The India Committee of the Netherlands is an independent non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to improving the lives of the underprivileged in South Asia by means of social and political opinion forming and influencing, research, education, publicity, campaigning and public awareness (raising). To achieve its goals ICN cooperates with local organisations and organisations in the Netherlands, Europe and worldwide.
Vision
The ICN strives for a more just society in which human rights, including labour rights are respected in India and other South Asian countries.
Strategy
To achieve the mission the ICN focuses on the following strategies: (policy) influencing through public campaigns and political and societal opinion making; knowledge building through research and focussing on specific long-term thematic issues and strengthening cooperation and networking. The ICN does not finance organisations or projects in India or South Asia herself, but supports local Indian organisations by helping them to get access to European and Dutch politicians and public, through research, by raising information from and concerns of ICN’s partners at the European level, and by sharing information and expertise with them.
In the Netherlands but also worldwide, ICN cooperates with a wide variety of organisations that fight for a more just society. The wider the social support, the stronger the political pressure and the ability to support the underprivileged and deprived groups in South Asia in their struggle for social justice. These groups benefit from effective corporate accountability by Dutch companies e.g. by ensuring labour rights at their suppliers, effective development cooperation for the poor and attention for the violation of human rights of Dalits, children and victims of religious extremism.
