Vulnerabilities and Political Aspects of Civil Society: Vulnerabilities and Volunteerism

Funded by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India in collaboration with Disaster Research Unit, Freie University, Germany, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena Germany, and Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services (KSFES). 

A major research study that the programme is carrying out is on the issue of ‘Vulnerabilities and Political Aspects of Civil Society: Vulnerabilities and Volunteerism’. Funded by the Department of Science and Technology, this is a collaborative study between the Conflict Resolution Programme of NIAS, Friedriech- Schiller University, Jena and Disaster Research Unit, University of Berlin, Germany. This study attempts to investigate an important aspect of conflict that has not been adequately understood in the Indian context: volunteerism. Volunteers can work both to reduce the pains of conflict as well as to enhance conflict. It is thus necessary to understand what prompts individuals to volunteer.  In order to understand the aspects of vulnerability and volunteerism the programme has carried out survey in two distinct areas: one affected by extreme natural vulnerabilities, a village in the state of Uttarakhand and the second affected by low scale repeated natural vulnerabilities, a village in the state of Karnataka.