Years ago, early in Jagdeesh Rao Puppala’s career, he ran into some trouble with the law in rural western India. He had just returned from a small event where some eminent leaders and villagers had decided to green a patch of derelict land. It was the familiar photo-op of a handful of VIPs planting a row of saplings. When he returned to the office, he found an unfamiliar man waiting for him. The man was from the District Magistrate’s office. He handed him an envelope. Inside, Jagdeesh found a notice of trespassing.

“What the villagers think is their land, the government says isn’t,” says Jagdeesh. “What the villagers see as useful land, the government calls wastelands.” This dynamic, common to many agrarian societies, is a holdover from the colonial era. Land that appeared to have little potential to generate revenue for the queen was given this relegated status.

Jagdeesh emphasizes that with the development of the land comes the development of the people. “A vital part of this is enhancing the capacity of local people, the power of collective action, and harnessing these high-quality leaders who address these serious ecological, economic, and social deficiencies.” FES is doubling down on its mission to develop human capital by opening rural colleges that train local people to advocate for and manage these common resources.

Read the full article by Zachary Slobig about thriving India from Skoll