Gargi Banerji

Chair

Gargi Banerji is a founding member of Pragya. A post-graduate in Business Administration, she has worked as a management consultant and has wide experience of consulting with industrial houses and multi-national corporations. Ms. Banerji co-founded Pragya in 1995 and presently serves as an Executive Member of the Board of Trustees (Hon.). Through her decisions and actions, she has been shaping the organization into a development institution of repute. Under her leadership, Pragya has made significant contributions to improving lives of disadvantaged communities and conserving fragile ecologies. For her exemplary work on the conservation of medicinal and aromatic plants, she has been awarded the 'Whitley Award for International Nature Conservation'. She is a recipient of the 'MSDS Award' for Social Entrepreneurs and has also received recognition for her work by National HRD Network of India. Ms. Banerji is actively engaged in research and advocacy on development issues. She has authored several papers and publications on diverse development themes, including poverty alleviation, conservation and green development, women’s empowerment, disaster management, served as guest editor on international journals of repute and as speaker at international fora, and contributed frequently to various UN consultations. She is also on the Board of two networks for development issues in India.

 

Alex Kirkwood

Development Manager, UK

Following an internship at the United Nations Association in London in 2005, Alex studied for a masters degree in International Relations at King’s College London. Out of university, Alex worked for the NHS managing blood products in a specialist unit at St Thomas’ Hospital. Alex spent four years in the private sector working in International and UK logistics for Time Inc, before moving to the voluntary sector, taking up a role in fundraising for the environmental charity Friends of the Earth. Alex has travelled extensively through China and India and maintains an ongoing interest in Asian cultures.

alex@pragya.org

 

Arasan Aruliah

Trustee

Arasan Aruliah is a specialist Sales Director/Consultant in London. He works for companies with new and complex products and services, to uncover new markets, and for small/medium businesses that need to acquire new large business/public sector customers. His recent clients operate in the software, consultancy, funds management, media and training sectors. In the 1990s, Mr. Aruliah worked as a News and Current Affairs producer for BBC World Service, including a four-year stint in India. He continues to be a journalist as well, having contributed to The Guardian, and is currently the editor of Energy Post (world energy news, aimed at government, policy-makers, business, influencers, strategic thinkers). In the development space, he advises charities on best practice employment procedures, designed specifically for the international development sector.

 

Pratap Rughani

Trustee

Pratap Rughani is an award-winning writer and documentary filmmaker and academic. He has over 30 films for British television (BBC TV & Channel4, UK) and has written for several newspapers (The Independent & The Times, London). His work ranges from investigative social stories to environmental themes. He has extensive experience of working in developing countries (South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa) and has keen interest in developmental issues. Apart from working on various documentation and filming projects, Dr. Rughani is Associate Dean of Research and Course Director for Documentary Film at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London (UAL). He has been working at the university to promote cross-cultural exchange through teaching, research and documentary film practice. He presents and writes widely on documentary practice, ethics and roles, relationship between film, philosophy and the evolution of post-colonial thought. Dr. Rughani has been instrumental in Pragya UK’s collaborations with key partners like The Karuna Trust, which has led to development and implementation of several large-scale projects in the Indian Himalayas.

 

Tommaso Dalla Favera

Development Manager, UK

Prior to joining Pragya, Tommaso worked in advocacy and fundraising for the New York-based non-profit ARCHIVE Global, which focuses on the link between health and the built environment. He has volunteered extensively at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, both as a patient advocate and assisting with research programs. Tommaso also has experience in academic research, having worked as a research assistant at UCL's Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy. He holds a BA in Architecture from Columbia University, and an MSc in Urban Economic Development from University College London.

 

Georgia Newman

Development Officer, UK

Prior to joining Pragya in 2021, Georgia worked as a Project Coordinator for Blossom Trust, working in Tamil Nadu on gender, health and agriculture projects. Georgia has also gained experience in communications, outreach and fundraising, having interned at Peabody Housing Association, The AIRE Centre, African Initiatives and Article 25. She holds a BA in Anthropology from Bristol University and an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics.