Who Gets to Define Development? A People First Talk with Anshu Gupta
November 18, 2026
Estimated time commitment: 60 minutes
Why would three villages ask for a wrestling ground before a road? In remote villages in Jammu and Kashmir, Anshu Gupta’s team expected people to ask for a road. Instead, villagers chose a wrestling ground for young people and a local sporting tradition. Their choice challenged the team’s assumptions.
Join us on November 18 for a People First Talk with Anshu, founder of Goonj and Gram Swabhimaan, on dignity, local knowledge and how communities organize around priorities they identify. With Kassaga Arinaitwe, he will explore lessons for educators, alumni and others working with communities.
During this People First Talk we will:
- Explore how communities can identify their own priorities, mobilize local knowledge and resources, and work together to address challenges, drawing on Anshu Gupta's experience with Goonj and Gram Swabhimaan.
- Understand how dignity, self-worth, trust, and shared decision-making can strengthen people's agency and capacity to lead change collectively.
- Reflect on what educators, community leaders, and development practitioners can do differently to support locally led change, including how to ensure community voices shape decisions and how to sustain progress over time.
This call will take place o Wednesday, November 18 | 10:00 am EST | 3:00 pm GMT | 6:00 pm EAT | 8:30 pm IST
Register here.
Why would three villages ask for a wrestling ground before a road? In remote villages in Jammu and Kashmir, Anshu Gupta’s team expected people to ask for a road. Instead, villagers chose a wrestling ground for young people and a local sporting tradition. Their choice challenged the team’s assumptions.
Join us on November 18 for a People First Talk with Anshu, founder of Goonj and Gram Swabhimaan, on dignity, local knowledge and how communities organize around priorities they identify. With Kassaga Arinaitwe, he will explore lessons for educators, alumni and others working with communities.
During this People First Talk we will:
- Explore how communities can identify their own priorities, mobilize local knowledge and resources, and work together to address challenges, drawing on Anshu Gupta's experience with Goonj and Gram Swabhimaan.
- Understand how dignity, self-worth, trust, and shared decision-making can strengthen people's agency and capacity to lead change collectively.
- Reflect on what educators, community leaders, and development practitioners can do differently to support locally led change, including how to ensure community voices shape decisions and how to sustain progress over time.
This call will take place o Wednesday, November 18 | 10:00 am EST | 3:00 pm GMT | 6:00 pm EAT | 8:30 pm IST
Register here.