Author Archive:
Chandrika Sahai
Facing the inner crisis in philanthropy
Philanthropy has a blind spot. According to Otto Scharmer (Theory U), it concerns our ‘inner place – the source from which we operate when we act, communicate, perceive, or think.’ This blind spot drives a …
Leading, learning and letting go: PSJP’s journey
‘What if the way we respond to our problems is part of the problem?’ – Bayo Akomolafe The Global Greengrants Fund, the Zambian Governance Foundation have recently shared articles describing their journeys of transformation. These …
PEXforum 2022: A call to solidarity
The most striking moments of the recently concluded PEXforum in Istanbul were the voices and stories of Turkish civil society. Turkey hosts the largest numbers of refugees in the world. The 1.5 million Syrian children …
Philanthropy in emerging market countries and the opportunity for radical transformation
Just before Christmas last year I found myself with a very small and unsure group of ‘anti-CAA’ protestors outside a public park in Jaipur. We weren’t certain if we had the permission to gather and …
The bigger picture lying behind royal philanthropy
I appreciate Alliance focusing on the philanthropy of royal families around the world (December 2018) because in order for philanthropy to be effective and accountable, it does need to be scrutinised. Several articles in the issue ask …
Transparency and philanthropy – an oxymoron in India? Not anymore.
India has traditionally been a philanthropic culture with giving ingrained in all of its major religions, a part of everyday life. However, both formal and informal giving in India have mainly been private matters, the …
What role for philanthropy in India?
According to a recent research paper by economist Lucas Chancel, ‘income inequality in India is at its highest level since 1922’. Earlier this year in January, an Oxfam report said that India’s richest 1 per …
The role of philanthropy in society – what’s there and what’s next?
At the WINGS Forum in Mexico in February 2017, a session was organised to discuss the initial findings of a new study of philanthropy initiated by the Working Group on Philanthropy for Social Justice and …
How to be effective and responsive to communities?
The December issue of Alliance focused on the topic of community philanthropy and the concept of ‘durable development’ – shifting power closer to the ground and giving agency to local people and their organizations. Here, …
Challenge to philanthropy’s power – unshackled!
Never before have I attended a philanthropy gathering of this scale where the conversations have been so open and honest about things that are wrong with mainstream philanthropy and ODA. The Global Summit for Community …
