Dasra, a strategic philanthropy foundation, emphasized on the adoption of a ‘Field Approach’ to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for India at Dasra Philanthropy Week 2019, which was held in Mumbai and Delhi earlier this month.
Key thought leaders and sector experts such as Rohini Nilekani (Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies), Francine Pickup (UNDP), Rukmini Banerji (Pratham) and Sherrie Rollins Westin (Sesame Workshop) put forward their thoughts on multiple aspects of achieving SDGs for India through panel discussions, data sharing and knowledge sharing sessions.
Through the field approach, Dasra aims to multiply the impact of every rupee invested for India’s development needs which are aligned with SDGs, a set of 17 fields across 163 interconnected indicators adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. Francine Pickup, Resident Representative, UNDP India, said, “Sustainable Development Goals are all about collaboration. We have to adopt a platform approach towards achieving SDGs which will bring different partners and stakeholders together.”
The field approach considers all the stakeholders, identifies multiple areas of action, and coordinates them towards a specific goal. The aim is to generate significant momentum around a particular developmental challenge and create lasting change by leveraging collaborative action by philanthropists, NGOs, government, field experts, community leaders and media.
Bold and Collaborative Philanthropy to achieve SDGs
While emphasizing on the crucial role of SDG 16, a goal which aims to provide access to justice for all, Rohini Nilekani said, “Philanthropists in India should move forward from service delivery related projects. Let’s pledge to improve access to justice for all, which will uphold our constitutional values and public institutions. This will empower the markets and society as a whole to align with other SDGs.”
In a discussion about Collaborative Philanthropy, Aleem Jivraj (Nomura) pushed for more collective efforts by philanthropists. “Collaborative philanthropy allows you to take risks and achieve scale at the same time,” he added.
