Public Advocacy Initiatives for Rights and Values in India (PAIRVI)
is a capacity building and advocacy support organization, formed in 1999 and registered under section 25 of the Indian Company’s Act 1956, working at the intersections of rights, development and sustainability.
It works with small grassroots organizations and community based groups to enhance their understanding on development discourse and capacity to respond appropriately.
PAIRVI also works with a pan Indian coalition on climate and environmental justice, MAUSAM (Movement for Advancing Understanding on Sustainability and Mutuality), previously Beyond Copenhagen.
We Work On
Climate Crisis
Climate crisis has the potential to unexpectedly impact lives and development, and southern countries and communities dependent on natural resources are more vulnerable. Its interventions aim to bring urgency and adequacy in the mitigation and adaptation response of the governments and global community. It also works with vulnerable communities in strengthening their adaptive capacity. PAIRVI has engaged extensively with national and sub national policies on climate change as well as with international institutions like United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Conference of Parties (COP).
Sustainable Development
PAIRVI promotes rights based approach to development and believes that current economic models have failed to address poverty, inequality, marginalization and are based on overexploitation of natural resources. It engages with Sustainable Development Goals and other policies aimed at sustainable development. It promotes decentralized policy making and demands accountable governance. It seeks to enhance peoples understanding on sustainable development so that they can be partners in development and analyze policies, programmes and actions. It also engages with UN agencies working on sustainable development and environment including United Nations General Assembly, High Level Political Forum on SDGs, United Nations Environment, and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. PAIRVI is an active member of the Asia Pacific Regional CSOs Engagement Mechanism on Agenda 2030.
Food Sovereignty and Sustainable Agriculture
Climate change poses insurmountable challenges to food and agriculture. PAIRVI works to promote food sovereignty which entails sustainable food production through natural and agro ecological approaches, fair price and dignity to the farmers, and fair trade policies. PAIRVI works with farmers to enhance their resilience and income and represents their concerns at sub regional/regional and global fora. It also looks into the interrelations of policies and programmes on energy, agriculture and water. PAIRVI also works to secure land tenure for farmers and women farmers and to resist land grabs and corporate control over agriculture and agricultural inputs.
Human Rights
PAIRVI works with grassroots organization to protect human rights, promote internationally accepted standards of human rights and monitor human rights conditions. It works to strengthen peoples capacity to respond to human rights challenges and improve human rights infrastructure.
What We Do
PAIRVI actively monitors and engages with policy frameworks, developmental programs, and grassroots responses to advance sustainable development, climate resilience, food sovereignty, and the protection of human rights.
Our primary mission is to empower marginalized populations, with a dedicated focus on the most vulnerable communities.
Through multifaceted interventions, PAIRVI bridges the gap between grassroots realities and national policy. Furthermore, we amplify the perspectives of marginalized communities within international discourse, advocating for equity in global policies regarding climate change, poverty, trade, and human rights.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Women Bidi Workers
PAIRVI has established itself as a dedicated advocate for the rights and socio-economic well-being of women bidi workers, focusing its efforts on the Jamui and Samastipur districts of Bihar as well as Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. To address the systemic challenges of this informal sector, the organization actively organizes camps to facilitate social security registration, ensuring workers gain access to government benefits and essential labor identity cards. Beyond this, PAIRVI fosters long-term empowerment by cultivating leadership qualities and establishing women’s cooperatives, which provide the collective bargaining power and commercial sustainability necessary for independence. Central to PAIRVI's mission is the promotion of alternative livelihoods, where we provide vocational training designed to reduce the community's dangerous economic dependency on the tobacco industry.
Pahariya (PVTG) in Jharkhand
In Jharkhand, PAIRVI works with the Pahariya community, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in the Littipara (Pakur) and Sundarpahari (Godda) blocks. The program addresses the community's extreme socio-economic marginalization by facilitating access to social security schemes, improving economic self-reliance through skill development and financial support, and strengthening community leadership. A central goal of the initiative is the establishment of a formal democratic structure and an association for the Pahariya people. This structure aims to amplify their voice in local governance and enable organized dialogue with policy-makers to ensure long-term empowerment and sustainable development.
Children in Conflict with Law
In Rohtas district, Bihar, PAIRVI operates a specialized legal aid program dedicated to assisting juveniles in conflict with the law and under-trial prisoners from marginalized communities (SC, ST, and minorities). The initiative aims to provide free legal representation to secure bail for juveniles and under-trials accused of minor offenses, preventing their unnecessary or prolonged detention. Beyond courtroom advocacy, the project focuses on rehabilitation by linking released children to social security and education schemes, while also training paralegal volunteers to strengthen child protection at the panchayat level. Additionally, PAIRVI conducts large-scale community awareness meetings and offers a telephonic legal helpline to reach a broader audience in need of judicial guidance.
Be a Partner
Having active presence in many states PAIRVI offers opportunity to understand and learn society, economics and politics and participate in knowledge generation, research and campaigns. PAIRVI is an equal opportunity employer and encourages women, youth and people from marginalized communities to apply for suitable positions.
Please direct your queries to know more and apply at career@pairvi.org