BENGALURU: The Karnataka edition of ‘My City My Responsibility — A Handbook for Active Citizenship’ prepared by Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, was released here on Sunday. Civic leaders, representatives of civil society organisations and leaders of the citizens’ collective Karnataka Ward Samiti Balaga from different cities were present.
‘My City My Responsibility’ serves as a detailed manual for proactive citizenship, guiding individuals through the stages of evolving from passive onlookers to curious individuals, involved members, and ultimately, proactive citizens. Its main objective is to enable citizens to transform into civic leaders who work with government bodies to bring about constructive developments in our local communities and cities. This is accomplished through the efficient operation of ward committees, said a press release.
Santosh Nargund, head, Civic Participation, Janaagraha, said, “Through the handbook, we aim to equip citizens in each of the 7000+ wards in 315 small and large towns and cities of Karnataka, to play an active role in addressing the global challenges of the 21st century such as climate change at the local level.”
Srikanth Viswanathan, Chief Executive Officer, Janaagraha, said, “My City My Responsibility, A Handbook for Active Citizenship, is our attempt to provide active citizens in India’s cities with an easy-to-use guide on citizen participation. We can transform the quality of life in India’s cities only if every community in every neighbourhood is actively participating in planning, budgeting and service delivery in their neighbourhoods through formal platforms like ward committees and area sabhas.”
The launch was followed by a panel discussion on the topic ‘Building equitable and sustainable cities with citizen participation’, in which city councillors, various citizen leaders and experts took part.