Applications Invited for Coexistence Champions Programme

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About the Organization

Coexistence is an attempt to rethink the dominant conservation paradigm – not just protecting wild animals locked away in far-off pockets of forests, but also coexisting and living well with animals and nature around us. We are a consortium of ecologists, anthropologists, geographers and conservationists with extensive knowledge and experience in human-wildlife coexistence who have come together to promote the concept of coexistence.

The focal activity of this consortium is to gain deeper insights into coexistence between humans and nature by supporting a range of context-specific coexistence projects around the world.

About the Program

Across India, there are many thousands of individuals who are coexisting with other beings  – forest dwellers, pastoralists, fishers, farmers, educators, forest staff, storytellers, healers, community leaders – even if they don’t always call it ‘conservation’. They negotiate daily shared spaces with wild animals and navigate the challenges of these relationships through empathy, resilience, reciprocity and respect. These are the people whose wisdom, practice, and voice must shape what conservation looks like in the coming decades. 

The Coexistence Champions Programme exists to support a range of grounded and place-based initiatives, individuals and groups to grow, inspire and amplify the voices of lived coexistence. We invest in those already practicing and advocating coexistence to lead the radical rethinking of the conservation paradigm. Coexistence asks us to move beyond the binary of human vs. nature, and build shared lands and shared stories that are rooted in equity, justice and empathy. Our Champions are among the architects of this paradigm shift.

This is a commitment to amplify what already works.

It’s a partnership with the people and ideas already driving change. 

We’re here to support and elevate the ecosystem that exists, not start over. 

Programme Structure

• We currently support mid-career conservationists (with 5–10 years of relevant experience) through a consultancy project  up to ₹30 Lakhs annually.
• The programme begins with a 2 year funding commitment, extendable up to 5 years based on annual progress reviews.
• We launch with a 10 day in-person induction and cohort-building gathering, focused on building a shared understanding of conservation frameworks, law and policy, power and privilege, and storytelling for impact.
• We cooperate to build stronger networks of partner NGOs, researchers, and conservation practitioners, increasing collaboration, a shared understanding, as well as strengthening and amplifying our collective as well as diverse voices from the ground.
• A strong focus on building capacity for storytelling and outreach, to reshape the mainstream conflict narrative and enable the paradigm shift we are working towards.
• We believe in grounded autonomy, not top-down mandates, enabling Champions to lead change from within, rooted in context and community.
• Champions are expected to work with local governance and community institutions, tap into indigenous knowledge systems, use science and build accountability and joint ownership from the start.

How to Apply

Please fill and submit the Application Form on or before 15th August 2025.

For more information please check the Link

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Tags Environment and Sustainability Public Policy/ Policy Others