Mayaram Surjan Foundation(MSF)

MSF is a Public Trust, set up in 1995 in the memory of Shri Mayaram Surjan –a veteran Hindi Journalist, littereteur, social activist and reformer , progressive thinker ,and philosopher to create a value driven society  based on principles of democracy, secularism and  social justice through creative writing in Hindi and regional languages and raising nursery of young generation in the rich soil of socio-cultural and ethical virtues. MSF started as a value based organization with a focus on creating awareness about most contemporary socio-economic-political issues by organizing public lecture/hearing series, strengthening ideology of world peace and communal harmony through organizing issue driven rally and joining hands with similar organizations, encouraging talented  journalists engaged in editorial assignment of in –house journals/magazines published by NGOs, corporate house and diplomatic missions. Over the years, the perspective broadened to encompass sustainable development of natural and environmental  resources, institutions, policy and governance structures; natural, cultural and man-mad heritage, common pool resources including traditional ecological knowledge and community intellectual property rights, implications of globalizations in agriculture and rural development sectors, and village level development issues including property rights, entitlement and authority hierarchy over local community based resources. A large number of talented young rural journalists and well informed surpanch and members of local village governance bodies have been prepared through, instituting fellowships and organizing capacity building programmes in the village chaupals. In this process, MSF has brought within its ambit several well meaning partners, programmes and organizations which address the issues of development transformation and co-existence

The Mission Of The MSF

MSF’s mission is to promote value driven society for co- existence, equitable and sustainable development of less privileged people of the world community. MSF strives to achieve this  mission by    

1.    Educating a new breed of professional   journalists through inculcating appropriate values and ethos to help them to articulate the contemporary issues;

2.    To help rural people, members of local/village level institutions and organizations through action oriented and problem-solving capacity building programmes;

3.    To bring less privileged people/areas in the main stream of value based development through self-sustaining process;

4.    Influencing public policy through organizing a series of public lectures/hearings/interactive session/debates.

5.    To ensure sustainable use of natural and environmental resources base for  sustainable and equitable development,

6.    Communication through multimedia approaches, networking and supporting the work of fellow NGOs in India and mobilizing intellectual support for mass movements.

  MSF:Moving Ahead

In its usual manner, the initiatives  of MSF has two sets-ongoing activities and fresh pasture. Ongoing activities include Mayaram Surjan Memorial Public Lecture Series by distinguished celebrities on most contemporary socio-economic –political issues, events driven public rally, well designed structured programmes for youth. These progrsmmes are samvad (Dialogue) and hundreds such programmes have been/are being organized every year. MSF bring out regular publication of Akshar Purv-a Hindi literary monthly magazine besides publishing reference books on a variety of topics. To recognize, encourage and honour the enormous hidden and unsung creative talent and sustain hard work which transfused in bringing out in-house and non-commercial journals by NGOs, public, corporate and service sectors, and diplomatic missions; MSF has been organizing every year All India Journal Competition-the most prestigious event of the Foundation. In intimate collaboration with individuals, other NGOs and central and state governments MSF has created visible consciousness among different stakeholders for promotion of nature conservation and environment restoration as the basis of sustainable and equitable development. MSF lead mass movement against privatization of natural resources in general and river water, germ plasm of rare paddy varieties, non timber forest resources, degraded common pool land resources in particular. Due to Foundation’s  sustained agitation several unique medieval period water bodies/lakes were saved from the wild  infillings aimed for senseless urbanization. MSF has also been participating in several other activities aimed at promoting social justice, gender equality, human rights, protection of biodiversity within co-existence  paradigm, food and nutritional security; grass root democracy, rights and entitlements of tribal and disadvantageous people of the society.

As a Public Trust MSF has yet to share enormous responsibilities in the fast changing world of open economy, of course , after having covered precious little ground. MSF new initiatives covers several programmes. A series of workshops are being organized for elected members of village panchayaes to enhance their capability to understand various attributes of local governance in relation to higher level of governance. These workshops are held in the villages itself. The foundation is in the process of preparing Chhattisgarh Social Watch Report of the line of Social Watch India Report in collaboration with leading national and local NGOs. Foundation is now intensively involved in creating awareness about water resource  conservation and management.