Under a new Bill approved in March, India will start granting product patents for medicines – something they have not done since 1970 - without the necessary procedures in place to safeguard against wholesale hiking of medicine prices. India amended its 1970 Patent Act in order to be compliant with the requirements of the World Trade Organisation.

The controversial Patent Amendment Bill had drawn protests even in African countries as it was feared it would lead to rise in costs of cheaper India-made generic drugs, was passed amid protests in the lower house of parliament.

The bill seeks to replace an ordinance promulgated in December to meet the Jan 1 deadline to recognise product patents, enable the grant of compulsory licences for export of medicines and modify rules on exclusive marketing rights.

These provisions are part of India's commitment to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) under the pact on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights, but there were fears mainly over its likely impact on prices of drugs and medicines, especially those for AIDS.

Other changes relate to areas like definition of inventiveness, new inventions, royalty and the raising of objections before the grant of a patent instead of afterwards.

Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said the new legislation would not affect domestic prices as 97 percent of the drugs in the Indian market were already off patents, including 350 live-saving essential drugs. : "The 12 anti retro-viral drugs, mostly used for AIDS and made in India, cannot be patented. They are pre-1995 inventions. India will continue to manufacture, use and export them without hindrance."

But rights groups said a patient of AIDS in poor countries who pays some $20 a month for treatment with generic medicine could end up coughing up $395 for the branded anti-retroviral drugs because of some provisions in the new legislation.

There were protest marches in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, countries with large numbers of HIV/AIDS patients, who feared higher cost of drugs following passage of the patent bill in India.

"The life and health of hundreds of thousands of people globally depended on the decisions taken in India this week," said Ellen 't Hoen of the Paris-based Doctors Without Borders, a health and medical aid group.

A key safeguard to assure availability of affordable medicines is the procedure of compulsory licenses – government grants patents but allows generic companies to make their versions of the patented medicines against a payment of a royalty to the patent holder. However, in the Bill that passed the Lower House (Lok Sabha) today procedures are still extremely complex and there is no control on levels of royalties to be paid, which will lead to endless litigation and delays.

The new Bill “grandfathers” products that are already on the market by allowing for automatic right to produce. The generic companies in such cases will pay royalties to be set by the government to the patent holder. International norms for royalties are in the range of 3-4%. This new law however does not set a fixed royalty rate. In South Africa, GlaxoSmithKline attempted to charge 40% royalty until activists and the courts intervened.

The worst-case scenario for people living with life-threatening diseases has been averted, but only in the short-term.

People who rely on low-cost medicines will have to wait three years before a generic company can even make an application for a right to produce the drug. Whereas people in wealthy countries will have access to new medicines immediately.

In addition, with this Bill the government has crippled the critical right of the members of the public to oppose patent applications on medicines, the so-called “pre-grant opposition”. It has been rendered ineffective because the essential information on which to base the opposition will be withheld from the public.

The Bill will go before the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) for a final vote. It is expected that the Upper House will approve the Bill in its current form.

Press Release Issued by the Affordable Medicines and Treatment Campaign (India), Medicins Sans Frontieres, Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit, Alternative Law Forum. Delhi, India, 22nd March 2005 Contacts: Leena Menghaney (Delhi) 98 11365412, Daniel Berman +33 677535317 e-mail - aidslaw1@lawyerscollective.org

There was yet another public meeting about the situation in Kashipur - Orissa, where the government's protection and encouragement to bauxite miners has led to the police firing and killing of 3 adivasis and injuries to many. On March 13, at Dadar west, Mumbai 400014, Debaranjan from PSSP, Kashipur Orissa spoke: Kashipur is situated in district Rayagada in Orissa , where adivasis(Tribals) and a few Dalit live from time immemorial. There is Bauxite (an Ore from which Aluminium is extracted) in the mountains there. There are perennial streams and plentiful ground water due to the presence of Bauxite which makes ground fit for aggriculture. Big Aluminium companies Jindal- Tangarpada, Utkal Alumina(Alcan+Hindalco) are in Kashipur; Vedanta-Lanjigarh eyeing the Bauxite and want to start mining operations and construct plants for Aluminium extraction. This corporate sell-out will displace people, uproot villages, degrade life and land, destroy forests, mountains & water sources and everything will be spoilt. For the past twelve years men and women are struggling in that area to save the villages, water, forest, land and their life style. A protest meeting on the occasion of Laman Nayak’s (a tribal leader who was hanged by the British)anniversary, march 29 is being held at Rayagada, Orissa.

Support their struggle. contact 09869582282 / 09869324085 email: Sachinam_sai@yahoo.co.in for information, see ww.saanet.org/kashipur/ www.saanet.org/saanet/

It can do for the rural masses what television tried to do but gave in to commercial interests. Community radio is becoming more and more the medium for a community to reach outtoeach other and those around them. If the government expedites action on TRAI's recommendations (see www.trai.gov.in), communication would obviously be much simpler and, perhaps, more frequent, current and interactive.

Jharkhand: A play performed by the villagers on the dire need for schools in the village was aired on FM Ranchi, as part of a community radio initiative in Angada Block The villagers of the Angada Block in Jharkhand's Ranchi district had for long been asking for the basic facility of a school - an appeal that had been expressed, until now, through letters and invitations to the local administration and the government. The play airead on the radio finally drew the attention of Savra Lakra, the MLA of the Khijli Vidhan Sabha who promise the villagers that they will soon have schools in their village.

As Etwa Bedia, the field coordinator of the Community Radio initiative, enthuses, "The villagers have been given a new life with this initiative. The Community Radio has become a tool through which the villagers can now have their voices heard by the policy makers." "Radio is a medium that is cheap and has an excellent reach. Most villagers already have or have now bought a radio set. It is our forum where we can reflect on our every need and problem," says Malya Bedia, a resident of one of the villages.

Initiated by Charkha Development Communication Network, to articulate voices that highlight the local issues to the opinion leaders and policy makers as part of a Pilot Project Community Radio initiative in Jharkhand, in association with the regional partner, Manthan Yuva Sansthan, "It is the villagers themselves who choose the issues to be aired in a programme". The residents of these 17 villages are not only the listeners, but also the directors of and performers in this half-hour programme.

The popularity of the show is evident by the fact that every Sunday at 6:30 pm the villagers are glued to their respective radio sets and small transistors. Expressed through issue-based plays, folk songs, development news and discussions, the initiative has made the residents not only socially aware but has also made them confident enough to take their local issues and challenges to the concerned officials. Now it is through radio that news on various government schemes, Panchayati Raj and news on rural development, is being aired in the local dialect of Panch parganiya. The villagers now know the number of houses being made under the Indira Awas Yogana and the quantity of food grain being distributed among shopkeepers under the public distribution system.

"Since the day community radio has entered the village, the inequality between the men and women of this village has lessened," grins Rita. Picture: Rita (extreme right) with the team of rural reporters.

If anyone of you are interested in setting up a really cool Internet Radio Station - from your home computer to express whatever you like !

This is the way to do it.http://www.grus-india.com/radio.html Abhijit:abhijit8086@yahoo.com

Calling 91.2 MHz
Chennai. As a medium of reaching out to people, community radio is the newest form of communication that is making its mark among college students. 91.2 MHz the new frequency for the students of MOP Vaishnav, a Chennai-based College for Women through which they aim to inform and educate listeners in a radius of 15 km was launched on March 12. The station will be managed and run completely by the students of the college from generating content to uploading it.

Dr K Nirmala Prasad, Principal, MOP Vaishnav College, "We aim to reach out to the community and students through this very powerful medium. We are initially starting with one-hour programme in the morning that will be repeated in the evenings as well." The content of the radio will focus on subjects related to health and social welfare, targeting all segments of the society. The content will be spoken in English as well as a regional language, divided equally across the one-hour capsule.There will be no advertising on the station “

No longer voice-less
Gujarat: A radio facility was set up in 1999 in response to the demand for a radio of their own from poor, dalit, non-literate women who felt the need for a medium of communication that would enable them to share information and ideas with other members of their rural communities. These women are among the over 5000 from 75 villages in and around Pastapur who belong to sanghams (collectives) facilitated by the Deccan Development Society (DDS), a 20-year-old grassroots rural development organisation ( www.ddsindia.com).

The station seeks to serve the information, education, and cultural needs of the local population. and revolve around issues relevant to agriculture in semi-arid areas, literacy and education, public health and hygiene, environmental and ecological issues, bio-diversity and food security, indigenous knowledge systems, gender justice, and local cultures, with a special focus on song and drama.

For Anasuyamma, a farmer, the motivation is simple: "If we have our own radio, we can all go and sing there. We can air our problems and concerns. We can also discuss our agriculture with our elders and record their vast knowledge." According to Algole Narsamma, one of the three radio producers, "We make programmes on traditional crops, ecological agricultural practices, folk musical traditions that are disappearing, women's issues and out-of-school children

The fully equipped, low cost radio station has a 100-watt transmitter with a reach of approximately 30 kilometres. But, in the absence of a licence to broadcast, they currently have to "narrow-cast" by sending audio-cassettes to villages, where people sit around simple "two-in-ones," listen to the programmes and discuss the subjects covered in them. Not only the radio women of Pastapur, but their rural colleagues in other parts of the country - such as those associated with the Kutch Mahila Vikas Sanghatan in Gujarat and the Namma Dhwani project in Karnataka (www.voicesforall.org) - would stand to benefit from a decision in favour of granting licenses for community radio.

Shooting for 'village technologies related to human development' near Kolhapur the film-maker visited Kambalwadi (near radhanagari)- an isolated village in the corner of maharashtra on the foothills of sahyadri who have implemented complete integrated development program. …water conservation, energy conservation, housing, no alcohol or tobacco, well done up roads, organic manure for crops, village women doing micro finance activities, implemented various gadgets for water supply, without using electricity and oil, purely on hydro technique, set up WLL network by installing telecommunication tower. Each house has a computer and school children are given all basic education. They have their own server, through Pabal village vidyan ashram which helps them to get connected with experts in agriculture and non farm sector.

From garbage management, proper drainage arrangements, well done roads, plantation techniques for vegetable and allied products, the village is independent and do not take power from MSEB , water or funding from govt. In fact they do not entertain government officers as they say they do not need any government programs, they have better health programs and connectivity for critical cases, school campus is well developed and maintained, great results . They have adopted modern watershed management techniques, water harvesting including rain water, horticulture and afforestation activities with natural bio-diversity balance. All court cases are withdrawn and handled by the panchayat. Village women have their own programs and are earning--women empowerment in the real sense.

Several NGOs from Kolhapur have initiate these schemes and many such independent villages are coming up. For real footage on this subject write to rajiv shah at info@spectrumadmark.com or call 98211-44299

Gender no bar, all judges can hear sexual offence cases: The Supreme Court dismissed a plea, which had sought the transfer of a sexual offence case being heard by a female judge to a male judge, rejecting the argument that a woman would find it "embarrassing" to hear such a case.

A bench of justices held that it was the duty of judges to hear and decide on cases of any type irrespective of their gender. The judgement is a fallout of a criminal case registered by the Tamil Nadu police against five people, who were charged with procuring young men and women for making pornographic videos and selling them to adult websites.

embarrass her and sought the transfer of the case to a court presided over by a male judge. the Madras HC accepted their plea and transferred the case to a male judge.

But a woman, who was a victim of the pornographic expose, challenged the HC order: Her counsel, Kavita Wadia, argued that women witnessed would be more comfortable in deposing against the accused before a female judge.
Far short of gender equality

The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Bill, 2004 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 20th December, and is likely to be debated in Parliament in its Feb. session. Commenting on the Bill, NGOs have said, “We welcome the initiative to reform the Hindu
Succession Act of 1956 in a gender-equal direction. However, the amendments proposed are partial and leave intact some critical gender inequalities such as rights to agricultural land, introduce differences among different categories of female heirs, and retain unrestricted rights to will away property which are often used to disinherit women.

An open meeting was organised on Jan.19 at the India International Centre Annexe, Ph. 91-11-26253629 Email: jagori_jagori@yahoo.com

A Seminar on “Need for a Comprehensive Law on Communal Violence” was held on Feb 19, organised by: Legal Aid Cell (DRTC),

There are concerns about the Legal vacuum that allows mass killings that took place in Gujarat. Although, there are at least 15 different laws applicable in a riot situation, yet they were all found wanting in situations like the Gujarat carnage 2002. Why? It was mainly because the concerned state authorities lacked the political will to effectively enforce them.

What role, in such situations, should the Union Government could have played? Under Article 355, it is the Constitutional duty of the Union Government, to protect every State which must necessarily include all people within the State, against internal disturbance and to ensure governance in every state in accordance with the Constitution. Was their any legal lacunae?

The seminar analysed these questions and explored the legal possibility to prevent any such recurrence of what happened in Gujarat and elsewhere.

New Delhi Jagori, SANGAT, Breakthrough, Café Turtle and Full Circle organised a musical evening on March 8, 2005 at Café Turtle, G.K. N. Block Market Contact: Jagori, ph. 51645047 March 8 Celebrations in Madanpur KhadarEmail: jagori_jagori@yahoo.com

A Round Table on 'A Key to Safety and Security for Women in Cities' followed by a Demo on Self-Defence, on 8 March 2005 Organized by CII Confederation of Indian Industry at CII Headquarters, Contact: Ms. Parvati Krishnan, Email: rajan.Sharma@ciionline.org

Express in Freedom: a festival of films by Asian women filmmakers. 8-10 March, at Indian International Centre, New Delhi.Contact: Ms. Jai Chandiram, Ph. 9811277004. URL: www.iawrt.org

Gender, Armed Conflict and Political Violence: a presentation by Urvashi Butalia on March 11, 2005 at 3 p.m., Ramalingaswami Conference Hall, IDRC, Contact: Ms. Vibhuti Narang Email: vnarang@idrc.org.in

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit inaugurated a website for women on the eve of International Women’s Day. Complaints can now be filed on the website of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) at www.dcw.delhigovt.nic.in. Speaking on the occasion, Dikshit expressed concern over the declining sex ration in the country, specifically in Delhi.

Mumbai: Helpline 'Firstcall' for women 022-26493919 - emotional, medical, psycho or legal was launched at Continuing Education and Training Centre (CETC), a corporate training body at 5th Road, Khar, by Women's Forum for Building Partnerships –a women’s empowerment forum. Director Ummul Ranalvi explained " Women can call Firstcall for any problem - emotional, medical, psychological or legal. If the problem cannot be solved by the operators who are trained psychologists, the forum will also recommend lawyers, doctors and counsellors, depending on the problem."

The Gender side of the Budget
Mumbai: Population First organized a seminar, “Budget:What’s in it for women?” to discuss gender budgeting. The concept, new for many, attracted a large group of NGOs and others. While keynote speaker Kamini Banga, a marketing consultant talked of empowerment, it was Benita Sharma of Unifem who explained that gender budgeting was not a separate budget for women at all. It meant checking how much was assigned to a sector, how will it be executed, how many did it reach, and is it what women wanted? The fact that many educational schemes go awry because small items like bathrooms for girls are overlooked is what gender budgeting is about. Because no bathrooms are budgeted, girls don’t go to school, the amount budgeted therefore, is totally anti-girl. So, any amount set aside for education, if gender budgeted, would take that element into account. Dr Divya Pandey and Aruna Kanchi who had worked on the M’ra Employment Guarantee scheme pointed out that although 50% of women worked on the scheme, no facilities were provided for the women working. Ms Veena Nayyar of Political Watch, Delhi, pointed out that the first step had been taken…when the Union budget had made provision for gender budgeting in 18 sectors…now it was upto the NGOs to see if they had been executed. Contact populationfirst@vsnl.net

Navi Mumbai: Swayamsevi sanghatnanche vyaspith & IWSA held an evening of consultation and infotainment with the theme : self employment for women at the IWSA hall, vashi on March 10, compered by Vrushali Maqdoom (co-ordinator, Stree mukti saanghatna) Stalls by various ngo’s depicting posters and displaying items made by women as part of self-employment programs, were followed by a dance performance by Jeroo Chavda, Prematai Purav of Annapurna mahila mandal, the chief guest spoke on income generation/marketing skills. Stree mukti sanghatna members, ngo forum- vineeta balekundri(co-ordinator) sang a song dedicated to women’s day- with Sarayu Deshpande- nutan mahila mandal, maharashtra mahila parishad .Contact Johnson Thomas (Aasra)27546669

Mumbai: As part of a photo exhibit "City Limits: Engendering the Body in Public Space", The Gender & Space Project (PUKAR) and Point of View presented "Imagining Women", a film series, from March 5-10 at Kitab Mahal. On March 8, there was a panel discussion on "Imagining Gendered Utopias" Contact email: genderspace@pukar.org or pointofview@vsnl.com or tel. 55748152 or 55727252

Kolkata celebrated Women’s day through different programs at various places. West Bengal State AIDS Prevention & Control Society with Thoughtshop Foundation and Spandan had a lively interactive session through touching, real life tales being narrated by women from different walks of life. The open mike story sharing session brought to a focus a number of critical women’s issues needing urgent attention. Adding a touch of entertainment to the evening’s discussion, Lee Alison Sibley, Mira Kakkar and Renu Roy read out a play celebrating the power and ultimate triumph of womanhood and all it stands for.
FXB India, West Bengal, celebrated International Women’s Day, with Kolkata Municipal Corporation health workers enacting Skits & Role-plays where problems of AIDS, survival after widowhood & struggle to transcend the odds were showcased at different wards in the pockets of Kolkata. E-mail: manidipa_ghosh@rediffmail.com

The range of donor-recipient positions that exists includes the following:

Stockholm award for CSE
For more than two decades now, CSE (Centre for Science & Environment)has worked to spread awareness about the immense relevance - and urgency - of rainwater harvesting. Among CSE's most successful initiatives has been conducting training workshops for different groups of stakeholders, including urban planners, architects, engineers, civil contractors, plumbers, masons, other professionals and concerned citizens which teach you how to design, implement, monitor and maintain rainwater harvesting systems, through actual case studies, field trips and classroom instruction.
In March, CSE won the annual Stockholm Water Prize including a cash award of $150,000 for its work in promoting effective water management along with improved human rights, democracy andhealth. The group will collect the prize fromKing Karl Gustaf in Sweden. The Stockhom water prize is awarded annually to individuals and institutions for making a substantial contribution to the preservation, enhancement or availability of the world’s water resoruces. http://www.cseindia.org/misc/rwh_course.htm
E-mail: salah@cseindia.org

Ranjana Gaur wins Huston award
The United Nations Association of the National Capital Area decided to establish the Perdita Huston Human Rights Award to celebrate Perdita Huston and to recognize the life and work of others who are outstanding advocates for women's rights in the Third World. (www.perditahustonaward.com)

The award this year has gone to Ms Ranjana Gaur of Social Action Research Center (SARC) – for her focus on sexual exploitation and abuse of women and children. Ranjana and SARC are raising the fight against sexual violence to a new level in Varanasi and the state of Uttar Pradesh - both challenging and supporting other organizations to focus on the right to freedom from violence. SARC volunteers regularly visit ten schools in Varanasi to educate 8th-12th grade girls about domestic violence and about their human rights. They teach girls how to identify sexual violence, how to discuss this taboo subject in the open, and how to get help through SARC's 24-hour help line. She conducts several five-day trainings each year for city and state police and other government departments to teach them how to identify victims of sexual abuse and trafficking and ensure that they know the legal rights of these women and charge the perpetrators accordingly. Ranjana organizes women and girls in collective resistance to violence in three of Varanasi 's slums. Through these community watch groups, around 500 women come together to openly challenge men who may be traffickers, kidnappers or simply abusive to women in their households.

Asghar Ali Engineer.
Winner of the “Right Livelihood Award 2004”, which is considered alternative Nobel Prize, Dr. Engineer has been a source of inspiration to a large number of Indians committed to the cause of security, equity, secularism and progress for all sections of Indian society Jamia Hamdard, conferred upon the great scholar-activist, Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, the degree of the Doctor of Literature (D.Litt), Honoris Causa on January 14, 2005.’ At the convocation. Mr. Arjun Singh, Minister of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India was the chief guest.This D.Litt degree from an Islamic University is significant in more that one ways. There was a time when Dr. engineer had to face lot of hostility from Muslim leaders due to false propaganda launched against him by the Bohra priesthood.. Dr. AsgharAli Engineer is one of the rare scholars who combine in him the knowledge of Islamic sources with an insight into the contemporary changes taking place in the world. He has written 48 books and numerous articles on issues relating to Islam, Indian Muslim, communal riots, communalization of Indian society and human rights violations. He passionately advocates a progressive understanding of Islam that strives to creatively respond to change. Dr. Aghar Ali Engineer has written extensively on the growing menace of communalization of Indian society and has documented most of the communal disturbances in different parts of India. His book “Rethinking Issues in Islam” was a path breaker as it provided a framework for the need to revisit some of the important issues confronting Muslims in India and elsewhere. Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai: - 400 055 Website: www.csss-isla.com E-mail: csss@vsnl.com

Winners Announced of Jeevika 2004 A National Livelihood Documentary Competition

69 students and professional documentary filmmakers from all over India entered their films in Jeevika 2004: A National Livelihood Documentary Competition organized by the Centre for Civil Society.
The Winners are:
* First Prize (Rs 45,000): Aftershocks: A Rough Guide to Democracy by Rakesh Sharma
* Second Prize (Rs 30,000): ..3.2.1.0?..Who Can Change Me? by BijuKC
* Third Prize (Rs 20,000): Pedal Soldier of India by Raza Haider &Kaukab

Best Student Film (Rs 10,000): Zarina by Suhail Bukhari & Piyush Pushpak (College of Media & Communication, Rai University) .The Jury included five professionals from the fields of development, research, media, curation and film. Jeevika is a search for documentaries that focus on legal and regulatory restrictions, bureaucratic process of approvals and licenses with attendant extortion and harassment as well as social and cultural norms and religious practices that prevent or constrain people from earning an honest living in the vocation of their choice. Centre for Civil Society (CCS) is an independent, non-profit, research, and educational organisation based in Delhi. contact Manali Shah at 93122 31393/ mailto:mana@ccsindia.org mana@ccsindia.org.

Charkha awarded three young journalists -Mr. Tsewang Rigzin, Managing Editor of Ladakhs only magazine, Ladags Melong; Mr. Khursheed Wani, Staff Correspondent, The Pioneer, Srinagar and Consulting Editor of Urdu daily, Nidai-Mashriq; Mr. Pradeep Dutta, Senior Correspondent, The Indian Express, Jammu the Charkha-Sanjoy Ghose Fellowship for Peace and Development (2004-05), worth Rs. 50,000/ each, The objective is to capture not only the challenges, aspirations and the issues of the people in this tension-ridden region, but to further encourage interest and research in the same. Besides lending the Fellows an important recognition in mainline media, the Fellowship offers them an opportunity to conduct an in-depth research in their chosen field of interest. Mr. Tsewang Rigzin, writing in English will explore the impact of the Army on Ladakhs socio-economic situation. Mr. Khursheed Wani writing in Urdu and English will focus on the problems faced by religious minorities in Jammu & Kashmir. Mr. Pradeep Dutta will write on Water Politics in J&K and trace its connection to the rise of terrorism and lack of development in the state.

eHealth-Care Foundation and our eHealth-Care project has been conferred the National Award for Exemplary Implementation of eGovernance Initiative Year 2004 ("Silver Icon") under the Innovative Operations and Best Practices ñ Professional Category by the Government of India.

eHealth-Care: project is for all districts of India. The project is to improve the efficiency of India's antiquated healthcare delivery by use of information technology systems. It can achieve large cost savings and improve patient care by bringing the rural & urban India health care systems into the information age. A platform (eHealth- Care) where the villagers can get benefit through our initiated services for Rural Health Care, Insurance, Education, Agriculture, eGovernance.

The award was conferred at the 8th National E-Governance Conference at Bhubaneswar, Orissa on 3rd Feb. 3. 2005. www.ehealth-care.net for more details. Athar Haque,President:eHealth-Care Foundation Mobile:-9811257571 Tele:-9313063198 www.ehealth-care.net

GOONJ's SCHOOL to SCHOOL programme has won the prestigious CHANGEMAKERS Innovation awards. This programme has been selected as one of the most innovative, self-sustaining, cost effective and easily replicable ideas for creatively generating resources from a diversified Citizen Base. The programme focuses on sensitizing an urban school student to the plight of his/her rural counterpart, thereby helping them realise their distant dream of a school.

GOONJ today with a strong force of over 300 volunteers spread all over India, we dispatch thousands of kgs of sorted material to the remote villages in 13 states. Some of our major campaigns are - Vastradaan, our nationwide movement treating urban wastage as a resource for rural/slum India. School to School- an effort to provide basics to hundreds of rural schools and Rahat -a campaign for the victims of natural and man made disasters happening in India. For more about GOONJ- www.goonj.info

The National Sports Club of the Blind awards
Mumbai: The awards for 2005 were given away by Mr. KS Murthy of the Stockholidng Corp. of India, who sponsored the awards. Winners of the “Outstanding Institute promoting sports for theblind in India were the Vivekanana Mission Ashram (Haldia) which since 43 years has been having sports of vasriouskinds for the visually impaired. They initiated the new technique of having a sighted co-runner for the blind running competition and ws the first institute in India to send a team of four visually impaired to represent the country in 1998. They have also contributed several national visually impaired athletes for competitions.

The “Outstanding coach /persons promoting sports for the blind” award went to Ganpatbhai B.Patel, of the Blind People’s Association, Ahmedabad who has been working as mobility instructor amd sports coach with the asoication since 1980 organising many sports competitions for the blind since then, including the first Blind cricket match in the state. He has also trained many people to work in the field of rehabilitation. The award for the most outstanding blind sportsperson in India went to Sulekha Das of Haldia who has won several medals in indoor and outdoor sprots- athletics, swimming. She has represented India at the International Athletic meet in 2003 in the 100 and 200m run. Contact Manthalkar 9869282069/27721309

The Indian Leprosy Foundation honoured 12 senior leprosy workers of BLP with ILEF awarads. The awards were given away by Dr. ARK Pillai. At another function 15 Rotary clubs coming together under the banner of Harmony honoured Dr. R Ganapati, Director BLP, with the Vocatinal Service award (2004-5) for his excellent services to leprosy affected persons. The award was given by Aakar Patel, Ch. Ed Midday

Janakidevi Bajaj Puraskar
Mumbai: This years recipient for the prestigious Indian Merchants Chamber IMC-(Ladies Wing) Janakidevi Bajaj Puraskar award for rural entrepreneurship is Smt Vijaymala Desai, founder and chairperson of the Indira Gandhi Bhartiya Mahila Vikas Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd, Kolhapur. The Karkhana is the first women’s cooperative sugar factory in the world. It is organised, managed and owned exclusively by women . In their objective of encouraging rural women to become social entrepreneurs the Karkhana is planning the manufacture of ethanol and the propogation of a lift irrigation / drip irrigation scheme for sugar cane plantations. The award which consists of a cash award of Rs 1,50,000 was presented to her by Smt Anu Aga, Director Thermax Limited. Contact IMC 22048508 Caption: from L Indira mahendra (IMC Ladies Wing), Anu Aga of Thermax, Bhavna Doshi (Pes. Imc ladies Wing), Smt Vijaymala Desai, and Mr Dharmakari of IMC

Indian gay film wins top honors at gay mecca
Gulabi Aaina wins Jury award for Best feature at the Fire Island Film & Video Festival 2004,Cherry Grove, Fire Island, NY. Sridhar Rangayan's debut film Gulabi Aaina ( THE PINK MIRROR ) screened as the Closing Night Film at the third annual Fire Island Film and Video Festival. Fire Island which is America's premier gay resort . The film has already been screened at 46 international film festivals and earlier won the top award 'Le prix Comtesse des Flandres' awarded to the Best Film of the Festival at the 'Question De Genre' festival in Lille, France.

'The Pink Mirror' is also being released in France with French subtitles, in a DVD collection of drag films, Currently Rangayan is planning his next gay film- THE NIGHT OF FLAMBA about the apprehensions and aspirations of a gay couple living together in an Indian metro The Last Flight wins

The Last Flight ' a film by Nutan Manmohan, Director, AllTimeFilms, on Vultures of South Asia has received the ' Wild Wing Conservation Award' 2004. The film was subsequently show on Discovery channel from March 25 onwards.All Time Productions mail@alltimefilms.com

FILMS
Outside Mercy
30 mins
VCD Rs 100, DVD Rs 300
Tamil, English
Contact: Revathi - r_revs@yahoo.com/ 09444030032

While the mainstream media has been covering the success of the relief efforts, there are several issues that are being suppressed and need to be brought to the notice of the general public. These include issues of exclusion in the relief process and discrimination of dalits.we have made a short documentary film that documents the losses and struggle of those thousands of people who have been severely affected by the tsunami yet have received little or no relief. Further, there is no plan to rehabilitate them as is being done for the fisherpeople.The film is a non-funded one In commemoration of International Women’s Day several partners and affiliates of the Global Campaign for Microbicides released a new film “In Women’s Hands” to mark both the toll that HIV/AIDS has taken on women as well as the critical role that woman have played in fighting AIDS and advocating for microbicides. “In Women’s Hands” was launched on World AIDS Day 2004 in over 40 sites globally. Both a 10- and 26-minute version of the film can now be ordered from www.global-campaign.org. Copies will be mailed in mid April. In addition to the film, the Global Campaign can provide related fact sheets, presentations, invitation letters, a guide to planning events and a discussion guide for the film.

AM I at risk?
"Rugna seva detana mi surakshit ahe kya?"(Marathi( 20 mins Prod. By PRAYAS CD- Rs 250
The film is on Universal Precautions
Contact PRAYAS Tel: 25441230 E-mail: prayashealth@vsnl.net
www.prayaspune.org

HIV /AIDS Slide Set for Public Education
Samvedan trust, working for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care, has produced a lecture set (first of it’s kind in India) consisting of 30 illustrative 35 mm. slides and comprehensive, informative text detailing each slide, for public education of HIV/AIDS. The illustrations are simple and clear and text is written in common man’s language, avoiding technical details.
contact Dr. Geeta Bhave Mumbai. Ph. 23726179 / 09890014245 email: samvedangb@rediffmail.com

“Un Sapnon ki Khatir “
VCD package
Rs. 600
produced by Gauhar Raza
Contact Anhad, Delhi
It contains the following docu-lectures in Hindi.:
Prabhash Joshi Hindutva: Ek Rajneetik Akhada ; Amit Sengupta Media ka Sampradayikaran ; Dr. K.M. Shrimali Ayodhya; Pralay Kanungo Sangh Parivar Ka Itihaas
Dr. Ram Punyani Sachchai Ya Brahm: Sampradayikta Ek Drishtikon
Sohail Hashmi Pahchan ka Prashan
Kuldeep Nayyar Bharat- Pak Sambandh
Harsh Mander Samaj Aur Shasan: Gujarat Ek Sabak
Dr. Tulsiram Daliton ka Mudda aur Sampradayikta
Anand Pradhan Vaishvikaran aur Sampradayikta
Shubha Mudgal & Sohail Hashmi Hindustani Sangeet ki Samanvyavadi Parampara
Nivedita Menon Nari Aandolan aur Sampradayik Rajniti
Amar Farooqui Swatantrata Aandolan Ki Virasat
Prashant Bhushan Samvaidhanik Adhikar Ke Roop Main Dharmnirpekshta
Swami Agnivesh Dharm Ka Apharan; Achyut Yagnik Maujooda Rajnaitik Haalat

Documentaries
Rakesh Sharma’s Final Solution; Gauhar Raza’s Zulmaton ke Daur Main Channel 7 Dainik Jagran newspaper group has launched CHANNEL 7, a 24-hour News and Infotainment Hindi channel recently.One of the many new and progressive ideas on CHANNEL 7 is the week's documentary, a slot to showcase some of India's best documentaries. This platform will showcase brilliant works to wide and varied audiences, which until now was available only for niche viewing. This one-time telecast will benefit the film in the long run since the screening will be backed by extensive promotion. Due credit will be given to the team involved in filmmaking.Noted filmmaker Mr.Anwar Jamal has kindly consented to associate himself with Channel 7 to oversee this project as our Creative Consultant. Contact (Ajit Sahi)Executive Produce rChannel 7,FC-7,Sector - 16A, Film City,Noida – 201301. UP Email ajit.sahi@channel7jtv.com

Filmfest in Pune
Open Space organised 'Made by Women' a three day film festival of feature, documentary and short animation films made by women film makers from Europe, US, India, Australia and South America, organised by Point of View, Mumbai, Open Space and Aashay Film Club Dates: April 29, 30 & May 1, 2005 Venue: National Film Archives of India, Pune

Sophia Centre for Women's Studies and Development has published Documentation on HIV/AIDS Vol 1 January 2001 to December 2002, Vol 2 January 2003 to December 2003 and Vol 3 January 2004 to December 2004.

Increasing men's involvement in Reproductive Health
Pgs.51
Publ. by SAHAJ
Contact: sahajbrc@icenet.co.in

These experiences of the Women –centred Health project was one of the strategies adopted by the project for gender sensitive reproductive health. The project worked with male health workers from the Public Health Department of the Municipal Corporationo f Greater Mumbai to reach men in the community by focusing on capacity building ofmale health workers. This book is an account of the projects activities related to increasing men’s involvement in the reproductive health of women.

Counselling Services in the Gynaecology clinic
(of a Municipal Hospital in Mumbai)
Pgs.:121
Publ. by SAHAJ
Contact sahajbrc@icenet.co.in

This report is a process documentation of a unique effort to start counselling services within a gynaecology clinic in a municipal hospital in Mumbai. The report describes how the counseling centre evolved, was organized and its achievements and the challenges and issues involved. It can also b a guideline to initiate, establish and monitor counselling services and other interventions to ensure quality in a gynaecology OPD in a general hospital

CSR Handbook (pix)
Bombay Chamber of Commerce
Pgs. 32
Available at bcci@bombaychamber.com
The book gives an all-round picture of the history of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the latest mantra in the biz world, and various elements in it including how to measure it, report it, with a piece on “How to develop an action plan” and with reference websites.

Proceedings of the 2nd int’l Conf on Sexualities, Masculinities ad Cultures in S.Asia
Pgs 209
English and Kannada in one
Also on CD
Available at conf2004@dharanitrust.org
The book contains the reports of the proccedings and includes Alternative masculinity in a middle town, Chandni Bihar; Mard, Pati and pita, Astudy with hijras in Bombay, masculinities in lesbian relationships etc.

Irandaam Jaamangalin Kathai (Tamil)
By Salma
Pages 520
published by Kalachuvadu Pathippagam, Nagercoil.
In a new and important development in modern Tamil fiction, a Muslim woman Salma, a 34-year old author, has written a full length novel on Muslim society in Tamil Nadu — delineating especially the Muslim women's aspirations and their struggles.Irandaam Jaamangalin Kathai (The Story of the Midnight) is a sensitive portrayal of the familial relationship in Tamil Muslim society. The bold venture juxtaposes the Muslim women's ordeals vis-à-vis the community's tight leash on them.

The last time a Muslim woman wrote fiction in Tamil was in 1938. Salma's real name is A. Rokkaiah. She belongs to Thuvarankurichi village near Tiruchi in Tamil Nadu. President of the Ponnampatti special panchayat in Thuvarankurichi, Salma has already published two anthologies of poems Oru malaiyum, innoru malaiyum (One Evening and Another Evening) and Pachai Devadhai (The Green Goddess). translated into Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam and English, explore sensitive issues considered taboo for women to write on. ."

Role of NGO’s in the Empowerment of the Disabled
By Santosh Kumar Panigrahi
280pp. 2004 Rs.650
Published by Radha Publications, New Delhi

The book makes an attempt to describe the concept of the disabled and the responses of both the NGOs and the state to their problems. Besides, it also highlights the functions/programmes of the NGOs and the state, for the upliftment of the disabled since independence.

Childhood Education
By Mamta Bhatia
264pp. 2004 Rs.600
Published by ABD Publishers, Jaipur

A special work for teaching the exceptional child, this book offers educationists, students and professionals an advantageous resource in providing young children with high quality educational programs. The book combines the research, experience, and talent of experts with real-life perspectives or parents of children and professionals, teachers, those who are engaged with developing childcare and education. It includes approach to promote successful learning environments for developing children. Proven recommendations for practical application, as well as a problem-solving framework for dealing with challenging behavior are advised in an appropriate manner.

Public Investment in Primary Health Care
By Suranjan Sarma
152pp. 2004 Rs.295
Published by Mittal Publications, New Delhi

This book tries to examine the nature and magnitude of government spending in the area of health care in the pre and post reform years in Assam. The role and effectiveness of public sector system health care system vis-a-vis the health care service requirements of rural households have been reported from the analysis of some of the findings of a field study and the policy measures that would be necessary for human capital formation in the state of Assam have been worked out.

Social Ecology of Forest Resources
By Bibhuti Bhusan Malik
375pp. 2004 Rs.850
Published by Kalpaz Publications, Delhi

The book offers a comprehensive analysis of social ecology, environmental sociology and tribal life. An ecological deterministic approach has been developed to understand the facets of tribal life and culture. How far the tribals’ dependency on forests has been affected by deforestation and modernization? Has it disturbed their social and ecological settings. To what extent the environmental degradation and deforestation have impacted on the autonomy of the local people? Are they still dependent on forest? Or are they migrating to the nearest towns? What are the functions of the village institutions in regulating the use of forest?etc,

Housing Finance and the Urban Poor
By Peer Smets
2004 Rs.650
Published by Rawat Publications, Jaipur

This book reveals how demand and supply of the housing finance market for the urban poor in Hyderabad (India) meet. On the demand side, the poor employ self-financing methods for construction that correspond with their livelihood strategies. These strategies are compared with the supply side by focusing on the different intervention schemes created within the public and ‘formal’ private sectors. Moreover, the role of non-governmental and community-based organisations in the housing finance market of the urban poor is discussed. Finally, the book focuses on alternative intervention options.

Peer Smets is a social anthropologist working at the Faculty of Social-Cultural Studies, Virje Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Strategic Approaches to HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control
By V. Ramamurthy
281pp. 2004 Rs.700
Published by Authorpress, New Delhi

The book shares positive ideas and creative solutions for action to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. In addition to discussing methods and strategies of HIV/AIDS prevention, it covers a wide range of public health, psycho-social, ethnic and public policy concerns related to HIV and AIDS. Professionals working to prevent HIV and AIDS including local service providers, NGOs and family care givers will find this book useful in their efforts to provide effective and innovative care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Guidance and Counselling of HIV / AIDS
By V. Ramamurthy
287pp. 2004 Rs.700
Published by Authorspress, New Delhi

The present volume provides a comprehensive analysis of HIV counselling practices available today. It contains information, ideas and suggestions for those who work with HIV clients and who want to improve their knowledge and skills in counselling in STD/HIV prevention, safer sex, pre and post HIV antibody testing and other issues related to the subject. It is designed to help counsellors, health workers, educators and all those working in STD/HIV/AIDS, to improve the effectiveness of their work and the quality of lives of the people they aim to support.
Av at Booksline, Mumbai - 400 071 Tel: 91-22-2521 3976 E-mail: booksline@vsnl.net

Troubled island
Writings on the indigenous peoples and environment
of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands
By Pankaj Sekhsaria
Pages: 89
Contribution : Rs.100/-

Over the years there has been a reasonable amount of academic work on the hunter-gatherer communities and the fragile environment of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. At the same time, however, the threat to the survival of these small communities has intensified as development policies that are completely insensitive to their needs and that of the local environment have been conceived, formulated and implemented here. Little, if any, research or publication in the mainstream Indian media has been seen on this aspect of the islands in the last few decades.

Troubled Islands is a compilation of articles since 1998 by Pankaj Sekhsaria on precisely these issues. It is perhaps the most detailed account of recent developments in the islands and is made up of articles that were first published in leading Indian publications. They look at some of the key issues faced by the islands and the islanders today and follow the major developments that have taken place here in the last few years.

Privatization of rivers in India
By Arun Kumar Singh
Pages: 213
Contribution : Rs.100/-

The water sector, driven by the logic of neo-liberal paradigm, is increasingly coming under the domain of the market forces. The World Water Council - made up of the World bank, the water TNCs and development agencies of the North - through its Water Vision Statement, posits a paradigm shift from water as a "common good," to a "tradable" commodity. This approach is in line with the "Second Generation" economic reform characterised by a shift from trade in goods, to trade in services in compliance with the General agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) within the WTO regime. Privatization as a solution to the water crisis proposes a model of water management structure, that relinquishes all control over water resources to the domain of the market forces and thus marginalises the role of the state and the rights of communities. The institutionalization of this type of model will inevitably lead to the cartelization of India's fresh water resources, ecological devastation and social conflicts.

It was an evening for fun for kids as corporates in Bangalore went treating. In an evening hosted by Cookieman more than 50 physically challenged inmates of the Cheshire Home sang and danced to their favourite tunes and ate away…Unveiling its SCR program India semiconductor Association launched their project LOTUS (Linking Organisations to Underprivileged Schools) with a musical evening presented by talents form government schools. LOTUS is also supported by Magma Design Automation India, Stag Software and Otto Blitz. 350 wheelchairs were distributed to individuals, reahab institutions and hospitals thanks to funding from the Samueli Foundation.

AWAKE awakens
Bangalore: The Dept. of Commerce and Industry, government of Karnataka allocated five acres at Bidadi, off Bangalore to the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka (AWAKE) for setting up its training centre. Since the last few decades, AWAKE has been promoting entrepreneurship among women, teaching food packaging, marketing and packaging to women. The office in Rajajinagar will become the marketing centre for its products. They recently had a two day trainers workshop as part of the EU Indian Business Association’s Cross cultural Network for Business and trade promotion.

The Rajan Speech and Hearing Centre launched a helpline for the speech and hearing impaired. The helpline number is 51510404. G.Krishnamurthy, director of the centre said the helpline would not only provide counseling but also inputs of education, career development and scholarship data.

Bangalore has long been a corporate testing ground for new products and now it’s the Female Condom that’s being released here in April. The “Confidom” would be sold in upmarket lifestyle shops and would cost Rs 75! An earlier experiment with the government selling them at Rs 38 didn’t work out as CSWs could only afford to pay Rs 10, although they admitted that it did give them a means to protect themselves. Only volumes can bring down the price and so it remains to be seen what the Bangalore market will show. An old age home was inaugurated at Rameshnagar by the Bharatiya grameen Mahila Sangha. The home can house 30 seniors and will provide free lodging, food and care to seniors. Tel. 25234217/25233650

World Health Day-April 7
Mumbai: The Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Corporate Social Responsibility Committee) in association with Population Foundation of India and Plan India organised an advocacy workshop on "Role of Industry in Prevention of Female Foeticide" on April 7, 2005 at 10.00 am at Y. B.Chavan Centre. It was an apt topic as the theme for the year was “Every mother and every child counts”, Mr Arun Bhende, CEO, Chirubhai Ambani Fdt. Said inhis welcome speech. The Child Sex Ratio in Maharashtra is 913 girls per 1000 boys -- the ninth lowest Child Sex Ratio among all states Mr. JK Banthia Former Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India said…and in a factual slide show showed how it was the “technologically-superior and rich” parts of Maharashtra and India (Punjab and Haryana) who had the lowest female sex ratio…and it was going down year after year. Religion-wise the ratio of girls amongst the Sikhs was the lowest of all religions!!! Mr AR Nanda Exec.Dir of PFI noted that a population curb was not the answer to female foeticide- with 36 m girls allegedly aborted. “The role of industry” Dr Kalpana Apte of the FPAI said was “to give access to the organizations HR, media and creative skills, influence their employees and community and use their vast experience to influence minds.” Chief Guest, Ms Anna Dani, Pr. Secy., Health explained the difficulties the govt faced in “policing” sonography units wrongly used. Making doctors aware was the only w ay and so awareness programmes in medical colleges was being planned she said. Contact Tel: 22614681 (ext. 408) email: vb@bombaychamber.com

No health in Kakinada
Hyderabad: Greenpeace India activists confronted the Andhra Pradesh Government at the secretariat in Hyderabad today, demanding that the State government abandon their plans of setting up ship-breaking yards in Kakinada. If permitted, the new ship-breaking yard will devastate the livelihood of the local fishermen, pollute the pristine beaches and destroy the mangrove forest of Coringa.

Holding banners depicting death and destruction in the existent ship-breaking yards in Alang, Gujarat and the impacts of toxic pollution in Patancheru, the skeleton-suited activists called on the Government to 'Save Kakinada”

The proposal for the new yard comes in the wake of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) decision to phase out all single-hulled Oil tankers on April 5th 2005. The ship-breaking community of Gujarat is looking for new areas to start their business.

Ramapati Kumar, Toxics Campaigner, Greenpeace India,said "By opening a new ship-breaking yard at Kakinada, the government will be exposing 200,000 people and the environment, to deadly toxic chemicals”.Contact: Namrata Chowdhury

Sprouting well
Mumbai:To commemorate the 10th Anniversary of SPROUTS, a Public Discussion on 'Conservation versus Development' was held on April 2, at NIC, Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The Topics: Conservation issues in India vis-a-vis Development had Panelists speak about - Conservation Issues such as Urban, Wildlife, Developmental, Media, Social Attitudes Contact: Anand Pendharkar98201-40254 (Anand), 98202-75643 (Sachin), 98204-13965 (Vidya)! "zans_kar" zans_kar@yahoo.co.uk

Confronting the WTO
Mumbai A public meeting to bring together thinkers and activists working on issues ranging from the medical patent law, slum demolitions, the water lobby, and to speak about the interconnectedness of these events, the growing popular movements against such policies across the world and discuss concrete strategies of resistance and alternatives, was organized by Focus on the global south; Vikas adhyayan kendra/ India centre for human rights and law; lawyers' collective - hiv aids unit; Movement for peace and justice / Pakistan-India people’s forum for peace and democracy

At Mumbai university’s convocation hall on April 5 Datta Iswalkar (Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti)spoke about how the Mill lands of Bombay had been systematically been given to the builders.S P Shukla (Convenor, WTO Virodhi Jan Abhiyan/ former Indian Ambassador to GATT) traced the behind-the-scenes manoeuvres of the developed countries to hijack the demands of the developing nations. Medha Patkar (Convenor, National Alliance of Peoples' Movements)traced the struggles of the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the slum demolitions in Mumbai to a political will that preferred short-term, suicidal solutions dictated by the World Bank and such institutions. Prof. Walden Bello (Executive Director, Focus on the Global South)traced the history of the WTO and the way India had been duped into falling in line to globalised and anti-national policies. However the next WTO meeting in December could be crucial to the interests and future of the developing world, including India and called for a planned strategy to ensure that their message was not ignored. Contact Varsha Rajan Berry, Focus on the Global South Tel: 022-26651292 / 56751896 / 9820603704 Email: varsharb@yahoo.com or focusind@vsnl.net Website: www.focusweb.org/india

Animal welfare mela(box)
An animal welfare mela is being planned on April 16/17 at Jain Mahila Samaj, Jasumati Kapadia Bhuvan, H Cross Rd, Marine Drive, Mumbai close to Marine lines Railway station (W). Various items that people have been donating will be sold and money collected donated to various animal welfare agencies. Call Lyla to put up a stall, posters on 9821733529

Mumbai: an Emergency Medical Centre for Animals by Thane SPCA with the sponsors " NanjiBhai Khimjibhai Thakker Thanawalla Charitable Trust " at N.K.T Compound, Beside Indophil Company, Azadnagar, Kolshet, Thane West (Ph. Nos. (022) 9322271966 / (022) 9323699887 to house, treat and then release the critically sick and injured stray animals from all around the district was inaugurated on April 10 by the Mayor of Thane Shri Rajan Vichare in the presence of Shri Prakash Paranjape ( Member of Parliament), The District Collector, The Municipal Commissioner of Thane, The Commissioner of Police,The Superintendent of Police, Asst. Conservator of Forests and Dy.Commissioner of Animal Husbandry. Contact For Thane SPCA Shakuntala Majumdar thanespca@hotmail.com

Caption: Friends in Baroda(pix) Friends Society celebrating Navratri with physically handicapped & mentally challenged children. at Samta Grounds, Subhanpura, Vadodara. Around 500 children from different special school of Baroda city assembled together. Chief Guest Shri Bhagyesh Jha, District Collector & Shri Sudhir Sinha, Police Commissioner inaugurates the event, sponsored by TNN News channel.

Consumer complaints
Mumbai: Consumers can call Arun Saxena at The International Consumer Rights Protection Council Email: mail@icrpc.org,Telephone:: 022-25972605. The Council will help and guide grieved consumers and take Action against corruption and malpractices in marketplace. They’ll also help in filing consumer complaints in Consumer Courts.

Ion Exchange tech helps water-starved villages
Mumbai:It is a model case of co-operation for other water-starved villages. Tondsure Jagamwadi in Maharashtra's drought prone Raigad district, has taken the responsibility on itself to help create its own water resource for safe drinking water and sufficient water resource for the villagers.

A rainwater harvesting (RWH) project by NGO SHARE at village Vihule Kond, near Mangaon in Raigad a few years ago, with pioneering water management company Ion Exchange India Ltd. Providing technical consultancy. Villagers contributed to shramdaan (voluntary labour) resulted in the construction ofrainwater harvesting ponds of 42-lakh litres storage capacity. It's success inspired several other villagers to approach SHARE to start RWH projects.

Currently NGOs SHARE-SCESA are implementing similar projects at 10 villages in six other talukas of Raigad district. Contact SCESA at Sophia College.

Directory of children’s NGOs
Mumbai: ‘Vatsalya Trust’, Mumbai working for destitute children for last 21 years with various projects like care & rehab. Centre for infants and children, home for girls, child- parent guidance center & Documentation Training & Research Centre on child development & child crisis are in the process of compiling a directory of NGO’s, schools, professionals, government institute working for & with children on various issues in & around Mumbai upto Thane district. They already have built up a database of over 500 NGO’s, schools, institutions etc. and appeal to the NGO’s, professionals & those who are working for children to kindly share their information and to collaborating for referrals.Contact Medha Namjoshi " k_raja123123@yahoo.co.in

SBI Social Card (pix)
Mumbai: SBI Card launched a unique partnership with 4 prominent Indian NGOs through the SBI Social Card-- the first affinity card in India to feature 4 NGOs as beneficiaries on a single credit card.These NGOs – Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA), National Association for the Blind (NAB), SOS Children's Villages of India & WWF India – will receive contributions in the form of 20% renewal fee donations, events for fund raising and reward points donations.In addition, SBICard will organize fund raising events for the NGOs.

To mark the launch of the SBI Social Card, 3 paintings donated by Jatin Das were auctioned at a special fundraiser.“The SBI Social Card is our attempt at empowering people who want to contribute to social causes but are unable to do so simply because they don’t have the time or are undecided about which cause they want to support. Now, they can contribute to the communities we all live in through four diverse causes - without any extra effort” said Roopam Asthana, CEO, SBICard. .Contact Harshada.Mopkar@rnpmc.com

Public Accountability seminar
Delhi: What does it take to make a somnolent bureaucracy responsive to citizens' needs? Several things, obviously, as participants heard at a workshop on Developing Institutions for Public Accountability in Urban Services, organised by the Water & Sanitation Programme of the World Bank in New Delhi in February.

Arvind Kejriwal of Parivartan recounted how a daily wage labourer in East Delhi had tried to obtain a duplicate ration card. For three months, he was fobbed off from one department, and from one official, to another, in what appeared to be a futile and frustrating exercise. Once Parivartan intervened and asked why this wasn't being issued under Delhi's Right to Information law, which was introduced in 2001, he obtained the card in four days.

The veteran consumer rights activist, Dr Manubhai Shah of the Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education & Research Centre, pointed out that after the Ratlam Municipality judgment some two decades ago, it was legally established that lack of funds cannot serve as a pretext for inability to deliver services. Thus every municipality had to collect garbage and provide water and drainage. Mumbai activists who have publicised the right to information law are trying to compel MPs to disclose their expenditure under their Local Area Development Scheme (LADS), funded to the tune of Rs.2 crore per MP a year Other very useful suggestions included report cards for undertakings - an exercise perfected by Samuel Paul, who chairs the Public Affairs Centre in Bangalore and spoke about new directions in accountability at the opening of the workshop. A representative of, Lok Satta, Hyderabad concluded with the sober disclosure that the Andhra Pradesh elections showed that as many as 60% of sitting MLAs regularly lose their seats, which means that they are accountable to the people, after all.

Citizens' forum to support whistleblowers
A railway official is murdered for reporting corruption in a railway project. Another official who dared to do the same is running for his life .When Executive Engineer S K Nagarwal reported corruption in railway track laying in West Bengal, his saga with colluding officials and contractors began. On reporting corruption in this project to his superiors (including the Railway Board), the letter of complaint was leaked to the contractor mafia who have threatened to eliminate him and his family. He was transferred many times and his bosses tarnished his Annual Confidential Reports. The CVO, Indian Railways and the N.F.Railway have worked together to violate the rules.

Now, to provide a credible support to whistleblowers a group of eminent and concerned citizens members Admiral R H Tahiliyani, Ajit Mozoomdar, Arvind Kejriwal, Colin Gonsalves, Justice Leila Seth, and many others supported by the S K Dubey foundation, have come together as Citizens Forum Against Corruption (CFAC). According to CFAC spokesperson T K Naveen, the forum typically invites cases of corruption from whistleblowers who have information and evidence and who would like to report such a case anew or who have already reported such cases but have not received adequate response from the government. A working group of the panel scrutinizes the evidence and presents a summary document to the panel

Share and Care Foundation(pix)
Bhavnagar: Representatives from all over India met in Bhavnagar at the Natraj Research and Training Centre affiliated to the PNR Society, for the 5th Annual partners meet of the Share & Care Foundation. The meeting was presided over by Jayant Shroff, President of the Share & Crae Foudnation, India. Prafull Shah representing the Foundation in USA said that ever since 6 Indian families in USA began the Foundation in 1982 have contributed nearly 20m USD for social activities and funding organisations for social welfare projects in India and USA. Contact 278-2420836 email pnr@sancharnetonline.net

Global Action Week on Education - 2005
April 24-30

"Educate to end poverty", is the call of 2005 Global Action
Week. It’s goal--to Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger, and Ensure that all boys and girls complete primary schooling.

During the week, NGOs are requested to participate in any way to attract people who have to be influenced: Hold meetings, arrange discussion groups, organize photo and painting exhibitions, depicting the key concerns of children's education in your area; organize a march or a rally to promote the aims of the Global Week. Contact local schools to hold workshops. Arrange eventa with teachers and teacher training institutions to promote the importance of the teaching profession. Invite children to take part. Organize a dialogue between school-age children and young people, asking those who have completed their schooling to say how education helped them to develop their talents. Contact: iacindia@yahoo.com and look up www.april2005.org email: info@april2005.org

When music is divine!
Mumbai: Divine Mother Society (DMS), hosted a musical event on March 25 at Amar Gian Grover Hall, consisting of Old hindi film songs. The proceeds will go for DMS projects to help poor children in Villages, Leprosy affected people, medical help and technical education to needy and poor.

Currently they have a social support center around a village called Alamadi, 30km from Chennai..with a free medical center and full time doctor and nurses. School children get free tuition, uniforms, food, medicines etc. IITAlumni-1970 batch have a group called 'Envigal' who volunteer to give computer related education to the Alamadi village children.Contact www.seva-dms.com Tel: 044-26310262

Tomorrow’s youth
Delhi: FPA India organised a National Conference "Tomorrow's Youth Today" at India International Centre, on Feb 23-24 to focus on the issue of sexual and health needs of the Very Young Adolescents (10-14 years old). Dr. Mahinder C Watsa, President, FPA India drew attention to the vulnerabilities of this 144 million strong age-group in India. Alcoholism, drug abuse, inappropriate sexual behaviour, social problems like child sexual abuse, child trafficking, child labour, psychological problems and lifestyle expectations are becoming increasingly noticeable in this age group he said. Mr Sunil Dutt, Minister Sports and Youth Affairs inaugurated the Conference. Mr. Prasanna Hota, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare said accurate information, counselling, early detection of childhood diseases, communication and building partnerships were required.

Dr. Nina Puri, President, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), giving the key note address spoke about child labour and child trafficking in this age group. The conference brought together local, national and international stakeholders working with children: Population Council, Packard Foundation, Max Healthcare, International Labour Organisation-India, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Family Health International (FHI)-India, Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR)-Jaipur, Pariwar Sewa Sanstha, SHARAN, Child In Need Institute (CINI), Press Institute of India, Ideosync Media Combine, the South Asia Regional Office of the IPPF, Tarshi, HAQ-child rights, UNICEF and officials from the ministry and Consultants from Council of Boards School Education participated.

Good Governance and Corruption(pix)
Bangalore: A one-day workshop on “Good governance with focus on Corruption” was organised by Prajna at the Central College campus in February. Different sections of society spoke about the extent and methods of corruption. Lokayukta members, ex-Excise and Customs Board members, advocates, contractors, construction companies and civil contractors agreed that 40% of costs in any project could be saved if corruption was eliminated. Health care professionals, health educationists all deplored the state of decadence in the health field where there was a maximum impact on society. Dr Sudarshan, Director, Karnataka Lokyukta and vigilance, Health, education and social welfare noted that corruption existed from administration to blood transfusion, lab. deliveries and drugs. “There is corruption from recruitment to private medical practies and absenteeism”, he said, adding that “corruption had even become decentralized with Zilla Parishads also colluding in it.”
Contact: Dr. BS Ajaikumar ajai@aol.com

Caption: Dr. H Sudarshan, Dr. Chardrashekhar Shetty,(Retd VC Rajiv Gandhi Uvty of Health Sciences), Dr Ajai Kumar (of Prajna) standing) and Dr. Joga Rao (Advocate)

Solar celebrations(pix)
Bangalore: Students from six colleges participated in activities celebrating, with Greenpeace, the Kyoto protocol on February 16 at the musical Park.

The Kyoti protocol has a two-fold objective: to achieve the required reductions of acid rain causing emissions, in the most economically efficient manner and to drive technological innovation in the private sector which will make the transition to a low carbon and carbon-free economy as smooth as possible. The companies that are working towards renewable energy, energy saving and energy efficient devices are Vestas (DK) Gamesa (Spain), Sharp, Toyota, Honda, Kyocera (japan), AEG (Germany), Renault, Peugeot(France), Fiat (Italy( and Shell and BP 9\(only in Ireland UK). Since America has refused to sign the Kytoi protocol American companies are not complying to the Kyoto protocol. Contact Greenpeace: ksriniva@dialb.greenpeace.org Tel. 94484-58866

Obituary : Kanak Mukherjee
The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) deeply mourns the passing away of one of its founders, a veteran of the womens'movement and the communist movement of our country, Smt. Kanak Mukherjee who died after being seriously ill in Kolkota at the age of 83.

During the Bengal Famine – l942-43 – she plunged into relief work as a leader of the Mahila Atmaraksha Samity and began her life-long association with the women’s movement and, soon afterwards, she became one of the leaders of the Ganatantrik Mahila Samity. When the Ganatantrik Mahila Samity merged with the All India Democratic Women’s Association- Kanak di was one of its founders and helped in preparing the Constitution of the new organization.

Kanak di joined the Communist Party in l938 and then the CPI(M) in l964 going to jail several times. She served in public life as an alderman and also as a Member of the Rajya Sabha. A lyrical poet and a consummate and compulsive writer, she edited Ek Sathe, their newsletter for decades.Contact: AIDWA Subhashini Ali" subhashini_ali@yahoo.com

Update: Narmada bachao andolan
All the claims about just rehabilitation of the Sardar Sarovar affected families in the Narmada valley were once again exposed when the Nandurbar district administration dumped eleven tribal families displaced from Bharad village under open sky without even the sheds in the Resettlement site of Javda, in Maharashtra. These families were affected when the Dam height went upto 80 meters in 1994 and is yet to be provided culltivable land, house plots and resettlement village, despite the series of protests and subsequent assurances by the concerned Ministers, Resolutions by the state Cabinet. The people and Narmada Bachao Andolan – have resisted firmly any attempt to destroy life, violate the rights and law by the dam-builders and their cohorts.Contact NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN,. Email: baroda@narmada.org; badwani@narmada.org

Anti-Coke campaign strikes chord at WSF
When Nandlal Master, engaged in a grassroots struggle against Coca Cola in Mehdiganj, Varanasi, started speaking at the session `International Campaign Against Coca Cola' organized at the World Social Forum 2005 held between Jan 26-31 at Porte Alegre, Brazil the audience, consisting mainly of South Americans burst into enthusiastic applause expressing solidarity with him. People had to sit on floor for lack of space. The audience clearly disapproved the idea of privatization of ground water resources by multinational giants like Coke. It appeared that after the name of George Bush it was Coca Cola which stood as the most ugly symbol of imperialism. Nandlal's speech was followed by Edgar Alberto Paez Melo representing `Sinaltrainal', a trade union from Coloumbia who spoke of the atrocities committed by Coca Cola there. Eight trade union leaders have been assassinated over the last five years and a number of others tortured at the behest of Coca Cola. This session was organized by Amit Srivastava of India Resource Group based in the US. During this session over 300 signatures were collected by Corporate Accountability International of the US to register a protest with C.M. of UP, Mulayam Singh Yadav over framing of false charges against Nandlal and others during their peaceful and non-violent action against the bottling plant in Mehdiganj in Nov.04 They also requested the Chief Minister to investigate the illegal means used by Coca Cola against the protestors. About 450 Indians attended this year's WSF with dalit groups registering a significant presence. (Sandeep Pandey National Convenor, NAPM)

Pratham in Surat
Surat: Inspired by the success stories of some NGOs in the rural areas of Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh to rehabilitate child labourers, Pratham Surat Education Initiative took the plunge to start a Residential Bridge Course Centre (RBC) in village Suali of Choryasi Tehsil in Surat district, in January. Senior government officials, corporate functionaries, members of the civil society and representatives of Pratham attended the inauguration.

The Pratham RBC is a 7-month programme with 30 child labourers aged 9-14 in the first batch mainly funded by NOVIB (Oxfam Netherlands). Some local entrepreneurs have pledged assistance in the form of grocery for the inmates.

BLP inaugurates DOTS center on world TB day
Mumbai: On the occasion of World TB Day, March 24, Bombay Leprosy Project (BLP) inaugurated a DOTS center at VP Nagar, Worli, Bombay. It was inaugurated by Dr Siddique, Medical Officer for Health (MOH), G - South Ward of Bombay Municipal Corporation. Staff from BLP and Jijamata Health Post as well as from the RNTCP TB Inspectors and Community Development Officer of G-South Ward attended. This center will provide Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) to TB patients from the slums in this Ward. BLP has been already assisting the RNTCP activities in Kherwadi (H-Ward) and Dharavi (G-North) Health Posts, since 2003.

A Child Education Sponsorship programme was also inaugurated by Bombay Leprosy Project for children affected by leprosy and street children. The programme,in collaboration with The Monsoon and Sunshine Classes at the Acworth Municipal Hospital for Leprosy is partly supported by SUR-DEEP of Japan. A seminar organized by BLP at the Sushrut Hospital, Chembur probed into the enigma of why co-infection of AIDS and leprosy is rare. Clinicians, health specialists and NGOs attended the seminar and look forward to receiving documentation of the phenomenon.

Street play for polls (pix)
Bangalore : A street play, Sath Praje produced by the Public Affairs Centre has been doing the rounds of various localities in Bangalore to motivate and educate people to get their names registered on the rolls. It is especially relevant to youngsters. The play highlights problems of students and their indifference to governance while telling them the importance of getting registered as a voter and voting and choosing the right candidate to bring about the changes they wanted. Contact 080-2255545252

Volunteering and Free Software(box)
Below is a list of ten reasons why volunteering non-government organisations (NGOs) need to take a close look and deploy Free Software:

Websites
The International Open Source Network (IOSN), an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme, has produced a 48-page primer on "Free/Open Source Software and Education," which is now available for free public download. The primer is intended to help policy-makers and decision-makers understand the potential use of free
and open source software ("FOSS") in education.

According to the project's website, "the primer is intended to be a living document, constantly updated to reflect the latest information and available to all." Additionally, it's released under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license, "and should always be available from the IOSN website."

Websites (box)
Human Rights Education On-line The Electronic Resource Centre for Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) is an on-line repository of human rights education and training materials,on-line forums, databases and links to other organisations and resources.Monthly updates of available resources will be sent to those who register their email address on the website. To access the repository, visit www.hrea.org/erc/index.html.

A new site for free E-books!
There are a number of places to get books online, but this recent addition http://www.manybooks.net/"to that cadre of websites is definitely worth a look. Adapted from the e-texts created by the Project Gutenberg DVD.A host of formats: pdf, eReader, and as Palm document files. Browsable by: author, title, category, or language. You can also submit: A list of five of your favorite books so that other users may take advantage of their favorite reads.Some of the recently recommended titles include Jude the Obscure, Silas Marner, Ecce Homo, and New Grub Street.

AVAILABLE doctors
doctors for your clinic & camp.

Mumbai: ASHA has started herbal treatment for Diabetes, Arthirites, Knee pain & piles. If any Ngo wants to start a clinic or hold a camp. Please contact our office .We will arrange doctors for your clinic & camp. Contact: ASHA TEL: 28896562,24588890
Email:ashaorgmumbai@hotmail.com

Orchestra from Amte's ashram
Mumbai: Swaranandwan Orchestra looks like any other orchestra, entertaining its
audience to a wide-range of songs from old and new Hindi films, regional songs and bhajans.There is even a dance performance or two thrown in. It's different because every talented performer of this orchestra has overcome one handicap or the other.

Their performance at the Fine Arts Society on Jan 22 held an audience of about a thousand people captivated The orchestra comprises residents of Anandwan, an ashram established by Baba Amte near Nagpur in 1951. The ashram originally built to help
leprosy patients, today is a home for the handicapped and homeless. The ashram is almost totally self-sufficient and the orchestra is one of its many projects. Call Lokalikar on 25200062 / 25208762. 26241102/26252460
www.vaitarna.org

Anti-Rabies Camp
Mumbai:PAWS conducted an Anti- Rabies Vaccination Program for Stray Dogs in Thakurli city the suburb of Kalyan Dombivli city in February. 40 strays were vaccinated in one hour covering Thakurli Station Road, Fire Brigade Office, State bank premises, Sports Complex Road & Premises of Thakurli.

A Rat snake rescued in which was rescued by volunteer Vishal was released at Borivali National Park Thane.

Bullock Vaccination camp at Bramin Sabha Hall Area, Dombivli was held on 5th February to vaccinate cart bullocks, and owners learnt about care-taking, feeding and looking after their animals. Please contact Nilesh - 9820161114Anuradha - 9869376238Sonali - 952512 – 496742

The Animal Times of PETA
Mumbai: The Winter issue of PeTA India’s newsletter, Animal Times chronicles their successful court case against the zoo which resulted in an order from Ch Jce Bhandari that the zoo ensure better hygiene and care for the animals.

After PETA offered photographic evidence of the unhygienic and dangerous conditions for cattle, goats and sheep in abattoirs throughout India, the Supreme Court of India censured the Animal Welfare Board of India for not conducting through inspections of the thousands of slaughter houses across India.

Career Opps for dropouts
Mumbai: The 2nd Career Opportunities Fair for underprivileged school dropouts was organized by Yuva Parivartan at their Parishramalaya Bandra (E) premises on April 2 and 3rd. This year the emphasis was on the Services Sector.
The fair created awareness for a number of entry-level jobs that are available to them like , tailoring, table-waiting, nursing, airconditioning and refrigeration repairs, electricals, security, hospitality, facility management in buildings etc for which the Kherwadi Social Welfare Association, the parent association, has training courses. Stalls to provide career guidance and counselling were put up and a Job mela attended by representatives of Orchid Hotel, Tops Security and Pantaloon was also held where on-the-spot jobs were negotiated. Entrepreneurship and how to start a small business, micro-credit and self employment facilities were explained by guest speakers from various industries e.g. the Gem & Jewellery Assoc., Travel & Tourism sector, Orchid Hotels, JJ Hospital Nursing Section, Fashion Designing. Contact 24221813 info@yuvaparivartan.org

Subject: SCESA / SHARE - what every college alumni association could do

Sophia College Ex-Students Association / Society to Heal Aid Restore and Educate (SCESA/SHARE) are two NGOs run by the Sophia College Ex-Students that focus on the development of marginalized people.

We are not a funding agency but we are supported by Rotarians, industrialists, charitable trusts and individual philantropists.

Specific Projects :
22 villages in Raigad District have water harvesting and 15 more villages are in the process of collaborating with them for water
self-sufficiency.

Water harvesting is only an entry point into the intergrated development of rural communities. After the villages have sufficient water, women are free to go in for literacy education and distant education. In course of time, they are given income generation skills with a view to economic self-empowerment. The next step is the formation of self help groups that focus on micro financing.

Sophie Barat Centre for the empowerment of women is situated in Madgaon Taluka, Goregoan, Raigarh District.

In the city of Mumbai we have a center for mentally retarded children in Dharavi, a project for the victims of Gujarat violence – venue Dharavi and a project for street children in Chembur.

An important project is the training of water ambassadors, beginning with the primary school children in Mumbai. Contact marybraganza76@hotmail.com

Dominique couple at Sunderban
Kolkata: January, 2005 when Dominique and Dominique Lapierre met in a get-together with the people of Sunderbans and beneficiaries of the projects of SHIS many eminent personalities from all walk of life and social activists joined hand with MA Wohab, Director SHIS and Sabitri Pal, President SHIS to celebrate. The Dominique couple met inhabitants of Bhangar block and the Sunderbans delta. Children from Sisu Bikas Academy of SHIS performed small cultural activities. Sunderban Kristi Mela

When the question of examining the CDs came up before a woman judge of a Chennai trial court, the accused moved the high court saying the examination of the CDs would

New Office for (CIRA) in India
Chennai: On January 6th, Yale University President Richard Levin, officially inaugurated a new office for Yale's Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) housed at YRG CARE, a non-profit organization based in Chennai. The office will operate three research projects: Project Parivartan, supported by a three-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF); a monitoring and evaluation program funded by the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF); and a research and training program, supported by the NIH Fogarty International Center.

Project Parivartan is supported by BMGF to conduct research on implementing structural interventions among high-risk groups in AP, Karnataka, TN, M’ra, Manipur, and Nagaland.

Rainman
Mumbai: Undaunted by bureaucratic hurdles, JM Mehta of The Bridge Trust continues to work in 12 tribal villages in Kasara, M’ra. They have sunk wells close to their homes so they don’t need to walk 2 kms for water, and have distributed 500 filters for purifying drinking water. A small new masonry dam, repairs to old one helps 2 villages to conserve water. The balwadis in 9 villages give primary education and adults get lessons from a Computer-based functional literacy programme developed and gifted by Tata Consultancy Services. On the anvil are plans for electricuy, pipes war and vocational training…(Indian express, Mumbai of Feb 22)

PM approves Bill for granting land rights to adivasis
New Delhi. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, has given approval for the introduction of the Scheduled Tribes and Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill in the Budget session of Parliament.

The Bill seeks to recognise the land rights of tribal communities living in forest areas prior to the coming into force of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 but were left unsettled in the government records. It will also benefit tribals living in villages called "forest villages" where they have not been given land rights despite living in these areas and are agriculturists for several generations. The National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) had called for developing strategies to reconcile the objectives of environment conservation and development and protecting the interests of tribal communities. By settling the issue of land rights, the proposed Bill seeks to open up opportunities for effectively engaging the tribal communities in the greening of degraded forest lands and increasing forest cover. The NCMP also promised to confer ownership rights in respect of non-timber forest produce for weaker sections working in the forests and discontinuation of eviction of tribal communities and other forests dwelling communities from forest areas, the PMO said.( Times of India. 12 Jan, 2005).

ICU for HIV/AIDS patients at VHS
The nation's first exclusive intensive care unit for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) was inaugurated at the VHS hospital in the city in January, 15 years after the first case of HIV infection was detected in Chennai. It is a significant milestone in terms of medical care for the PLWHA. The two-bed unit, being set up by the YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education, will serve as the first such-dedicated unit serving the PLWHA. It will be equipped with a ventilator and suction equipment, state-of the-art laboratory facilities and doctors will be present round the clock.

There were countless unchronicled deaths as persons who made bold to declare their `positivity' were denied ventilator support, again and again. The ICU as a reality will change the way PLWHA are treated. At the same time, the community of persons living with the infection make it clear that it is important to broadbase strategies to handle medical care facilities in the State. "Intensive care facilities must be made available to all," according to an INP+ member. (The Hindu, 15 Jan, 2005)

Street kids highlight AIDS issues
In February the Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare rolled out its mega initiative to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS in the form of four trains starting from four corners of the country and culminating at the centre of India in Nagpur, carrying with it a unique effort from the Capital. Aboard the `Red Ribbon Express' would be a gift created by a group of 50-odd andpicked street children highlighting various issues pertaining toHIV/AIDS. What the street children of Delhi would begifting to lakhs of children and adults across the country would be a chance to see "comic strips" created by them at a three-day workshop organised by Plan International (India) in association with World Comics (India).

The children have been drawn from two organisations --Project Concern International and Community Aid Sponsorship Programme (CASP) The Hindu 16 January, 2005

Farmers plan to launch `Bija Satyagraha'
New Delhi, Jan. 10. Several farm organisations have decided to launch a "Bija Satyagraha" — non-cooperation with the Patent Ordinance, water monopolies created through privatisation and market monopoly being created by attempts to dismantle mandis by amending the Agriculture Marketing Produce Committee Acts.

"Across the country farmers will not recognise Seed Patent and will not participate in agriculture which robs them of livelihood and their seed sovereignty," the Director of `Navdanya', Vandana Shiva, said at a press conference.

Earlier, activists from all over the country participated in a day long seminar on the issue. After two weeks of satyagraha, the farmers' organisations would serve notices to the Government against corporate agriculture and formulate agriculture policies from the grassroots.

The alternate policy process would counter the World Trade Organisation and World Bank driven corporate policies.

"The farmers' policies would be presented to Parliament in its Budget session to prevent the imposition of anti-farmer pro-MNCs policies by the Government. These policies are killing farmers. In 2004, as many as 16,000 farmers committed suicide. Indian farmers resolve to stop this genocide through MNC-free, chemical-free, debt-free, patent-free
agriculture," Dr. Shiva said.

Grassroots Trading Network
Mumbai: Because the entire operation is within the ambit of the SEWA family (with its known track record), chances of success are good, especially since HLL is providing support in training, logistics, distribution and marketing. The potential for expanding
sales to the larger rural population is enormous. When the benefit accruing to SEWA members becomes more obvious, why would the rest of the village not be eager to participate?

Grassroots Trading Network for Women initiated these entrepreneurial projects. Fortunately, other such types of initiatives are also emerging that will greatly benefit the rural community through employment and enterprise.

The writer is chief executive officer, Grassroots Trading Network for
Women http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=62636

Surabhi organises Crafts festival
Mumbai: Surabhi foundation for Research and Cultural Exchange organised the Mumbai Mela- A Crafts and Folk Art Exhibition as part of the Mumbai Festival 2005, a celebration of culture for the people and to promote tourism. The Craft mela at the Bandra Reclamation grounds from January 14-23 was inaugurated by Mrs. Renuka Choudhury, Minister of Tourism, govt. of India. The Mumbai mela had crafts from all over India, folk performances and Regional street food. GVPCT is facilitating SHGs of SWAYMSIDDHA , an organization based in Kolhapur for exhibiting\selling their products through this Mela. The crafts display was coordinated by well-known folklorist Dr. Jyotindra Jain. Contact

Road safety
“Rally for Life” was a rally held by Friends for Life jointly with RD Dreams in Bangalore and targeted the youth hang-outs in the city. The rally proceeded through the main thorough fares of the city such as M G Road, Airport Road and 100 ft Road with banners on safe driving. Helmets were given away as prizes based on quiz contests at these spots. Contact:FFL, the Bangalore based road safety NGO (www.fflonline.org )

People’s media initiative
Mumbai Senior journalist, Mr. Kuldip Nayar presided over the Peoples’ Media Initiative and with prominent personalities from all over India active in the field of Media, Civil liberty, films and social activism met and deliberated extensively in January for 2 days. They resolved to firmly deal with and take up issues of State repression, communal violence, illegal detention, encounter killing, custodial violence, police firing and denial of democratic and civil liberties, rights to any section of the population.

The body decided to organize media-connected people in District and State wise, and educate them about secular, democratic and civil liberties issues and create awareness among them about people’s issues and their struggles..

The General Body elected a 30- member working committee with the following office bearers for a period of 2 years. President: Mr. Kuldip Nayar; Vice Presidents: Mallika Sarabhai, Dr. Prof. Sanat Kumar Vyas of Sardar Patel University; Mani Mala, Journalist from Delhi. & Ramesh Pimple; General Secretary Kirit Bhatt; Treasurer Geeta Chawda. Contact PMI "ramesh pimple" pmiright@yahoo.co.in 9821109295

Gay partnerships in UK
The first civil partnerships in the United Kingdom will take place before Christmas 2005, with the government announcing an official implementation date of December 5.

The Civil Partnership Act will take effect on the 5th, allowing for ceremonies to take place on December 21. The gap between the two dates allows for the 15-day waiting period required. The act is the first piece of legislation that allows same-sex couples legal recognition and similar rights to married heterosexual couples.

The new laws would have a direct impact on British society and the place of lesbian and gay people within it. "It opens the way to respect, recognition and justice for those who have been denied it for too long." The act will allow same-sex couples to have their relationship recognized at an official ceremony similar to a civil marriage.

The bill introducing civil partnership was passed in the Houses of Parliament last year, but the government said it would need a year to allow for implementation strategies.

Meeting of sexual minorities
Chennai: MSM Sangams in partnership with South India AIDS Action Programme associated with the National Campaign for Sexuality Rights (NCSR) had a meeting on “Issues Regarding Sexual Minorities” on Feb. 27 at Pandiyakula Nadar Chatram ,Kumbakonam. The meeting was organized by Lotus Integrated AIDS Awareness Sangam, Kumbakonam; Pathikapatta Angal AIDS Thaduppu Seiyal Thittam, Salem; Krishnagiri AIDS Villupunnarachi Sangam, Krishnagiri; Kunthalai Nachiyar AIDS Thaduppu and Saral AIDS Thaduppu matrum Padhukappu Sangam, Tirunelveli. Contact Indhu S E-mail: <indhu27770@yahoo.co.in

VOICE to start girls shelterMumbai: There are now 350 street children who participate in VOICE’s programs, and of these VOICE has been able to enroll 153 into the local schools. Now into its 14th year, Voice has planned a Project for the rehabilitation, education and training of girl street children – Sanjivani. The proposed center will be able to house up to 100 female children and provide them with safe, total care. They will be given all the emotional and academic support necessary to develop a into self-reliant and contributing citizens.

By the age of 18, these girls will have received all the tools necessary for them to become self-supportive and self-reliant young women. It will also be a space available to supplement the academic activities for VOICE’s other students who do not live at the center. Construction of Sanjivani, begins early March in Virar. Contact: Rajashri Bansiwar voice@bom5.vsnl.net.in

Obituary Vijayatai Lawate
NOTED social worker Vijayatai Lawate died of a massive heart attack at the age of 75. Lawate started her social service in 1958 when she started working with the S K Patil health centre at Mahad.

She worked on Indian Medical Foundation’s family welfare project, along with Pune Municipal Corporation’s health department. In 1986, Vijayatai formed Nihar organisation with the help of ‘‘Vanchit Vikas’’ organisation to rehabilitate commercial sex workers and their children. Later in June 1997, she launched Manavya organisation.and, set up Gokul –an institution for 57 HIV positive children of CSWs. with a mobile dispensary for CSWs, and organised various projects to spread awareness about HIV among CSWs. Vijayatai also authored a book titled ‘‘Athavanitalya Goshti’’.

Her biography, which has been written by Mrunalini Dhavale, is to be released shortly. She was recently given Baya Karve Award by the Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Sanstha and was also honoured by Pune Municipal Corporation, Seva Sadan, Vanchit Vikas, Pune Marathi Granthalaya, Fie Foundation, Rotary Club and Kesari Sastha.

How to set up local organisations
Manav Kendra organized a workshop for village development work in February. This is a programme that allows people to enable them build their own autonomous organisation at local level to resolve their own issues. The proposal of the Manavta Kendra will strengthen participation of people and make them capable of taking charge of their own lives and situation.

“We can introduce the approach to set-up village level autonomous organisations of people, by people through voluntary organizations with reach and capability to make people self-organised and take charge of their situation… know-how, human resources and willingness to improve the prevailing social situation of dependency by large mass of people.” Contact: Manavta Kendra, 11 Yogniti, 18 S V Road, Santacruz (West), Mumbai 400054 Tel: 022-26616197/26615513, Email: humanist@vsnl.com

Canvas For A Cause
Cancer Patients Aid Association organised "Colours of Life" an exhibition and sale of 64 works donated by 58 of India's best known artistsat Cymroza Art Gallery on March 16-18. The exhibition was inaugurated by Governor SM Krishna. Prices ranged from Rs 10,000-Rs. 400,000 and The proceeds will be used to provide chemotherapeutic drugs for children suffering from cancer. Artists who participated included Achutan Kudallur,Ajay De,Amrit and Rabindra Singh,Amrit and Rabindra Singh,Arzan Khambatta,Babu Xavier,Badri Narayan, Buwa Shete,Bose Krishnamachari ,Jaideep Mehrotra,Jatin Das,Jehangir Jani, Jogen Chowdhury, Lalitha Lajmi,M. F. Husain,Manu Parekh,Ramkumar,Samir Mondal Sunil Das,S.G. Vasudev,Yogesh Shirwadkar and Yusuf Arakkal

Save The Children India organized a raffle of various pieces of art on Feb 6, to raise funds for its Tsunami relief activities. The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Gallery Beyond and 123 artists (who have donated the paintings) all came together for this unique event.

Each raffle ticket for Rs. 10,000 allowed the ticket holder to go back with a work of art- This amount w as a donation to implement Livelihood and Education Programs in the Tsunami affected areas and would be exempt under sec 80G of income tax Act. Contact Deepak Bhatia deepak@savethechildrenindia.com

The male sex worker
The population of Male Sex Workers is quite significant in India. the population as a community in India are a heavily stigmatised group, and remain socially and politically marginalized. In light of this situation, to critically evaluate the existing situation and produce a strategy that can counter the stigma at the social and political levels and reduce the vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. Network of Indian Male Sex Workers (NIMSW) -- an association of the organisations representing fourteen states and 22 organisation working on the issues of Male Sex Workers. since 2003, pl to organised a National level consultation meeting and strategic plans to have a workshop to decide and finalise the direction this network should take on. This national consultation meeting and strategic planning workshop is supported by Sexual Health resource Centre, New Delhi. The meeting can be seen as an opportunity, when these key persons, and a training programme for the invitees be organized which will help the member organizations to conduct pilot studies in some priority areas more effectively. netwotkof indianmale sexworker" nimsw@rediffmail.com

Mumbai demolitions
Mumbai:The Indian People’s Tribunal on Environment and Human Rights (IPT) was constituted by a people’s mandate in 1993 to investigate into gross human rights violations and cases of environmental degradation. The recent spate of demolitions in Mumbai has raised many questions about the commitment of the government towards protecting the rights of the urban poor. It is appalling that before the elections a number of promises were made and immediately after elections one of the most widespread and brutal demolitions in the city of Mumbai. The IPT conducted a public hearing at the Marathi Patrakar Shangha on Jan 17 regarding the recent spate of forced evictions in Mumbai. The depositions included a representation of people from the demolished slums, disabled people and Pardi Tribes as well as from experts and government officials who will give an insight into the situation viz a viz housing for the urban poor. Those who spoke included Jce.Suresh H.. Retd., Kenneth Fernandes(Executive Director, Committee for Right To Housing and Evictions – Geneva) Miloon Kothari (UN Special Rapporteur – Adequate Housing)Kalpana Sharma (Chief of Bureau – The Hindu newspaper,Mumbai) Salam Bin Razzak (Winner of This Year’s Sahitya Academy Awards-Urdu) etc. Org. by : Aapli Mumbai, Apanalaya, Asha Ankur, Azad Mohalla Sangharsh Samiti, CEHAT, CRH, GKSS, ICHRL, Jopdi Bachao Parishad, NAPM, Nirbhay Bano Andolan, PPPHSKS, Shehar Vikas Manch, Stree Mukti Sanghtana, PATH, YUVA. Contact: IPT Secretariat Tel: 23439651/ 23436692 Email: iptindia@vsnl.net

Eco-friendly students
Mumbai: “Deep Woods delight” an eco-friendly mela; had over seven thousand children and parents visiting. Mr Subhash Awate,the Spl.I.G state Human rights commission(Maharashtra) the chief guest of the first days inaugural function said.” This mela is the first of its kind where instead of the usual stuff there is education of ecological aspects touching our lives”. The stalls had inputs of how our body is getting affected by the environmental degradation. The uniqueness of the event was that the stalls were manned by students themselves and they explained the concepts to the adults in simple and innovative manners. The ecological puppet show was one of the most visited stall. In another stall the very young ones were dressed as parrots and they were forecasting future by giving astrology cards to the dignitaries and the public .

The World of Health stall gave short and long term impacts of eating junk food .The Tooth Story by Dr Sonal Bhasin brought out how tooth care is now even more important with pesticides and fluorides on the rise in the food consumption. The yoga safaris explained how pranayam is now the need of the hour and a good measure to protect oneself from air pollution wrath. The event ended with a Shield distribution ceremony to the winners of the nine month long Ecomission 2004-2005 organized by OASIS, and Esselworld-- Infant Jesus high school at Malad.(1) Springfield high school at Bandra(2). S.E.International high school at Borivali.(3) Contact: 9820403344<pujasukhija@hotmail.com> Contact Vidhya 30949042

CONNECTiNG
Nothing could have been as important as the Patents Act which was recently passed in Delhi…yet, despite the call for rallies etc the public was totally unaware of the reaction this would have on the, When the price of petrol goes up by a few paise there is a hue and cry yet when medicines will become dearer the public seems not to be aware of it at all. Over and over again, the public seems to be unaware of the way things will influence their lives. The rallies the protest marches are all mostly “preaching to the converted.”

But that is not the aim…organisations have to re-think the way they are organising …they need to spend more time and thought on how to involve a busy public who cares but needs to be reminded.

There are various ways of doing this. Some years ago in Bangalore, a handful of housewives incensed that their beloved Cubbon Park was going to be use for the construction of a government building, took over the imagination of the entire city which galvanized into a month of rallies of every kind – kids, singers, vintage car owners, dancers, media…the response was staggering and well orchestrated. And the government rescinded their orders to cut a piece of Cubbon Park. Strategies must be evolved if the public has to be moved to response to a situation that needs change—Rima Kashyap.