History has it that the most of the successful social movements have the element of collectivism which in simple terms means that the bigger the gamut of understanding, the greater are the chances of turning efforts into success or attaining goals. Collectivism gives impetus to sustainability and ownership and helps build the foundation for an egalitarian society.  

It is with this spirit that Madhyanchal Forum has been working since its inception and is moving ahead with a clear and decisive understanding that promoting collective initiatives and collaborative actions is the key to addressing the challenges faced by the poor and the excluded.  Civil society organisations need to strengthen their engagement with the poor through shared or joint strategies. The past experiences have shown that strategies woven around individualistic approaches have had limited impact.  In this backdrop, forming collectives of the marginalized and the excluded and enabling them to gain the much needed institutional and individual capacities to lead and sustain their struggles, thus, becomes all the more significant. It is also vital for them to reclaim their space for dignified life. This calls for people owned and people centred processes. All MF initiatives operational on ground are in sync with this belief.  While these interventions focus on the above understanding, they simultaneously strengthen thematic areas through institutions of reference communities.

In Bastar, Kanker and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh, the interventions are focused on community owned and community led conservation and preservation of common forest resources (CFR). This will help forest dwellers reclaimownership of the forest. The process is led by collective intent and aims at strengthening collectives and creating local leadership. 

Similar resolve is visible in other states too. In Ambedkar Nagar, Faizabad, Jaunpur, Varanasi, Pratapgarh, Sonbhadra, Banda, Kusinagar, Jhansi, Sahjanpur districts of Uttar Pradesh and Nalanda, Sekhpura, Nawada, Gaya, Jahanabad districts in Bihar, the efforts are on to improve the lot of Musahar, Nut and other most excluded communities by enabling them to access their entitlements and rights. 

In Jhabua, Dhar, Badwani, Khargoun, Indore (Malwa Area), Indore (Ghat Section), Alirajpur, Ratlam, Mandsor, Vidisa districts of MP, MF is working extensively for promotion of organic farming by the small and marginal farmers roping in landless labourers in the process of empowerment.  Along with this, effort is also on building state-wide campaign on nutrition and preservation/promotion of food sovereignty of vulnerable tribal communities in Dhar, Barwani, East Nimar (Khandwa), Betul, Jhabua, Sheopur districts. This would soon be expanded to national level. In Punjab, MF is planning to launch mass awareness programmes on sustainable agriculture.

As far as the Rajasthan is concerned, three climatic zones (East, Western and North) have been chosen for promotion of sustainable livelihoods through improvement in agriculture and allied practices and climate smart drought resilient model in the deserts of Jaisalmer is underway.

In the Mountain states of Himachal, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir (Leh-Ladakh region), MF activities are centered on the impact of climate change in higher Himalayas. Focus here is on mitigation, adaptation and addressing policy issues.  The issues related to space for civil society action form a major thrust area across intervention states. Planning for other states is in progress. The common thread that binds all MF intervention is collectives which provide the major plank for achievement of its objectives. MF sees all these interventions in an integrated perspective through engagement with the most vulnerable of these groups at various levels. These collectives shall also directly contribute to strengthening voluntary action, democracy and addressing the issue of shrinking space for civil society action.