What if?
Leadership
w
a
s
n
o
t
a
p
o
s
i
t
i
o
n
b
u
t
a
c
o
l
l
e
c
t
i
v
e
f
o
r
c
e
t
h
a
t
e
x
c
e
l
b
e
i
n
g
t
o
g
e
t
h
e
r
?
Can moments of discomfort be the catalyst for
transformative
Leadership?
Leadership Next | Introduction
2016-now
a journey full of challenges is our journey filled with joy.
survivors
leaders
Emergence of ILFAT
Survivors of human trafficking have often experienced to have been treated as helpless, hapless victims of crime. Their opinions have always been ignored by the society as a whole. Survivor collectives such as Bandhan Mukti, Utthan and Bijoyini from West Bengal and Vimukthi from Andhra Pradesh who have been associated with the Leadership Next programme realised that their voice has never reached the mainstream. Policies and schemes for the survivors have been made without consulting them and understanding their life experiences. They felt that they have been silenced, not heard or consulted as if their opinions do not matter, and their potential for leadership has been suppressed.
Navigating Adversity with Resilienc
While some faltered in their fights, some still struggling to survive, some persevered with resilience, the covid-19 pandemic, which posed one of the greatest tests to the humankind the world has ever seen. Among many powerful, influential, inspiring and resourceful individuals, institutions and governments those who exhibited resilience to survive and leadership to support others in need with empathy and courage there are ‘survivor leaders’ too. The leaders who have survived through trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation and keep surviving through stigma, violence and exploitation, also survived through Covid-19 and supported their families and communities survive through adversity with profound leadership.