Natasha - CHANGEMAKER

Posted on 09. Jul, 2009 by Youth Venture India in Community Mobilization, Our Changemakers

Natasha’s Venture: iVote

Natasha aims to transform apathetic young people into truly active citizens.  She launched iVote and filmed a documentary; in it, Bollywood stars such as Rahul Bose discuss voting in terms geared towards young people. Natasha screens the film throughout Bombay‘s universities and colleges, then distributes voter registration forms and helps attendees fill them out.
Before the 2009 elections, Natasha began a new media blitz.  Her Wear the Mark campaign reached out to young people through social networking sites, poster campaigns, personal meetings, and guerrilla marketing. Meanwhile, Natasha successfully lobbied the Election Committee to accept college/university IDs as the only identification students need to register themselves to vote.
As iVote gained momentum, Natasha mobilized teams of “ambassadors” at universities across the city. iVote equipped these student volunteers with all the materials and information needed to lead voter registration drives on their campuses.
iVote has reached out to over 8,000 young people and hopes to improve youth voter turnout from 17% to 70%. Natasha has inspired countless young people to fight apathy and become active citizens.

Check out the Wear the Mark website: http://www.wearthemark.org/

What do you think?  Leave a comment for Natasha below.

Leading an iVote Ambassador Rally

Keya (team member) and Natasha leading an iVote Ambassador Rally

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5 Responses to “Natasha - CHANGEMAKER”

  1. Samudra

    25. Sep, 2009

    The website does not exist. Also, in the text, it is wrongly directed to weartheMAR.org.

    One question: how is this a sustainable venture?

  2. saurabh

    04. Dec, 2009

    admirable.

  3. prashant

    25. Dec, 2009

    Thats wonderfull keep it up .

    Prashant

  4. Chandni

    28. Jan, 2010

    Even i am yet to register myself as a voter. Natasha , i admire your initiative. its great if people get sensitized to participating in the democratic system. But the great challenge before us Indians is getting the RIGHT people for whom we can vote.

  5. Lilian dudu

    16. Sep, 2010

    i am to register myself as a voter. for the coming sudan sudan referendum due to take place in january 2011. appreciated your initiative, south sudan national election committee has formed task force, its great if people get sensitized to participating in democratic system. So that south sudan will have its own nation

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