HERITAGE INITIATIVE: Nehru Foundation For Development.
The Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD), Ahmedabad, founded in 1966, by Dr. Vikram A. Sarabhai as a registered charitable trust today runs a number of number of educational activities in the fields of Science, Mathematics, Environment, Health and Nutrition through Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Vikram Sarabhai Centre for Development Interaction (VIKSAT), and later Centre for Health Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness (CHETNA).
It feels that the communication activities are an integral part of the development process. Awareness-building, policy advocacy, education and training were the hallmarks of each institution. The activities of Nehru Foundation for Development are guided by Councils of Management consisting of eminent people in the field from different parts of India and representatives from the Central and State Government. Each activity has a Director and a competent professional staff. The programmes are supported by the Central Government as well as by foundations and other institutions. A number of organizations seek advice and help of the Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD) in preparing their educational material or carrying out their programmes and establishing building up a new institution in the field of education.
HERITAGE INITIATIVE:
Heritage Initiative is a relatively recent activity of the Nehru Foundation for Development started in September 2002 to address issues on Urban and architectural conservation.
Historic cities have been places of life, vitality, wealth, power, enlightenment and culture. However, these inner city areas have been marginalized in the process of urban growth.
The personality and character of a city is the result of centuries of growth in the course of which new elements are constantly juxtaposed with the older ones. Old buildings and older areas of the city should be looked upon as assets rather than liabilities because they represent the history of communities, embodying their tradition, heritage and culture through architecture and the urban from.
Despite having a wealth of Heritage resources and a strong community network, historic urban settlements are undergoing rapid transformations and decline due to pressures of urbanization in spite of a municipal system being in place. The pressure of urbanization is tearing apart the versatility and culture of the city, with each passing day. Today, these urban centres often get designated as Urban Slums.
This calls for an alternative way of using community participation and local community organizations along with the Government for managing, regenerating and revitalizing the city.
MISSION
Enabling the civic society and the government to take pride and participate in the process of conservation of cultural heritage, which promotes a sense of belonging and is an expression of the community’s pride and identity.
STRATEGY
Initiate awareness:
Through slide shows, interactive workshops, lectures, neighbourhood meetings, brochures and other print material towards the importance of conservation.
Heritage walks:
In the historic settlement exposes the visitor to a distinct socio- cultural and architectural character.
Facilitate tours, festivals and exhibitions: to highlight the rich craftsmanship still prevalent in the walled city.
Enable Documentation, Interpretation and Implementation:
Commission detailed urban surveys of households, building services, land records, land use, and the economic activity.
Listing and documentation of architectural, historical and sociological conditions and identification of the potential problems thus making a case for conservation.
Identification, Preparation problems thus making a case for feasible improvement program outlining possibilities for adaptive reuse, through community consultation and self help.
Execution of a few demonstration projects which could act as benchmarks for the locality.
Establish and share an updated database of historic cities and their inherited knowledge.
Implement Capacity Building Programs:
· Enable community participation.
· Sensitizing local organizations.
· Skill development of Artisans, training of volunteers and artisans.
· Research and propose tools towards an institutional development and guidelines for conservation.
Mobilizing Resources:
· Facilitate fund raising to initiate community led actions.
· Enable facilitation by Government.
· Act as an interface amongst concerned citizens, public and private sector.
Our hope is that through a holistic, sustainable growth in the walled city, its resources can be utilized to create a more coherent development not on a collision course with heritage. Urban Conservation is a process, which is strengthened by a number of assets and needs many parameters to be understood and handled. To understand and achieve the spirit of urban conservation in its complete sense we need to identify these parameters and work upon them.
Our contact address:
Ms. Anjali Kadam
Coordinator
Heritage Initiative
Nehru Foundation for Development,
Thaltej, Ahmedabad-380 054, INDIA.
Phone: 91- 79-26858002 -09-Extn:304 /26857123
Fax: 91-79-26853873