The Indicorps Philosophy
"Service for the Soul"
The Indicorps approach to development, both of communities and of individuals, stems from the potential of making every challenge in the world a personal one.
Solidarity with communities in understanding problems and seeking solutions requires a total dedication of body, mind, and soul to the process of long-term change. In order to exemplify solutions through personal actions, Indicorps actively pushes its fellows to relinquish comfort zones and "be the change."
Indicorps' philosophy of change:
By engaging talented young Indians from around the world to tackle India's most pressing challenges, we can nurture a new brand of socially conscious leaders with the character, knowledge, commitment, and vision to transform India and the world.
This is based on several observations and assumptions:
(1) India's greatest challenges are not financial. There is a lot of money available for good ideas. However, the sectors that comprise the nation's backbone (education, civil services, development, health services, social sector, politics, etc) have a dire need for committed and visionary talent to drive sustained progress.
(2) Contribution to the development sector should be valued. The most talented people in India should have viable opportunities to contribute to the country, and be rewarded for their contribution to national progress.
(3) Young people want to contribute, but they are looking for both the opportunities and incentives to act. By developing a selective program to engage committed and able young people, we can generate an aura of prestige around opportunities for young Indians to take responsibility for national progress.
(4) Encouraging civic engagement within the youth will transform the way they interact with society, and inspire others to follow suit.
Indicorps' approach to practice:
By nurturing exceptional leadership, Indicorps drives change. We play an active role in shaping the fellows’ approach to their grassroots projects and emphasize a transformation that begins with an individual sense of responsibility towards improving the world.
Total immersion in the community acts as powerful mirror to reflect on one’s potential. In the field, Indicorps participants face the constant compulsion to bridge the gap between personal comfort and their interest in grassroots change. The "creative struggle" between "who we are" and "who we want to be" enables the transformation from passive supporters into active leaders.
In the spirit of creative problem-solving, Indicorps mobilizes young people to implement innovative grassroots projects. We encourage progress based on long-term results rather than immediate gratification; we emphasize the importance of addressing causes, rather than symptoms of systemic problems.
We recognize the value of shedding pre-judgments as a prerequisite to empathize with the communities we serve. In the spirit of service and human solidarity, Indicorps encourages its fellows to leave minimal footprints in each of their efforts.
Indicorps aims to inspire a shift in the way people approach change. We strive to nurture leaders with principle — those who produce ideas and solutions rather than consume opportunities and experiences. Value-based simple living, internal motivation, transparency in action, and an understanding of the intangibles strengthen this change in perspective.
