HYDERABAD: The Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM), in collaboration with Bala Vikasa, organised the G20 - C20 South India Regional Round Table on ‘Delivering democracy: Retrospect and Prospect’ at the Centre for Social and Responsible Business here on Monday.
Dr Basavaraju R Shrestha, executive director of GRAAM and the National Coordinator for the C20 delivering democracy working group, addressed the gathering of more than 40 participants representing diverse Civil Society Organisations from across south India. He emphasised the significance of people’s participation and civic responsibility in delivering democracy, highlighting how CSOs can act as catalysts for ensuring greater participation and accountability in governance.
The working group was specifically created to facilitate meaningful discussions on the concept of democracy and strategise actions to strengthen it during India’s G20 presidency. WR Reddy, former director general of NIRD and the keynote speaker, underscored the intrinsic link between the nation’s future growth, economic development, and the establishment of robust local governments.
Shoury Reddy Singareddy, executive director of Bala Vikasa and regional coordinator for C20, highlighted the importance of collaborating with Gram Panchayats for CSOs to achieve more impactful outcomes in development programming.