By Joseph Wheeler, 3/25/2014. This past week I was fortunate enough to confirm plans for my summer research project with Nazdeek, a Delhi-based NGO focusing on applying human rights frameworks to improve the lives of marginalized communities in India. Originally, I contacted Nazdeek because of their work with women, hoping for an interview regarding the current status of the women’s rights movement. However, after a long discussion with Sukti Dhital, co-founder of Nazdeek, we realized that I could learn a lot more from the organization, and provide some help, by actually working with Nazdeek during my 3 weeks in Delhi.
I will be volunteering at Nazdeek from the end of July to mid-August, specifically focusing on a project they are developing that aims to provide basic rights to adequate housing for slum dwellers in Delhi. A big component of the housing project is documentation, and how advocates are using media to document living conditions and the eviction process. With Nazdeek, I will help to develop frameworks for using multimedia to document social issues to raise awareness of problems and bolster the litigation process when disputing evictions in court.
Not only will this project be an interesting counterpart to my own process of research documentation through multimedia, it is an amazing first step in developing my thesis for the MFA Transdisciplinary Design program which will be investigating how storytelling can be used to stimulate pro-social change. I am so thrilled to be working with a young and energetic organization like Nazdeek, where I think I will be able to have a real impact rather than sit on the sideline as an observer. For this project I wanted to get involved as much as possible with actual grass-roots activism, not just exist as an outside social justice tourist.
Apart from being my first time in India, and a once in a life time opportunity to live in and experience Delhi, this is quickly developing into an incredibly influential project in terms of defining my second year thesis, and future career aspirations. I couldn’t think of a better way to be spending my summer, and I am so grateful for India China Institute to have provided this amazing opportunity.