Towards Inclusive Collectives, Communities and Cultures

“The birds that herald dreams Were exiled from their song, Give some tree the gift of
green again. Let one bird sing.” 

—Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Formally registered in 1976, over the past four decades of its existence SIEDS (Society for Informal Education and Development Studies) has been a unique experiment in collective politics and functioning. Over the decades the core concerns of SIEDS have evolved around human dignity and rights; social harmony and peace; transformative and constitutional justice, decentralised democracies and inclusive development.

While responding to multiple issues related to gender, class, caste, religion, environment, local self-governance and basic entitlements for the rural and urban poor, the attempt has been to weave together responsive activism with reflective analysis and a critical aesthetics.

The search has been for processes of change that while rooting themselves in specific cultures and communities draw from more universal notions of justice, peace and human creativity.

About Us

“Before this night is over and before the new dawn rises Maybe we can sit here in the shade and talk Not afraid to question
the dent in the dream or the words missing from the story”

—Jackie Kay

Plurality, diversity and democracy have been the cornerstones around which SIEDS has evolved both
its programmatic priorities and institutional culture.

A Collective History

People’s Rights Committee
Parisara
Janandolana
Janamadhyam
Shramik
Vimochana
AWHRC
Streelekha
BFS
Free Tree
Conversations-Goa
Kuteera- Kolar
Deep Focus
Kutty Japanin Kuzhadaigal
Voices from the Waters
Revisuality
CVA
Adivasis

People’s Rights Committee

A forum for civil liberties and human rights

Parisara

An environment forum

Janandolana

People for Peace 

Janamadhyam

A documentary filmmakers initiative

Shramik

A workers cooperative

Vimochana

Forum for women’s rights

AWHRC

Asian Women’s Human Rights Council

Streelekha

A feminist book shop

BFS

Bangalore Film Society

Free Tree

A space for critical thinking and reflection outside academia 

Conversations-Goa

An artist’s village in the making

Kuteera- Kolar

A shelter for women in distress

Deep Focus

A film quarterly

Kutty Japanin Kuzhadaigal

A film on child labour in Sivakasi

Voices from the Waters

International Film Festival on Water

Revisuality

A phototypesetting unit

CVA

Centre for Vernacular Architecture

Adivasis

The Hakki Pikki and Iruliga Tribal Society

Core Programmes

Research

What the books taught me, I’ve practiced What they didn’t teach me, I’ve taught myself I’ve gone into the forest and wrestled with the lion. I didn’t get this far by teaching one thing And doing another

—Lalla Ded

Gender & Community

They tried to bury us. They did not know we were seeds!

—Mexican proverb

Culture

What happened before its coming was more or less irrelevant. everything that took place at their coming, and afterward, was vitally significant, It was the Dreaming that was of relevance, that is eternal

—Dreamtime

Networking

Why struggle to open a door between us when the whole wall is an illusion

—Rumi