Ekta Parishad believes that the grass roots leadership capabilities must be developed and strengthened so that individuals and community representatives are better equipped to initiate policy changes and have a more informed and empowered dialogue with state and central officials. There is currently a debilitating lack of awareness amongst leaders and community representatives that prevents them from properly participating in the political dialogue for change.  Strengthening the leadership capacity of youth, women and traditional tribal and Dalit leaders is a major focus of Ekta Parishad activists.

Youth Leadership Training
Youth leadership training focuses on enhancing the rural youth’s understanding of the responsibilities of becoming an effective leader.  The primary focus is on developing their ability to work with communities and understand their needs and issues in order to better represent them in the public forum.  Leadership qualities identified by the community are included in the training programs, which are led by community leaders that have proven to be effective leaders.

Women’s Leadership Training
Ekta Parishad works towards empowering women to become active participants in their own land, forest and water related struggles at all levels of action and programming.  It is imperative for their leadership capacity to be strengthened in order to ensure the full and equal participation of women within local governance structures.  There are several female leaders already actively involved in the design and implementation of the training programs.  Their understanding of the social and political constraints imposed upon the female population of India is a fundamental part of the leadership training program. 

Traditional Tribal and Dalit Leadership Training
It is important to recognize the immense value in the traditional leadership structures that exist in India’s rural communities, and to embrace the knowledge that they can offer to the training program.  The focus of the tribal and Dalit leadership training program is to develop a clear understanding of the rights and the existing laws that traditional leaders can use to more effectively meet the needs of their communities.  The training program involves presenting information about tribal and Dalit rights and laws using information packets prepared by Ekta Parishad.  In addition to this training there is a unit focused on the role of the village panchayat (village council,) and the rights of leaders and individuals that are members of the panchayat villages.