Institutions

Also see:

Sahjeevan has consistently seen the need to embed its work within larger institutional contexts. Institutionalisation is critical from multiple perspectives – strong community-based organisations are expected to help conceptualise and eventually lead the work that Sahjeevan might initiate. Such community-level ownership is critical for the long-term sustainability of the work.

The expansion of our work beyond Gujarat was made possible through the establishment and incubation of the Centre for Pastoralism — an organisation with a presence in multiple locations in the country. Similarly, we have helped build a number of institutions when we have felt the need for more focused work. Scroll down to see the Institution Map.

Community-Based Organisations

One of our primary goals is to empower pastoral communities to conceptualise, initiate and take forward interventions relating to their livelihoods, access to grazing lands, biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of their natural resources.

Sahjeevan currently works with four community-based organisations in Kachchh and Saurashtra.

Banni Pashu Uchherak Maldhari Sangathan

Kachchh Unt Uchherak Maldhari Sangathan

Ghenta Bakra Maldhari Sangathan

Saurashtra Breeders’ Association

Associate Organisations

RAMBLE

RAMBLE

RAMBLE is an open research platform that facilitates disciplinary and interdisciplinary research on various aspects of the Banni grasslands ecosystem, its pastoral communities and their relationship with the land. Research at RAMBLE is carried out with an implicit understanding that ecological and social systems are intimately coupled and cannot be fully comprehended independently of each other. Learn more about RAMBLE at www.bannigrassland.org

Centre for Pastoralism

Centre for Pastoralism

The Centre for Pastoralism (CfP) emerged from the Living Lightly exhibition in Delhi in 2016, responding to a need for more sustained engagement with pastoral communities across India. CfP primarily functions through partnerships with civil society organisations, government, the private sector and researchers to develop interventions aimed at improving the market and policy space within which pastoralist communities function. This includes the filing of community claims under the Forest Rights Act to access and manage traditionally grazed lands, exploring ways to enhance revenues from pastoralism, facilitating and initiating research aimed at growing our understanding of pastoralist ecosystems and undertaking outreach to celebrate pastoralism and make mainstream society more aware of its contributions. Learn more about CfP at www.centreforpastoralism.org
1. Living Lightly
  
  Living Lightly
  
  Living Lightly - Journeys with Pastoralists is a travelling exhibition on the land, lives and livelihoods of Indian pastoralists. It captures their remarkable history of mobility, the eco-systems that nurture their worlds, their culture, science, art, politics, spiritual moorings and the economics and challenges of herding. The exhibition is built around a fusion of testimonies, ethnographic material, archives, poetic forms, music, storytelling, crafts, materials, crafted narratives, films and performances. Learn more at www.livinglightly.org.
2. Desi Oon
  
  Desi Oon
  
  Desi Oon Hub, an initiative of CfP, is a loose collaboration of organisations from across the country’s pastoral landscapes, that work with shepherds, knitters, felters, spinners and weavers to bring indigenous wool into our lives, homes and wardrobes. The Hub is growing as a space for collaborative action, research, experimentation and learning; and for celebrating the richness of the fibre through promotional campaigns and events. Learn more at https://www.desioonhub.org/desi-oon-hub
3. Panchal Dairy
  
  Panchal Dairy
  
  Panchal Dairy is a community-based enterprise that seeks to develop and market a range of pastoral dairy products. We have trained two young Bharwad pastoralists to develop cheese from goat, camel and sheep milk in Saurashtra. Find the products here.