Of the myriad roles that civil society plays in making development and governance inclusive, innovations to solve ‘wicked’ problems has been one of the most significant contributions. In recent years, these foundational innovations along with new technologies have also been adapted, adopted and supported by many philanthropic and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Many such civil society innovations were fostered within an eco-system that attracted and nurtured appropriate human talents in the sector. The openness of the international donors to underwrite the risks involved in any innovative and experimental work on one hand and willingness of the government to search for innovative ideas and practices beyond the official system, helped to flourish many such innovations that assisted millions of the poorest of poor and marginalised communities. As we confront newer development challenges along with the existing ones, civil society’s seminal role to innovate cannot be overemphasised. However, the support system including sufficient flexible resources to invest in civil society innovations is diminishing rather rapidly. A disproportionate demand for scaling up outreach (often misconstrued as the only impact) of proven tracks have the risk of homogenising civil society by overemphasising its ‘fill the gap’ implementation role at the cost of cutting edge innovations. As Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) completed its 40 years, it recommits to fostering a conducive and supportive environment for civil society and non-profits to continue as well as re-engage in cutting-edge innovations. PRIA in collaboration with the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy, Ashoka University and The/ Nudge Foundation will co-organise a Samvad - Conversation on “Investing in Civil Society Innovations” on Thursday, 30 September 2021. The Conversation delved into the following key questions:
Click here for the webinar recording