![](images/archivestitle.gif) |
June 2003 : Vol.1 -
Issue 2 |
If you have some news/experience
you would like to share with us, write to us at info@ngoconnect.org
" Truth fears no trial " |
TOP
STORIES :
- Indian Troops to Iraq
- Should India step in where fools fear to tread?
- The War against the censors:
Where does political censorship of films stop? Does
the truth need to be censored because it embarrasses.
Or does it inflame passions?
- The power of saas-bahu:
A daring experiment in the North has a village that
refused to look at polio drops become polio-free -
a case study
- A point of view: Take
a look at this "Bizarre" ad and what message
do you get?
- Success stories: From
a small-town idealistic farmer to barefoot neonatologists
and the Bombay Natural History Society
- Annual reports: They
can be the bane of an NGO but are actually quite simple
to write - some tips from an expert
- Conferences
- Awards & Corporate Philanthropy
- In the Media
- NGO News
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Indian
troops for Iraq? |
The American government has
asked the Indian government to send Indian troops
to Iraq as "Peace Keepers" (peace
keepers is closer to home). People Against War
and most sane Indians feel this is wrong and
should be opposed. America fought this war in
the face of global opinion, including that of
the Indian people. Now that the real war is
starting and the death toll of American soldiers
hit by snipers, grenades and car bombs is mounting,
they want our troops to fight it for them.
"I appreciate the Prime
Minister's search for a national consensus on
the response India should give to Washington's
request for deputing Indian troops to be sent
to Iraq under American occupation. Happily the
debate is not confined to the political parties,
it involves the NGOs, intelligentsia and lay
citizens. This is a sign of the good health
of our democratic polity that such vital issues
are not entirely left to the governments. Of
course, the final word will rest with the Government.
But this, I hope, will not be contrary to the
public opinion.
For a proper and meaningful
national debate, there should be conceptual
clarity. Some interlocutors have suggested that
Indian troops may go to Iraq as Peace Keepers.
In the classical sense, peacekeeping implies
the insertion of alien army units between two
clashing groups of a country that may agree
to stop fighting. Obviously, that is not the
case in Iraq. It is argued that Indian troops
will form part of the 'stabilisation' force.
Here again, there is some confusion. 'Stabilisation'
of what? Of occupation? The fact of the matter
is that Iraq is under Anglo-American occupation
and the people of Iraq have not accepted it.
Nor is there an influential Iraqi elite able
or willing to 'collaborate' with the occupiers
as was the case in Vichy France during the German
occupation of France. Therefore, the purpose
of sending Indian troops to Iraq, if at all,
will be to assist the Pentagon in maintaining
the occupation. As occupation was begotten by
aggression, assisting in the occupation is tantamount
to endorsing the aggression.
We may also understand why
mighty America is asking for our assistance.
The felling of the Saddam Hussein regime was
the easier part. The Pentagon is eminently qualified
to undertake such tasks. To pacify and to administer
Iraq is not a task America is particularly competent
to undertake. As of now, the situation in Iraq
is fast deteriorating. The Brussels-based International
Crisis Group (The ICG) has a credible team of
observers in Iraq. They found that "Baghdad
is a city in distress, chaos and ferment. It
is on issues Baghdadis care about most - security
and welfare - that the occupying forces have
done the least". Our political parties
do not have access to reliable information on
what is happening in Iraq.
Some interlocutors have argued
that we should send our troops so that we might
get contracts as part of the reconstruction
of Iraq. Such 'contractomania' has assumed even
illogical proportions. In any case, there is
something un-Indian and undignified in becoming
a subcontractor to the Pentagon in order to
become a subcontractor to American multinationals.
It has been argued by some
that if there were a U.N. cover, it would be
perfectly in order for India to send troops
to Iraq. But such cosmetic operations would
not dodge the underlying reality.
Some with influence in the
corridors of power argue that we should send
our troops to Iraq as a quid pro quo to America's
pressure on Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism
and even come to a settlement on the question
of Kashmir. Having watched Musharraf's recent
TV interview, it would be credulous on our part
to be taken in for such a ride. In any case,
the question whether Indian troops should be
sent to Iraq or not should be examined on its
own merits.
It is now becoming clear that
ill-perceived American plans for Iraq may end
in dismay. This seems to be the assessment of
many world powers within six preceding weeks.
The U.S. policy objectives have changed from
"Operation Iraqi Freedom" to "Operation
Desert Scorpion" that has unleashed a reign
of terror on Shias and Sunnis alike. The Christian
Science Monitor says, "The US Army has
changed from being a liberator to an offensive
occupier."
It should be clear to our policy
makers that the neo-conservatives' agenda is
eager to expand the war on terrorism in various
directions that may drag us along unless we
are careful - By I.K. Gujral (The Hindu, June
19). There's a super initiative afoot by a group
called The Concerned Indians Citizens Committee
which is planning a campaign to fight this.
If you want to contribute - Contact: 022-2218
4779/5832 or Sign the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/NITTIraq/petition.html
or Email your objections to Prime Minister of
India: vajpayee@sansad.nic.in,
Minister of Home Affairs: mhaweb@mhant.delhi.nic.in
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The War against
the censors: - |
War & Peace - Director:
Anand Patwardhan
It took two years in court and finally the Bombay
High Court castigated the Cesnor Board and the
Appellate Tribunal for demanding that cuts be
made in the film, War and Peace. The reason
given was that they thought that some of the
speeches and slogans n the demonstrations that
took place over the nuclear tests could create
law and order problems, and also wanted to censor
a vital portion of the work."By suppressing
a certain viewpoint, it is not only the propagator
of the viewpoint who suffers but it is the society
at large and equally the people in authority
who suffer", the courts judgement said.
The judgement was a shot in the arm for Patwardhan,
represented by P.A.Sebastian, who in fact has
had nearly every film he has made, go the court
route.
But another film "Chords on the Richter
Scale is just starting the same route.. When
the massive earthquake hit in Gujarat on 26th
Jan 2001 the PMI Team led by Geeta Chawda taking
all risks to life reached Kutch on 27th morning
when quake shocks were still hitting and she
witnessed massive death and destruction, the
team shooted it and provided footage to television
channels however the team witnessed rampant
caste, class and communal prejudice during relief
operation.
Shyam Ranjankar, a renowned
Film maker stepped in and he alongwith cameraman
Kajal travelled widely in Kutch to shoot post
earthquake situation and came back as a very
sad person. There was disturbing caste, class
and communal discrimination and prejudice in
relief and rehabilitation work aided by rampant
massive corruption at all levels.
The
film strives to depict the process of communalisation
and discrimination in post earthquake. Kutch.
This great natural calamity measured 7.9 on
Richter scale hit every body. Regardless of
caste, creed, race, gender or economic status.
Who would harvest the political benefits of
such a tragedy ?. But the state Government did
it, without any qualm. The relief material which
was donated by national and international communities
with heartful of love, to all the suffering
souls in this region. Such material was distributed
on communal and caste basis. Most of the time
it was swindled, Soniwad Vistar is a locality
comprising of gold smith community. The uppercaste
business people in Bhuj. The work of removal
of debris was undertaken by the government on
'priority'. On the other hand a few lanes away
from Soniwadi Vistar, there is a Muslim locality.
The government machinery has not touched the
debris from this Basti. Neither do they have
any plans of doing so. Instead of rebuilding
Kutch on a secular foundation. Work is being
carried out on the communal lines. Each community
and religion is taking away their own section
of people from its origin. And dividing the
society on the communal lines. The number of
houses which are being constructed by religious
organisations are lesser than the actual number
of houses in the original village. These missing
numbers tell the same story of communalization
and discrimination. Kharoi is yet another example
of how basic human rights are denied to the
Dalits.
Contact - Media Initiative: Ms Rumana
- (022)2635 8301-02, Ramesh Pimple - 98211 09295,
Shyam Ranjankar - 98923 99597.
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The power of saas-bahu:
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Azamgarh
An army of largely illiterate and rustic women
from Azamgarh can teach a thing or two on polio
eradication to the high profile WHO and UNICEF
teams. The district, which gave jitters to the
state health machinery for having topped the polio
tally in 2001-2002 with 81 recorded cases, has
thrown up only one case this year. The credit
for the transformation in all fairness goes to
the concerted saas-bahu power.
It was basically an experiment
by Mukesh Kumar Mesharn, district magistrate,
who hit upon the idea of organising saas-bahu
sammelan to ensure 'peaceful households around'.
"Azamgarh, with an unusual men-women ration
- 1026 women against 1000 men vis a vis 889/1000
UP ratio - faced a major problem of domestic discord.
As most of the men go to the metros or Middle
East in search of jobs, verbal or physical duels
among the female members were order of the day,"
he told Times News Network on Sunday.
The percentage of immunisation
in the district was found to be as low as 26,
while 85 per cent women, random check-up camps
revealed, suffered from severe anaemia. The only
solution was to take the women folks into confidence,
he said adding that "since the mom-in-law
would not have taken kindly to the soirees by
the daughter-in-law or vice-versa, the only way
was to invite them together." And that was
what they did. "First few get-togethers did
lead to some howlers," confided Madhuri Singh,
whose NGO Sangini has been actively involved with
the project.
Madhuri, swears by the efficacy
of the 'two-pronged' strategy which cuts across
the class, caste and community barriers, including
the troubled minority pockets known to be resistant
to polio drops. Mesharn particularly recalled
a sammelan in Sarai Mir for the sea of burqa clad
women who thronged the venue or at Faria where
they came out defying men. "My greatest moment,"
says Singh, "was when I administered polio
drops to 18 children of a family in Faria at one
such sammelan. The same family had shut the doors
on the WHO team earlier the same day."
Mesharn is also trying to broad
base the endeavour by educating the women about
their rights and "they are fast learners".
The success of saas-bahus sammelans may eventually
lead to similar experiments in others parts of
the state - Manjari Mishra, Times News Network. |
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Point
of View: - |
A few of the 70 who responded (less
than 10) liked the Bizarre ad.
"It's a strange idea, quite different and
nice," said one person. Another said - "We
need to see more such sexualized images of women
in our ads." Another said - "The Bizarre
ad is sort of an anti-ad isn't it? and that's
why it's so good as an ad for the store and line
of clothing, it's an unusual image of a woman
to find in our times and that's what I think the
ad is trying to say about the store too. I think
it's cool!".
Most people had a strong adverse
reaction to the ad. "I generally don't favour
ads being banned, but this one is a lawsuit screaming
to happen," said one respondent. "It
is unquestionably the worst, most exploitative
image of women I've seen in a long time."
Others found it hard to figure out what product
was being advertised. "It's not clear what
product is trying to sell," one person said.
"It went over my head completely. The lines,
the girl, her clothes. The product? Was it for
a bath tub?"
Many respondents noted that
the ad was based on inducing "a repulsive
attraction in this competitive market" and
strongly associated it with rape, violence, death
and suicide. "Women are bodies, womb, legs,
breasts - without mind or integrity of body, and
the first speaks eloquently to this," said
one person. "All that is needed is the physical
body eternally available for sexual assault -
even in death."
Here
are excerpts from some of the responses to the
BIZARRE ad:
Response 1: "I can't see why
clothes should be sold by associating them with
death, rather than life. Specially the murder
scene is too close to the real life violence that
fills the cities. Personally I don't believe that
advertisements should trivialize violence."
Response 2: "The woman looks as if
she has been raped just before the picture was
taken She looks drugged to me. She is trying to
look HOT, but she is not. In fact its quite an
unpleasant image, perhaps its a kinky's idea of
seduction. May be she is dead - maybe she actually
IS DEAD."
Response 3: "This one takes the cake.
On the one hand, the advertisement seems to be
saying that anyone can wear anything at any time.
On the other hand, the subtle message going across
is that if you dress like this, you will find
yourself dead. Dead not of any natural cause,
but in some violent way. In my mind the only connection
that I can make is that one can get raped."
Response 4: "It just depressed me
and I think it would be most successful in appealing
to a certain teenage morbidity and a sort of deadened
fake sophistication. So I felt horror and disquietude
and a deep sadness because in a sense it exemplified
how a lot of young girls are becoming obsessed
with their appearance so that there is actually
a suicide of the self that happens thereby. Not
what the ad intended me to feel am sure."
Response 5: "It reminds me of c-grade
x-rated films where violence against women/killing
them in the most gruesome ways seems to be the
main theme. The woman looks drugged (eyeballs
rolled up), chained (neck - and the fishnet blouse
thing), beaten/stabbed/killed (blood dripping
from her mouth?) in the bathtub. Message - violence
against women is both fine and fashionable (so
what if you are being slaughtered in a bathtub
- you just need to look sexy!). The woman here
is a passive recipient of things done to her.
She has very little agency. Drugs and violence
turned into fashion statement. Disturbing."
Response 6: "The stilletos, the net,
the bra and last but not the least, the vampire
look. So the image seems to me to cross over between
the dead woman and the blood sucking vampire there
is nothing that frees women from the sexualized
image, not even in bizarre situations can they
really be bizarre! But she is thankfully not spread
eagled in the tub. Talking of the tub, isn't that
a major fantasy area for men. Killing women in
tubs, I've seen many films from Glenn Close, another
thriller, What Lies Beneath, where he keeps trying
to drown her in the tub."
Response 7: "In the first image -
the black and white one - the scene is set to
resemble shots from 'snuff' movies (porn movies
where the woman is gagged, raped and murdered).
Her eyes, almost dead, are meant to suggest a
kind of gagged bliss, I guess, whereas her (dead?)
body, simulating both passive surrender, as well
as frontal pleasure, slumps in its seat, accepting
its captivity and its stillness. The 'props' to
this show - the ceramic tub, the knife, the faint
smear of blood(?) are of course 'bizarre', but
what is fudged here is the fact of sexual hurt.
The woman's clothes are standard bondage attire,
though modified - the picture utilises an 'aesthetics'
of indulgent sexuality, so celebrated by a certain
sort of feminism (the defenders of porn as a right
to self-expression, for instance), to a purpose
that is classically patriarchal. Apart from disgust
and horror, it is important to note how the image
resonates with the present (the contemporary)
- female desire - particularly when wedded to
fantasies of powerful nasty, women - is no more
taboo, bad women are 'in. This is evident from
our television serials, from advertising, the
celebration of the beauty business. 'Bad' in these
instances, is accorded a certain social and cultural
indulgence, as if one were guiltily yet happily
playing with the forbidden.
Response 8: This seeming 'readiness' of
modern Indian (sic) women is subtly displaced
to another related, yet, distinctive visual context.
Promiscuity and pornography are willfully confused
- and the visual result is utilised in the service
of selling a commodity, as well as a point of
view.
We hope some of these responses
have presented you with different ways of seeing
- Point of view. Contact: www.pointofview.org |
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Success Stories:
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The SEARCH has begun
"Degrees" were presented to 100 semi-literate
village women in Maharashtra who had enrolled
in a 15-month programme to be trained as barefeet
neonatoligsts". The ankur project initiated
by SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research
in Community Health) - an NGO in Maharashtra.
After 10 years of experimentation and planning
the teaching model in Gadchiroli, the model is
now being perfected.
The programme has led to a positive
decrease in infant mortality rates in the district
from 121 per 1000 live birth to 39. Initiated
by a doctor couple, Rani and Abhay Bang, the Ankurmodel
- a collaboration between SEARCH and seven NGOs
in the state- is now proposed to being adopted
b the Union government which has so far failed
to make an impact in the area of infant mortality
in the country.
Kool Kareem
In a small town Parappa in Kasargode district,
Kerala, in what used to be a wasteland, a travel
agent, P.Abdul kareem, has made the wasteland
into a green forest. From a dry well, he now gets
enough to be able to sell water! And all because
he began to plant saplings in the wasteland which
suddenly sprouted four years after he began to
live there. The temperature around his land is
8 degrees cooler, the air is cleaner and the plants
gets no unnatural fertilizers.
He's proved that if you leave
nature alone, it will replenish itself, and give
more!
BANGALORE: It is a plan to take literacy
to all the children regardless of their social
status. The Joint initiative of Akshara foundation,
Bangalore and the Karnataka State Government started
a small project in 2000 and today reaches out
to 20,000 children. The state government identifies
the centre for learning in their schools while
the programmes are executed by Akshara. The Foundation
has 4 learning progarammes from, the ages of 4
to 12, along with a remedial education course
for slow learners in Maths languages in classes
1-3/ The classes are conducted by volunteers in
English and Urdu at the 205 Kannada medium centre
and 145 Urdu centres. The method used is the Pratham
model, using short stories to explain words etc.
The Foundation has a remedial programme and a
Bridge course - both of which are headed by teachers
who can identify slow learners. Volunteers are
paid Rs 500 per month. The project has been sponsored
by its chairperson Rohini Nilekani and Citibank.
Next on the list is to start an Intervention Programme
for primary school students and a special learning
programme for 6-14 year olds in extremely poor
areas. Contact: 080-548 5800. |
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Annual
Reports - the centerpiece of an organization's communication
efforts: - |
As each February and March
rolls around, it's not uncommon to look around
a non-profit organization and find that practically
everyone's work revolves around getting the annual
report out. It can be a pretty stressful time.
Many organisations in India suffer from lack of
adequate documentation, or worse, poor and inaccurate
documentation. Often, this is more due to a lack
of time and skill than a lack of intent. Staff
in organisations is generally busy getting ahead
with the actual programme and left with very little
time to document the accomplishments. But come
January and the pressure to get the information
out and co-ordinated with other departments, as
well as the budget, begins to build. The information
is often written up from memory and invariably
by people who have not been involved directly;
the net result is, well, a disaster within glossy
covers!
The first step is to actually
plan the report itself - what goes into it, who
writes it and how will it be presented. At present
unlike the
corporate sector, there are no standard norms
or regulations that regulate the content and dissemination
of annual reports by voluntary organisations.
Annual reports are to be made
available for public distribution. However the
definition of the word 'public' varies from one
organisation to the next; therefore it is up to
the voluntary organisation to decide whom their
report should be made available to.
The organisation must define its own constituency,
stakeholders and other groups. Organisations can
restrict distribution of the annual reports to
persons outside their constituency. However, transparency
and credibility are best served if reports are
made available to anyone who asks for them (subject
to funds available to print and distribute copies).
The guidelines listed here are
categorized as 'Minimum Norms' and 'Desirable'
ones. No particular order to present the information
is recommended - that is up to each organisation
to decide for itself. The content for the Minimum
norms can be limited to two sides of A4 paper;
and twice as long if the Desirables are included
too. Some organizations will want to produce one
copy based with only the minimum norms listed;
others will want to produce a longer report. Some
organisations will want to produce both types.
The length of the document, and the creativity
invested in it, are quite discretionary.
Annual Reports for Voluntary
Organisations - Content guidelines
Organisational Information
Minimum Norms: Name of organisation, registration
date and number (as applicable to various Acts),
registered address of the organisation and address
for communication if different to the registered
address. Names of board members, role in the organisation
(President etc) Names and addresses of main bankers,
auditors Numbers of staff (full-time and part-time,
male and female ratio, paid and voluntary). Networks/linkages
with other organisations Historical details -
origins, brief history, vision, mission of the
organisation.
Desirables
Area of competency of board members, number of
board meetings attended in the year (to be indicated
in brackets). Names of legal advisors (if applicable)
Organisational structure or organogram Gender
of Board members.
Programme Information
(Minimum Norms )
Objectives and descriptions of main activities
undertaken during the year including communities
and beneficiaries served and areas of operation.
Review of the progress and results achieved in
the year (facts and figures demonstrating achievement
at local, state, regional, national and international
levels).
Major plans for the future (if any).
Information regarding internal or external evaluations/
audits conducted on programmes (if any).
A summary of the way the organisation operates,
number and type of staff, network/linkages with
other organisations etc.
Financial Information
(Minimum Norms)
Abridged Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure
account. The report should state which basis of
accounting has been used (cash or accrual). Information
on previous year's accounts to be presented. (See
attached recommended framework).
Annual Report to be made available within eight
months of end of the fiscal year.
Complete audited statement of accounts with schedules
to be included in annual report or to be made
available on request, or for a fee.
Annual Report to be made available within three
months of end of fiscal year.
Percentages to be mentioned next to said amounts
in financial statements and graphs and charts
to facilitate easy understanding of information.
Main financial and or physical achievements/observations
to be shown separately as 'performance highlights'.
Appeal to be included in the Annual Report to
reinforce the point that the organisation is looking
for funds; also a statement of
thanks to donors and an invitation to visit the
organisation.
Governance related Information
(Minimum Norms )
The following to be disclosed as notes in the
Annual Report:
Total amount of remuneration and reimbursements
to board members/ trustees and number of board
members who receive remuneration from the organisation.
Gross remuneration (salary and benefits) of the
CEO/Director.
Total cost of national and international air travel
by all personnel (including volunteers).
Relationship between board members.
Gross remuneration of the three highest paid staff
members and the lowest paid member.
Distribution of staff according to salary levels.
Details on international travel, name of traveller,
purpose, sponsorship details etc.
Other information
Stories of change in Annual reports give a personal
touch and help the reader understand the work
your organisation is doing.
Statement of achievements/ list of your organisation's
major achievements in bulleted points will summarise
the significant
accomplishments in the previous year.
Say 'Thank you' to donors and well-wishers; donors
of large amounts and small and interesting visitors,
may be mentioned by name. Possibly even include
a quotation from a donor's letter or remark from
the visitors' book. An invitation to visit the
agency can also be included. The most important
three words in your report could be 'We welcome
visitors'. A geographical map of where your office
is situated.
- Aarti Madhusudhan http://www.indiatogether.org/2003/jun/ngo-annreport.htm
(Aarti Madhusudhan is a graduate of the Tata Institute
of Social Sciences, Mumbai and a fellow of Board
Source's International Nonprofit Governance programme.
She consults for nonprofit organisations around
issues of boards and governance and has conducted
the first known survey in India on board composition
and governance practices.) |
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Conferences:
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Effective Boards make a
difference
"An effective board of trustees can make
the difference between a long-running successful
NGO and one that becomes stagnant". Establishing
the roles and responsibilities of various Board
members and letting them know before hand what
these are can help Bard members set the right
direction and guide an NGO in the right direction.
The Board can ensure resources- human and financial,
insist on transparency and accountability and
be effective advocates for the organization to
the outside world.
The one-day workshop on Effective
Boards went a long way in explaining and understanding
the different kinds of boards, how to build them
and how they should ideally function to the 25
participants. Organised in Pune by the Centre
of Advancement of Philanthropy, the workshop
was conducted by Dr. Marilyn Wyatt of Boardsource.
Bombay Leprosy Project (BLP)
organised a seminar on "Serological Tests
for Early Diagnosis of Leprosy".. A thorough
review of the status of laboratory tests to diagnose
leprosy early, was presented by scientists from
the Foundation for Medical Research (FMR) viz.
Dr Mridula and Ms Christina revealed that these
tests are useful to diagnose and even classify
leprosy. Utility of such tests is however restricted
to identify mostly progressive forms of the disease.
Diagnostic challenges posed by early leprosy remain
unsolved by serological tests so far.
Ms Ratna Mangroelal, a medical student from the
University of Amsterdam who is collaborating with
BLP presented the principles of a recent test
to detect antibodies against the germs causing
leprosy. This test may be the likely answer, due
to the simplicity of the test which can be performed
under field conditions. The investigations are
however not complete. The importance of research
in this area is most crucial in leprosy elimination
but funds are needed to harness the immense potential.
Contact: BLP - 2522 0608/2522 3040.
WANTED: The Bombay
Leprosy Project has invited applications for
their three month long computer course for
the physically challenged at its vocational
training and rehabilitation centre, Pratiksha
Nagar, Sion, The course starts in June for those
who have studied upto Std. 10. Call BLP: 2522
0608/ 2522 3040.
Seeds of Love is a community
project that works with street children The organisation
is collecting used child-friendly books,
computers, cupboards, toys, etc for the children.
Contact: 98203 04161/ 2836 3329.
SOSVA, an organization
that encourages volunteerism is looking for people
are willing to dedicate two to three hour of work
per week for any social cause they want. Contact:
2527 0127/ 2524 2115.
The Voice and Vision Task
Force for children with deafness, blindness and
other disabilities inaugurated its first master
training course at the Helen Keller Institute
for deaf and deaf blind at the Aditya Birla Centre,
Navi Mumbai. The Voice & Vision Task Force
is a collaborative network of national bodies
and NGOs in India working the field of multiple
impairments.
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Awards:
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Barefoot project in Himalayas wins environmental
prize
The Solar Electrification Project of the Barefoot
College won the Environment Award in the Stockholm
Challenge http://www.challenge.stockholm.se/right.asp,
one of six categories of innovation awards presented
October 10, 2002 in Stockholm, Sweden. More than
500 projects from around the world were submitted
for judging in this annual event. The Challenge
is a unique awards programme for pioneering technology
projects worldwide. Judged by a panel of 31 experts
from around the world, projects are evaluated
on their benefit to society and the environment
in their local context. Categories include e-government,
culture, health, education, e-business and environment.
Contact: http://www.barefootcollege.org/html/news.htm
The NASDAQ Stock Market Education Award
was presented to Bunker Roy, Director of the Barefoot
College, at the Tech Museum Awards 2002 ceremony
in San Jose, California. The awards honor innovators
from around the world who are applying technology
to address global challenges and assist the developing
world.
For
his outstanding contribution to Global Tobacco
Control, the World Health Organisation conferred
the Director-Generals award on Mr. K. Srinath
Reddy, founding member of the Advocacy Forum
for Tobacco Control (AFTC). The award
is being given for the first time in the history
of WHO and MR. Reddy was nominated from the South
East Asia Region, The award will be presented
to Prof. Reddy, (he is Professor of Cardiology
at AIIMS, Delhi) at the World Health Assembly
on May 21. Prof. Reddy was a member of the Indian
delegation to the international negotiations on
the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
and is the co-ordinator of Hriday Shan,
an NGO that promotes health awareness among school
students.
Winner
of last years Bilt Skins Challenge Trophy, Vijay
Singh has donated his entire tournaments prize
money for the development of underprivileged children
through, "Pratham" Delhi. Vijay
Singh, a 39-year old Fijian has family roots in
India, and had taken part in the Skins Golf tournament
in Delhi in November, 2002.
Kirandevi
Saraf Trust donated 80 sewing machines
to set up five sewing classes in municipal schools
at Shivaji park, Wadala, Sion, Kurla and Dharavi
for the empowerment of needy women.
A
free library for the deaf has been started by
the ENT Charitable Trust at Koshish School,
DB Lane, (off Daftary Road), Malad (E). Contact
2844 6448.
The
Mahavir Heart Foundation wants to help
poor persons who need to undergo heart surgery
with funds up to Rs 15,000. Contact: 2401 4268/
2403 3172.
CORPORATE
PARTNERSHIPS
Bhau
gets a Bajaj!
It's a rundown 1872 Palladium style building with
an ornate Victorian style interior and it contains
artifacts, models and dioramas and old books which
are a wonderful panorama of Bombay's historic
flora and fauna. The Bhau Daji Lad museum stands
in the Byculla zoo which may be one reason for
its major neglect all these decades.
Now the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation has decided
to take thing in hand and is contributing Rs 1.5
crore for the restoration of the museum under
the supervision of INTACH. The Bhau Daji Museum,
incidentally was initially called the Victoria
and Albert Museum and its counterpart in London
has promised all support in organizing seminars
and shows at the newly restored museum when it
reopens May 2004!
Cementing
Relationships
The Corporate sector has been constantly involved
in communities that they work with or around.
The Ambuja Cement Foundation set up 10
years ago has been involved in various water resource
development schemes ranging from simple irrigation
schemes and rainwater harvesting in Chandrapur
District, to combating salinity in Junagadh. In
the rural areas, they have also been encouraging
animal husbandry and self help groups. On the
education front they have the Ambuja Manovikas
Kendra at Ropar which already has 3 children.
A vocational institute in Chandrapur also gives
the village youth a chance for a different life.
The foundation also added infrastructure-many
roads at Ropar and Rabriyawas and teaching Gujarat
villagers how to make low-cost cement concrete
blocks to make strong houses. Contact: Ambuja
Cement Foundation:
Infosys
donates hospital
Bhubaneshwar: Bangalore based Infosys
Foundation donated a 150-bed pediatric hospital
to the capital Hospital - the main government-run
hospital in Bhubaneshwar. The unit was inaugurated
by the President Abdul Kalam in May. Built over
an area of 30,000 sq. ft. and estimated to have
cost over Rs 3 crore, the ultra-modern high capacity
pediatric unit was constructed in a record 6 months.
There will be 80 air-conditioned beds and 70 non-air
conditioned beds. The hospital will be equipped
and run by the Capital Hospital authorities who
will be in charge on the OPD, administration as
well as treatment of patients. The Infosys Foundation
also donated a CT scan machine to the Capital
Hospital. Earlier, the foundation had constructed
14 cyclone shelters on the coastal areas of Orissa
which were devastated by the cyclone of 1999. |
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In the media:
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Films
Chords on the Richter Scale - Documentary
Produced by People's Media, Initiative & directed
by Shyam Ranjanker.
A report by - Manjula Jagatramka.
There is "ALI" in "DIWALI"
and "RAM" in "RAMZAN", this
must have been the understanding between the two
community groups residing in Kutch since last
many centuries. Even the partition could not evoke
hatred enough to divide the communities. Till
the quake hit this land of unity during January
2001, both Hindus and Muslims had lived together
in amity. The artisan class were Muslims whereas
the traders have been all Hindus.
The films quite clearly states
that the relief work was the starting point of
the communal split. People have shared their first
hand experiences as to how the Jains were rehabilitated
by the Jains, While RSS would only select the
Hindus and provide relief. Similarly the Muslims
would be taken care of by their community groups..
One really starts wondering how a human can be
differentiated from another one on these lines.
While nature could never make any distinctions.
All were treated at par by nature.
The film shows how in the name of rehabilitation
people have been exploited and a handful of fanatics
used this as an opportunity to evoke hatred amidst
two communities.
This is a must film for every
thinking individual. We can not be indifferent.
Such a film is a real mirror of what's happening
around us, and how people like us are made to
split and suffer. Contact People's media initiative
022-2635 1905.
Books
Making a difference by K.J. Alphons.
Viking Pengiun India, 1996,
Pages 305, Rs.300.
It's been a long time since the
book was written, and a long time since we heard
from K.J. Alphons. The enfant terrible of the
IAS, Mr. Alphons managed to buck the odds merely
by making a success of wherever he was by simply
doing the right thing. If it all sounds too simple,
it is. To put it in a nutshell: "I received
tremendous public support for what I did".
Whether it was making Kottayam the first 100 percent
literate city in India; or building a cancer hospital
with public donated funds, as the CEO of the Kerala
Milk Federation setting up five new milk processing
plants and two cattle feed manufacturing plants
increasing the turnover 300 percent, or as the
commissioner, Delhi Development Authority. He
was fearless because he knew he was right and
because he knew the people for whom he was working
supported him.
His autobiography should be compulsory
reading for all IAS officers so they know what
can be achieved. How politicians can be quietly
tackled
"No politician or bureaucrat
has ever told me to do something or not to do
something, All the politicians who get in touch
with me are overflowing with courtesy. Even most
of those whose buildings I have demolished have
become friends of mine After all I have not done
something which was irrational or arbitrary. I
have only enforce the law of the land. Even they
realize that
.I have disproved the myth that
anybody who does his job is bound to get kicked
out."
The book also includes short
biographical sketches of people he admires from
Mother Teresa, Verghese Kurien, Anna Hazare to
Kiran Bedi. After he began his Jana Shakti, things
seem to be quiet. If anyone knows of his whereabouts,
please do let us know.
Dance dramas
Komal Gandhar wins hearts - "Keeping
us marginalised is a tool society has been sing
so we felt that to empower ourselves teach individual
sex worker has to gain the confidence to reclaim
her/his voice." They are well known in their
hometown Kolkata but in Mumbai, the 20-strong
troupe from Kolkata, Komal Gandhar, made a strong
impression when they performed daily at the Positive
Lives exhibition art the Nehru Centre. The troupe
performed their favourite, "I am that woman",
a dance drama that specifically says that all
the injustices heaped on any woman is heaped on
all women. The troupe, formed in 1998, is the
cultural front of the sex workers movement, the
STD/HIV Intervention Project (SHIP)-and was formed
so that sex workers and their children could express
themselves through music, dance, plays, painting
and writing.
Contact: Komal Gandhar 033-543 7560/543 7451 email:
ship@cal.vsnl.net.in. |
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NGO
News: - |
No Human Rights
in Gujarat
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman
A.S. Anand expressed utter anguish at the Gujarat
government's constant refusal to heed to the NHRC's
recommendations following the Godhra carnage,
but, at the same time, said the commission didn't
have the powers to force the state government
to implement its recommendations.
At a day-long meeting with NGOs of three states,
the former chief justice of India said all its
recommendations, on being that special courts
be set up to try select cases of carnage, are
lying dormant. "Despite repeated reminders,
the Narendra Modi government doesn't seem keen
to secure speedy justice for the riot victims,"
Anand said, adding that this is apparent from
the government's constant refusal to heed to any
of the NHRC's recommendations.
The NHRC's recommendations include;
handing over of some riot cases to the Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI); judges of the special
courts be hand-picked by the chief justice of
the Gujarat high court; special prosecutors be
appointed, if needed; and special efforts be initiated
to depute responsible officers, particularly women
officer, to assist in handing cases of traumatized
victims. It has also recommended that specific
time-frame be fixed for thorough and expeditious
completion of investigations, besides involving
NGOs to collect material.
A.S. Anand called upon non-governmental and other
voluntary organization to play a leading role
in filling the lacunae left by government agencies
in human rights affairs. Speaking at a day-long
consultation with leading non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) from Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajashtan and Gujarat here, the former chief justice
of India said, "Considering growing human
rights violations, the role of NOGs has assumed
importance."
Hinting at the Godhra carnage, where the state
government in yet to implement the recommendations
of the NHRC, he warned that human rights would
soon become an elitist slogan if effective steps
were not taken at the earliest. "This is
where the NGOs and other voluntary organization
can play a vital role," he reiterated.
Special reporters of the NHRC, P.G.J. Nampoorthri,
and Chamanlal said regional consultations will
help the commission identify thrust areas relating
to human rights for intervention by the NGOs.
- By Siddhartha Dutt Kashyap (Pune, Times
News Network)
Issues
GANDHIANS RECEIVE A CHALLENGE FROM SANGH PARIVAR
Lucknow: The Sangh Parivar through the
HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi has presented
a challenge to the Gandhians. The Sangh Parivar
wants to either take possession of or shut down
the Gandhian Institute of Studies which is located
within the campus of Sarva Sewa Sangh in Varanasi.
The Board of Management of the Gandhian Institute
of Studies, chaired by Acharya Ramamurti, had
to conduct it's last official meeting in mid-April
in the verandah of the main building of the Institute
and later on the adjoining campus of Sarva
Sewa Sangh, because the Institute infrastructure
is inaccessible to anybody . else. Now it is not
merely a matter of saving an Institute established
by Jayaprakash Narayan in 1960. But for those
who believe in the philosophy of Gandhi-Vinoba-JP
it is now a matter of rescuing the Sarvodaya from
the devastating assault of fascism. In the context
of this ideological conflict, the fight to save
the Gandhian Institute of Studies will not be
limited to bureaucratic and legal ways, rather
the struggle will have to move out in the open
public domain.
Dr. Sandeep Pandet www.thinkersnet.com.
Contact (0522) 234 7365, (05854)-281 920, 0 94150
22772 (Arundhati Dhuru) Email : ashaashram@yahoo.com
Dr. Lenin. Peoples Vigilance Committee on Human
Rights (PVCHR), Phone: 91-542-258 6676, 688 .
Email: pvchr@yahoo.com,
pvchr@rediffmail.com
Issues/Environment
A gathering of water warriors
For a little over a year now Rajendra Singh, the
man who woke up a river asleep for 40 years, has
been traversing the country trying to awaken Indians
to an emerging danger. Before the Central Government
published its National Water Policy on April 1,
2002, he says he was assured that a categorical
undertaking would be included in it stating that
water rights will not be privatised. In the published
policy however there was no such undertaking.
The Magsaysay Award winner's suspicion have been
aroused. He believes private interests --Indian
and foreign-- will take over river and water source
management. The Government will then step aside
and turn India's citizens into 'consumers' who
will have to purchase water from private owners.
Rajendra Singh's fear is confirmed by the recent
grand talk of inter-linking India's rivers. He
says there are thousands of local solutions possible
to stem the water crisis. Village management of
water sources, water shed development, rain water
harvesting etc. are all proven, low cost technologies
that will create local jobs and solve the problem.
Instead of trying these there is talk of the grandiose
linking of rivers.
CERS, Suit against Spectrum
Magazines
Ahmedabad: In response to a complaint involving
deficient service and unfair trade practice, filed
by Consumer Education and Research Society(CERS),
Ahmedabad, and over 110 others, the National Consumer
Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi, issued
notice to Spectrum Magazines Ltd., New Delhi.
Eight complainants, who had subscribed to the
various magazines of the company, complained against
its services to CERS to the Advertising Standards
Council of India (ASCI), Mumbai. Spectrum Magazines
is a public limited company publishing several
magazines, including A & M, Design Digest,
etc., and, to increase its sales, brings out different
schemes from time to time, promising various gifts
to its subscribers. The subscribers complained
that the company's incentive schemes for gifts
were false and deceptive, that they had not received,
for months, neither the various magazines published
by the company, nor the promised gifts. Or, they
had received gifts other than those promised.
The company had also inordinately delayed the
refund of cancelled subscription and often published
the monthlies as combined issues covering 2-3months.
(From INSIGHT - The Consumer Magazine)
CERS, Petitions GERC for Power
Utilities' Accountability
Ahmedbad: Gujarat has been facing power
shortage through the major part of the year. Agricultural
consumers have been hardly getting electricity
for four to six hours a day, whereas the Gujarat
Electricity Board says it has been supplying electricity
to farmers for 12 hours a day. Besides, the quality
of power, where voltages remain very low, has
extensively damaged motors and other electrical
equipments used by agricultural and industrial
consumers as well as domestic electrical appliances.
In view of the consumers' plight arisen out of
the poor quality of power supply and deteriorating
consumer services, Consumer Education and Research
Society (CERS), Ahmedabad, has petitioned the
Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC)
for establishing the accountability of the Gujarat
Electricity Board(GEB), Ahmedabad Electricity
Company (AEC) and Surat Electricity Company (SEC).
It has demanded the introduction of the Quality
Index, which is a ratio of the number of hours/power
supply not provided in a month to the number of
consumers in that area. These three utilities
should submit the value of the Quality Index to
the GERC and publish it in all local newspapers
every month. The petitioner has highlighted the
obligation of utilities to provide quality and
uninterrupted power supply to its consumers.
(INSIGHT - The Consumer Magazine)
Whose eye is it anyway?
MUMBAI: The Ghaswala Vision Foundation
was started in June 2002 and supports various
activities related to eye care and blindness in
general but the initial focus of the foundation
will be fighting corneal blindness.
The foundation aims to provide
solutions to ethical challenges faced in our country
regarding eye donation and eye banking. The words
"Eye Donation" have confused many. In
recent years, with the advances in medical sciences,
donated eyeballs undergo a series of tests / analysis
which ensure that only "technically healthy"
corneas undergo surgery.
While the burden of eyeball
collection from the deceased still remains with
the eye banks, the cost of eyeball processing,
surgery and hospitalization is passed onto the
blind recipient (barring government hospitals)
and ironically yet remains termed as an "eye
donation"
In an attempt to boost the eye donation movement,
the Ghaswala Vision Foundation will pay the surgeon's
fees, the cost of surgical material and the costs
of hospitalization to make it a "true eye
donation".
Saas, bahu take on polio menace
Azamgarh: An army of largely illiterate
and rustic women from Azamgarh can teach a thing
or two on polio eradication to high
profile WHO and UNICEF teams. The district, which
gave jitters to the state health machinery for
having topped the polio tally in 2001-2002 with
81 recorded cases, has thrown up only one case
this year. The credit for the transformation in
all fairness goes to the concerted saas-bahu power.
It was basically an experiment
by Mukesh Kumar Mesharn, district magistrate,
who hit upon the idea of organising saas-bahu
sammelan to ensure 'peaceful households around'.
"Azamgarh, with an unusual men-women ration
- 1026 women against 1000 men vis a vis 889/1000
UP ratio - faced a major problem of domestic discord.
As most of the men go to the metros or Middle
East in search of jobs, verbal or physical duels
among the female members were order of the day,"
he told Times News Network on Sunday.
The percentage of immunisation
in the district was found to be as low as 26,
while 85 per cent women, random check-up camps
revealed, suffered from severe anaemia. The only
solution was to take the women folks into confidence,
he said adding that "since the mom-in-law
would not have taken kindly to the soirees by
the daughter-in-law or vice-versa, the only way
was to invite them together." And that was
what they did. "First few get-togethers did
lead to some howlers," confided Madhuri Singh,
whose NGO Sangini has been actively involved with
the project.
Madhuri, swears by the efficacy
of the 'two-pronged' strategy which cuts across
the class, caste and community barriers, including
the troubled minority pockets known to be resistant
to polio drops. Mesharn particularly recalled
a sammelan in Sarai Mir for the sea of burqa clad
women who thronged the venue or at Faria where
they came out defying men. "My greatest moment,"
says Singh, "was when I administered polio
drops to 18 children of a family in Faria at one
such sammelan. The same family had shut the doors
on the WHO team earlier the same day."
The success of saas-bahus sammelans
may eventually lead to similar experiments in
others parts of the state. (Manjari Mishra, Times
News Network)
Bombay Leprosy Project (BLP)
organised a seminar on "Serological Tests
for Early Diagnosis of Leprosy".. A thorough
review of the status of laboratory tests to diagnose
leprosy early, was presented by scientists from
the Foundation for Medical Research (FMR) viz.
Dr Mridula and Ms Christina revealed that these
tests are useful to diagnose and even classify
leprosy. Utility of such tests is however restricted
to identify mostly progressive forms of the disease.
Diagnostic challenges posed by early leprosy remain
unsolved by serological tests so far.
Ms Ratna Mangroelal, a medical student from the
University of Amsterdam who is collaborating with
BLP presented the principles of a recent test
to detect antibodies against the germs causing
leprosy. This test may be the likely answer, due
to the simplicity of the test which can be performed
under field conditions. The investigations are
however not complete. The importance of research
in this area is most crucial in leprosy elimination
but funds are needed to harness the immense potential.
Contact: BLP - 25220608/ 25223040
Tribal route
A medical camp was held at the Karnal tribal village
by Samarpan Charitable Medical Trust, an
NGO working among the poor and needy. Around 60
children and 100 adults were treated, free medicines
given.
Contact 2811 0364 email: samarpantrust@hotmail.com
Walking the ramp
Since 1992, the Chennai-based Shakti Foundation
has been championing the cause of integrating
the physically-challenged into the social stream.
The Foundation Project Ramp has been campaigning
for the need to put up ramps in public places,
to enable those with Disabilities, gain easy access.
The Foundation identified with the Adhiparasakthi
Medical and Research Hospital, l92 kms from Chennai
as its sole project. The treatment is totally
free. In the city of Chennai, the Foundation aspires:
- To have ramps compulsory in all public buildings
by implementing the Disabilities Act of 1997
(Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights,
and Full Participation).
- To have separate parking lots for the physically-challenged.
- To have separate toilets for the physically-challenged.
- Suitable amendments in trains, aircraft's,
and public transport to accommodate the wheelchair
bound.
- To devise a way an ambulance can reach a
hospital quickly when it houses a patient in
a critical condition.
- To provide access for all kinds of physically-challenged
Citizens at Zebra crossings whereby they get
some systems to reach the other side of the
roads.
Contact: The Shakti Foundation,
# 9, Manickeswari Road, Kilpauk, Chennai - 600
010. Phone:044-2641 2842, 98400 36993.
"Positive Lives"
in Mumbai
Mumbai: "This is the real war
and we must fight it like any other war -with
all our might" Chief Minister Sushil Kumar
Shinde said while inaugurating "Positive
Lives" --the international exhibition of
photographs depicting people with Positive HIV/AIDS
infections and film festival, at the Nehru Centre
on May 2. Seminars on Women and HIV; HIV and the
Media; Corporates and HIV AIDS followed attended
by over 250 participants from 30 NGOS from 27
districts of Maharashtra.
The highlight of the exhibition
was a dance drama by Komal Gandhar of Calcutta
(see Media section) The exhibition ran till May
6. Organised by Apne Aap Worldwide and
DRIK in partnership with WISE, the
exhibition was supported by AVERT Society,
UNDP, CRS and the Rotary.
Contact 2267 0777.
Summer camps
NGOs have been at the fore organizing summer
trips and camps for the underprivileged. Among
those who organised trips were the Red Spastic
and Parents of Downs Syndrome Association
who planned a six-day summer camp for mentally
challenged individuals to help them develop self-confidence
from May 19-30. Activities included yoga, art
and craft, puppet shows etc.
Contact: 2630 1393/ 2632 2457.
Vidhi, a social organisation
held a marriage seminar for the physically challenged,
hering and visually impaired on May 11. Contact:
2635 5497. |
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