Bio: Sougandhi is currently pursuing a Master’s in Development from Azim Premji University Bengaluru. She is a budding Development Practitioner who works to enhance the participation and decision making of the vulnerable sections of the society to access their rights. She is passionate about understanding the ground realities and bridging the gap between policy and action. Her research work revolves around various issues dealing with building sustainable cities, property rights, forest rights and understanding land use planning and efficient spatial distribution. In realising current challenges in sustainability, she aims to strike balance between the rejuvenation of natural resources and livelihood opportunities by building alternative development pathways driven by entrepreneurship.

At the age of seventeen, when she started studying politics and economics, she was exposed to several political loopholes which made her think about other alternatives. In 2016 when she attended SFL Regional Conference in Hyderabad, she was introduced to ideas on liberty where she learnt that politics is not of force, but of persuasion of live and let live, of rejecting both subjugation and domination.

Favourite Libertarian Figures: John Locke, Robert Nozick, Elinor Ostrom, Ayn Rand, Frederic Bastiat and Milton Friedman.

On liberty and SFL: What I don’t know outweighs what I do, so as knowledge prevails like an ocean and for better development of societies one need to understand, study and practise. SFL has been a great platform to deepen my knowledge about Public Policy, Business Development, Entrepreneurial Vision etc furthering my passion for liberty. SFL also provided me with good networking opportunities and helped me to meet like-minded people who share common ideas on liberty. .