In the interim, it is headquartered in Fiji where it is registered as a Charitable Trust under the laws of Fiji.

The objects of the Institute shall be the protection, promotion and advancement of knowledge and education on all aspects of Girmit, the lives of the descendants of Indentured workers, and on specific and totality of the environment within which the Girmitiyas have evolved and live. In this regard, the Institute shall, inter alia,

a) Engage in activities which provide for continuity and sustainability in all areas of research, publication, documentation, educational and awareness material development, creation dissemination maintenance and advancement of knowledge through means which are acceptable nationally and internationally to do these;

b) Engage in community outreach, and advancement of the interests and aspirations of the Girmitiya;

c) Focus on ensuring continuing advancement of the collective Girmitiya interests and standards of living and social being, within the bounds of the philosophy outlined below.

d) Maintaining and advancing the fundamental ethos and philosophy of the Institute, which is to keep the memory of the world’s ‘second slavery’ alive, and in doing so, ensure that the world does not create any third and subsequent forms of slavery or enslavement of people or communities. This means that the Institute shall continue to ensure recognition of fullest dignity for people and recognition of human rights and potentials, and that it always stands for independence of people and against any colonization or subjugation or attempt at colonization and subjugation of peoples and cultures, and continue to ensure that no special rights and privileges of groups of people based on racial, religious, caste or other social markers are created which have the potential of oppressing and subjugating people. It must remain an Institute which champions autonomy of people.

The Institute shall have the powers to carry out any and every activity which is necessary to ensure that the objectives of the Institute are met, including all such research, knowledge creation and dissemination, academic, educational, training, outreach, and standards development and integrity enhancement activities as are necessary.