DraftCraft International Completes 25 Years of Turning Ideas into Action
By A Draft Correspondent
Marking 25 years of pioneering media intervention, legal advocacy, field research and ground zero documentation, global policy and research think tank DraftCraft International today marks its silver jubilee as it shares the occasion with India's 80th Independence Day.
A quarter of a century ago, on 15 August 2001, an idea took shape - an idea that sought to move beyond conventional boundaries, connect people with institutions, take law and culture into the public domain, and create platforms where citizens could participate, question, document and act. Twenty-five years later, that journey continues with the same spirit, but with an ever-expanding canvas.
Over two and a half decades, DraftCraft conceived, launched and completed several campaigns, projects and initiatives Across India and Beyond Borders. Some have travelled across cities, villages and tribal zones, some have entered courtrooms, some have travelled on two wheels into interiors, while others have brought theatre, cinema, exhibitions, documentaries, law, culture and public discourse directly to people. At the heart of these initiatives has been a simple principle: to be present where issues matter, document what deserves attention and create platforms for meaningful public engagement.
Among the most significant recent milestones is the Supreme Court's recognition of the Right to Walk as a fundamental right. The development resonates deeply with DraftCraft's longstanding engagement with public spaces, accessibility, citizenship and the rights of ordinary people. It represents the latest addition to a line of initiatives through which DraftCraft has sought to bring questions of law, rights and public interest out of institutions and into everyday public discourse.
On the occasion, DraftCraft founder Editor, Solicitor and Documentary Film-maker Gajanan Khergamker launched a year-long programme of campaigns and initiatives that will run until the next year. The anniversary will see its volunteers, researchers, professionals and field teams fan out across uncharted territories, taking research and public engagement into public spaces, courtrooms, classrooms and underserved communities.
DraftCraft is an independent, multidisciplinary think tank, operating under its guiding tenet Via Media and By The Law, that bridges the gap between institutional policy and ground realities. It operates across law, media, foreign affairs, governance and culture, translating research, policy and institutional frameworks into informed public engagement and ground-level action. Rather than limiting discourse to boardroom seminars, DraftCraft prioritises direct participatory democracy - mobilising media and legal professionals, researchers, documentarians, and citizens to challenge inequities and reshape the public domain.
DraftCraft's distinctive approach, rooted in Research In Motion, takes research beyond desks and documents and directly into the field. By combining investigative surveys, photography, documentary filmmaking, interviews, and deep legal analysis, it examines critical issues where they unfold.
The broad focus areas under this banner encompass Rule of Law, International Law, International Affairs, Human Rights, Development, Energy & Environment, Internet & Media, Indigenous Rights, Culture & Heritage, Migration & Refugees, and more.
DraftCraft’s structured matrix of Programmes, Projects and Pilots puts this philosophy into continuous practice. Focused thematic programmes bring together lawyers, journalists, researchers, students, professionals and volunteers to address complex systemic challenges. Key programme portfolios examine Democratic Processes, Sustainable Development, Climate Change, Juvenile Justice, Affirmative Action, Food and Health, Mining, LGBT Rights, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Arts and Cinema, Inclusive Tourism, Immigration, Cybersecurity, Terrorism and Conflict & Excess.
Dedicated, long-term frameworks address vital public interest questions that arise in key projects including The Public Space Project, The Public Health Project, The Fake Findings Project, The Rights of the Accused Project, The Media Matters Project, The Reforms Project, The Maverick Project, The Natives Trail Project, The Inclusion Project, etc.
Among ground zero testbeds are strategic pilots deployed at historic, cultural, and ecological crossroads to refine methodologies before scaling into wider movements. Prominent localised pilots include those at the Andamans, Goa, Elephanta Island, Gateway of India, Sassoon Docks, Banganga, Udvada, Usgalimal, Matheran and more.
Complementing these are flagship initiatives such as DRIFFT - DraftCraft Roaming International Film Festival & Cultural Trails, which bridges regional divides through moving exhibitions, screenings and cultural performances; Lawyers On Wheels, where practising advocates, legal counsel and law practitioners travel on two-wheelers into remote tribal and rural interiors to provide legal aid and document customary practices and mores; And, most importantly, The Universal Laws Of Nature Programme, which explores the vital intersection between statutory law, natural justice and lived community realities.
Interestingly, to mark its silver jubilee, DraftCraft has rolled out an intensive, year-long public engagement programme where law and media students / professionals, researchers, artists, volunteers and citizens will lead community workshops, field interventions and public forums across the country, building upon a 25-year archive of field research and action.
"The completion of 25 years is not the end of a chapter but the beginning of the next. For the coming year, we call upon volunteers, students, professionals, institutions, communities and citizens to travel with us, research with us, document with us, question with us and create with us,” read a media release.
25 years complete ... the journey continues!
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