India claims to be the largest democracy in the world. Government in an ideal democratic set-up is expected to allow, listen and respect alternate views. However, over the past few years, in India, like across the globe, instances of convenient side-lining and disregard for differing views have come to the fore. Thus, there is an urgent need for the sector to get together and put forth an amplified collective voice concerning the issues around organisational civil rights including that of forming association, assembly and freedom of expression. Thus VANI, being an apex body of Voluntary Organizations aims to become the Voice of the Indian Civil Society when it is threatened and work and win recognition.
One of the biggest weaknesses with the Indian Civil Society is superficial solidarity that it unites during times of adversity but falls apart as soon as there is a temporary win. This dilutes or at times even nullifies the long term positive impact, the collectiveness/movement could possibly create. VANI intends to collectivize the sector at two levels -regional and national. It aims to promote leadership, bring together different organisations and bodies including CSOs, Activists, Thematic Groups, thought and sector leaders, thematic experts, social movements and groups, corporate foundations, institutions. This shall strengthen the power of people to organise, mobilise and take collective action.
In order to collectivise the sector, at national level, VANI has set up specialised Forums like the CEO or Leader Forum, CFO Forum and Women Leadership Forum at both National and Regional levels, to bring people together on a common platform.
VANI firmly believes in healthy society, where people have multiple opportunities to come together, participate, deliberate and act for common good. V ANI has been and shall continue to provide multi sectoral platform for dialogue to key stakeholders by way of holding, facilitating and organising Consultations, Conclaves, Workshops, and Trainings, formal and informal Discussions. These shall range on themes on which V ANI already has an established expertise like governance, compliances, accountability, transparency, and fundraising. Under the new strategy, VANI shall complement range of partnerships at global,national or local levels with CSOs, government, corporate donors and institutions to co-convene and facilitate thematic/general consultations.
VANI shall undertake research on different issues, analyse and convene to generate and share knowledge and take action to strengthen the civil society.
VANI is a representative body of the voluntary sector, which is big and has diverse information needs. There is thus a need to provision of voluntary organisations with time saving solutions to meet their everyday operational needs and enhance their efficiencies and effectiveness. These information needs could be basic and simple like provision of name/s of credible voluntary organisation working on a particular thematic area or in a specific geography, reliable accreditation agency, monitoring and evaluation expert/s, academic and research organisations, media experts, thematic experts or credible agency providing services of professionals like Chartered Accountants, Legal or financial experts. The information could also be on theme-based studies..
