| 1991
is widely regarded as the year that saw, in India, the launch of
an era of economic reforms and globalization altering the roles,
responsibilities and expectations of the state, corporate and government
organizations. Responding early to the increasing debate on the
role of business and concerned about the absence of any established
mechanism to proactively engage with business to minimize its negative
and maximize its positive impact on the lives of the most vulnerable
and marginalized stakeholders, ActionAid International- India (AAI)
India established a “Corporate Partnership” unit in
1993. In order to better focus its resources in a dedicated manner,
Partners in Change was established as a separate not-for-profit
organization in January 1995 under the Societies Registration Act,
1860. PiC was amongst the first organization in India dedicated
to promoting pro-poor CSR through partnerships. During the first
decade PiC received its core funding support from AAI-India. Other
major funders of PiC during its initial years were The Ford Foundation
and Department of International Development (DFID) of the British
government. AAI- India’s support for PiC continued till December
2005.
During the initial years PiC focused its energies
on building sustainable partnerships between the corporate sector
and social development initiatives in India at that time. At that
time PiC’s goal was to become an organization that is recognized
both by corporate and civil society as a reliable facilitator for
building partnerships for social development.
Over the first two strategy plan periods PiC recognized
that there was the need to identify a few thrust areas in the coming
years to focus its work and make it more effective. These thrust
areas were:
- Put disadvantaged and marginalized communities at the centre
of all corporate social responsibility; and
- Advocate for more businesses to commit themselves to getting
involved in social and human development by putting together
written policies and priorities on the issues and ensuring that
they are implemented.
Hence, disadvantaged communities were and are central to all partnerships
that PiC gets involved in. Equitable social development is the purpose
for which PiC engages with business. Though Businesses may have
various legitimate agendas, PiC would engage only if the involvement
would better the lives of the disadvantaged people.
The year starting January 2006 marked PiC’s entry to the third
Strategy Plan period 2007-2010, this also marked the end of core
funding support from AAI (India). Over the next several months,
PiC shall be undertaking the formal development of its Third Strategy
Plan which will soon be available in the public domain. |