Team
Our Team
Core to our functioning are our team members who are experienced in diverse range of fields including programme development, institutional building, designing, training, implementation and finance. We engage in sectors ranging from Dalits, unorganised sector, marginal communities and civil society organisations. Coming from different backgrounds, our past knowledge and experiences in confluence with present roles, offer rich interpretations of and solutions to HID needs. In addition, our team has the capacity to deliver programmes in a number of Indian languages.
John Shanth Kumar Joseph
Chief Executive Officer
I have engaged with the social sector for the last 20 years and have thoroughly enjoyed every bit of my journey. I am passionate about organisations, groups and change. I strongly believe that people change and move towards energy-giving sources. At HIDF, I am doing just that!
Archana Casmir
Anchor: Identity, Dignity and Diversity
I am an ardent believer in people coming together and reclaiming what is rightfully theirs. Working with varied organisations for over ten years has made me a strong advocate of organizational sustainability. At HIDF, I am currently enjoying a balance between engaging with organisations and developing a knowledge base.
Girisha V
Finance and Administration Manager
I am an energetic and a friendly person. I strongly believe in my strength and have been self-motivated throughout my life. Presently, I am playing an inevitable role in HID Forum to ensure financial transparency and smooth functioning of the organization.
Asma
Field Coordinator
I believe I draw my strength from my experience of interacting with communities from different spaces/sectors. I have experience of 8 years working with grassroots organizations and unorganized sector workers. I also have experience of counselling with HIV positive. Currently, At HID Forum, I am one of the point of contacts for the Roopantara initiative. I enjoy talking with people, am happy to learn new things and am passionate to engage with grassroots communities.
Manjula
Office Assistant
I am Manjula and I am working in HID Forum as an Office Assistant since 2017. My work is to manage the office by keeping it tidy and ensure everyone is fed. I make sure all meetings carry on smoothly. This is my first experience in an organisation like this, and I have learnt many things here- to name a few gender equality and equality amongst different communities.
Governing Board
HID Forum functions through a collaborative and inclusive culture, with professionals from diverse backgrounds. This enables HIDF to be responsive, creative and the offer the type of support needed in the sector.
In the same vein, our Board and General Body are also formed of members from varied backgrounds whose inputs inform HID Forum’s programmes and management with eclectic perspectives
Our Board, at present, comprises the following eight members :
Dr. Anuradha Prasad
Chair Person
Dr. Anuradha is the founder Director of HID Forum with over three decades of experience. She is a Human Process professional; Coach and a student of Jungian psychology with continuing interest in Tavistock methodology of understanding unconscious processes. Anuradha has held positions in India Society for Applied Behavioural Science (ISABS), and Trustee of Group Relations India (GRI), President of Kutch Mahila Vikas Sanghathan and Managing Trustee of Trust for Development Services (TfDS).
Mr. Haritha Sarma
Member Secretary
Mr. Haritha Sarma, worked as a hydrogeologist in a technical service NGO before moving into, participatory planning of rural development programmes, engaging with gender justice and organisational development processes. His work is in the areas of designing and facilitating participatory learning interventions for civil society organisations with a focus on, strategic planning, organisational policy-making, team and leadership strengthening, diversity and inclusion. He has directed a certificate programme on organisational change facilitation and engaged with institutional building processes with diverse organisations ranging from community-based organisations to international development Agencies. He is also involved in Group Relations work which focuses on ‘systems psychodynamics’ and unconscious processes at the group level.
Mr. G. Muralidhar
Member
G. Muralidhar is a Leadership / Management Life worker, Professional and Thought Leader with intense and diverse experience portfolio pan India in Livelihoods, Poverty Reduction, Development of Poor, Vulnerable and Marginalized domain for more than 30 years. Currently, he is the Co-lead/Mentor/Senior Consultant at Natural Farming - RySS/The Philanthropy, Chief Mentor at AKSHARA Livelihoods and AKSHARA Network. He has held the position of Lead in CB [building NRLM Core and its capacity] under NRLM (National Rural Livelihoods Mission)/UNDP. He is a committed livelihood and development professional with immense expertise in rural development.
Dr. Muzaffar H.Assadi
Member
Dr. Muzaffar H.Assadi is a Professor of Political Science at University of Mysore. He has been the Director at Gandhi Bhavan and Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, University of Mysore. He has authored various books, latest of them being, ‘Interventions in Political Economy’ and ‘Identity, Fundamentalism and other essays’. Dr. Assadi has worked as the Chairman of the High Court Committee on Displacement and Rehabilitation of tribals. Among his other achievements is the Karnataka Sahitya Akademy award 2011, and APJ Kalam Millenium Best Teacher award, 2017.
Mr. Abhijit Mukherjee
Member
Mr. Abhijit Mukherjee has worked in major supply chain industries like Hindustan Uni Lever, Duncan’s for nearly 30 years in various roles like Supply Chain and Product Development areas and management.In 2006, switching tracks to the development sector, he joined Association for Persons with Disability as Director of Communication and Fundraising department and later on as Governing Board member. Mr. Abhijit is on governing boards of civil society organisations like APD, Biswa Gowri Charitable Trust and HID Forum overseeing governance, compliance and marketing support. Abhijit enjoys reading selectively, listening to music selectively and travelling to places of natural beauty.
Dr. Lakshmi Lingam
Member
Lakshmi has been a Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences for the past 28 years. She is a teacher, researcher and activist on gender and human rights. She is on the Curriculum Advisory Boards of several Women Studies Departments in Indian Universities as well as Advisory Board member of several NGOs. She has contributed to gender and equity mainstreaming activities of Government departments in various states in India. She was a member of the National Resource Group of the Government of India, Mahila Samakhya program for women’s empowerment under the Ministry of HRD.
John Shanth Kumar Joseph
Member