Sanjog Blog

Sanjog Blog

Journey to Leadership: 5 Services that help Survivor Leaders to Create Change

By Team Sanjog

In the quiet corners of India, a remarkable transformation is taking place. Survivors of trafficking, once victims of a ruthless system, are rising up to become leaders in their own lives and communities. These individuals are finding the support they need to break free from the chains of victimhood and reclaim their power.

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Women in survivor leadership: Challenges and good things

By Team Sanjog

In the rural communities of West Bengal, where economic struggles and resource limitations prevail, women face additional risks, including the harrowing reality of human trafficking. However, amidst these challenges, a group of remarkable women has risen to make a difference. Utthan, a survivor-led women’s collective, has become a driving force in the fight against trafficking, advocating for victim compensation, pushing for the TIP Bill, and contributing to the formation of ILFAT (International Legal Framework Against Trafficking).

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The Road to Trust: How SAANS Leaders’ are dealing with community resistance

By Team Sanjog

In order for anti-trafficking efforts to truly make a difference, it is crucial to have a comprehensive approach that involves a diverse array of professionals, including survivor leaders. These individuals, as primary stakeholders in the field, bring a wealth of invaluable insight and expertise to the table.

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From Tragedy to Triumph: The Rise of Survivor-Leaders in the Anti-Trafficking Movement

By Team Sanjog

In today’s world, the stories of survivors of human trafficking often fall on deaf ears, regarded merely as anecdotes, rather than as urgent calls to action for a better world. Despite having a constitutional right against human exploitation, human trafficking continues to plague marginalized communities in India. It is high time to heed the voices of survivors and integrate them into comprehensive anti-trafficking strategies, empowering them to lead the movement towards a better future.

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SAANS – Haqdarshak collaboration: A way forward to leadership building by finding the right partner in the ecosystem.

By Panchali Kar

As a mentoring organisation, aiming to develop survivor-led model in the anti-trafficking ecosystem, Sanjog aims towards the development of leadership, autonomy, recognition of the survivors and the survivor led collectives as one of its key focus. One of the most important intervention in creating opportunity for the survivor collectives’ autonomy is by connecting them with important partners, who would support them in building capacity and leadership.

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How Tafteesh has been breaking human trafficking barriers since 2013.

In 2013 a group of advocates against human trafficking noticed an alarming pattern. A combination of weak interstate communication and a non-descript legal framework against human trafficking meant that a large number of traffickers were getting away scot-free. The same perpetrators who were abducting, transporting and selling victims were roaming the country free waiting to pounce again. 



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Leadership in Crisis: Reflections from a Social Impact Organization

By Somashree Choudhury

The disaster that India saw in the last few months of the onset of the second wave have been the darkest phases of India in the 21st century. While the country has seen a wide variety of disasters (natural or manmade), the second wave came and shattered the existing order. Not just the public health system but due to lockdown, we have been cut off physically from what we do in “public”- work, leisure, education etc.

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Not Right. Not Okay: the implications of conflating sex trafficking and sex work

By Madhurima Sanyal

On September 24, 2020, the Bombay High Court ruled that sex workers have the right to choose their profession. To put this into context, in 2019, a red-light area was raided by the Police in Mumbai where the Police extracted a few sex workers forcefully, charged them under the ITPA and detained them in shelter homes for a year without their consent.

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Leadership of the New Era: From Survivors to Educators

By Somashree Choudhury

A Brief Introduction 

On 18th December, Smart Digital Classes were inaugurated in Balodabazar, Mahasamud and Janjgir Champa districts of Chattisgarh. These classes are specifically targeted to bring back students to school. The reason? The clearly existing digital divide that suspiciously runs along class lines have pushed hundred-thousands of students out of school during lockdown.

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Learning from Leaders

By Somashree Choudhury

What is youth leadership to you?

The answer to this question will yield a wide variety of different responses. We asked this question to survivors of human trafficking- who are now organized into survivor collectives fighting against human trafficking and are leaders in their communities in their own right.

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Amphan Diaries, 12th June

Most people, who have been affected by the cyclone in Swarupnagar have thanked the community-based organisations for their help and support in providing relief and rebuilding materials

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Amphan Diaries, 11th June

Mahira Rebuilds…

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Amphan Diaries, 10th June

We have started on our Roadmap to Rebuilding and Recovery. As we rebuild homes through the #HomesforHundreds Campaign, we are navigating through emotional pain, financial distress and keeping faith in relationships.
Rebuild and Build with us.

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Amphan Diaries, 9th June

The cyclone-affected people in Basirhat II, who had submitted forms for getting relief in the block offices and panchayats, are reportedly uncertain of recieving any help. Some of them, who are part of the Alor Disha, a self-help group, spoke about it when they had met on Saturday.

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Amphan Diaries, 8th June

After days of repair work, electricity services has resumed in Basirhat II, reports Jinnatun Nahar, a social worker at Seth Bagan Mahila Sangha, a community-based organisation.

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Amphan Diaries, 6th June

Some community-based organisations have started rebuilding their offices after they were destroyed during the cyclone.

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Amphan Diaries, 4th June

The Basirhat Municipal Corporation has been spreading COVID-19 awareness among the people with public announcements amidst reports of the return of migrant workers, reports Sufia Khatun, a social worker at Teghoria Institute for Social Movement, a community-based organization.

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Amphan Diaries, 3rd June

Repair work has started in full swing to restore electricity in Basirhat I, II and Bongaon, a day after people conducted angry protests on the streets, against the electricians with Government tender, who had taken from money from them separately and yet didn’t start their work.

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Amphan Diaries, 2nd June

Residents of Kachua panchayat in Basirhat II have resorted to street protests because of not getting access to electricity, even 10-12 days after the cyclone. They have, reportedly met the high monetary demands (Rs 200-500 per person) of the workers with government tender amidst difficulties because of the lockdown and still not get the services and that is understood to be the cause of their anger.

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Amphan Diaries, 31st May

From the donations that have been received through the local accounts, Sanjog sent out a first round of relief-300 kits including tarpaulin and food items to organizations in Barasat and Canning for distribution.

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Amphan Diaries, 30th May (Part II):

Cases of violence and crime have hit a new high post the cyclone period in Basanti, reports Amina Laskar, a grassroot social activist at BBSS.

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Amphan Diaries, 30th May (Part I):

Reporter: Soma Das
Patlikhanpur GP Hasnabad

Soma, a dynamic social worker from KEYA in Hasnabad, and a member of Partners for Anti Trafficking is reaching out to survivors and their families. To share tarpaulins, food relief materials and lots of hope!

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Amphan Diaries, 28th May:

Cyclone-affected people have started receiving help from the panchayats to rebuild their houses. They are being distributed tripols so that they can have a shelter and start on rebuilding their houses after they were destroyed by the cyclone.

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Amphan Diaries, 27th May:

Reported by Amina Laskar
Bansra Birangana Seva Samity, South 24 parganas

“The girls are calling me up and crying for food. Puja says that she is asking for pantta bhaat from the people and eating. Didi, I could not contact all the girls but with the 11 I have been able to connect with, they have said that their houses have been destroyed,” says Amina.

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Amphan Diaries, 26th May:

30 social workers from Partners in Anti Trafficking in North 24 Parganas and Birangana Seba Samiti in South 24 Parganas have started extensive outreach to different communities to assess damage

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Amphan Diaries, 25th May:

Reported by Bikash Das

Basirhat, North 24 parganas

 “10 days more of no electricity or power connection. Large parts of the area are still flooded. And areas like Sandeshkhali we still don’t have any news, haven’t been able to connect with them in last 48 hours. The situation is terrible and very scary!” says Bikash Das.

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Assertive claim to rights necessary to enliven a system

So much has been written about advocacy approaches used by people and organisations across the world. What Is common perhaps in all advocacy approaches is that it aims to capture the attention and gain favorable response from people who are power holders – bureaucrats, a senior official in an office or maybe a politician.

 

When advocacy is led by the proletariat, they use walks, demonstrations and deputations as tools to express their opinion and assertion. When these efforts are organized and managed by NGOs, it often involves meetings, consultations, workshops or activities which are less confrontational, and aim to be persuasive.



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2016 – Kolkata Gives

In February 2016, Sanjog was invited to be a part of Kolkata Gives – a one of a kind charitable exhibition

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On 2014

The last year at Sanjog was essentially around a lot of ritual doing….the rituals of creating, maintaining, coordinating, destroying and then re-creating ideas, systems and energies.

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On 2011

I read these lines in a book sometime back and then I heard similar words from a girl I was interacting with and ‘trying to help’… When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice, you have not done what I asked.

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On 2010

Experimentation is risky business. Trying out something new always carries with it adventure, thrill and hope – but also requires preparation and method – in laying the hypothesis, predicting results and expected changes.

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