Samdhana, in Sanskrit, means a peaceful coming together, a giving back.

The Samdhana Institute’s vision is for a region where natural, cultural and spiritual diversity are valued and environmental conflicts are resolved peacefully, with justice and equity for all parties.

Achieving this requires that communities who directly manage their local natural resources, local and indigenous peoples have clear rights, have ready recourse to justice, have strong and skilled leadership, as well as stable financial resources and access to appropriate technical support.

Samdhana is a community of fellows who after learning with farmers and indigenous peoples, are committed to inter-generational and universal values of nurturing people, nature and culture. It was formed in 2003 by a small group of rights, environment and development practitioners who share a commitment to ‘giving back’ what they have learned to the next generation with their knowledge, experiences, and extensive local and global networks.

The Samdhana Institute offers an institutional home and living community for those who wish to devote more of their time and energy to the work they are most passionate about.