PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action and Research), based in Global South, is an independent research collective and knowledge producing institution, located in Mumbai, India, that conducts multi-sectoral, cross-disciplinary, community based, participatory action research through the lens of marginalized youth who create evidence based actions for transforming themselves and their communities.

PUKAR sees itself as a premier institution that in anchored in the value of Community Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) as a powerful and ethical instrument for knowledge production by marginalized youth. PUKAR believes that in a young, diverse, and pluralistic country like India where a large population faces multi-dimensional poverty, accepting, encouraging and respecting multiple epistemologies of knowledge, can contribute richly to urbanization and governance processes. All the programs of PUKAR in past 18 years have been based upon this principle and we see ourselves as the premier institute in training other organizations, communities, educational institutions in this CBPAR based activities in both rural and urban sectors.

VISION:
PUKAR aims to create a world class incubator for producing knowledge, ideas, and innovations about equitable, sustainable global communities and cities.

MISSION:
PUKAR works on the idea of “Right to Research”, democratizes research, and challenges the prevalent paradigm of knowledge production, profile of the researchers and ownership of such knowledge. Recognizing multiple epistemologies of knowledge, PUKAR believes that such asset based organic knowledge can make significant contribution to the discourse on development. It recognizes the centrality of space of reflection, conversations, and activism for transforming developmental paradigm of urbanizing inter-dependent world to make it inclusive, equitable and sustainable.

THEORY OF CHANGE:
Empowered Barefoot Researcher who create evidence-based knowledge and use it to engage with relevant stakeholder for creating inclusive, equitable, and sustainable communities.

PUKAR’s GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

  • We are guided by the principle of right to research and democratization of research.
  • We work through the lens of youth and recognize the importance of indigenous knowledge within the communities created by the Youth.
  • We are committed to respecting diversity, plurality, electoral democracy and foster through our work, equitable and just societies.
  • We value dignity of labour and decentralization of power in operational strategies of the organization.
  • We believe in participatory decision-making process at every level in the organization and foster the same in all our projects and communities.
  • We believe in creating mutually enriching partnerships, respectful collaborations with organizations, institutions and individuals who support our vision.
  • We believe that the new paradigm of knowledge creation is a unique experiment that puts us in a leadership position. Therefore, we aim to be the best in that sphere.
  • We strive for excellence, accountability, transparency, honesty and professionalism.

PUKAR’s NICHE:

  • PUKAR is one of the few international, independent research collectives that is based in Global South working on the power of the idea of “Right To Research”
  • PUKAR works at the intersection of academic research and community based participatory research.
  • PUKAR aims to challenge the prevalent paradigm of knowledge production as well as the values of conventional knowledge production, the mode of research and the profile of the researchers itself.
  • PUKAR recognizes the value of indigenous knowledge of the communities and believes that such organic knowledge can make significant contribution to the development of sustainable, inclusive cities.
  • PUKAR has started the unique movement of the Barefoot Researchers and hopes to scale it up globally.