children get the high quality equipment and services they deserve

M G Papamma, Grameen Mahila Okkuta in Karnataka, who is mobilizing poor, landless women across southern India through a confederation of organisations based on women's investment in social development

Ganesh Pangare, Indian network on Participatory Irrigation Management in Delhi and Maharashtra that is restructuring the way farmers and state interact over the crucial distribution of water, specifically over the maintenance, management, and financing of irrigation systems.

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