Nagorik Uddyog, “The Citizen’s Initiative”, the name itself epitomizes the essence of the activities of the organization. Firstly, the organization helps general masses to understand their rights and secondly, the organization creates an enabling condition for the people to set up institutions and mobilize themselves. The philosophy guiding the principles of the organization is institutionalization of democracy at the grassroots level. NU emphasizes the institution building process to establish the fact that electoral democracy is not sufficient to fulfill the process of democratization, especially for the poor and the disadvantaged.

The organization has been working to ensure women’s access to justice. Nagorik Uddyog has made remarkable strides in building up awareness on social rights and justice. The organization aims at paving democratic avenues for the rural women.

NU has made an attempt to democratize the Shalish (traditional mediation) system, as shalish plays an extremely important role in ensuring acquiescence to prevailing moral codes of conduct on which rural society is based. In addition, this would help the emerging institutions to protect the women and disadvantaged within the framework of the laws of the country.