2023 was a year of could'ves and should'ves for the queer community in India. As an ally, it was disappointing to witness the Supreme Court deny LGBTQ+ individuals the right to marry, form civil unions, and adopt. This was undeniably a missed opportunity for our judiciary to nudge our legislature into action and empower every queer individual in the nation. However, in this vacuum of justice it was heartening to see private institutions and civil society emerge as stronger allies. In this context, our efforts to curate this cohort met with several challenges but I believe we were ultimately able to spotlight remarkable humans leading interesting lives. If you'd like to support our DEI programming efforts, please reach out to me.

— Sartaj Anand, Founder of egomonk

The Cohort of 2023

Vaishali Kannan - Salesforce

Vaishali Kannan is a dynamic author and a dedicated advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights. Her memoir, "Homeless: Growing Up Lesbian and Dyslexic in India,"  sheds light on her remarkable journey.  In addition to her literary achievements, Vaishali is a valued member of the tech industry, contributing her expertise at Salesforce. She leads the LGBTQIA+ Business Resource Group for the JAPAC region, fostering inclusivity within the company. As the host of the podcast "Queerious Connections," Vaishali amplifies queer voices and stories.

Subhashish Bhadra - Klub

Subhashish Bhadra is an economist, policy professional, startup leader, and author of Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government is Holding Indians Back, a book that sheds light on the problems facing Indian institutions and the hindrances they create for the people they are meant to serve. His diverse career reflects a pragmatic and insightful approach that has significantly contributed to both corporate landscapes and societal discussions in India.

Anwesh Sahoo - Effeminare

Anwesh Kumar Sahoo is a queer engineer, visual designer, and digital and technical artist. The youngest recipient of the Mr. Gay World India title, Anwesh is also the first Indian recipient of the prestigious Troy Perry Award. Anwesh is also the creative force behind the blog Effeminare, a platform through which he aims to combat homophobia and bring attention to the pressing issues faced by the LGBTQIA+ community in India.

Swetha Harikrishnan - HackerEarth

With a robust background spanning more than a decade in the realm of Human Resources, Swetha Harikrishnan currently holds the position of HR Director at HackerEarth. Her professional trajectory is deeply rooted in a fervent commitment to authenticity, a principle she views as pivotal for both individual development and collective progress. Swetha, in her unassuming yet resolute manner, rejects the inclination to pigeonhole individuals, finding solace in the exploration of the intricate nuances that render each person distinct.

Rohin Bhatt - Advocate

Rohin Bhatt (he/they) is a passionate advocate, lawyer, and queer rights activist. Currently working with the Chambers of Ms. Indira Jaising, Senior Advocate, Rohin also co-founded the Indian Bioethics Project at Gujarat National Law University. Their unwavering commitment to intersectional solidarity fuels their fight against fascism and patriarchy in India, addressing issues ranging from caste dynamics to state-sponsored violence, feminism, queerness, and survival needs.

Vaivab Das - IIT Delhi

Vaivab Das is a Senior Research Fellow at IIT Delhi and an incoming Fulbright Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. Apart from researching transgender rights and LGBTQ+ policies in India, they actively engage in community-based organizing work to raise awareness about civil rights and equality in India. Their contributions include providing research and paralegal aid in legal cases to improve legal protection and equal opportunities for transgender persons, as well as participating in research projects on gender and education, gender-based violence, and law and representation.

Veena Sethuraman - InMobi

Veena Sethuraman is a Learning and Leadership Development Specialist with a deep-rooted passion for psychotherapy. She is also a Design Thinking coach who works with internal and external clients to help them identify the right problem or opportunity in their business landscape. She also supports teams to innovate and bring in meaningful solutions. She actively advocates for mental health awareness and is a published author known for her book titled A Pinch of Hope in the Bowl of Life.

Gurnoor Kaur Behl - House Of GKB & Delhi Queer Spaces

Gurnoor Kaur Behl, a seasoned professional, represents the intersectionality of being a queer woman with a disability. With expertise in curating online personal brands, social media strategy, and professional speaking, Behl has left an indelible mark in her field. As the founder of House Of GKB and co-founder of Delhi Queer Space, she is dedicated to fostering creativity and advocacy within the LGBTQ+ community. Behl's dynamic presence and commitment to inclusivity define her impactful contributions to both the digital landscape and community building.

Nu - Revival Disability India

Nu is a trans-disabled non-binary person and the founder of UN-recognized Revival Disability India. Their work revolves around technology and creating safer digital spaces for queer and disabled folks. A disability justice author and curator, they have collaborated with several spaces that claim disabled joy, rage, rest, and movement. They won the Ladli Award in 2022 for their writing on disability-based queer violence and are a published author with Penguin Random House.

Ketan Bajaj - Swiss Re

Ketan Bajaj is a Nat Cat specialist at Swiss Re, a reinsurance company. He also holds a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering from the Indian Institute of Sciences, and his doctoral research focused on the development of response spectra for deep and shallow basins in the Indian subcontinent. He also runs a webzine called The Sanskari Gay with his partner.

Sukhdeep Singh - Gaylaxy

Sukhdeep Singh is an accomplished software engineer,  writer, and human rights advocate. He is the founder and editor of Gaylaxy, an e-magazine founded in 2010 that provides a platform to the LGBTQ community in South Asia. Sukhdeep has also directed Sab Rab De Bande, a short documentary featuring stories of Sikh queer individuals in India.

Shyam Konnur - Mist LGBTQ Foundation

The winner of Mr. Gay India 2020, Shyam Konnur, is a queer and human rights activist. He is the founder and director of the Mist LGBTQ Foundation. He's also the State Coordinator of the All India Professional Congress Maharashtra Committee for LGBTQIA+ Affairs. In addition to his activism, Shyam is a firm believer in the power of storytelling and has used his own experiences to connect with others and foster a sense of community.

R Balaji - Elements Mediaworks

Specializing in influencer marketing, R Balaji, also known as Bala, has a rich background in digital marketing spanning eight years. She is also a TEDx and motivational speaker actively championing gender fluidity. Her advocacy work has been recognized by reputable publications such as The Logical Indian, The Quint, and the 'Out and Proud' section of the Times of India.

Swayambhu Soham - Pampapathi Pet Hospital

Swayambhu Soham is a Bangalore-based professional with 15 years of IT industry experience at IBM and Kyndryl. Currently working at the Pampapathi Multi Speciality Pet Hospital, Swayambhu is not just an IT expert, but also a creative artist and a passionate advocate for community animal welfare and CSR volunteering.

Richa Vashista - Integrative Psychotherapist

Richa Vashista, an integrative psychologist, has forged a distinguished career spanning over nine years, working across both public and private sectors. Their expertise lies in providing therapy for South Asian clients globally, including both monogamous and polyamorous individuals. With a queer-affirmative, neurodiverse, and social justice-centered approach, Richa is trying to reshape the mental health ecosystem.

Praful Baweja - 6 Degrees Diversity Counsel

Praful Baweja is an award-winning business storyteller and the founder of 6 Degrees Diversity Counsel, an innovative forum that creates solutions for people of all abilities, genders, origins, ages, and sexualities. With over 2 decades of experience, Praful has worked with firms like Times of India, Wizcraft, & Ticketplease and has trained teams at Uber, Piramal Pharma, PhonePe, and Northern Trust, among many other leading organizations. Through his work, he actively strives to create diverse, equitable & inclusive spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Priya Babu - Swasti Health Catalyst

Priya Babu is a writer, director, and social activist. She is also the Regional Impact Officer at Swasti Health Catalyst. Through initiatives like the Transgender Resource Center and the Trans Kitchen, she is advocating for and creating awareness about the transgender community. Priya is also a prolific author, with many of her works incorporated into the syllabus of several schools and colleges. Priya also started the first transgender theatre group in India and has directed over 100 plays. She recently directed a film called Arikandi and continues to work through many creative outlets for the betterment of transgender and other marginalized communities.

Umang Sheth - Mr n Mr

Umang Sheth is an aspiring public speaker and advocate for social change. He has spearheaded initiatives like Gay Bombay and The Hugging Club of India to promote queer inclusivity and destigmatize mental health issues. Despite a difficult childhood, Umang chose not to be a victim and instead works tirelessly to empower people to talk freely about their sexuality and mental health issues and overcome the shame, guilt, or stigma associated with it. He firmly believes that the world will be a better place if one can find a way to live authentically without getting affected by what society has to say and his journey is a testament to that.

Kinza Jamal - YP Foundation

Kinza Jamal is an intersectional feminist, certified social worker, painter, and writer, focusing on crucial issues, including combatting gender-based violence, championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and emphasizing mental health and well-being. Currently working at the YP Foundation, Kinza actively promotes a young, feminist, and rights-based approach within the organization and its processes.

Rituparna Neog - Akam Foundation

Rituparna Neog is the Founder & Director of the Akam Foundation, Associate Vice Chairperson of the Assam Govt’s State Transgender Welfare Board, a free library advocate, and queer intersectional feminist, actively working towards gender justice and education. She is passionate about storytelling and library work and has been advocating for a free public library system in India as part of the Free Libraries Network.

We are building bridges to a better future, life, and planet. If you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!​

QueerTWENTY is a labor of love for egomonk and we've invested time, energy, and resources into recognizing and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. It is a difficult and necessary exercise for us to lean into the lives of others so they can then shine a light for others. This cohort attempted to include individuals across age groups, geographies, sectors, abilities, orientations, and neurodiversities. This demanded a lot of intention but we are glad to have committed to and done this inner work. This is why we had to forego our usual November timelines. We hope these conversations spark something authentic in you and prove as valuable and expansive as we found them. If you'd like to support our upcoming 2023 cohort please reach out to us.

- Sartaj Anand, Founder of egomonk

The Cohort of 2022

Hina Siddiqui - Transmedia Storyteller

Hina Siddiqui is a transmedia storyteller who uses the power of storytelling to envision more inclusive worlds. In her free time, she mentors and coaches aspiring writers. Hina is passionate about cultural futurism and believes that at the heart of this movement lies the possibility of better futures for neurodivergent and queer folk. Having suffered years of alienation and discrimination, Hina strives to create safe spaces for non-normative gender and mental identities.

Meghna Mehra - All India Queer Association

Meghna Mehra has been a radical voice in reversing the inaccurate understanding of asexual identities in our sexualized society. Never shying away from calling out injustice, Meghna relentlessly advocates for different marginalized groups that suffer under the capitalistic patriarchy. Through her organization, the All India Queer Association, she strives to bring about constructive change through educational campaigns, participative democracy, and providing on-ground support via shelter assistance and mental health-aid facilities.

Malobika & Akanksha - Sappho for Equality

Malobika and Akanksha are two powerful lesbian feminist icons in India who have been fearlessly championing LGBTQ+ rights for more than two decades. They are two of the six co-founders of Sappho for Equality. With an impressive track record of activism and advocacy, this lesbian couple has been at the forefront of dismantling social norms and stigmas surrounding same-sex relationships. Having known each other for 40 years and being each other's partner in both life and activism, Malobika and Akanksha's story is one of incredible strength and resilience in the face of societal discrimination and prejudice.

Vikram Kolmannskog - Gestalt Psychotherapist

Vikram Kolmannskog is an Indian-Norwegian writer, lawyer, and therapist. He holds a doctorate in Sociology of Law and currently works as a professor of Gestalt therapy at the Norwegian Gestalt Institute University College (NGI). Apart from running a private practice, Vikram is a published author. His latest work is entitled Becoming Buddha (Mohini Books, 2020). Through his research, writing, and therapeutic practice, Vikram addresses issues plaguing marginalized communities at the intersection of gender, climate change, and social justice.

Sadam Hanjabam - Ya_All

Sadam Hanjabam has been tirelessly working towards empowering members of the LGBTQ community through Ya_All, an organization he founded in 2017. Ya_All was North East India’s first registered youth-led organization working to better LGBTQ rights and organizes an annual Queer Games in Manipur. Apart from this, Sadam has also curated India’s first football club for trans people.

Rohit Kumar - Apni Shala

Rohit Kumar has championed radical changes in the Indian education system for over a decade. As the CEO of Apni Shala Foundation, he works towards making children’s mental wellness a non-negotiable aspect of school design. Rohit found his calling in education while working at Tata Consultancy Services as a software engineer. What started as participation in CSR initiatives turned into a passionate journey for creating systems that care for future generations.

Jay Ersapah - Silicon Valley Bank

As an Asian woman of color who is a lesbian, Jay navigates her professional life at Silicon Valley Bank from a unique intersection. Despite the colonization of her culture and its impact on queer acceptance, Jay has been able to translate one of the most isolating experiences into amplifying intersectional queer visibility. A staunch advocate of DEI efforts and their potential for creating safe spaces, Jay is committed to using her professional platform to create a world where queer role models are found everywhere, not just on a list on the internet.

Hena Faqurudheen - Hank Nunn Institute

Hena Faqurudheen is a mental health professional working at the intersection of trauma, relationships, and social justice. She holds a Master's in Social Work and Mental Health and a postgraduate diploma in Psychosocial Care and Support in Disaster Settings. Hena was awarded the Fulbright PLUS scholarship in 2005 and graduated in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina. A psychotherapist at Hank Nunn Institute, they are now a group analyst-in-training and have made it their mission to build an equitably inclusive society.

Zubair Sher Singh Kalsia - Diageo

Zubair Sher Singh Kalsia is passionately engaged in creating awareness about HIV. Using social media to build community, he consistently engages with his ever-growing audience to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Currently working with Diageo, Zubair strives to create professional, safe, and equipped spaces for queers, HIV+ folx, and folx living with disabilities.

Raju Behara - Novartis

Yerram Raju Behara has been helping create a support system for hundreds of people and safer spaces for children. When they are not actively volunteering to impart their story, knowledge, and skill to those who need it most, they are researching key gene therapy domains. Raju is currently a Senior Analyst at Novartis and is often seen volunteering with groups like the All India Queer Association or writing articles to bring to light concerns that need immediate redressal.

Shivangi Agarwal - Thoughtworks

Shivangi Agrawal is a queer and disabled artist based in Delhi currently working as a Diversity and Inclusion Associate at Thoughtworks. For the last six years, she has produced work as a consultant, researcher, writer, and advisor at the intersection of disability, sexuality, gender, policy, arts, education, and accessibility. Work aside, Shivangi believes that the twin forces of art and advocacy can queer and transform spaces, allowing individuals to charter their own destinies. During our conversation, Shivangi contours the terrain of identity and makes a compelling case to rethink identity as a holistic collection of unique parts.

Tejaswi Subramanian - Neuroqueer Journalist & Researcher

Tejaswi (they/she) is a neuroqueer journalist and researcher. They offer sex-ed courses and promote gender awareness in order to co-create a tolerant and inclusive society. Tejaswi is the current editor of Gaysi Family, a queer-owned, queer-run media platform, and also curates sex-ed content for That Sassy Thing. Additionally, they serve as the Sexuality and Disability practice consultant for CREA, an international feminist and human rights organization. In conversation with egomonk, Tejaswi dishes out on misrepresenting neurodivergence and marginalized identities within the queer fold. While it may seem twice the odds are stacked against neurodivergent queers, Tejaswi shows us how it is done.

Tashi Choedup - Queer Buddhist Monastic

Over the past fourteen years, Tashi Choedup, a practicing Buddhist nunk (monk + nun), has contributed to human rights advocacy and community building. Tashi is a member of the Telangana State Welfare Board for Transgender Persons and works to create and sustain safe spaces for the transgender community. Using the power of maitri or friendship, they hope to cement the foundation of interpersonal and systemic relationships with equanimity and fraternity.

Sayantan Datta - KREA University

Sayantan Datta is a queer-trans science journalist, writer, and communicator on a mission to create inclusive spaces in the scientific world. They write at the intersections of science, gender, health, sexuality, and caste. Sayantan was a co-litigator with Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli and KMV Monalisa in two public interest litigations at the Hyderabad High Court, of which one was successful in getting the draconian Telangana Eunuchs Act scrapped.

Saynatika Majumder - Flipkart

Sayantika Majumder actively works towards creating spaces for marginalized communities through peer-to-peer support networks. Lesbian and neurodivergent, Sayantika uses spoken word poetry to challenge and question heteronormative stereotypes. Currently, she is a part of the UX Design Team at Flipkart. Through a candid conversation, Sayantika visualizes a roadmap for survivors, neurodivergent queer folk, and anyone on the margins. By baring her vulnerability with us, she invites us, like she does other LGBTQIA+ community members, to co-create and imagine a better and kinder world.

Dr. Aqsa Shaikh - Human Solidarity Foundation

As one of the very few trans healthcare workers in the country, Dr. Aqsa Sheikh inspires many. Dr. Aqsa works as an Associate Professor of Community Medicine at Jamia Hamdard, Delhi. Her most recent achievement was being the only transgender person in India appointed as the nodal officer of a COVID vaccination center. A tireless champion of queer, trans, and minority rights, Dr. Aqsa is also an impassioned activist. Dedicated to making the lives of LGBTQ+ people better in the country, Dr. Aqsa is focused on actively engaging with the younger generations and creating a more progressive discourse in the country.

Shalini Devi - Sutherland

Shalini Devi is a Senior Associate Manager in talent brand marketing at Sutherland. Apart from her corporate life, she is also a professional long-distance biker and is always on the lookout for her next adventure. Harmoniously balancing work and play, Shalini seems to have figured out the practical recipe for catharsis as she pedals forward, queer and proud, in all her walks of life.

Manish Chopra - Amazon

Manish Chopra is an expert in the field of aesthetics. From magazines, fashion, space, and interior design to e-commerce, corporate branding, luxury, and mass marketing, he seems to have done it all. Since 2017, he has worked as Senior Art Director at Amazon. Apart from an enviable career trajectory, he is also an advocate of queer visibility and sports his queer identity with pride. Packing honesty, charisma, and honesty, Manish shares his journey so far to remind us that any space, when worked on enough, can set precedents for future change.

Manvendra Singh Gohil - Lakshya Trust

Manavendra Singh is one of the first royals in the world to come out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community openly. Christened the 'First Gay Prince of India,' he is also the founder and chairman of Lakshya Trust, an organization that works for the rights and welfare of the LGBTQ+ community. Winning hearts and charming people across the globe, Manavendra Singh has appeared on several international celebrity shows and met prominent politicians. He is dedicated to using his privilege and status for the betterment of queer folks in India.

We are building bridges to a better future, life, and planet. If you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!​

QueerTWENTY is our flagship initiative to recognize and celebrate inspiring queer Indians across all walks of life, so they serve as role models for the next generation. We are building on the efforts of our inaugural cohort by including the diaspora and are hopeful that these linkages will help accelerate transformative change in India. This year's cohort of leaders, activists, and creators is a broader and deeper representation of the richness of the LGBTQ spectrum. This is by design and is a manifestation of months of editorial effort. We hope these individual stories of courage and wonder help others in their journeys of self-discovery and actualization.

Harish Iyer - Axis Bank

Harish Iyer has been advocating for LGBTQ rights for more than a decade now. His experiences as a member of the LGBTQ community and a child sex abuse survivor give him the emotional strength and empathy needed to become a force of nature. Harish wants people to acknowledge the power imbalances at play and to do their best. Currently, the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Head at Axis Bank, Harish, assures us that making mistakes is not something we should be afraid of and believes in the inevitability of rising from the ashes.

Meera Sanghamitra - National Alliance of People's Movements

Meera Sanghamitra, Convener of the National Alliance of People's Movements, has been using her experience as a lawyer for effective change at the grassroots. Deeply cognizant of the privileges that the educated and upper economic classes hold, Meera has dedicated her life to ensuring that the rights of the vulnerable and marginalized are not eroded. An Ambedkarite activist, she envisions a future where every individual can live harmoniously, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Dr. Trinetra Haldar - Doctor

Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju has been fighting to reduce the information asymmetry that the transgender community is subjected to. From documenting her transition journey on youtube to using her platform as a social media influencer to call out discriminatory practices, Trinetra is dedicated to normalizing conversations surrounding trans issues. She is hoping to pressure the government to change its policies and demand greater accountability from educational institutions and the media.

Gautam Yadav - Humsafar Trust

Gautam Yadav always wanted to be an actor. However, today, he is a Research Associate at Humsafar Trust who has decided to dedicate his whole life to LGBTQ activism. Gautam's diagnosis of HIV at the age of 18 led him to be a social activist against the spread of HIV. His work and commitment have resulted in membership and participation at the UNAIDS Youth Advisory Forum from the Asia Pacific, Youth Voices Count, Youth Lead Bangkok, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and more. Gautam is always ready to help anyone from the community without any judgment.

Sonal Giani - Activist & Filmmaker

Sonal Giani has been awarded many accolades for her interventions across grassroots, corporates, and law enforcement agencies. From directing movies to starring in them, Sonal is an example of queer individuals reclaiming their voices. She also enthusiastically supports the driven and high-energy next-generation leaders of the queer movement, especially those from the Indian heartland.

Ramkrishna Sinha - Pride Circle

Ramkrishna Sinha, Co-founder of Pride Circle, is committed to fostering inclusion with a multi-pronged approach such as mentorship programs, job fairs, and enabling upskilling for the LGBTQ community.  He firmly believes that diversity and inclusion does not end at hiring people from the fringes, but it only begins when companies take actions to retain them for the long term.

Raga Olga D'silva - LGBT Advocate & YouTube Host

Raga Olga D'silva is redefining standards for Indian women by being unapologetically vocal about her story. Raga is a mother of two children, a YouTube host, an author, and an LGBTQ activist. She and her fiancé Nicola are determined to keep chipping away at the stigma by normalizing ad celebrating coming out stories, especially in the Indian context. Raga's immense courage and love of what she has built a life around are heartwarming to hear.

Maya Satya Reddy - Athlete Ally Ambassador

Maya Satya Reddy is a queer athlete who was a three-time NCAA All-American and a strong competitor on the Symetra Tour. However, she is recognized today as an LGBTQ activist who channels all her energy for queer inclusion in sports. As an Asian immigrant, Maya had to constantly battle hostility. She founded the Queer Asian Club to increase the representation of queer Asians in mainstream media and also serves as the ambassador of the Athlete Ally group. Despite having grown up in xenophobic and homophobic environments, Maya has an infectious optimism that outweighs all her complaints.

Dr. Dhiren Borisa - Professor

Dr. Dhiren Borisa, a Professor at Jindal Global University, values their role as an educator in cultivating the next generation of critical thinkers. Dhiren's grit has led them to cross mountains and push on even when they felt there was no going forward. They are determined to use their voice and privilege to amplify marginalized voices who are suffering because of the silence of the upper castes and stronger economic classes. They are the first person in an Indian university to have completed their doctorate in the "geographies of sexualities."

Suki Sandhu - Audeliss and INvolve

Suki Sandhu, Founder and CEO of Audeliss and INVolve, is a global corporate leader who firmly believes in the immense power that inclusive and diverse companies hold. He is a staunch advocate of safe spaces that can increase profitability, innovation, and growth. Honored with an OBE, Suki is committed to uplifting the LGBTQ community through his work and philanthropy.

Sarah Naqvi - Artist

Sarah Naqvi has been a long-standing vocal advocate for the rights of the marginalized. Using art as a medium of dissent, Sarah has crafted narratives on topics that are considered taboo in Indian society. They demand that everyone from the diaspora to our governing institutions listen instead of overpowering the voices of the marginalized. Sarah is also dedicated to shedding light on the often forgotten histories of queer feminist icons of minority ethnicities and religions.

Ankita Mehra - CareerNet Technologies

Ankita Mehra has directly experienced the lack of community and awareness of LGBTQ+ issues in rural and semi-urban India. Currently working with CareerNet technologies, she creates professional, safe spaces where individuals can bring their authentic selves to work every day. Ankita has been driving sensitization and awareness campaigns at the grassroots. She believes interventions are required for parents of queer children to break the cycle of phobia and misinformation.

Sonu MS - Sutherland

Sonu MS, a Consultant with Sutherland, and his partner Nikesh have been fighting a battle with the Indian administration to get the rights that all heterosexual couples are automatically granted. They have a life together and want to be able to tell everyone they are legally married. They consider their efforts to be the essential things they can do for the empowerment of the community. However, their commitment and courage as the first couple in India to approach the Kerala High Court has spurred many other LGBTQ couples to come forward with their stories.

Karthik Damarsetti - Thoughtworks

Karthik Damarsetti is a young activist who works at Thoughtworks. They are diagnosed with spastic diplegia and believe that people should recognize that disability and gender can also occur in a spectrum. They are passionate about increasing LGBTQ representation in STEM fields. Karthik believes micro-level changes have the power to build up the community. They do not dream of becoming an icon and only wish to help people.

Vihan Vee - Trans Activist

Vihaan Vee has been a vocal advocate for trans rights and the rights of sex workers, but he is now also actively working towards climate preservation. He is very cognizant of how laws, mechanization, industrialization, and privatization have affected the communities on the fringes. Vihaan encourages others to be responsible allies and move beyond tokenism, especially regarding LGBTQ+ representation on media platforms.

Prashant Priyadarshi - Destello Clothing

Prashant Priyadarshi is the Founder of Destello, a sustainable clothing brand, and hopes to positively impact consumerism by offering vegan, ethical, and minimal ecological footprint products to the market. An ethical entrepreneur, Prashant also has a drag alias Bahaar, who is the woman that Prashant couldn't be from birth. Passionate about drag, Prashant also encourages inclusive and safe spaces in their startup.

Suresh Ramdas - HP

Suresh Ramdas firmly believes that '"Indianising" the conversations around the LGBTQ community will help us build an inclusive culture. He questions why we always look up to the west! Suresh is a corporate leader who is genuinely dedicated to driving change for the LGBTQ community. This has earned him several accolades, including being featured in the OUTstanding 100 LGBT+ Future Leaders list and winning Mr. Gay India 2019.

Alex Mathew - Influencer

Alex Mathew is a drag queen and a social media influencer who uses his platform to educate people about the LGBTQ community. He strongly believes his identity is incomplete without his drag persona, Maya. From Kathakali in Kerala to Jat Yatra in Bengal, he vouches that drag is not "something new" and has been here for ages. Alex is an artist who always chooses to lean into his identity and beat the odds stacked against him.

Ashish Chopra - BeUnic

Ashish Chopra aspires to be a queer role model and is committed to empowering LGBTQ entrepreneurs. He is the Co-founder of BeUnic, a queer-only e-commerce platform that helps such entrepreneurs get global reach to sell their products. Ashish was also the first runner-up of Mr. Gay India in 2018 and is someone who is vehemently against pinkwashing.

Kumam Davidson - The Chinky Homo Project

Kumam Davidson is challenging history by bringing to light the forgotten and invisibilized through his initiative - The Chinky Homo Project, a digital anthology for North-East India. As the Founder of Matai Society, Kumam has been attempting to empower and help communities that have borne the brunt of the pandemic. He is also playing a crucial role as an educator by ensuring the minds of tomorrow have a more inclusive worldview.

We are building bridges to a better future, life, and planet. If you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!​

Visual Summary

Introduction

Global citizenship is a concept which intertwines our identity with the interconnected, interdependent world of today. It seeks to transcend geographical limitations and expand the definition of our personalities. As expounded by the United Nations, global citizenship is a new and vital force, which operates beyond the traditional spheres of power. In some instances, it has also been described as "a way of life", a set of guiding principles for a sustainable lifestyle.

The rise of globalization has implied that the ripples of an act committed in one corner of the world will be felt at another corner of the world. This has implored the human community to accept that we cannot live in artificial silos anymore. Instead, there is a need to connect with our larger identity and tap into a collective human experience if we want the future to be one with peace, prosperity and stability for all. In the end, we are one human family.

The characteristic of global citizenship as a universal concept renders it a degree of intangibility. The context of an individual's environment and their trait of self-awareness impedes the realization of oneness with the global community. It has resulted in personalized definitions becoming the norm, wherein the individual links their personality with moral and ethical values.

Moreover, the task of seeing oneself as a global citizen is complicated in an increasingly nationalistic, separated, protectionist and xenophobic world. While global citizenship is an important trigger to overcome these restrictions, it remains confined to intellectual discussions amongst a relatively small number of people, giving it a halo of elitism. Hence, even though the task of popularizing global citizenship has been touted as institutional or international, it is, in fact, of personal origins.

The fundamental challenge is to transmit the sense of responsibility of global citizenship across locations, age groups, cultures, and generations. There exists a resistance to accept this responsibility as a consequence of widespread fear and misunderstanding. Stagnating socio-economic mobility and mistrust has conflated global citizenship with globalization's underlying issues, creating a hostile environment. However, there is also great potential in promoting the idea of global citizenship, as it opens the way for collaboration across boundaries of place and identity to solve global challenges.

Given the difficulties to position the idea of global citizenship as a prime identity, we want to pose a series of question to advance the conversation:

1. Is global citizenship a homogeneous concept? Does it have space for multiple identities to exist?
2. How can global citizenship be grounded so that it applies to everyone? How can it shed its image of an elitist phenomenon?
3. How can global citizenship be a universal guiding principle for collaboration and sustainable behavior?

The following deliberations set out to give some answers to these questions. After reviewing fundamental documents that shape the idea of global citizenship, we discuss the universality of the concept. We then touch on the Indian context as our conversation took part in South Indian metropolis Bangalore. We move on to look at ways in which we can promote global citizenship principles and while considering the challenges in our way forward, we draw final conclusions.

Fundamentals

The massive drive of globalization the world has witnessed in the past century has been accompanied by a paradigm shift in the way we look at our identities. Human beings have been challenged to ascertain the various layers of their identity, which may overlap or even contradict each other. The global interchange of goods and people has brought different cultures closer to each other, collaborating on many issues such as climate change or the fight against poverty and questioning our own beliefs and nation-encapsulated identities.

Globalization has often been portrayed as a positive development in terms of understanding that we as humans form one race, sharing one planet. However, the adverse effects of wealth disparities, unfair trade regulations, and the fear that other customs and beliefs are questioning their own way of life have also given rise to strong anti-global movements and nationalism. The nationalistic school of thought paints an oversimplified, and even harmful, portrait of an otherwise complex and multi-dimensional conflict. When looking at terms like globalization, globalism, and global citizenship, it must be acknowledged that these are intertwined concepts differing in scope and meaning. While globalization and globalism are more often associated with economic integration, global citizenship refers to a feeling of belonging, responsibility, and unity in diversity. Rather than deglobalizing and putting up barriers, the values propagated by global citizenship form the cornerstone on which we base our future actions. In this understanding, globalism does not become an evil, but it is a phenomenon that can be used to ensure the prosperity of humanity.

The cornerstone for such action can be seen in two fundamental documents. First, the United Nations Declarations of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted in 1948 in the aftermath of the second world war. Although having been drafted in a world quite different than today, its relevance has not decreased. As stated in the preamble, "the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world", stressing the idea that humans should be treated equally regardless of their origin. The 30 articles of the UDHR set forward the universal rights that any citizens of the world should have and are signed by all 192 member states of the United Nations. Therefore, we can see it as a document that promotes universal standards for all people in the world, and equality being a fundamental principle of the idea of global citizenship. This, however, also means shared responsibility to put these ideals into practice. Each of us has the duty to defend our inalienable rights within our communities and beyond.

The second fundamental document calls for action. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 by all UN member nations provide a framework of global challenges that we collectively need to address. The goals are a product of awareness that most of our problems can only be solved collectively. The formulation of the SDGs themselves is a testimony of global collaboration and multilateral policy work. The 17 overarching goals specified in 169 targets show a clear path towards achieving sustainable growth in a more fair and equitable manner. The goals include, among others, targets such as reducing poverty, preserving life underwater, maintaining fair labor agreements, and building strong institutions. The SDGs recognize the structural interconnectedness of these challenges and call for global collaboration. The efforts to attain the goals start locally in our communities though. As responsible citizens, it is in our hands to achieve the goals by taking tangible action within our spheres of influence. The SDGs, along with the UDHR, are beacons in the journey towards realizing a connected, collaborative world, progressing through the efforts of its citizens. Since trust and understanding are key factors for any constructive discussion, a conducive environment coupled with the right mindset can set the wheel of progress in motion.

Both documents build a solid overarching framework for the concept of global citizenship as a set of rights, responsibilities, and tangible actions. However, we need to realize that contextualization is a significant impediment in establishing a shared sense of global citizenship. The needs of a rural farmer in a remote world region differs substantially from the requirements of a lawyer working in a metropolitan city. When we try to solve problems like access to education, healthcare, or fair trials, combating poverty or climate change, the formulation of uniform solutions and ignoring local contexts would impede progress. The rich diversity of our world cultures needs to be acknowledged. We must be conscious about the plurality of belief systems, often deeply rooted in religions, cultures and traditions. It is this diversity that makes humanity so exceptional. The essence of global citizenship lies in recognizing rather than suppressing our origins and multiple identities and reconciling them by harnessing the locally available resources to resolve global challenges. The question then is if there is a universal context for global citizenship beyond human rights and the shared challenges we face.

Universal Context

One of the first questions that arise is: Is there a set of universal values that all inhabitants of the world can subscribe to? Even though the UDHR establishes a solid foundation of shared principles, it is far from promoting a rigid set of universal values. While examining global citizenship from a universal standpoint, it is crucial to recognize the fluid nature of the concept. Fluidity refers to the multiple layers that overlap to form an individual's personality, such as family, religion, ethnicity, and culture. The existing realities in different parts of the world differ vastly from each other. Global citizenship incorporates several dynamic elements, each synergizing to meet the current needs and aspirations of youth and society the world over. Therefore, global citizenship in no way means or endorses a homogeneity of opinion or consensus. In fact, it is the opposite. It indicates that there is a spectrum within which a range of opinions and values can co-exist even if they conflict with each other. This requires us to practice not only tolerance but compassion as well. At an individual level, this allows us to hold honest, sometimes heated exchanges that are entirely free of hate or malice. If we meet our differences with empathy and respect, there is a way for reconciliation and to find middle grounds that are acceptable with the prevailing community and its culture. One way of articulating global citizenship as a universal concept can be its manifestation as an ethic of care for the world and each other. This understanding focuses on awareness, moral resilience, judgment, and action. It provides a sound moral background for any action taken and places a premium on responsibility and accountability. Even if this ethic of care calls for action, it does not necessarily relate to activism. The concepts co-inhabit some ideological spaces. However, if activism is about bringing attention to injustices, then global citizenship is about leading people to shared mutually beneficial conclusions on their own terms. This unbounded empowerment allows people to eventually reach a more developed and nuanced shared understanding of the world and cherishes the wellbeing of all people and the natural environments they inhabit.

A discussion about the universality of global citizenship has to acknowledge that the standard framework in which today's world is organized are nation-states. Countries are basic entities in which rules are made, and their citizens should theoretically have all the same rights and responsibilities as they are all governed by the same laws. In that sense, citizenship and its attached benefits and duties are, under normal circumstances, universal concepts within a nation. The most common traits for granting citizenship are blood, soil, culture, and law. Blood indicates direct ancestry; soil points to the physical place of birth; culture alludes to their cultural integration within society, and the law is concerned with codified rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Rights shared by all citizens typically inspire broad agreement amongst community members, while responsibilities differ wildly based on possibility, opportunity, status, wealth, and several other factors. The opportunities structure within countries is often very unequally distributed. We cannot deny socio-economic differences and multiple forms of discrimination within and across nations. On a global level, we see even greater differences in economic development, political systems, and individual freedom. The nation-states remain the strongest denominator of identity. If we look at surveys such as the World Values Survey, people around the world first identify as a citizen of a country instead of thinking of themselves as a citizen of the world. However, global citizenship as an overarching and fluid concept is not in contrast to the narrower ideas of national citizenship. It is not related to passports or a critique of patriotism. Instead, it suggests another layer of citizenship that transcends nationalism and points toward the shared destiny we face as humans in this world.

The challenge to conceptually differentiate global citizenship from national citizenships is that global citizenship now seems beyond the reach of large sections of society because the concept appears mentally incompatible with our national identity. If your national identity is at odds with your ideas of citizenship and its associated rights, then global citizenship will remain a mirage. Global citizenship, though, is not aiming to compete with national, regional, or ethnic identities. Within global citizenship, there is even ample room for patriotism, however, not as one nation before others, but as a sense of responsibility towards the world departing from one's own feeling of belonging. Global citizenship acknowledges origins and belongings but argues for an overarching idea of shared responsibility towards each other, transcending national borders.

However, global citizenship does conflict with strong nationalism. The growing nationalism of stagnating industrial economies was built on the back of pro-globalization and pro-immigration policies. These upsides have already been socially and economically absorbed over two or three generations. Still, the current task of equitable sharing of resources and opportunities has become a polarizing social and political choice in all advanced nations. This is because it would require these societies to recalibrate, and there is a fear of losing their worth and sacrificing their quality of life by being accommodative for the sake of others. The strong nation-first rhetoric we hear is in contrast with multilateralism and global collaboration. Understandably, governments need to fulfill their citizens' needs first, but when nationalism leads to isolationism and hostility, it conflicts with global partnerships for addressing shared problems.

To counter such sentiments, it seems advisable to value and promote traits such as empathy, respect for diversity and collaboration across boundaries. However, these aspects of global citizenship are not yet institutionalized as universal values across the world. It is not part of the lexicon of politicians, parents, teachers, and caregivers. There is a whole generation of young people who are not taught what it means to accept diversity of thought. Remedial influences for such an audience remain unproven because they display monolithic thinking, which is extremely difficult to change without strong stimuli. For global citizenship to become a universal concept, we would need to agree with such fundamental values to be taught to younger generations to internalize the spirit of open debate and accept differing world views.

Often those who travel extensively or have access to multiple cultures are considered to be global citizens. This is because it is somehow implied that people who have visited different regions of the world are more open-minded than others. However, this cosmopolitan view lacks nuance and depth. It is an elitist concept which does not withstand a closer test. If global citizenship is interpreted only as a cosmopolitan attitude, it will rule out most of the world's population. It implies that those belonging to lower socio-economic backgrounds who lack travel opportunities can never become global citizens. Experiences in other cultures may help form one's own identity in relation to others. Still, traits mentioned such as empathy, care for the world and valuing diversity are not dependent on socio-economic status. If global citizenship is to be a universal overarching concept, then it cannot be tied to monetary resources but needs to be based on the common ground of all people being citizens of one planet that we need to protect and care for, foremost through local tangible actions that positively influence global developments.

Besides, global citizenship must acknowledge the diversity of people regarding their upbringing, their cultural, ethnic, religious, regional, and national influences when forming their identities. A starting point to understand cross-cultural variations of values across the globe is the World Values Survey (WVS). This global research project aims to identify and group people in different countries on several cultural parameters and analyze societies based on the data. It specifically asks for opinions and influence of markers such as the impact of globalization, the role of religion, culture, family, and the attitudes toward ethnic minorities, foreigners, and environmental conservation. The survey results can add to the framework of global citizenship by showcasing on a more macro level the major differences in prominent attitudes throughout the world. The data is presented on a national level, though, and therefore can only serve as the first point of orientation as national societies themselves can be highly heterogeneous.

One interesting outcome of the survey is the Inglehart-Welzel Cultural Map (see image 1). It plots societies based on their position relative to secular-rational vs. traditional values on the vertical axis, and survival instincts vs. self-expressionist instincts on the horizontal axis. Traditional values here associate with a nationalistic outlook in which traditional institutions are sought to be preserved. Secular-rational values associate with an opposite trend, accepting new institutions into its fold and destigmatizing taboo topics. The survivalist societies tend to exhibit lower thresholds of trust and tolerance and yearn for economic security. Towards the right of the spectrum lie the societies emphasizing self-expression, marked by greater democratization and tolerance.

It is an insightful exercise to place yourself on the Inglehart-Welzel map because your ascribed values-based identity may significantly diverge from your national identity. Culture is essentially institutionalized knowledge living inside of people. We gain fluency and nuance in this knowledge by interacting with everyone around us. True global citizenship should allow us to hold multiple cultures and realities within us with some confidence in our ability to switch and navigate between them instead of assigning to one-dimensional identities.

With the world map divided into cartographic regions of modern nation-states, the puzzle to be solved by the advocates of global citizenship is the accommodation of diversity under an overarching framework of inclusion within a broader society, characterized by a feeling of belonging to the global community. Placing oneself on the world map gives one a sense of control and enables one to assess situations from a bird's eye view of prevailing conditions. Hence, a person's global identity in the world, while uncontested, forms an integral part of global citizenship and allows one to view things from varying distances in a changing milieu.

In conclusion, global citizenship is not the opposite of national citizenship. Quite the contrary: as a universal concept, it embraces the diversity in nation-influenced convictions as much as religious, secular, traditional or modern values. Its universality lies in mutual respect and the willingness and ability to collaborate across boundaries to solve the global problems we humans face. It has a firm grounding in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a framework of action in the SDGs. However, the concept goes beyond that. Its universality lies in a familiar feeling and ethic of care for the world and each other. It is not uniform in terms of culture, religions, thoughts, and actions but on a responsible way of life where we take care of others and the environment within our spheres of influence.

Indian Context

Before examining the concept of global citizenship, we will shortly look at how far ideas of global citizenship can be recognized in India. As our initial conversation took place in Bangalore, participants made frequent reference to the culture that surrounded us. We briefly explored how deeply global citizenship can be rooted in India's culture and politics without going into exhaustive analysis. The following therefore is to be regarded as a starting point for a much deeper discussion.

India's cultural fabric is akin to a colorful mosaic of religions, languages, cultures, literary pieces, philosophies, and relics. The sheer diversity found in the country, interspersed with varying strands of thoughts, beliefs, and ways of life, is of gargantuan dimensions. Globalization, and therefore global citizenship, is a phenomenon that underlines the evolution of Indian society and has worked its way into the mindset of the people for thousands of years, resulting in the interwoven societal setup existing today.

Indian history is characterized by its richness. One can trace its roots back to the Indus Valley Civilization in 2,500 BC. Not only was India the site of one of the largest ancient civilizations, but it was also the birthplace of several religions, schools of thoughts and art forms. Furthermore, it was located strategically on the world map, giving rise to a vibrant trade culture. Since ancient times, the nation was a destination for travelers, pilgrims, traders and even rulers from distant lands. This, in turn, resulted in an influx of myriad cultural elements. The Indian society that we see today has evolved through such interactions with foreign elements. It is distinguished by the visible imprint of influence other cultures have left on it while retaining a distinct flavor.

The historical antecedents of global citizenship in India are perhaps best illustrated by the following verse, found in the Maha Upanishad, a text whose origins can be traced back to 500 CE.

The world is a family.
One is a relative, the other stranger,
say the small-minded.
The entire world is a family,
live the magnanimous.

This verse in Chapter 6 of the text, better known in its abbreviated form as "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", is one of the most profound and oldest expressions of the intention to mold a global community.

The idea of humanism and humanity, central to global citizenship, is beautifully captured by Ramcharitmanas, a 16th-century epic based on the Ramayana, penned by the poet Tulsidas. Apart from "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", evidence of humanism, like "Atithi Devo Bhava" or "the guest is God", exists galore in numerous other textual references. These writings point towards a culture where strangers and others are seen as enrichments and treated as family members, thus emphasizing the shared humanity of all people.

When looking at the World Value Survey (WVS) Culture Map, India is located in the lower left quadrant but close to the center of the map. This is an adequate representation of the nation considering the mashup of cultures, religions, and ethnic diversity it harbors from millennia of integration. However, conservative, and traditional oriented values prevail.

The ability of Indians to blend in with foreign ecosystems without losing their local touch is reflected in the Indian diaspora communities residing in countless nations of the world. As of 2020, India has the largest diaspora globally (see graph no 2), with approximately 18 million citizens living as emigrants on foreign soil. Even though a large majority of the diaspora cherishes their origin and cultures, signs of a "westernization" also become apparent with a growing number of younger generations questioning traditional barriers such as a caste system or choosing western clothing over traditional attire.

On the political level India has a track record of participating in global fora and ratifying international treaties and agreements. Along with endorsing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), India is signatory to the Paris Agreement, an accord framed within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Clean energy obtained from renewable, emission-free sources is increasing in energy policies (see table 1). Solar, wind, hydropower and biomass are some of the clean energies in the spotlight. By tapping into its resources and the natural bounty it is endowed with, India’s nationally determined contribution (NDCs) is compliant with the 2-degree goal under the Paris Agreement. Still, it remains a challenge for India to further reduce coal as its main energy source.

Table 1: Change in India's energy generation to cleaner and more renewable sources Source: Government of India, Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority

It is reasonable to conclude that global citizenship exists and has existed side by side with India's rich heritage. Despite this, thought leadership on global citizenship is often found missing, or at best lacking, in modern India. The varying local contexts, spanning countless and diverse stories of life and livelihood across the country's length and breadth, pose a considerable challenge to realizing an underlying oneness and identification with a larger community beyond the immediate regional boundary.

Despite widespread urbanization, 68.8% of the national population resides in rural areas. Given their larger share in the populace, this section invariably becomes the target of efforts directed towards their integration with the rest of the world. However, there is a paucity of skills and technical knowledge amongst the rural workforces, especially due to missing educational infrastructures. With the local economies preoccupied with playing catch up, the rural populace seems less supported in accessing global opportunities.

Further, WTO regulations and the global pressure exerted to open its market to foreign producers have had diverse effects on the development of local industries and resulted in a negative trade balance with several countries. This negative trade balance has led to a negative perception of globalizing as reason for losing local economic autonomy. These coercive and negative experiences portray globalization in poor light and induce people to remain averse to cherishing the idea of global citizenship without reservations.

As far as the recent tide of events is concerned, the widening urban/rural divide and inequitable access to natural resources have given way to the rise of nationalism, patriotism, and a stronger assertion of national identity as a defining trait of the self. As long as exploitation and the denial of the voice of the vulnerable exists the concept of citizenship itself remains a difficult one to grasp. Also, lingering issues as the propagation of religious supremacy, discrimination based on cast, skin-color, gender, or sexual orientation are visible challenges to the core ideas of global citizenship. Legal recognition and equitable treatment of people are at the heart of global citizenship, and these are fundamental prerequisites to anything more nuanced.

India is a land where the mention of global citizenship is met with familiarity, enthusiasm but also in some cases with fear or rejection. In this nation, home to 1.36 billion human beings, the key to shaping tomorrow's global citizens lies in encouraging empathy and solidarity between people that are different to oneself and to connect heart, mind and hands in tackling today´s problems. Given the rich repository of values and cultures at India's disposal, it is well poised to set an example of peaceful co-existence of people with very different backgrounds. There are many challenges that remain on the pathway to build a more equitably, just and fair society, however, India has a strong potential to become a vivid advocate for global citizenship.

Promoting Global Citizenship Principles

Global citizenship subscribes to collaboration across boundaries of place and identity wherein everybody is responsible for the wellbeing of our world at large. However, as we have seen so far, specific issues like accounting for the local environment, resisting the fallback to easier, populist messaging and the lack of a coherent message to disseminate amongst the masses persist. Also, to be a framework for action that applies not only to the elite with resources but also to everyone, global citizenship needs to be grounded in the living reality of each person. This makes the task to find universal values in the vast human cultures even more challenging. Looking at the Inglehart-Welzel Cultural Map, one can imagine how the extremes of the traditional vs. secular-rational values can clash. We are far away from having a global consensus on topics such as marriage, abortion, gender diversity, or wealth distribution, to name just a view. The political systems, philosophical traditions, and religious teachings heavily influence the dominating value systems in all world regions.

Conditions vary vastly in different geographical places and times. What may work in a specific environment may fail to yield results in another. To adapt to these variations, there is a need to break down the elements of global citizenship to levels where it starts becoming relevant for local communities and merit inclusion in their typical discourse. To enable participation at the local level, it is crucial to ensure the representation of people's will and its implementation on the ground. A point of departure are schools, where the seed for collaboration in diversity can be planted at an early age.

Acquiring global citizenship requires a certain level of practice to develop a set of competencies. According to the OECD these are the capacity to examine local, global and intercultural issues, to understand and appreciate the perspectives and world views of others, to engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions with people from different cultures, and to act for collective well-being and sustainable development. If we are serious about nurturing and scaling these competencies, we need to focus on teaching these in the classrooms. Instead, the spotlight is currently on building parallel delivery systems or remedial programs. To solve this imbalance, using educational tools and aligning our teaching paradigm with the values of global citizenship are novel ways of propagating a generational shift steeped in universal ethics.

Global citizenship, though, is not a subject that can be taught like physics or biology. The dispositions of individuals to be global citizens is not an exact science. However, there are several growing attempts to integrate global citizenship practices and principles throughout curricula in schools and universities. For example, UNESCO is spearheading an initiative to promote global citizenship education. In their approach, global citizenship education can be a critical factor in achieving more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable societies. A reference to the value of promoting global citizenship can also be found in the SDGs. Specifically, goal 4.7 states that "by 2030, [the aim is] to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development".

Considering the large world population, this is a very ambitious goal. It becomes clear that the responsibility lies not only with schools and teachers, parents or politicians but also on each of us. Fortunately, we can see many more actors promoting global citizenship principles, the SDGs or careers that aim to create positive social impact.

Additionally, we can see the efforts to gather more data about student's global citizenship competencies. The OECD's PISA study now includes questions that aim to capture global competencies in terms of knowledge and cognitive skills. Achieving a deep integration of global citizenship education throughout schools' curricula is a vital step. However, it requires ongoing efforts and lobbying by its proponents. To sustain and support these positive developments, we will need the proper capacitation for educators to be prepared and trained to bring global competencies into the classrooms. When teachers allow students to raise topics on ethical, moral, social and civic issues for constructive discussions, it will enable today's youth to express their take and refine their thought on varied subjects. Such a free environment creates an ideal ground for students to carry out their experiments and explore new avenues. This can inspire them to imbibe the values of empathy, collaboration, and reasoning, all of which play a pivotal role in a global citizen's life, just like the appreciation of diversity and the potential of any human.

Therefore, an important goal of global citizenship education is to incentivize individuals to adopt a broad mindset. One of the indicators of becoming a global citizen is recognizing and removing one's "tunnel vision". Diverse thoughts aid in cultivating multiplicity and accommodation in our mindsets. They are said to possess a 'revolutionary power', an idea whose proof is manifested in global experiences and personal stories. Schools are formative spaces where social identity is constructed. Teachers play an influential role in developing the worldview of the next generation. Tangible activities around SDGs may increase a feeling of responsibility in learners. Even little projects with a positive and visible impact, such as installing recycling opportunities, workshops about gender equality or community cleanup activities, may seed in students the feeling of empowerment. When pairing reflective educational practices with tangible actions, global citizenship as an overarching concept will be in a favorable position to make inroads into the local realm.

However, the task is to make global citizenship accessible for vast sections of the population, regardless of age, income, and access to education. It is essential to reach as many different actors and sectors as possible. Schools are just a tiny piece of the puzzle. The complex challenges we face require proximate collaborations across academia, nonprofits, corporations, media, private organizations, and government. Complementary approaches such as involving critical journalism, digital storytelling, ensuring adequate representation of minorities in institutions and incorporating their agendas are significant in the broader scheme of things. Ultimately, the benefits of global citizenship are meant to trickle down to the level of every individual.

Encouraging individuals to take action can, in turn, galvanize a community. Although populist nationalistic culture exists at the top of several national governments, there is also a deep network of civil servants and social actors who hold global citizenship as a core value. These are the other, less visible set of actors who help take global citizenship into local heartlands. They are an in-built bulwark protecting the system from its shocks and macro tendencies. Responsible citizens contributing to interest-based causes help us discern their inclination to a certain extent. Structured interventions with such candidates can upskill them with new mental frameworks, tools and intercultural fluency. This then allows them to contribute to society with the awareness that the problems they face may not be local but present globally as well.

A serious challenge we face is that a war of influence has marked the previous decade. In the current politically and socially charged environment, misinformation campaigns and heavily biased news play an active role in tapping into social anxiety and our pent-up emotions in the hope of eliciting an aggressive response. Country-first ideologies have found considerable support in many nations in the world. Social proof and herd effects are strong forces and disproportionately affect the marginalized and vulnerable. We must recognize that personal or institutional biases of the media cannons contribute significantly to building our flawed understanding of the world. In such an environment, it is the easy voices that will gain support, not those who offer complexity.

As enterprises, corporations, and organizations spring up in different parts of the world, globalization's central role in their day-to-day operations becomes increasingly conspicuous. The economic, social, cultural, and political benefits of globalization are inimitable. To utilize these benefits efficiently and sustainably, all organizations should focus on becoming interdisciplinary and inclusive. A heightened awareness on these fronts shall then serve as precursors for the organizations to become globalized. In carrying out this project, nonprofit organizations should not be treated or consider themselves as eternal saviors. Instead, they must be seen as the means to an end. It should be the aspiration of the majority of such organizations to eventually become defunct because then it would mean that their beneficiaries would have been empowered enough to be their own first line of defense.

Yet another set of actors are the ones who themselves wield leverage. People who have a tremendous amount of privilege, wealth and power must take it on themselves to democratize opportunities for the sake of others. If the spheres of influence gradually extend into a forum for the discussion of matters pertaining to individuals and organizations alike, it can greatly help create a drastic alternative for people convinced of the vanity of globalization. Since most global citizen icons are larger than life characters who are difficult to emulate by the audience we are trying to reach, the focus should be on making the concept more familiar and approachable. Everybody can act as a global citizen. By introducing relatable role models, we unearth a linkage and establish a communicable bridge between the role models and the local inhabitants, thereby serving as a vehicle for dispersing global values.

The ability to simultaneously contain and process conflicting worldviews is at the heart of global citizenship. Global exposure and intercultural immersion expand a person's ability to acknowledge and understand multiple points of view, some of which may fundamentally differ from their own. The mental frame required to think from multiple dimensions, taking into account diverse viewpoints and striving to accommodate them into coexistence, is the hallmark of a global citizen. While global citizenship is anchored on the belief of working towards a shared destiny for humanity, an emphasis on personal commitment to achieving social justice and equality is vital to realizing the same. The existing normative gap between local and global societies is a void that can be filled through proactive global citizenry. Orienting oneself towards openness, reflecting diversity in actions and caring for others without taking a paternalistic approach can combine to create a formidable framework for resolving global issues in the 21st century. As enunciated by Antoine Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, "In a world in which all problems are global, there is no way countries can handle issues by themselves; we need global response".

Way Forward: Challenges and Limitations

Global citizenship is still an inchoate idea for many and faces hindrances on multiple fronts. It has often been misconstrued as a bridge to be burned rather than a bridge to be crossed. Inherent in any solution we propose are certain challenges that constrain the adoption and practice of it. Even though global citizenship on paper may seem like a colossal project with lofty ideals, practical and sustainable steps implemented every day to advance its values go a long way in producing tangible results.

The main challenges in positioning global citizenship as an applicable and robust concept are the difficulty of defining universal values, the halo of elitism, the rising tide of nationalism, the perception of threat by cultures different to ours as well as the stark difference in socioeconomic conditions, leading to a firm rejection of globalization throughout growing segments of societies. Additionally, the environment for global collaboration has been put to the test in recent years by "nation-first" ideologies taking root in some countries. In many countries, the socio-political environment encourages or pressures organizations to stay as local as possible via policies, visa regulations, etc. Nonprofits with external financing are labeled "foreign agents". These developments show just some of the limits for global citizenship becoming a strong concept for sustainable and peaceful development, especially when seen as superseding or competing with notions of national citizenship.

The most significant edge or limit of global citizenship is exposed when we are faced with binary choices such as global vs. national, choice vs. social expectations or the elite vs. poor. Binary options breed ever-increasing polarization because they create misunderstandings and a mental shift towards zero-sum thinking. To succeed, global citizenship must break up this dichotomy and show its strength as a more plural and open concept, acknowledging the multiple layers of identity each person carries.

Opposition is the instinctual response to any bias or worldview being threatened. The people pushed to the invisible periphery of development fall prey to narrow nativism and get beguiled by large actors promoting nationalism. Non-strategic conversations with fringe groups pushes them further away from the center. This is because the populist narratives are those of ease, protectionism and maintaining the status quo. When people grapple with issues such as disease, refugees, gender equality, etc. they feel powerless and guilty about choosing global citizenship. In many spaces, the world is missing the right of expression because there is already a fear of being punished for speaking one's truth. The lack of safe spaces for discourse and differing opinions is worrisome. Democratic engagement and growing belief in ill-conceived or broken democracies can become a severe handicap for the future of global citizenship. It is difficult to communicate and educate others when the goal is to help people come to terms with disturbing or challenging knowledge. A parallel communication channel must be opened to provide people with a practical, sustainable alternative in response to extreme anti-globalization sentiments. This can, over time, replace the arguments of nativism and nationalism.

Taking the message of global citizenship to the ordinary citizens and elucidating it in simple and clear words will infuse a new verve into the planet-wide community. The core values embossed in global citizenship condemn inequality and barriers to intercultural exchange. They serve as an antidote to the economic and social imbalance prevalent today. The key is to find the right message, disseminate it through the right set of actors and unshackle global citizenship from its elitist relations.

Conclusion

The world today is not the same as it was a couple of decades ago. It has undergone a sea change, transforming aspects of our lives, livelihoods, ecosystem and society. This white paper had set out to familiarize and explain to the reader the meaning of global citizenship, it's relevance today, our present position from a global viewpoint and solutions for the widespread adoption of global citizenship. The content of the paper is owed to a group of global citizenship practitioners that work to promote its principles in different contexts around the world.

As a result of our discussions, we can conclude that global citizenship is not a homogeneous concept but serves as a powerful framework for an ethic of care for the world and each other. It allows for a plurality of values and identities. Instead of being an elitist concept, the practice of global citizenship applies to anyone regardless of origin, color, gender, wealth or any other marker meant to differentiate people. As a guiding principle, global citizenship points toward the appreciation of diversity and finding unity in this diversity by finding common grounds to tackle today's global challenges.

Together we have identified various issues plaguing the state of global citizenship today. As part of the remedy, we propose a strong focus on integrating the principles of global citizenship as ethics of care into the curricula of educational institutions. However, we also stressed that the promotion of such ethics could not be reduced to being the sole responsibility of these institutions. The need of the moment is to compose an easy and practical message of sustaining global citizenship practices. To convey the missive and ensure it penetrates local inlands, identifying and empowering the right set of mediators is peremptory. By systematically dismantling fallacies and delusions, we aid in softening the aggressive posture of skeptical communities towards global citizenship and smoothen their integration into the global fraternity. Educating people and shattering the glass wall of elitism will usher in innovation, humanism and diversity.

The essence of global citizenship lies in the spirit of teamwork and camaraderie. The Melton Foundation and egomonk, as co-conveners of the roundtable, recognize the need to forge solutions through collaborative action. Through our initiatives and projects, we aim to be a strong promoter of the principles of global citizenship throughout the world. The Melton Foundation follows its framework of Awareness, Responsibility and Action to incentivize positive change in this world. The concept of global citizenship has excellent potential to become a unifying element in tackling the challenges we share as a human family. We strongly believe that collaboration across boundaries is the key to achieving tangible progress.

The planet stands at a critical juncture today during a pandemic that has forced people everywhere to introspect on our journey as a human force hitherto. With economies ravaged and livelihoods destroyed, the dark underbelly of the epoch of relentless development has been exposed. The COVID-19 induced anthropause has called upon the whole of humanity to unite and contemplate the dynamics of the post-pandemic world. This opportunity beckons us to rise above our conditioned mindset and narrow paradigms and discover our role as global citizens. By shedding individualistic approaches, we appeal to the collective human conscience to join hands for a reliable, sustainable, and peaceful future. The die is yet to be cast, and the onus is on us to chronicle the annals of history as responsible world citizens inhabiting an inclusive and tolerant macrocosm.

Appendix

Roundtable Participants

Shehzia Lilani - Country Director - India, Amani Institute
Brinda Adige - Director, Global Concerns India
Prof. Hadagali Ashoka - Assistant Professor, BMS College of Engineering
Rishabh Lalani - Independent Fundraiser
Prateek Khare - Head of Startup Partnerships, Swissnex
Alen Maletić - Global Network Coordinator, Bridge 47
Dr. Steffen Bethmann - Executive Director, Melton Foundation
Sartaj Anand - Founder, egomonk and Moderator of Roundtable

Guiding Questions of the Roundtable Discussion

• Defining the landscape:
  - What definition of global citizenship do you personally employ or within your organizations?
  - Is there a set of universal values that define or inform it?
• Making it real: How can we make global citizenship tangible and practice it in our everyday lives?
• Scaling capacities:
  - How are you incorporating this sense of global citizenship and interconnectedness across your organizations?
  - Cross-functional and international collaboration are realities of the modern world. How are you cultivating this ability in others?
• Defining the edge:
  - Where are the limits of global citizenship?
  - When does our own culture come first?
• Mapping threats: What are the biggest threats to the concept of global citizenship?

We are building bridges to a better future, life, and planet. If you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!​

When we released the inaugural cohort of QueerTWENTY last year, we believed it was an idea whose time had come. However, the breakout response from our community and corporate India took us by surprise.

We reached 3 million humans and served more than 625,000 views over 4 weeks in 2020.

This reinforced our resolve to be a better ally. And today, we're thrilled to announce that QueerTWENTY will return in November to celebrate India's leading LGBTQ+ icons from industry, commerce, and society. If you or someone you know fits the bill, we encourage them to apply using the form below.

If you would like to support or amplify QueerTWENTY, email us today!​

The Hero Group came to us with the challenge of launching a new edtech venture in the fiercely competitive Indian market. After deep exploratory discussions with them we were able to articulate a unique positioning around exponential thinking, non-linear trajectories, imperfect choices, win-win solutions, and the future of skills and work.

We connected Hero Vired's digital launch with the concept of We The Future and created more than sixty minutes of original programming over five sessions. In order to bolster the new platform's credibility we coupled its founder Akshay Munjal with luminaries such as Sourav Ganguly, Naina Lal Kidwai, Steve Leonard and Anshu Mor. The sessions were pre-recorded across multiple cities for complete editorial control and maximum flexibility.

DISTRIBUTION

The digital event and standalone videos were released on both our social channels  as well as those of Hero Vired using emulation. In addition to broad participation from Indian media, we targeted qualified leads for Hero Vired in the 25 to 35 age bracket in tier 1 Indian cities with demonstrable interests in either specific courses, industries, edtech peers or employers.

Views: 655,987
The number of times our assets were consumed by our target audience.

Unique Reach: 2,451,400
The number of unique people who were exposed to our series.

Time Period: 2 weeks

ASSETS

We The Future - Playlist of 5 Videos

We are building bridges to a better future, life, and planet. If you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!​

We created, produced and distributed a 3-episode web series to strengthen Accenture's talent branding efforts and help achieve its Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) hiring targets. We featured 3 role models from its primary I&D categories - veterans, LGBTQ and persons with disabilities (PwDs) - to ensure top-of-mind awareness and desirability amongst viewers from the targeted talent pool.

Our interactions led to the insight that Accenture's longstanding commitment to the arts could help further humanize the brand and drive qualified traffic to its career site. Consequently, we highlighted 2 artists - a musician and a spoken word poet - to elevate the episodes.

DISTRIBUTION

The series was exclusively released on our social channels with a focus on exposing it to veterans, LGBTQ individuals and PwDs in India. We targeted potential applicants in the 25 to 45 age bracket with demonstrable interests and/or active participation in these communities.

Impressions: 558,000
The number of times our assets were displayed to our target audience.

Views: 119,000
The number of times our assets were consumed by our target audience.

Unique Reach: 440,000
The number of unique people who were exposed to our series.

Time Period: 3 weeks

ASSETS

We are building bridges to a better future, life, and planet. If you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!​

What happens when we all win?
How do we realize a billion ambitions?
When will things fall into place?

India's future belongs to all of us.

This is both a promise and a prophecy and we are excited to partner with the Hero Group to bring to life an idea whose time has come. We The Future is a digital intervention to unpack the state of education in India today and chart out a new exciting pathway for transformative change.

We'll be joined by titans of industry and giants from other walks of life to weave a new narrative that includes all of us. Exponential thinking, non-linear trajectories, imperfect choices and a whole lot more goes into creating win-win solutions, and these conversations will reveal a blueprint for the future of skills and work.

We The Future will be streaming on April 13 at 4 PM IST on our Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter channels. Register below to be a part of the new tomorrow!

Our Speakers

Akshay Munjal
Akshay Munjal is the Founder and Executive Director of BML Munjal University. Apart from overseeing operations involving its 1600 students, he has raised funds for the University, formed 7 academic partnerships and established over 150 global corporate tie-ups. After pursuing his undergraduate degree in Management from the University of Bradford in the UK, Akshay acquired an MBA from Pepperdine University in the US before joining the Hero Group in 2006. He is also an active member of the Rotary Society of India and has volunteered with the United Nations.

Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly is an Indian cricketing legend currently serving as the elected President of the Board of Cricket Control of India. After becoming captain of the Indian cricket team in 2000, he famously led the team to victory in 21 out of 49 test matches, including a record 12 overseas victories. Sourav retired from cricket in 2012 and has been actively working towards developing the skillsets of young talent in the country. He has been felicitated with several awards for his outstanding contributions in the field of sports, including the Arjuna Award, CEAT Indian Captain of the Year, Padma Shri, and the Rammohan Roy Award.

Naina Lal Kidwai
Naina Lal Kidwai is a widely recognized Indian banker, Chartered Accountant and the former Country Head of HSBC India. She founded the India Sanitation Coalition and has been recognized as one of India's most renowned women business leaders. In 2004, The Wall Street Journal included her in the list of the world's top 50 businesswomen. Apart from being the first Indian woman to head a foreign bank in India, Naina was the first Indian woman to get an MBA from Harvard in 1982 and serve as President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Currently, she is serving as the Chairperson of HSBC Asset Management and Max Financial Services. Naina is also the recipient of the distinguished Padma Shri award for her contributions to trade and industry.

Anshu Mor
Anshu Mor is a popular stand-up comedian who quit his job as the Head of Xbox Business at Microsoft India at the age of 44. Anshu spent 11 years in various Enterprise Sales roles such as Business Dev, Sales, and Strategic Alliances at Microsoft. However, within the first year of his on-stage career, Anshu was recognised as one of the rising stars of stand-up comedy by The Times of India. He has performed over 475 live shows in India and abroad, released 5 highly appreciated stand-up comedy solo specials and garnered over 300,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, racking up more than 30 million views.

Steve Leonard
Steve Leonard is the CEO of Singularity University and previously founded and ran SGInnovate, a private limited company wholly owned by the Singapore Government that has invested in 90 deep tech startups since 2016. Prior to working for the Singapore Government on nation-building priorities, Steve served in executive leadership positions in the technology industry for almost thirty years. Steve is a regular contributor at events hosted by the United Nations Development Program, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Forbes, CNBC, Bloomberg, BBC, and The Economist.

Our Agenda

Connect with Hero V on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Being an equal opportunity employer should come naturally to the world's most innovative and progressive organizations but unfortunately this is still not the case in 2020. Our ability to generate meaningful employment and provide purposeful jobs has also proven challenging with the gender employment gap shrinking by only 2% in the past 27 years. Even in 2018 there were 700 million fewer women in the global workforce than men. And this troubling trend is deepening for the next generation because 69.1% of all youth currently neither in employment nor in education or training are women. Surprisingly, 41.5% of women with a university degree are either unemployed or outside the labour force, while only 17.2% of men find themselves in the same situation.

These gender issues aren't isolated occurrences at the start of a professional career and they repeatedly manifest themselves at critical junctures for women such as performance appraisals, childbirth, executive-level promotion, etc. This is precisely why only 27.1% of managers and leaders all over the world are women. Yet women managers have been consistently found to be younger than their male counterparts. In low-income countries, they are, on average, 6.1 years younger than men, 1.3 years in middle-income countries and 1.7 years in high-income countries.

Adopting a Systems Approach to Gender Equality

The complex network of challenges faced by women at work can be deconstructed into 4 primary issues which when resolved should materially alter the trajectory of women within any organization. They are the automated elimination of the gender wage gap, baselining and removal of the motherhood penalties, support for reducing unpaid care work and increasing the representation of women on boards.

Gender Wage Gap
The global gender wage gap is still hovering at 18.8% and ranges from 12.6% in low-income countries to 20.9% in upper middle-income countries. Although 173 nations have ratified ILO Convention No. 100 which guarantees equal renumeration for work of equal value by men and women, only 86 of them have passed laws to that effect. This issue has been a stubbornly persistent one since growth in daily wage work and part-time employment by women has exposed them to the double penalty of weaker pricing power and underemployment.

The Motherhood Penalties
Motherhood is simultaneously a personal highlight and professional concern for many women all around the world because of 3 specific penalties it attracts: employment, wage and leadership.

Motherhood Employment Penalty - A 2015 estimate over 51 countries revealed that 45.8% of mothers of young children were in employment compared to 53.2% of women without children under six years old. This disparity indicated the existence of an employment penalty which has increased by 38.4% from 2005 to 2015.

Motherhood Wage Penalty - Motherhood is seen as a proxy for reduced efficiency, increased caregiving, systemic shift in priorities, etc. which results in a wage penalty that can persist across a woman's working life. However, the status of fatherhood has been associated with a wage increment in several markets such as South Korea where fathers command a 26% premium over non-fathers.

Motherhood Leadership Penalty - Mothers have the lowest participation rates in managerial and leadership positions with only 25.1% of managers with children under the age of six being women as compared to 74.9% of men. The strongest barrier to women's leadership is family responsibilities followed by gender stereotypes and masculine corporate culture which has internalized the belief: “think manager–think man”.

Unpaid Care Work
Unpaid care work has always been the primary reason for the lack of workforce participation by women. 606 million working age women currently perform caregiving and housework on a full-time basis compared to 41 million men. In the period between 1997 and 2012 the net time reallocation that occurred between men and women was only 23 minutes per day. At this pace, the gender gap in time spent in unpaid care work will not be closed until 2228 i.e. 209 years.

Women Representation on Boards
The representation of women on boards has long been considered an intelligent choice and informal requirement since the inclusion of even a single woman has been associated with an 8-13 basis point higher return on assets. The primary risks of tokenism and weak influence on strategy and governance have remained despite voluntary targets and local laws mandating minimum representation standards. Although an organic improvement in this trend has been observed across the G7 a considerable amount of time and effort must still be invested to ensure women have a seat at the table everywhere.

Mechanisms to Unlock Support for Women

As the framework of fundamental gender issues has been identified, a variety of mechanisms can now be deployed to support women and transition organizations towards generating true equal opportunity employment.

1. Ban salary history inquiries
   Employers should refrain from asking applicants about their prior salaries. And if an applicant were to voluntarily disclose their prior pay, employers should not use the information to set current salaries.
   Note: California has implemented this as a labor law (AB168) since 2017.
   
2. Establish a public-facing transparent salary calculator
   A career progression framework must be designed for every function within the organization and then mapped onto a compensation scheme that lists out the variables affecting base salaries.
   Note: Buffer has implemented a public salary calculator since 2012.
   
3. Audit performance compensation
   Map high-value targets and strategic business outcomes to a variable compensation scheme that has been internally audited by a gender diverse committee prior to communication and payouts.
   
4. Conduct an annual pay equity analysis and publish the results
   The pay system at any organization should be free from gender, racial, ethnic and other biases so it becomes critical to test for pay differences across the entire workforce on an annual basis. Particular attention must be paid to determine if a fatherhood premium or motherhood wage penalty exists. Any irregularities should then be normalized and resolved via automated transactions. These results can then be anonymized and shared as part of existing reporting requirements.
   Note: Google has been performing an annual pay equity check since 2016 and has released its approach at re:work.
   
5. Reserve at least 30% of board seats for women
   Several nations have mandated the reservation of a large number of board seats for women to support gender diversity and better governance. This replaces the token reservation of 1 woman director owing to global abuse and a lack of critical mass.
   Note: Norway has reserved 40% of all board seats for women since 2008.
   
6. Recruit at least 1 woman director with no promoter linkages
   Circumvention strategies to meet gender quotas have always involved recruitment of women who are related to the promoters or have close proximity to them. This must be prevented by the appointment of an independent director.
   
7. Recruit at least 1 woman director from within the organization
   A critique of gender quotas has been that they do not directly raise the status of women at lower rungs of the organization. The requirement of an internal woman candidate to be named as director should accelerate internal leadership development efforts.
   
8. Provide at least 30 days of free on-site child care every year
   Young mothers face the difficult task of returning to work, delivering great performance, providing care to their child and doing housework for several years. Hence, free day care facilities at work for infants to 5 year olds should become the norm.
   Note: Goldman Sachs provides 40 days of free on-site child care at its New York and Jersey City locations as part of its infant transition program.
   
9. Allow employees to develop their own  flexible work proposal
   Telecommuting, condensed workweeks, customized working hours, job sharing and flexible vacation time are all valid work options. Employees should be free to experiment with each of them and then develop an optimized schedule using the combination that works best for them.
   Note: FlexJobs uses a proposal form to allow its employees to communicate their specific work style and scheduling preferences.
   
10. Provide at least 6 months of paid leave to each new parent
    Raising a child is a shared responsibility and so each parent must exercise their leave period at some point during the birth year. This policy should include non-birthing parents and be augmented with an adoption allowance.
    Note: Netflix allows birth and adoptive parents of any gender to take up to a year off at full pay following the birth or adoption of their child.
    
11. Allocate discretionary funding to the Women's Employee Resource Group
    There is a dire need to have internal budgets that respond to women’s priorities, as assessed by women themselves. Male sponsorship is a critical piece of the strategy to deliver equal opportunity.
    
12. Prepare a disclosure report to examine women in leadership roles
    The examination of the existence of a motherhood leadership penalty within the organization is paramount. If found to be statistically relevant the establishment of voluntary targets for women employment at different levels and support or mentorship networks would be required.

We are building bridges to a better future, life, and planet. If you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!​

We developed a remote web show with  Amman-based sustainability expert - Ruba Al-Zu'bi - to provide a space for meaningful long-form discussions on topics such as urban development, green financing, the role of startups and the efforts of the private sector in the MENA. The region plays a critical role in global energy markets and must pivot hard to become energy efficient and wean itself off its oil economy. In this context, we engaged with six different stakeholders from across the MENA to showcase multifaceted nuanced opinions on the the roadmap for the next era. Our guests for the inaugural season were -

1. Dr. Iyad Abumoghli, Director of the UN Environment Programme's Faith for Earth initiative
2. Leena Al Olaimy, the Co-founder and Executive Chairperson of 3BL Associates
3. Karim Elgendy, Founder of Carboun
4. Dr. Heike Harmgart,  Managing Director (Southern and Eastern Mediterranean) of EBRD
5. Aline Bussmann, Regional director for cewas Middle East
6. Ibrahim Al Zubi, Chief Sustainability Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Group

DISTRIBUTION

The series was exclusively released on our social channels and insights platform with a focus on exposing it to an affluent audience in the MENA. We targeted leaders in the 25 to 55 age bracket with demonstrable interests and/or expertise in sustainability who were currently based in the region.

Impressions: 455,000
The number of times our assets were displayed to our target audience.

Views: 219,000
The number of times our assets were consumed by our target audience.

Unique Reach: 157,000
The number of unique people who were exposed to our series.

Time Period: 7 weeks

ASSETS

We produced a series of posters, articles, video interviews and stories over a span of 7 weeks during which time the assets were released weekly.

Faith and Environmental Action in the MENA

Show: Sustainability in the Next EraThe Faith for Earth initiative by the UnitedNations Environment Programme recognizes the potential that faith-basedorganizations have in driving climate action across the globe. 84% of the global population believes in a divine power that manifests in a setof …

egomonkegomonk insights

Leveraging Nature for Sustainable & Profitable Economic Development

Show: Sustainability in the Next EraResources from nature have been used toprofit humans, while nature itself has languished under extreme exploitation.Even though there have been massive technological revolutions, there has alsobeen an acceleration of climate change catastrophes. The deadline fo…

egomonkegomonk insights

Low Carbon Urban Development in the MENA

Show: Sustainability in the Next EraCities are the highest forms of humancivilizations, developed with the sole purpose of improving economicefficiencies. However, in this race for economic scale, what has been lost isequity and environmental footprint. By 2050, it is expected that almost 70% of…

egomonkegomonk insights

Role of International Financial Institutions in the Green Economy

Show: Sustainability in the Next EraFinancial institutions like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development[https://www.ebrd.com/home] (EBRD) are integral to introducing policies toaccelerate decarbonization and sustainable development while providing inclusiveopportunities and focusing …

egomonkegomonk insights

The Role of Startups in MENA’s Sustainable Recovery

The pandemic has pushed many companies to the brink of collapse. And in theentrepreneurial world, many startups that do not have a safety net suddenly findthemselves entirely dependent upon their savings. However, in a world that isnow focused on recovery, businesses are aware of building more ag…

egomonkegomonk insights

Sustainability Efforts by the Private Sector in the MENA

Show: Sustainability in the Next EraAlthough the onus of driving sustainabilityin a nation rests with the government, it simply cannot be done withoutmeaningful co-operation from and willingness of the private sector. They areintegral behind providing the ecosystem with funding, investing in rese…

egomonkegomonk insights

We are building bridges to a better future, life, and planet. If you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!​

Our Agenda

This conversation will shine a spotlight on:

• Instant settlements and instant gratification for customers.
• Innovations in loan disbursement and its impact on customer satisfaction.
• Roadmap to help NBFCs scale up recovery during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Securing the payment loop to mitigate NBFC platform misuse.

Our Speakers

In 2015, Akash Sinha co-founded Cashfree, one of India’s leading payments platforms, to solve the challenges faced by businesses in bulk payments and disbursals. Prior to starting Cashfree, he worked with e-commerce giants such as Amazon and BankBazaar where he built products as a Software Engineer. With his experience as a programmer and product owner, Akash focuses on the intersection of technology and business opportunities. A community builder in the startup and
entrepreneur space, he is passionate about cutting-edge tech that can help businesses experiment, scale and innovate faster. A graduate of International Institute of Information Technology – Hyderabad (IIIT-H), Akash started his first company while still in college, and he takes that legacy forward by building cutting-edge payment products and solutions for businesses.

Kaushal Sarda joined Kuliza in 2010 as the Chief Evangelist and later took charge as the CEO of Kuliza in 2013 and since then has driven the growth strategy of the organization. Prior to this, he was heading the Bangalore office for 2020 Social, a leading social business strategy firm which was acquired by Publicis, one of the big four global advertising holding companies. Prior to 2020 Social, he founded Uhuroo a SaaS based content collaboration platform for SMEs.He has also held a consulting position with Capgemini India prior to starting Uhuroo. He is a frequent speaker on Fintech, Enterprise 2.0, SaaS, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship at various industry and academic events. Kaushal holds Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from University of Mumbai, and Masters in Information Systems from George Mason University (GMU), Fairfax, VA, USA.

The Speed of Lending will stream exclusively on our Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter channels. Please register below to be reminded.

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The pandemic has pushed many companies to the brink of collapse. And in the entrepreneurial world, many startups that do not have a safety net suddenly find themselves entirely dependent upon their savings. However, in a world that is now focused on recovery, businesses are aware of building more agile and resilient structures to weather such crises and avoid widespread economic shock.

Adapting to a New Reality

Green startups specifically are looking for innovative solutions that would reintegrate or repurpose waste, reduce manufacturing costs, and reduce pressure on our natural ecosystems. The pandemic has also taught us the importance of localizing supply chains wherever possible, resulting in job creation and decreasing the carbon footprint from transportation.

• Careem - They generated 5000 jobs in 2018 and trained female drivers during the period in which there was an anticipation of the ban being lifted on female drivers in Saudi Arabia.
• Bardia Farms - They use hydroponics technology to develop farming methods that utilize up to 80% less water.
• Seramic Energy - They are developing 'waste heat recovery projects' which contribute to heavy industry waste management.
• Shamsina - They design and make affordable solar technologies.

According to Aline Bussmann of cewas, environmentally focussed startups that were developing solutions for water, sanitation, waste, and agriculture either had to shut down or adjust during the pandemic. Most chose to adapt by diversifying their business model or pivoting their products to help distressed communities.

Giant corporates do not have the flexibility and agility that startups do. As engines of innovative growth and disruption, startups must now prioritize:

• Phasing out crisis management
• Incorporating strong ESG initiatives for long term solutions and capacity building
• Having a community-oriented focus
• Having targets for social impacts apart from profitability and scalability
• Optimizing existing resources to discover new values
• Approaching an eco-circular economy
• Ensuring job creation
• Having socially conscious leadership

Avenues of External Support

Recognizing the massive potential entrepreneurs hold in solving issues related to access to resources, global and regional organizations are providing funds, incubators, and accelerators for promising startups.

World Economic Forum's Regional Business Council (RBC) has pledged to allocate 10% of their annual budget to SMEs, startups, and entrepreneurs.

The C3 social impact accelerator program helps fund startups that are contributing significantly to UN sustainable development goals and have a clear path to profitability. More than 600 applications have come in from the MENA region in 2020.

cewas, a first of its kind global water and sanitation startup incubator and business innovation training program, also helps bring focus to resource management. cewas Middle East holds greater importance when considering the acute shortage of water resources that the region faces and the great need for water resource and sanitation management.

Startup Hurdles

A report by Startup Genome showed a drop in global venture capital by at least 20% since December 2019, when the coronavirus pandemic started. The key hurdles startups face are:

• Seed money
• Navigating government bureaucracy
• Cash flow
• Government and private sector support
• Reduction in workforce

Startups can no longer depend on public awareness money or support from the government or private sector alone. They have to become self-reliant and create alternate methods of generating income and contributing to job creation. In the MENA region, most hot spots for innovation and entrepreneurship are urban. There needs to be a democratization of social innovation that supports and stems from the grassroots.

We at egomonk believe it is our job to build bridges to a better future, life and planet, and if you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!

Our Agenda

This conversation will shine a spotlight on:

• The changing landscape of education, employability and leadership for women in India.
• The ways future women leaders can elevate their capabilities with grit and courage to thrive while facing adversity.
• The role of technology in advancement of women in India.
• The tie-ins with Dell's Progress Made Real Moonshot goals.

Our Speakers

Dr. Kiran Bedi has been India’s first and highest woman ranking officer having joined the Indian Police Service in 1972. Her expertise includes more than four decades of Public Administration, Creative and Reformative Policing and Prison Management. She is currently serving as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, a Union Territory of India. She worked with the United Nations in New York as the Police Advisor to the Secretary-General and in the Department of Peace Keeping Operations. Dr. Bedi is the founder of two NGOs, Navjyoti and India Vision Foundation, which reach out to thousands of underserved children, women, and men in the areas of education, vocational skills, environment, counseling, and health care to the urban and rural poor, including prisoners and policemen’s children. She has been in the vanguard of Police and Prison Reforms. Dr. Bedi is a recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award (also called the Asian Peace Nobel Prize) and several other national and international decorations. At Puducherry, her work in collaborative governance, citizen participation and youth engagement have been hallmarks in transforming the Raj Nivas to a People's Nivas. Her Mission Water Rich Puducherry and Mission Green - Swacch Puducherry were important catalysts in administration. At the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Bedi continues to break stereotypes by transforming the Raj Nivas from a conventional institution to one of active governance.

Alok Ohrie leads Dell Technologies India and is responsible for Sales, Business Strategy and Development, Operations, Marketing, Manufacturing and Government Engagements. Alok is a visionary with a keen understanding of technology and an accomplished business leader with a proven track record of managing businesses, people, customers and partner relationships. A technology evangelist at heart, what sets him apart is his deep understanding of changing customer needs and a wealth of experience in delivering solutions, across Asia Pacific markets. Alok is a member of several industry bodies, including ASSOCHAM’s National Council of Electronics Manufacturing, where he holds the Chairman’s role; a member of the Executive Council of NASSCOM and part of the Advisory Board of innovative startups in the space of education. Alok is committed towards shaping a promising future for the youth of India and is a part of Dell’s Global Giving Council and actively supports programs that help educate women.

Let's Talk will stream exclusively on our Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter channels. Please register below to be reminded.

We are building bridges to a better future, life, and planet. If you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!​

Although the onus of driving sustainability in a nation rests with the government, it simply cannot be done without meaningful co-operation from and willingness of the private sector. They are integral behind providing the ecosystem with funding, investing in research and development, deploying cutting edge technology, facilitating data sharing, and international collaboration.

ROI for the Private Sector Going Green

However, many companies have limited their sustainability efforts to donations and mere tokenism. Researchers have now proven that Return on Investment (ROI) cannot be simply equated with financial profits. Treating sustainability as the strategic imperative of any organization results in several direct benefits -

• Increased resilience and agility
• Greater carbon efficiency and reduced carbon footprint
• Social value and impact
• Robust stakeholder engagement and community relations
• Improved customer relationships and brand loyalty
• Retention of employees
• Enhanced brand value and reputation

The private sector has the opportunity to invest in the "wellbeing economy" worth over $4.3 Trillion. According to Ibrahim Al Zubi, Chief Sustainability Officer at Majid Al Futtaim, corporates, businesses, and SMEs need to reach a "net positive" business model.

The model incorporates a triple bottom line approach:

• Planet - Resources are treated as finite and used efficiently to allow the earth to replenish what we take.
• People - Creating an ecosystem where people are treated as human capital, and their wellbeing and health is nurtured.
• Profit - The synergy between a happy community and a healthy planet helps drive more profit, which is not just financial but sustainable and has a net positive social impact.

The triple bottom line approach looks at the Sustainable Development Goals as part of a structural framework from inception to implementation instead of a cog in the corporate social responsibility machine. It has been proven that incorporating sustainability makes logical business sense. Globally, consumers are becoming more brand and sustainability conscious. Nielsen reported that sales of consumer goods from brands that had demonstrated a commitment to sustainability were up by more than 4% globally.

What Next?

Research shows that the MENA region's private sector is still relatively slow when it comes to sustainability practices. However, a few outliers are leading the charge and making change happen.

• Cities like Dubai and Amman are spearheading the sustainability movement with extensive policy and structural changes to reduce the carbon footprint of local power generation by 70%.
• UAE's second-largest industrial company, Emirates Global Aluminium, launched its first sustainability report in August 2017.
• The largest company in the UAE, Emirates National Oil Company, has also dedicated renewable energy investments worth $6 billion, according to their 2019 energy report.
• Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, is also the world's largest petrochemical manufacturer. Over the past 5 years it has invested approximately $1.2 billion to complete more than 170 initiatives to meet the targets set by the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program.
• Majid Al Futtaim, the leading owner and developer of shopping malls, retail, and leisure establishments in countries in the MENA region, boasts a 7% decrease in water usage, a 32% increase in recycling rate, and a 4% reduction in carbon emissions.

Private companies need to increase their efforts on:

• Being green certified
• Incorporating water recycling circulation
• Implementing energy management systems
• Building and creating an energy-efficient, insulated design
• Increasing access to renewables

But there are 2 critical roadblocks:

• Funding for research and development is vital
• Sustainable technologies must be scaled up

Sustainability Reporting as a Necessity

Stakeholders are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and want to identify the social, economic, and environmental impact of any organization. Hence companies are now required to report environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and their impact on their business.

Transparent reporting is vital for all public, private, non-profit, and civil sector organizations to achieve the following:

• Establish a baseline
• Measure the change in their ESG performance
• Set goals and develop strategies

The Bottom Line

The coronavirus pandemic has taught the world the importance of resilience, adaptability, and agility. According to sustainability experts, the climate crisis is also nothing short of a pandemic. Globally, monumental decisions like shutting down office buildings, a drastic reduction in transport, and working from home prove change is always possible. According to a projection by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development projection, carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 may decline by 0.3% to 1.2%, with European and Asian cities seeing a drop in Nitrogen Dioxide  levels too. The private sector's eager involvement is crucial in the global attempt to mitigate the climate crisis.

We at egomonk believe it is our job to build bridges to a better future, life and planet, and if you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!

This week's edition of Women at Work is packed with value so grab a cup of tea and hunker down. We'll unpack Susan Wojcicki's amazing run as CEO at YouTube,  understand the role race plays in the pay gap, share insights about choosing a business partner, and whole lot more. What would you like us to focus on? Let us know.

Surabhi Chandra
surabhi@egomonk.com

👑 LEADING LADY - SUSAN WOJCICKI OF YOUTUBE

Susan Wojcicki was appointed as the CEO of YouTube in 2014 and is the longest-tenured CEO in its history. Her vision has made YouTube the second most visited online platform globally, with nearly 2 billion monthly users. Susan was also Google's first marketing manager and worked on some very crucial marketing campaigns.

Origin Story: Susan was born on July 5, 1968, into a family of professors. She studied history and literature at Harvard University and went on to do her MS in Economics and an MBA as well. However, she soon discovered she had a keen interest in technology. Luckily, around the same time, Susan rented her garage to Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who were working on their then-new search engine company called Google.

The Emergence: Susan's career before Google included working in marketing at Intel, Bain & Company, and R.B. Webber & Company. In 1999, Susan joined a 15 member team at Google and became their first marketing manager. Apart from executing highly successful marketing campaigns, Susan also played a pivotal role in Google's growth by spearheading its two largest acquisitions - Double click and YouTube. In 2014, Susan was appointed as the CEO of YouTube and has managed to grow it into a cash cow worth more than $160 billion.

Growth Story: Susan's inspiring vision and management skills have been the driving forces behind the accomplishments of Alphabet subsidiaries - YouTube and Google.

• At Google, Susan played a vital role in generating revenue through advertisements and managed campaigns using AdWords, AdSense, DoubleClick, and more.
• She is also the brain behind the iconic Google Doodle and other exciting features such as Google Images and Google Books.
• When Susan was Vice President of Google, she immediately realized the potential of YouTube and led its acquisition for $1.65 billion in 2006.
• She also managed the acquisition of DoubleClick, an Internet ad agency, for $3.1 billion in 2007 and helped cement Google's dominance for the next decade.

Rise of a Giant: Susan and her stellar team have managed to accelerate growth at YouTube, and its recently launched subscription service - YouTube Premium - has also been wildly successful. Here are some stats to make sense of the YouTube phenomenon -

• Annual Subscription Revenue: $3 Billion (2019)
• Total Paid Subscriptions: 2+ Million
• Annual Advertisement Revenue: $15 Billion (2019)
• Upload Rate: 500 hours of video every minute (2019)
• Team: 1100 and growing
• Susan's Net Worth: $580 Million

Bold Choices: As a person from a non-technical background, Susan has never shied away from speaking her mind and sharing her ideas in a room filled with experts. Her firm conviction in her own talent and expertise have shown undeniable results.

• Susan's first target in 2014 was to get users to watch a billion hours of video on YouTube daily and achieved it in 2 years.
• She helped develop additional monetization options for YouTube creators, including channel memberships, merchandise, and Super Chat, ensuring all parties benefit from the platform.
• Susan took a strong stand against videos that potentially violated its guidelines on hate speech and violent extremism and reworked the platform's policies. Under her leadership, YouTube removed 8.3 million videos in Q1 2019.
• Since she took on the role of CEO, YouTube's percentage of female employees has risen from 24% to nearly 30%. She has strongly supported paid maternity leaves and is a well-known advocate for women's rights at the workplace.

Susan is a driven woman who has been using her privilege to advocate for equity in opportunities and skills at YouTube and other spaces. She took the chance of being at the right place at the right time and used it to break through the glass ceiling in technology.

Connect with Susan: LinkedIn

🗺️ OUR WORLD IN DATA

The wage gap is narrowing both slowly and unequally for women.

🔊 EMERGING VOICES

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How would you choose a co-founder? Share your insights with Cathryn.

Do you think gig economy workers should also receive stock? Let Arlan know.

Vindhya shares some tips and tricks to achieve product growth.

🏆 COMMUNITY RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES

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We at egomonk believe it is our job to build bridges to a better future, life and planet, and if you want to realize that potential with us then email us today!