After years, decades and centauries of experience of civic actions, something is now becoming clear and transparent. Mahatma Gandhi once said something: not only the end (goal) but also the means (ways and strategies) are important. In December 1924, he wrote (in Young India) that “for me it is enough to know the means. Means and end are convertible terms in my philosophy of life”. How do we define the means adopted to reach a destination? Means may include the set of values and ethics, communication methods and language. He firmly believed that we can have control over the means but not over the end (Tendulkar in Mahtama, Vo. 5). It is such a beautiful thing to think and reflect! Mahatma Gandhi, time and again, explained how the fruits can be different from their seeds. He argued with the people, who said Why bother about the ways? We want to attain freedom; we may adopt whatever means to attain it. He wrote in Harijan in February 1937 – “They say ‘means are after all means’. I would say means are after all everything. As the means so the end.”

It is essential to be cautious and consider the means (methods, values, sources of resources, and sentiments) used to achieve that goal. If our goal is to establish democratic values, this goal cannot be achieved through non-democratic means, exploitation, or lies. It is impossible to create a single perspective, idea, and option and impose it on people. Trust in democracy cannot be forcibly created. If the goal is for the country and society to believe in democracy and participate in the democratic system, then a value-based process of deliberation and introspection must be fostered among the people. They must analyse for themselves why democracy is a better option for governance. Most importantly, the people themselves adopt the process of reflection and analysis, rather than being adoptive towards a reactionary and ferocious process.

Can ‘Peace’ be established in the country, the world, and society through a vicious process or exclusionary movements? Can the status of equality be achieved through corruption and inequality? Can a ‘Just’ society be established through a judicial system that is not committed to eliminating discrimination based on caste, gender, or religious identity, and in which only individuals of one caste or gender play decisive roles?

In this context, what should be the means and tools of civil society organisations? Experiences so far have shown that civil society organisations go out into society with their own knowledge, experiences, and conclusions, and expect society to accept these as they are and to bring about changes in their families, social systems, and personal behaviours in accordance with them. However, this is usually not possible because the formation of society and people’s behaviour is an outcome of a deep process. The approaches and behaviour of society and people are shaped by religious narratives, cultures and customs, traditions, the environment and ecology, myths and stories. This is why the social system or people’s behaviour cannot be changed through the knowledge discourses or lectures by the civil society representatives.  The primary need for civil society organisations is to first reflect and realise how adoption and trust in social systems and behaviours are actually formed. What are the factors that cause society and people to have deep or blind faith in that system and behaviour? Resolutions can only be found by understanding the causes and factors of the problem. And the most fundamental need is for society and individuals to be aware of and understand these causes and their effects on the very core nature of human beings and human society. Therefore, the objectives of change cannot be realised simply by disseminating pre-determined and pre-prepared knowledge and conclusions presented by the CSOs. The better idea is to present a set of facts and information about humanity, human desires, power structures, deprivation, the causes of poverty, inequality and injustice, and other issues as ingredients, and co-create a thoughtful process with youth, academia, and community groups to shape the final recipe of ultimate thinking and positioning. It will help these stakeholders develop the skill of analysing society and its issues, and shape their own ideas for a better society, rather than simply receiving ideas from different ideological sources.  Civil society organisations need not only to develop their own capacities in “techniques, attitudes, skills, and crafts,” but also to ensure their effective use when working with communities. These techniques, attitudes, skills, and crafts include inner-sense dialogue techniques, empathetic listening, critical thinking, a fact-based investigative approach, freedom from prejudice, etc.

Civil society organisations must shape their dreams through the realities and perspectives of the communities, institutions, and individuals they serve. Since people’s lives have been shaped over generations by challenges and experiences, their perspectives must not be dismissed. Change cannot occur immediately. Therefore, civil society organisations must first develop their own capacities and methods. Effective narratives on issues like poverty, inequality, exploitation, disease, unemployment, climate change, and domestic violence should guide people to understand, define, and develop the socio-political roles needed for change, foster a mindset to engage and participate in influencing socio-state policies constructively, and help people understand the socio-political roles needed for change.

Craft of Communication and Dialogue

Knowledge about malnutrition, gender discrimination, climate change-related behaviours, natural farming, children’s education, and menstrual health should not be delivered with the expectation of uncritical acceptance. Social workers should engage in dialogue, prepared to understand and empathize with people’s experiences, arguments, and reasons with genuine curiosity. Maintaining the possibility of dialogue, even when opinions differ, matters more than rejecting behaviours or traditions, as social change is not shaped by the timeline of institutional projects.

Active Participation and Decision-Making

Another important practical aspect, linked to dialogue, is the decision-making process. Has the active participation of people, women, and youth been ensured? Genuine participation means people express their views without hesitation, are heard without prejudice, and see their voices reflected in the process. For civil society organisations, a key indicator is that community members can confidently explain the issues, goals, and plans as their own.

Craft of Active Listening

Active Listening is both a craft and a mental capacity. One should not listen just to respond or react. Avoid listening to prove society or people guilty for their behaviour or situation. Listen to what is being said, and pay attention to the form and tone. Often, we want to express our views or respond before fully listening. Activists and leaders of civil society organisations should develop a practice of listening. It is not necessary to respond to every question, offer solutions, or correct others. Active listening begins by accepting that others also have much to share, contribute, and shape knowledge.

Scientific Thinking Attitude

Groups or communities conducting initiatives must avoid always answering questions or providing counterarguments. Instead, engage communities and use scientific methods to find and test answers. If people get ready-made answers, another group may offer a better one, influence them, and communities may start believing it. Civil society organisations should not provide answers but encourage scientific thinking and experimentation.

Use of People’s Language

Are the issues addressed by CSOs described in the people’s language? Are terms like climate change, inequality, injustice, malnutrition, inclusion, equity, and the One Thousand Days of Life cycle approach part of the community’s vocabulary? CSO initiatives may spark discussions on malnutrition or climate change in offices in Delhi, New York, or Bhopal. However, if CSOs don’t use the community’s own language, these topics will not become social issues. There is always the risk that when groups or governments, driven by self-interest, abandon the issue, discussions and initiatives will also stop. When people define social issues in their own language, they are more likely to engage with political processes.

Understanding Dimensions and Interconnectedness

To understand how widespread the topic at hand is, consider that any issue affecting society or people’s lives is intertwined with multiple dimensions. For instance, how is malnutrition related to gender inequality, to climate change, or to the agricultural crisis? Do communalism or superstitions also play a role in malnutrition? It is the fundamental responsibility of civil society actors to deeply understand, analyse, and communicate their subject.

Freedom from prejudices and reliance on facts

Without freeing ourselves from prejudices, it will not be possible to connect with society and its issues. If prejudices exist, civil society organisations will be on one pole, and communities/people will be on the other. What is the social structure? What is their identity, folk culture, and economics? What are the real causes of the problem? Who is most affected? What are the indicators we want to change? What is the status of those indicators? If civil society organisations analyse these dimensions with facts, their initiatives will be realistic and result-oriented.

Investing in value-based processes rather than results

Civil society organisations are facing a dilemma today. They are under pressure to demonstrate, every week, every quarter, and at the end of every year, that their projects have resulted in social change, poverty reduction, children being in school, the environment being protected, and villages becoming better. It has become essential for them to show how many people have received ration cards, how many hectares of land have been irrigated, or how many children have been enrolled in school. Knowingly or unknowingly, civil society has been incorporated into the state system. What’s not being considered is whether civil society organisations are truly pursuing their “community/people-led” work? Are issues of food security, employment, or education being established from a rights perspective? Are civil society organisations working to establish the values of justice, equity, equality, freedom from exploitation, and dignity? If the process of socio-economic change is truly to be sustainable, it must be people-centered. A narrative on public issues cannot be created unless institutions adopt a value-based approach.