Civic Action Internship October 2013

Interns at the Civic Action Workshop

This ‘action’ oriented internship, went beyond mere theories and offered participants the chance to observe on-ground activities, liaise with officials, and present solutions to the concerned authorities. The internship was conducted in two phases: two week internship and four week internship period. Safety audits were conducted which addressed various problems faced by women in India.

The youth participated in women safety checks in and around the city and also assessed the level of safety which exists within the city. A discussion on the steps to curtail the growing violence on women followed and the students were empowered with practical steps to combat this problem.

To increase the voter turnout in the city (70 percent in May 2013 state election), students presented various voter enrollment ideas to boost the ballot participation.

Also, one of the major initiatives of the Civic Action Workshop was the ‘Swalpa Cleanup Maadi’ Workshop. With the agenda to stop pointing fingers and taking action, under the Bengaluru Needs You campaign, the interns participated together with the residents and Corporators to clean up several locations across Bengaluru. One must keep in mind however, that there remains much to be done in order to address the bigger issue of garbage disposal in the growing metropolis.

Interns Speak 

I have always believed that one had to be part of the government to contribute to the city but this notion changed after I participated in the Civic Action Internship. It was a great experience that gave me a reality check and gave me a different perspective to civic issues.

– Akshata Natraj

Coming from an engineering background , this internship gave me an opportunity to meet experts from various fields who have us insights into different aspects in a city. It provided exposure and helped me meet like-minded people. 

-Thomas K Abraham