Charkha works to empower marginalized communities in remote and conflict-affected areas by building their capacity for writing and advocacy. It conducts workshops to train youth to report on local issues and become social advocates. It establishes information resource centers that collect local writing and connect communities to public services. Over 600 articles produced by local writers have been published in newspapers to highlight development issues. Charkha aims to expand its operations, leverage new technologies, and deepen engagement with communities to give vulnerable groups a voice.

1. MODEL - NON PROFIT
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
Charkha works towards the social and economic inclusion of marginalized communities in remote and conflict areas
through the creative use of media, working closely with youth. Many of these areas are highly inaccessible and socially,
economically and politically vulnerable. It currently provides on-field support in Jammu & Kashmir and remote guidance in
Bihar and Chhattisgarh; it has previously worked in eight other states.
THE PROBLEM
Rural communities, especially in remote and conflict
areas, are extremely isolated. They typically get poor
media coverage, so local problems often go
unnoticed by the government and stakeholders who
can make a difference.They also have poor access to
information to help them obtain their rights.
Before entering a community, Charkha liaises with multiple
stakeholders to assess demand and gain community buy-in;
Charkha spends at least two years in each area.
Charkha conducts five-day skill building workshops for youth, with
each participant undergoing a cycle of three workshops; the first two
train participants to report and write on local issues, the third builds
their capacity to become social advocates.
Based on demand, information and communication networks are
established with involvement from citizens and government; they are
anchored in resource centers that hold information on public services
and act as a platform to bring together various stakeholders
motivated to create social change.
The 12 existing resource centers collate local writing and transmit it for
publication by Charkha’s trilingual feature services’ in Delhi (English,
Hindi and Urdu); since 2004, Charkha has engaged with 159 villages
and 369 local writers.
These articles are edited, translated and disseminated to various
national and regional print media; in 2013-2014, 604 articles were
published in local, state and national newspapers.
Talented writers are recognized for their work; writers can apply for a
year-long media fellowship with Charkha.
Founder Sanjoy Ghose
recognized the potential
of local writing to
highlight development
issues and started writing
workshops in Rajasthan
Ghose’s assassination by
United Liberation Front of
Assam militants slowed
Charkha’s operations in
six states until 2001
Ghose’s father, Shankar
Ghose, became President
of Charkha and led the
organization to focus on
remote and conflict areas
The first information
resource centers were
introduced in three states
to empower rural
communities to take
informed decisions about
their development
Charkha started to
consciously engage with
government officials to
enable more action on
local issues
CHARKHA’s RESPONSE
Charkha aims to empower communities by building
their capacity to write at the local, state and national
levels and to advocate for their rights. It provides
them with resources to obtain their entitlements and
facilitate engagements with government and other
stakeholders who can help address local issues.
Charkha Development Communication Network
www.charkha.org
Founded: 1994 | Head Office: New Delhi | Coverage: Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Chhattisgarh
Full-Time Staff: 9 | Budget (2013-14): Organization – INR 1 crore; Governance – INR 1 crore
HOW DID IT EVOLVE?
1990-1994 1997 2001 2005 2010
Charkha Development Communication Network
WHAT DOES IT DO? KEY INTERVENTIONS
1. Building awareness and mobilizing citizens
2. Training citizens for public engagement
3. Creating knowledge and evidence
4. Advocacy for policy design and
implementation
5. Technology platforms and solutions
6. Facilitating independent and inclusive
journalism
7. Capacity building of government officials
8. Capacity building of local partners
9. Facilitating platforms for multi-stakeholder
engagement

2. WHAT’S NEXT?
Charkha plans to expand its operations and outreach, as well as focus on institution building.
Expand operations to new conflict areas, prioritizing based on local demand.
Return to Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand to deepen engagement with the community.
Leverage mobile and digital technology in partnership with innovative organizations to improve connectivity in isolated areas.
Create a large network of writers from different conflict areas and establish a robust platform where they can share
knowledge and experiences.
Build team size and capacity in order to scale effectively and implement systems to improve impact assessment.
“Charkha’s world begins where the highway ends. We work with those whom the governance mechanisms have simply
forgotten, either because they’re too remote to count or because it is too much of a risk and effort to reach them in conflict-
affected areas. We give such people a voice and teach them how to be heard. We give them the information, skills and
resources to actually change their circumstances themselves. We tell them, ‘We don’t do charity. You must take charge of
your own development.’ ”
– Anshu Meshack, CEO
citizenvoice policy law servicedelivery thinktank transparency RTI
elections budgets urbangovernance panchayatiraj accesstojustice
technology humanrights independentmedia
On reading my published article on the
difficulties caused by the absence of roads in my
remote mountainous village, I received a call
from the Deputy Commissioner. He
congratulated me on my writing and suggested I
see him directly regarding such issues instead of
going to the media. I pointed out that meeting
him was difficult for the common man, and that
the media was our last resort. He assured action
on the concerns I had raised in my article. It is to
Charkha's credit that I am now a strong votary of
the responsible role that writing can play.
- Noor-e-Ilahi Nakshbandi
From District Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir
Charkha’s work in conflict areas is especially unique due to the high-risk nature of these environments. Its success is
evident in the numerous outcomes achieved using story publishing and advocacy efforts, which include:
Improving service delivery to areas susceptible to firing across the border and strategically sensitive areas: fixing water
and electricity connections; school, bridge and road construction.
Helping citizens obtain their entitlements from the government, typically pensions and disability benefits.
Facilitating cooperative relationships between citizens and government officials to enable social change in conflict
areas where relations between the two have historically been strained.
12 A 80 G FCRA
WHAT HAS IT ACHIEVED?
VOICES FROM THE GROUND
Nine years of corporate work experience with HCL and
Tata Tea and nine years in the development sector.
Has a post-graduate diploma in Business Management and a
Masters in Social Work fromTata Institute of Social Sciences.
Key funders: British High Commission,Unnati Foundation India.
Key program partners in J&K: Deputy Commissioner’s
Office; Operation Sadbhavana of the Armed Forces.
Publication partners: Leading local dailies such as Udaan
and Kashmir Times, Asian News International, Business
Standard.
Awarded the UNFPA-Laadli Media Award for Gender
Sensitivity (2009-10).
Limca Book of Records record holder for India’s only
Trilingual Feature Service.
QUALITY INDICATORS
Charkha Development Communication Network
Leadership
Anshu Meshack; CEO of Charkha
Partnerships
Endorsements