Jaiv Panchayat

Ecological agriculture is not possible unless biodiversity is in the commons, and is free from the threat of extinction posed by technologies like genetic engineering.

Hence, on 5th June 1999, on the World Environment Day, Navdanya launched Jaiv Panchayat - the Living Democracy Movement - to fight against the biopiracy and IPR monopolies on life forms.

The “Jaiv Panchayat” is
the Biodiversity Panchayat It is living democracy – both in being the democracy of all life and democracy in everyday life. It consists of the entire gram sabha (gram ke sab log) women, children and minority communities and not merely those who are on the electoral rolls of the village. This form of the Panchayat renders the community the decision-maker on all matters pertaining to biodiversity and its conservation.

In doing so, the Jaiv Panchayat lays down the parameters within which the elected Panchayat body can take action vis-à-vis biodiversity. You too can help bring to life a Jaiv Panchayat and make real the idea of a living democracy - a democracy for life in all its diversity.