Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

Democracy & Society

Between a rock and a hard place

For over two decades now, green politics in India has largely been about resisting neoliberalism and replacing it with an alternative development ethos. During this period, the greens jousted with governments that, while being committed to a liberal economic order, were also politically secular and liberal. But now, with a majoritarian Hindu state, which is even more fanatically neoliberal, firmly in the saddle, green politics is in a state of limbo. New rules of engagement are a must. Whether they are possible is moot.

By Rakesh Kalshian

70 Years of Human Rights. Indivisible. Inalienable. Universal

Introduction

70 years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We work with our partners around the world towards making democracy and human rights, dignity and freedom a reality for all. The triad of HUman Rights - Democracy- Ecological Sustainability is the basis for our work.

Digital India through a gender lens

DownloadA policy discussion paper

This policy discussion paper seeks to present a critical overview of Digital India, evaluating the extent to which the outcome areas of the program address gender-transformative change. It also offers suggestions for building an enabling environment to expand opportunities and strategic life choices for women, and contributing to gender equality, as economic, social and political arenas are fundamentally redefined by digital technologies. This paper draws upon a detailed policy study titled ‘Digital India through a Gender Lens’, undertaken by the authors in 2017-18, with support from the Heinrich Böll Stiftung.

Occupation of the coast – Blue economy in India

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The Blue Economy involves economic activity that engages with the various components of the oceans. As the Blue Economy gets underway, this research report re-visits various aspects of coastal development and weaves together a narrative of their impacts on the fishing communities.

India International

A note on green federalism: Sharing best practices

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The success of green federalism depends on what institutional mechanisms are created to establish communication and procedures between the various tiers of government and the thematic resorts that need to be involved to adequately address projects and programmes towards ecologically sustainable development.

Perspective Asia: Nationalisms and populisms in Asia

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The latest issue of Perspectives Asia aims to draw a fine line between different forms of nationalism. The articles from various Asian countries focus on strategies and political styles adopted by populist leaders and explain how nationalistic and religious ideas are distorted by politics. 

Resources & Sustainable Development

India’s climate conundrum

The world has just over a decade to prevent the climate from unravelling in catastrophic ways. While the primary onus for avoiding this looming calamity lies with the rich industrialised nations, India, which is now the world’s third biggest emitter, is committed to the Paris Agreement. However, whether it can muster the political will and the financial muscle to shift to a low-carbon economy while raising the living standard of its billion plus citizens is a trillion dollar question the answer to which will become clear only after 2030 when it begins to decouple its economic growth from its emissions.

By Rakesh Kalshian

The answer is blowin’ in the wind…

Even as dirty air continues to mar and prematurely snuff out millions of lives in the country, the unsettling truth is that no one, neither political parties nor the voting masses, considers it grave enough to be aired loudly in the ongoing general elections. Oddly, however, it does find first-ever mention in the manifestos of the two principal political parties. But whether this would actually lead to cleaner air is anybody’s guess.

By Rakesh Kalshian

Energy Atlas: Figures and facts about renewables in Europe

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The European Energy Atlas 2018 is published at a time when the EU Member States are discussing their energy and climate strategy until 2013. It thereby not only provides a compass on the differing energy discussions in Europe but also reveals how a Europeanization of the energy transition will be the more efficient and cost-effective option for all Europeans.

About Us

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The Heinrich Böll Stiftung/ Heinrich Boell Foundation is a German foundation and part of the Green political movement that has developed worldwide as a response to the traditional politics of socialism, liberalism, and conservatism.

We are a green think-tank and an international policy network, our main tenets are ecology and sustainability, democracy and human rights, self-determination and justice. We place particular emphasis on gender democracy, meaning social emancipation and equal rights for women and men. We are also committed to equal rights for cultural and ethnic minorities. Finally, we promote non-violence and proactive peace policies. To achieve our goals, we seek strategic partnerships with others who share our values.

Our namesake, Heinrich Böll, personifies the values we stand for: protection of freedom, civic courage, tolerance, open debate, and the valuation of art and culture as independent spheres of thought and action.

Our India Liaison Office was established in 2002 in New Delhi. Working with governmental and non-governmental local project partners we support India’s democratic governance through informed national and international dialogue processes with a view to enhance the diversity of green thinking.