Institutional Member: Navsarjan
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Navsarjan Trust, a grassroots Dalit organization, was founded in 1989 in the state of Gujarat, India. The organization’s mission is threefold: (1) to eliminate discrimination based on untouchability practices; (2) to ensure equality of status and opportunities for all, regardless of caste, class or gender; and (3) to guarantee the rule of law. Navsarjan is the largest Dalit organization in Gujarat and is active in over 3,000 villages and cities. The core of Navsarjan’s work is to raise an independent consciousness within people in order for them to fight oppression and inequality independently. Navsarjan field staff organizes trainings and meetings to strengthen community-based action and raise awareness of local rights-based issues. Currently, Navsarjan maintains over ten programs dedicated to promoting the rights of Gujarat’s most marginalized people. Navsarjan also campaigns for the eradication of manual scavenging, operates a fully equipped vocational training center for Dalit youth, and provides legal aid and support in cases of Dalit rights violations. In the past 20 years Navsarjan has grown to become widely respected at the local, national and international levels. To contact Navsarjan, please visit their website