CEDAR is a not-for-profit organization registered in 2006 under the Societies Act of 1860. The registered office of CEDAR is located in Delhi while the main operations office is based in Dehradun. CEDAR was established when a group of academics and development practitioners came together to bridge the gap between applied research and field based interventions or, to put it differently, ‘balance theory and practice’. The development sector has, for long, been caught in the divide between theoreticians and practitioners. This divide has set the sector back and deprived it of the opportunity to continuously assess and improve its work. This has also had implications for policy formulation whereby the lack of a right blend of lessons from the field, properly documented and analyzed, has led to information gap in policy formulation. CEDAR sees its role to straddle this divide and help fill the information gap in policy formulation.
Urban agglomerations across the Indian Himalaya are undergoing rapid expansion and economic transformation. Their increasing population fuelled by migration from rural areas; consumptive lifestyles as the economic status of people change; and effects of climate change, are all contributing to ever-growing water shortages. This has led to a situation of water insecurity in the region In recent years, this has been a major focus of CEDAR’s activities.
CEDAR has worked through a process of engagement with various stakeholders. From engaging with and helping strengthen citizen groups in many of these towns, to collaborating with research institutions, and helping convince decision makers in the Government and the political leadership, the process CEDAR has focused on building consensus and a sense of ownership at all levels.
Website: http://www.cedarhimalaya.org
CEDAR invites students from different backgrounds to intern on topics related to above and address parts of the above objectives and contribute towards the ongoing research and future plan of the organisation and develop their own understanding about issues related to urbanisation, climate change and water in the Himalayan region. Work will be supervised by Dr. Vishal Singh, Executive Director of CEDAR.
Open to undergraduates or any graduate students with both social sciences and physical sciences backgrounds interested in pure and interdisciplinary research in the Himalayan region. Students having skills in photography and video documentary, creative writing, network development or interest in historical, cultural and social issues such as changes in traditional food habits, customs etc are also encouraged to apply.
You should expect to spend about £1500 for eight weeks - this covers costs for food and accommodation, as well as local travel. This includes the £200 programme fee payable for Camvol support.
In addition to these local costs, volunteers will need to book return flights to India (typically about £750 if booked early), and apply for an appropriate visa, as required by the Indian High Commission (for visa charges, please check the Indian visa facilitation service website for exact fees).
Vaccination and other medical costs have NOT been included in estimated costs, and applicants should take this into account while planning their budgets. If you intend to travel for recreation and tourism, these costs will be additional, so please budget accordingly.
Some financial support for summer charitable work, internships and volunteering is available via Colleges and from the University. If selected, the Camvol Director can advise about funding opportunities.