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From Gandhi's first act of civil resistance in South Africa to Rosa Parks’ transformative stand in Montgomery in the United States, history's greatest social movements did not start with seasoned activists — they began with ordinary citizens who refused to tolerate injustice. In "Power to the People," Danny Sriskandarajah draws on his journey from Tamil refugee to leader of Oxfam Great Britain, CIVICUS, and the New Economics Foundation to argue that citizen action matters now more than ever.
Join Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar and Sriskandarajah for this Devex book club episode as they explore why traditional institutions are failing to deliver genuine change. In a world where political and economic systems have been captured by elites — leaving just 3% of humanity living in truly open societies — Sriskandarajah presents an optimistic vision for renewal through what he terms "the undergrowth," the vital networks of community connection and civic engagement that nurture lasting social transformation.
Drawing on examples from volunteer-run repair cafes to anti-corruption campaigns in Brazil, Sriskandarajah challenges the development sector's top-down approach. For a world facing climate breakdown and democratic decline, his message is clear: real change won't come from boardrooms or conference halls — it will come from citizens reclaiming their power.
Traditional institutions, as Sriskandarajah argues, promised change but delivered only elite capture. This conversation flips the script: citizens are already bypassing broken systems to build their own solutions. Real transformation doesn't wait for permission — it grows from the ground up, wherever people choose to act.