Conceptual Foundations of Grassroots Leadership: Theories, Traditions, and Critical Perspectives
Author: Dr. Anna Neya Kazanskaia
Publisher: NEYA Global Publishing
Article | NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies
Year: 2025
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5669-1676
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-grsrldemplcvc-02
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About the Article
This article develops the conceptual foundations of grassroots leadership as a counterpoint to professionalized and donor-driven models of non-profit governance. It integrates insights from Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed, feminist leadership traditions, and Indigenous perspectives to reveal grassroots leadership as a culturally embedded and relational practice grounded in participation, trust, and collective responsibility. The analysis contrasts community-based legitimacy with institutional authority and examines variations between the Global South—where grassroots leadership often emerges as a survival strategy—and the Global North, where it serves as a form of advocacy and civic mobilization. By recognizing both its transformative potential and its limitations, including the risks of co-optation and internal inequality, the article argues that grassroots leadership is best understood as a dynamic, dialogical process that challenges dominant paradigms and advances the democratization of civil society.
Key Topics
- Grassroots leadership
- Feminist and Indigenous leadership traditions
- Participatory development
- Empowerment and critical pedagogy
- Governance and legitimacy
- Social movements and advocacy
Suggested Citation
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Conceptual Foundations of Grassroots Leadership: Theories, Traditions, and Critical Perspectives. NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies. NEYA Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-grsrldemplcvc-02
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