KANAJA
YOUTH RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY CENTRE
Kanaja is dedicated to generating and disseminating knowledge about youth and youthhood, in order to strengthen youth rights and build youth agency. By embedding youth rights in policies impacting education, employment, and health, and advocating for youth-friendly initiatives, the programme aims to create a supportive ecosystem for young people.
Youthhood is marked by multiple life transitions, often seen as immature or incapable of decision-making. Through research, Kanaja aims to understand the complex social realities faced by young people, focusing on their physical, emotional, and sexual beings and how these are shaped by shifts in India’s social, economic, and political realities. Our research recognises that youthhood is not singular and locates young people at the intersection of their multiple identities.
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Through advocacy initiatives, Kanaja works towards the recognition of youth as a special category with context specific strengths and vulnerabilities that need a separate set of Youth Rights. Our advocacy efforts attempt to embed youth rights in policies, programmes and budgets of the State and other civil society actors.
Our advocacy efforts
Awareness Building on Youth Rights
We offer courses and workshops for various stakeholders engaging with youth, to enable them to rethink youth issues and strategies to address them through a youth rights based lens. We have also been organising consultations with youth leaders, youth workers and youth focussed organisations across India to build awareness and collectively create advocacy tools to promote youth rights.
Charter on Youth Rights
In 2015, based on Constitutional Principles and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights a Charter on Youth Rights was created in consultation with young people, human rights advocates and youth workers. The Charter is an attempt to recognise a separate and specific set of rights for young people. Read more about the Charter and Endorse here: www.youthrights.in
Policy and Programme Advocacy
Kanaja has been working towards influencing state and national policies, programs and budgets that impact young people’s lives to make them youth centric and rights based. Collaborative consultations were organised pan-India for recommendations on the Karnataka State Youth Policy 2022 and the Draft National Youth Policy 2021. Youth and other stakeholders were mobilised to advocate for the setting up of a Youth Commission and a Youth Budget in Karnataka.
Youth Rights fellowships
Through the Youth Rights fellowship we offer support to youth leaders to actively participate, interact, network and advocate for youth rights with youth work organisations, youth-led initiatives, youth groups, local governance systems, state interventions etc.
Youth Agenda
The Youth Agenda is a process facilitated by Kanaja to call on youth leaders, youth workers, and youth-focused organisations to create spaces fostering democratic citizenship and participation among youth. The process allows youth from across India to express their needs, aspirations, and challenges within a youth rights framework. The initiative aims to increase awareness of youth realities among political and civil society stakeholders and ensure that youth concerns are reflected in political party manifestos. In 2024, Over 2,500 youth leaders participated through 10 Regional Consultations and 67 Micro-consultations in 7 states, with the collaboration of more than 50 youth-focused organisations and collectives.
Fact findings and Advocacy Actions
From time to time Kanaja conducts fact findings on certain youth issues or specific youth rights violations impacting the rights of youth at a regional or national level. Based on the findings advocacy actions are taken up to ensure youth are not denied their rights.
Some of our past research studies are as follows:
Lockdowns and Life-after: Impact of Covid-19 on Youth Working in Shopping Malls of Bengaluru City (2023)
Research Writing: Shraddha N.V. Sharma
Field Research and Analysis: Dr. Shalini. R, Apoorva, Kamakshi N, Lata, Kiran Kumar
Editing and Finalization: Dr. Savitha Suresh Babu, Charumathi Mohan
Report - English
ದಲಿತ ಯುವತಿಯರ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ, ವೃತ್ತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಮದುವೆ ವಿಚಾರಗಳ ಅನುಸಂಧಾನಗಳು (Young Dalit Women’s Negotiations with Education, Career and Marriage) (2021)
Research Team: : Ramakka R, Vijayashanti K Murthy, Dr. Manjula Ullal, Manjula Telegade
Executive Summary: English & Kannada
Report - Kanada
ಗಡಿಗಳ ಮೀರಿದ ಪ್ರೇಮ ವಿವಾಹಗಳ ಕುರಿತು ಯುವಜನರ ನಿಲುವು (Youth Perspectives Towards Inter-Caste and Inter-Religious RelationshipsYouth-led Study) (2021)
Research Team: Pavithra Jyotigudde, Siddesha K, Thripthi Perlapu, Umme Zaiba, Akash K, Vijaya Kumar M, Manjula Sunil, Holeyappa K Sakya, Dr. Shalini R.
Report - Kanada
ಯುವಜನರ ಆರೋಗ್ಯದ ಮೇಲೆ ಕೋವಿಡ್-೧೯ ಪರಿಣಾಮ (Impact of Covid-19 on the health of young people) (2021)
Research Team: Renuka Hannura, Mani V, Anjani Devi K.C, Lokeshwari C, Ashwini S, Kashinath S. M
Women Journalists Experiences in Kannada Print & Electronic Media: A Report of Reflective Conversations (2019)
Research Team: Manjunath M, Shalini R.,S. Kirana Kumari, , Murali Mohan Kati, Vijayshanthi Murthy
Executive Summary: English & Kannada
Report - English
Kanaja team members have also received individual research grants to further the understanding of youth and youthhood. These research include:
Mapping Educational Innovations for Social and Ecological Justice (2023) -Funded by TE|SF (Transforming Education for Sustainable Futures) and IFA (India Foundation for the Arts)
Research Team: Dr. Shalini R, Dr. Savitha Suresh Babu
Unpacking Marginalisation - Staging Resistance: Caste and Youth in Contemporary Kannada Theater (2023) - Funded by India Foundation for the Arts
Research Team: Dr. Savitha Suresh Babu, Dr. Shalini R., Lakshmana KP