In 2024, the Azadi Leadership Program expanded its reach across two distinct geographies, bringing together powerful voices from communities that are often underrepresented in social movements and decision-making spaces.
In Delhi, the program brought together 10 leaders from diverse and marginalized backgrounds, ranging from Dalit, Muslim, migrant, and working-class communities. Each of them engaged deeply with social justice issues impacting their neighborhoods—from access to education and menstrual health to constitutional rights, gender sensitization, self-expression through art, livelihoods, and mental health support. Through workshops, mentorship, and applied fieldwork, the Delhi cohort worked on locally-rooted projects that responded to systemic inequalities, developed leadership practices grounded in care, and cultivated powerful community networks for change.
The second cohort of the program consisted of 7 youth leaders from Kashmir, one of the most conflict-affected and politically complex regions in India. These young changemakers, living at the intersections of occupation, insecurity, and limited access to civic space, came together to reflect on their lived experiences and the systemic barriers that shape them. Despite the weight of generational trauma and continued marginalization, they envisioned bold community-led interventions focused on justice, healing, and inclusion. The cohort created a rare space for Kashmiri youth to build solidarity, reclaim narratives, and develop tools for long-term social transformation.
Together, these two cohorts exemplify the mission of the Azadi Leadership Program: to invest in young people on the margins and equip them with the knowledge, tools, and networks to lead just futures on their own terms.