Anti War Fund (AWF)

Attendees

• Mr. O.P. Shah — Kolkata
• Mr. Vishwatma — Lucknow
• Mr. Sandeep Pandey — Lucknow
• Mr. I.D. Khajuria — Jammu
• Mrs. Santosh Khajuria — Jammu
• Mr. Chunnilal — Ganganagar
• Mr. Shivakant Gorakhpuri — Delhi
• Mr. Rajesh Bharat — Ganganagar
• Mr. Harendra Suryavanshi — Delhi
• Mr. Avdhesh Kumar Singh — Meerut
• Mr. Tahseen Ahmad — Delhi
• Ms. Ashima Sabbarwal — Delhi
• Mr. Gaurav Jain — Delhi

Agenda 1 — Need for an Anti-War Fund & Legal Status

Mr. Sandeep Pandey said we should work toward the vision expressed by Rahul Sankrityayan in his book 22nd Century, where no country has an army or defence minister and a single world government exists.

Mr. Vishwatma observed that import–export practices are a root cause of poverty and that recent wars have produced a sense of helplessness. Hence, formation of an anti-war fund is necessary. There was discussion about sources of funding — whether to adopt a “person-focused” approach or a “fund-focused” approach. It was clarified that Mission for Global Change (MGC) is a registered trust which has so far collected ₹100,000 and is compliant with tax/legal requirements (12A, 80G, ITR, payment gateway).

Decision:

By consensus it was decided that the Anti-War Fund will continue to operate as a unit of the Mission for Global Change.

Agenda 2 — Organisational Focus: “People-Focused” or “Fund-Focused”?

After discussion, it was unanimously decided that the organisation will be fund-focused. There are already many grassroots anti-war groups working in this area; the Fund will provide financial support to those organisations.

Agenda 3 — Role of Donors

• Prashant Bhushan: Wealthy donors should not have a decision-making role.
• Gaurav Jain: Wealthy donors should be respected, but control should remain with the organisation.
• Sandeep Pandey: Funds should not be accepted from arms traders (e.g., Anil Ambani); ethical industrialists such as Azim Premji would be acceptable.
• Other members shared their views as well.

Decision:

Photos of the top 16 donors will be published on the website, but they will not be given seats on the Steering Committee.

Agenda 4 — Mode of Donations: Cash or Online?

Mr. Vishwatma proposed that, to avoid reputational risk, the organisation should accept donations only via online methods or by cheque.

Decision:

Unanimously accepted — donations will be accepted only online or by cheque.

Agenda 5 — Permissible Uses of the Fund

Final list of permitted expenditures:

1. Honoraria for social media content creators, video editors, promoters, and researchers.
2. Training camps and seminars in Delhi, state capitals, and other locations.
3. International travel for trained “Peace Ambassadors”.
4. Anti-war advertisements on social and electronic media.
5. Regular memorandums, proposals, and policy documents sent to heads of state and the United Nations.
6. Deployment of volunteers in war-affected areas.
7. Publication and training through anti-war books, documents, and films.
8. Participation in international conferences and citizen-led initiatives.
9. Rehabilitation of refugees and support for citizen-led initiatives.
10. Preparation and dissemination of alternative policy documents on war and military expenditure.
11. Activities approved from time to time by the Central Steering Committee.

Agenda 6 — Organisational Structure

Mr. Rajesh Bharat suggested that local units should be empowered to spend a portion of funds locally.

Mr. Vishwatma clarified that the Anti-War Fund will not create separate local organisations; rather it will work in partnership with local units of the Global Alliance for Participation and Peace (GAPP).

Agenda 7 — Membership Fee

Proposal: Annual fee of ₹500.

Decision:

After discussion it was decided that members will be charged ₹100 per month (₹1,200 annually).

Agenda 8 — Formation of the Steering Committee

By consensus, the following representatives were included on the Steering Committee:

• O.P. Shah — Centre for Peace and Progress
• Prashant Bhushan — Action for Democratic Reforms
• Sandeep Pandey — Founding Member
• Vishwatma — Founding Member
• Ms. Jyoti Singh — Founding Member
• Mr. Anmol Kumar
• Prof. Yogendra Yadav — International peace activist
• Dr. Sunilam — India-Pakistan-Bangladesh Forum
• I.D. Khajuria — India-Pakistan Peace Forum
• Karnail Singh Jakhepal / Rajesh Bharat — International Democratic Platform
• Syed Tahseen Ahmad — Task Force (liaison with influential contacts)
• Firoz Mithiborwala — India-Palestine Solidarity Forum

Agenda 10 — Upcoming Activities

• Local meetings (for example, with bar associations).
• Debate competitions in schools and colleges.
• Meetings with teachers.
• Formation of village-level committees.
• Annual commemoration of International Day of Peace on 21 September — events organised by the Anti-War Fund to encourage broad participation. Where possible, delegations willing to travel to the Pakistan border may demonstrate solidarity; others may conduct dialogues or festivities appropriate to their contexts. Fundraising campaigns may be run on this day.
• Create a half-A4 leaflet introducing new people to the Fund’s purpose and activities.
• Mr. Tahseem Ahmad was authorised to contact Javed Akhtar for collaboration efforts.