The Unnayan Onneshan is a progressive think-tank that undertakes research for advancing ideas and building constituencies for social transformation. The Institute advances critical scholarship, promotes inter-disciplinary dialogue and amplifies grassroots perspectives. The public-interest research institute works in collaboration with national partners, international organisations and leading universities.
The Unnayan Onneshan - the Innovators was registered in 2003 as a not-for-profit trust to contribute towards search for solutions to endemic poverty, injustice, gender inequality and environmental degradation at the local, national and global levels. The philosophy, ideas and actions of the organization focus on pluralistic, participatory and sustainable development and seek to challenge the narrow theoretical and policy approaches derived from unitary models of development.
Mission
The mission is to champion innovation for exploring paths of social transformation towards a world, free from poverty, injustice, gender inequality and environmental degradation.
Purpose
The purpose is to provide innovative ideas, alternative perspectives and critical approaches with a view to building constituencies for progressive transformation of people, environment, economy and society.
Roles
- A knowledge provider: The organization infuses pluralism in perspectives by examining development intervention strategies, exposing its underlying paradigms and the impacts on the people, and explores alternative concepts, approaches, practices for contributing towards progressive social transformation.
- A catalyst for change agents and organizations: The organization embarks upon perspective and capacity building as social action to build and strengthen constituencies of change agents of social transformation.
- A bridge between margin and centre: The organisation brings in indigenous perspectives from the margins to the centre with a view to shaping the global development discourse and democratizing policy making.
The Unit forms a focused, interdisciplinary programme of research and advocacy to integrate rigorous natural and social sciences with policy, education and socially responsible conservation action. The work of the Unit relating to emergencies including disaster is rights-based to cover a full range of activities including, advocacy, prevention, preparedness, direct response and rehabilitation in situations created by war, drought, floods, earthquakes and famine.