History

The Barefoot Academy of Governance is an initiative by a group of behavioural specialists involved in governance reform with grassroots organisations, corporate bodies and state institutions for over 25 years. The founders of Barefoot Academy have sought to organise the knowledge, skills and insights gained in over 100 years of collective experience into compact teaching modules as part of a larger training framework. Through this, they aspire to create a cadre of change agents and facilitators to deal with 21st-century governance challenges.

Using a hands-on, experiential methodology, Barefoot Academy strives to implement broad-based skill interventions through a cadre of behavioural specialists trained in mediating and modulating governance change. We have engaged with grassroots workers, doctors, engineers, academicians, administrators and technocrats of varied government departments like drinking water, water resources, social welfare, school education and other sectors. We have been invited by corporate, government, and civil society leaders to work on interventions that are principle-based, value-oriented and focused on personal and institutional change. Our work has taken us across Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Puducherry, and Odisha.

Purpose

Our focus is on changing the mindsets and attitudes of people in organisations, in addition to shifting their perspectives related to work, and their relations with different stakeholders. The attempt is to sensitise officials to see themselves as ‘duty bearers’ in the governance process who serve the citizens – understood as `rights holders’. Over time, officials learn to discard inherited cultures of distrust, suspicion, and hostility towards common citizens, elected representatives, and leaders of social groups. This improves relations between official functionaries (bureaucrats and technocrats alike) and various stakeholders in the development space.

We work with the belief that change within the individual has to be voluntary and self-willed. However, we recognize that while the individual is at best the stimulant, it is the institution that is the crucible of sustainable change. Consequently, our work at institutional transformation is achieved through expanding circles of consensus and strengthened through widening spaces for solidarity and action within them.

At the institutional level, our aim has always been towards `democratising’ governance processes and `humanising’ development work, across multiple sectors. Such a change process has a significant impact on improving departmental functioning, enhancing free and transparent communication between officials and stakeholders, and ensuring fair, judicious, inclusive, responsible, and accountable decision-making at all levels.

Cumulatively, this manifests in a sense of common responsibility, joint ownership, and a shared commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice. The emergence of a new sense of `partnership’ between official functionaries and the social sector leads to a willingness in engaging with a prolonged process of ensuring mindset shifts and institutional-culture change. Therefore, our commitment to scaling up and institutionalising changed behaviour, perspectives, and ethics become not only possible but endures as the only way towards achieving sustainable change.

Meet our Founders

Shri Raghu Ananthanarayanan

Co-founder, Sumedhas, Barefoot Academy, Ritambhara Ashram, Center for Consciousness Studies and Inner Transformation

Dr. V Suresh

Director and Co-founder, Barefoot Academy of Governance, Co-founder, Centre for Law, Policy and Human Rights Studies

Prof. Pradip Prabhu

Co-founder, Barefoot Academy of Governance, Former Dean, TISS Tuljapur; Founder, Kashtakari Sanghatana

Team

Saravanan K

Saravanan is an engineer by training and has been involved in human rights, institutional transformation, sustainable farming and local self-governance initiatives for the past 14 years. As part of Barefoot, he works with a women-led organic millet collective in Veppur Block, Perambalur District, and is also a freelance writer and a journalist.

Hema Yarrapothu

With a PG Diploma in HR Management, and over a decade of experience in corporate communications and organisational development, Hema handles Facilitation, Communications and Fundraising at Barefoot. Apart from having a flair for travelling and reading, she strongly believes in the power of dialogue to transform society.

Sayantan Chowdhury

Sayantan has a background in Economics and over 5 years of experience in the development sector, ranging from teaching to coaching, to entrepreneurship. At Barefoot, he handles Facilitation, Communication and Research; and is passionate about learning and combining them for social change.

Shyam

Shyam has experience as a teacher in rural Jharkhand. At Barefoot Academy, he is learning workshop design and facilitation as a process trainer. Besides that, he contributes in other areas as a volunteer. He is passionate about creating mindset and institutional change with a rights-based approach.

Vikash

Vikash has a background in Law and was working as a teacher before joining Barefoot Academy. At Barefoot, he handles research, and communication and is learning workshop design and facilitation. He enjoys working with and learning from the people, who, he believes, are ultimately the makers of history and change.

Udhayarajan N

Udhayarajan is a practising architect with over 15 years of experience in both designing public spaces and teaching at various universities. He is an expert in analysing the impact of spatial forms on the behaviour of people and other living beings. At Barefoot, he handles documentation. and yearns to build an ecosystem around architecture that thrives on equity and dignity.