JIGYASA GULATI

Born and raised in Delhi, Jigyasa decided to educate herself although education was not the priority for her family. Securing an MA in peace and conflict studies, she has built multiple projects with refuges, migrants and children. Beyond this, she has published multiple papers, specifically on non-traditional approaches to peacebuilding and the links between peacebuilding and public policy.

“The Key Challenge Is the Increasing Level of Intolerance among People”

Q: Tell us a few things about your country, and also your life's story!

I live in Delhi, India. In India, we have a rich blend of traditions, religions, languages, cultures, food, among others. I believe Delhi is where we see it blossom most beautifully. People across India and abroad come here to access various opportunities like jobs and education since this place has some of the most renowned institutions. I was born and bought up in this environment but still remained far from it for a very long time. Education was not a priority in our family culture, however, as I scored well, I gradually built my understanding with exposure, and I navigated my way beyond the narrow vision of our family and society.

Now, I work in a field called peacebuilding. It was not a dream or anything that I planned, but it just came in my way and I found this to be most aligned with my values so here I am. I was interested in international relations and later, Nuclear Strategy however, with some life events, I ended up doing peacebuilding and now, I am all up for it.

Q: How did you experience the global pandemic crisis, did it change your life or/and your views about the world? How?

The pandemic did impact me both at the personal and professional level. I was pursuing my Masters when we suddenly went under lockdown. It was hard to deal with the increasing level of stress resulting from multiple factors like disrupted studies, difficulty to cope with my family, suffering of my friends. In all, it was a lot. I was co-leading a ground project but due to COVID-19 and the protest that was going on in Delhi, we couldn't continue our work since access was denied.  

Q: What are some of the key challenges in your society currently? 

I believe the key challenge is the increasing level of intolerance among people. Polarization has been on rise throughout our country and the people around me are no immune to it. I come from the side of majority upper class Hindu and thus, I have seen how the seeds of hatred are sowed and grown. It is really difficult to address this cycle of violence but that is the need of the hour.

Q: Share with us some of the hurdles that you had to overcome in your life so far? How did you handle them?

I will talk about my professional life. I am still handling these challenges, so I don’t think overcoming is the right word.

• I work in a field called peacebuilding that is hardly recognized in India. We don't have jobs in the sector and that is seen very negatively. Therefore, it is a challenge to continue my work. No one from your parents to friends understands it. In terms of handling it, I have kept on taking one step at a time and I have been working as a freelancer to grab whatever small/big opportunities knock the door.

• I also think it has become difficult to simply be yourself. I am surrounded by people whose ideas and beliefs are guided by false ideologies and the dominant media narratives. So, trying to transform them to let humanity thrive and at the same time, keeping one's values intact, is a struggle. Having patience, acceptance, and persistence, along with a support system in the form of understanding friends, I believe are the key factors that have helped me handle the situation so far.

Q: If you were to ask one thing from our current leaders, what would it be?

Adopt a human-centric lens in your work and half of the problems will be resolved.

Q: Why is the role of a mentor important for you?

For me, a mentor is important to help me find answers. It is not about showing me a path but helping me to find or actually build my own.

Sometimes, we find ourselves in a situation where we don’t have guidance or support. We look for our parents, they have experience, but they do not understand our generation and might not also know about current trends. We look for our friends and siblings, but they might simply be as clueless as ourselves. This is where the role of a mentor comes in. A person, near your age with experience and who is there with the sole intention to guide you, is all that is required.

Q: Do you have a lesson that life has taught you and you would like to share?  

I believe I have many lessons life taught me, but I will stick to two.

1.  Embrace your uniqueness

No other person on this planet could be like you. We all have different experiences, we are surrounded by different people, and we have different learnings, among others. This composition makes us unique. So, never try to be like someone and just be yourself.

2.  Be kind and humble

Life is too short to spend in jealousy, hatred, anger, and frustration. They will come as they are a part of emotions that we are born with but when you adopt kindness as the supreme principle, it changes your entire worldview.

Q: Name a project, a foundation or a person in your country that you think is doing great work in helping improve other people's lives!

UNESCO MGIEP

Q: What are some of the challenges that women in your country face and what efforts are made towards gender equality?

Women are not seen as equals and, most importantly, women are not able to free themselves from the traditional norms that reinforce gendered ideas. Even after becoming economically independent, they struggle and are struck in the evil loops of patriarchy.

Q: Share with us a phrase, a poem or a story that means something to you.

Your pain is the breaking of that shell that encloses your understanding. - Khalil Gibran

Q: Share with us a project that you would like to make happen for your country or a cause that you are passionate about.

A project targeting children to inculcate the habit of being curious and asking questions.

**Photo on top: Field Visit_Refugee- The Peacebuilding Project, PBP

Photo middle left: Field Visit - Youth for Peace International, YFPI