Ashoka's Youth Venture and Pravah have come together to offer Change Looms – a program that recognizes, encourages and supports the exceptional achievements of young people who are actively promoting social change in society. While there are numerous social change initiatives throughout India that involve youth groups, there are few efforts that support young people who wish to launch their own social change ideas.

We believe that young people have a powerful vision for society and their common future, and can benefit from more intensive capacity building and mentoring to make their dreams a reality. When young people are encouraged to imagine their own futures and actively work toward creating them, they will naturally spawn a more socially responsible and sustainable world in which to live. And, if young people are supported at an early stage in their efforts, they will be more likely to succeed. In this success, they serve as role models to other young people, and may even spark a movement of young social changemakers.

In order to better support early-stage young social entrepreneurs, Change Looms is designed as a year-long ‘incubator.’ The program provides in-depth capacity building as well as mentoring and advisory support from leading social entrepreneurs across the country.

In 2006 more than forty applications were received from across India and a shortlist of thirteen finalists were invited to a weeklong development and assessment centre. Five outstanding initiatives were selected based on the quality of their efforts, personal commitment to their issues, and potential to implement their work on a broader scale. Each project/team received an investment of Rs. 20,000 as well as Rs. 10,000 to support the incubation process.

The five outstanding initiatives from 2006 were:

• Alternative Realities was started by Abhishek Bharadwaj in Mumbai to address issues of identity, health, livelihood and shelter for the homeless people in Mumbai. Using diverse methodologies such as street theatre, studies, survey and research, Abhishek and his volunteers sensitize the civil society towards the issue, negotiate with other organizations and institutions to use their existing infrastructure as night shelters, and arrange access to medical facilities for the homeless.
• Chamna Thuptep in Thadou dialect means ‘promises of peace’ or ‘commandments of peace’. Having grown up with conflict in Manipur, Rebecca Haokip started forming ‘peace cells’ in the localities and villages of her district to help and strengthen participation of the community in non-violent conflict resolution. Confident that youth can lead the way to peace, Rebecca mobilizes youth in villages into ‘peace cells’, and trains them to organize peace workshops in their communities. The peace workshops provide a space for communities to freely discuss issues, relax, meet and interact with the other tribe/clan, suggesting and planning together for peace. Chamna Thuptep is based in Manipur.
• SAHER (Society for Awareness, Harmony and Equal Rights), a Community Based Organization (CBO)was launched as a theatre group post riots, to channel the energies of youth towards positive action and social responsibility. With time, the founders Masood Akhtar and Rama Syam started working with local communities to address their social, educational and economic needs. Among Saher’s many initiatives are street plays, inter-school sports meets, inter-communal workshops, police-public interactions. Saher is based in Mumbai.
• Dhritii was founded by Nidhi Arora, Anirban Gupta, Arindam Dasgupta to inspire, support and spread a culture of entrepreneurship in Indian society. Through training workshops, interactions and individual initiatives at multiple levels, Dhritii aims to create a pool of next generation entrepreneurs, promote and develop micro enterprises and increase the efficiency of existing small scale industries in India. Dhritii is based in Delhi
• Save Satpuda set up by Vishal Bansod and Pratap Thakare works in the Satpuda landscape of Central India, a critical wild life region and the source of more than 100 rivers. The organisation is addressing issues of conservation of forests while ensuring that the land rights of the tribal people, who also depend on the forests for their survival, are protected. To reach its goal, Save Satpuda is working at establishing and replicating three models of landscape conservation- education, conservation and research. Save Satpuda is based in Maharashtra.

Watch these youth. Remember their names, their organizations, and their work. You will likely hear more about them in the future. For now, please join us in celebrating their initiative, spunk, and drive to change their world.

Change Looms is supported by ‘The Youth and Civil Society Initiative’ of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.