Our Story

The Institute for Social Democracy (ISD) was founded in 2004 by the late Dr. Khurshid Anwar with a vision of peace, harmony, dignity, and dialogue across differences. His central question was simple yet profound: What keeps societies together? What stops it from breaking apart? What role does culture or our heritage play in keeping peace and harmony and creating a society based on acceptance of diversity? The answer lay in Composite Heritage—the shared cultural practices, traditions, and values that transcend boundaries of religion, caste, gender, and geography.

South Asia, with its deep interconnections of history, culture, and everyday life, continues to be shaped both by collective trauma and by collective resilience. Over several decades, this region has healed itself time and again through its shared heritage—festivals, languages, folk traditions, stories, and ways of living that connect people ISD’s work builds on this lived truth: that peace is possible when people reclaim what they share.

Since its inception, ISD has upheld the conviction that our Composite Heritage—encompassing shared and diverse traditions, cultures, practices, festivals, and belief systems—possesses the potential to foster unity and strengthen peaceful coexistence. Through a range of workshops, dialogues, and similar platforms, ISD has engaged with wider audiences, creating avenues for open exchange with the aim of deepening understanding of the significance and relevance of such heritage in nurturing harmony. Over time, this expanded into Training of Trainers, creating a network of more than 200 trainers across India and South Asia. Alongside, ISD has produced accessible publications, videos, and organised dialogues and platforms in multiple languages, reaching thousands beyond direct workshops.

Equally important has been the effort to revive and mainstream Composite Heritage in communities. From reinstating inter-community Ramleela celebrations in a remote village in Uttar Pradesh, to restoring dignity to Dalit folk artists in Himachal Pradesh, ISD has supported communities in reclaiming over 145 shared traditions once lost to the inevitable changes in contexts from time-to-time. These initiatives have created spaces where people can rebuild trust, celebrate together, and find pride in collective ownership of culture.

Today, with a rich body of work spanning 20+ years, ISD continues this journey with a stronger focus on youth, women and children, recognizing them as vital agents of change. Through 43 youth groups comprising over 495--560 young people and 15 Youth Leaders; 34 women’s groups engaging 487 women and growing; more than 22 children’s groups involving 331 children and countless community dialogues, ISD nurtures the inclusive narrative – one that embraces coexistence.

We believe that peace is not an abstract ideal, but a lived practice woven into everyday culture. By reclaiming and celebrating our shared past, we strive to build an inclusive, peaceful and harmonious future for all.