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March-April 2008 |
Central to culture is
freedom, …, the freedom to decide what we have
reason to value, and what lives we have reason to seek.
"–Amartya Sen*
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Stories: -
- The Budget proposals 2008 affects
NGOs: The most drastic amendment proposed
in the Finance Bill, 2008, relates to the withdrawal
of concession for voluntary agencies having activity
or receipts in the nature of business, if they are
established for carrying out the fourth object of
general public utility.
- A moving Impact:
On April 28, Impact India Foundation celebrated the
100th Lifeline Express Project—at Atgaon Station,
Shahapur, Maharashtra. From April 28 to May 8 cleft
lip, ear, polio and cataract surgeries will be conducted
for the villagers around the area.
- What is wrong with Orissa’s
POSCO project: An analysis of both the
direct and indirect economic impact of this project
leads us to conclude: Orissa state government is clearly
under-representing the interests of the people of
the state.
- Madhya Pradesh High Court
gives land-mark judgment: Directs allotment
of land to oustees of Omkareshwar dam: If land allotment
for SEZs possible, then possible and must be given
to oustees as well, it directs.
- Success sans grants!!!
The registered units of LG&DES group-
Koya Wes, Madhuri Sewa Nyas and Gokul University,
do not get any grant from any Funding Agency, all
land was donated by the people.
- The Red Ribbon Express:
spreading HIV awareness, prevention, re. HIV around
the countryside was flagged off from New Delhi Railway
Station on December 1, 2007. …after travelling
across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, parts of Maharashtra
and Chattisgarh, to Uttaranchal, Jharkhand, and Bihar
reached Guwahati on March 8.
- Environment groups oppose World
Bank funds to Coal plants:Six environmental
groups said the bank could not effectively fight climate
change while also funding high carbon-emitting projects,
such as the 4,000 megawatt Tata Mundra coal project
in Gujarat.
- TN Appoints welfare Board
for transgenders: Apart from secretaries
of law and finance, and other senior officials heading
various agencies like Women's Commission, police,
and State Human Rights and Social Justice Commission,
a number of transgenders have been included as non-official
members of the board.
- Media:
The new films and books on development issues. Including
“The War against Growth Fundamentalism: Pampering
Corporates, Pauperizing Masses” by
Arvind Sivaramakrishnan. Drawing extensively from
the Government of India's economic and performance
reports and several international reports, it confirms
Paul Brass's
observation: India is not headed for catastrophe but
is a living catastrophe.
- More News: The
new films and books on development issues. Including
“The War against Growth Fundamentalism: Pampering
Corporates, Pauperizing Masses” by Arvind Sivaramakrishnan.
Drawing extensively from the Government of India's
economic and performance reports and several international
reports, it confirms Paul Brass's observation: India
is not headed for catastrophe but is a living catastrophe.
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The Budget proposals
2008 affects NGOs |
The most drastic amendment proposed in the
Finance Bill, 2008, relates to the withdrawal
of concession for voluntary agencies having
activity or receipts in the nature of business,
if they are established for carrying out the
fourth object of general public utility.
On the ground, according to the Finance Minister,
"obviously, this was not the intention
of Parliament" followed by an assurance
that "genuine charitable organisations
will not in any way be affected."
There are a number of charitable organisations
with the fourth object of general public utility,
which carry on activities incidental to their
objects, who, will lose exemption.
If the proposal becomes law, the fourth object
of general public utility will continue to be
a charitable object, but income from activities
now exempt will become taxable. The amendment
is provoked by the Supreme Court in CIT v Gujarat
Maritime Board (2007) 295 ITR 516 (SC), which
found that the statutory authority formed for
the purpose of development of minor ports, was
eligible for exemption on its receipts, since
the activity was in respect of the fourth object
of advancement of an object of general public
utility. A public trust running a newspaper
is exempt as decided in Trustees of the Tribune
In re (1939) 7 ITR 415 (PC) followed in other
trusts, running language newspapers, besides
those in other decided cases with the objects
of promoting hand-spinning, welfare of farmers,
promotion of cottage industries and handicrafts,
running a chamber of commerce, promoting exports,
running a choultry or dharmashala, conducting
a professional association, promoting scientific
research, assisting widows to earn a livelihood,
helping rural development, promotion of sports,
dissemination of useful knowledge and forest
preservation. The vast panorama of activities
undertaken by numerous organisations enrich
the life of the citizens. The instances cited
are only few of the trusts, which were considered
to be carrying on business, but all the same
treated as exempt being incidental to the fourth
object.
The claim of the Finance Minister that the
exemption in cases of institution with the object
of general public utility was not the intention
of Parliament can hardly carry conviction in
the light of the long history of the provisions
and the judicial interpretation well accepted
by the Government thus far, not because they
were against the intention of Parliament but
because these were considered to be in keeping
with its intention.
Mixed
trusts
Trusts and institutions do not all exclusively
deal with relief of poor, education or medical
relief. Their objects may invariably cover objects
of general public utility. An educational institution
may have some activity like distribution of
text books at a profit for its students or a
hospital may run a pharmacy so far considered
as permitted activity to be incidental to the
fourth object even if not solely confined to
education or medical relief.
Even in the case of medical relief, which offers
livelihood for the blind or otherwise disabled
may not strictly fall under medical relief,
but would be covered by the fourth object. National
institutes formed for promotion of particular
profession such as accountants would become
liable on their income from placements service
or supply of books and publications or conduct
of examinations.
So far there had been no problem in the past,
because they had qualified for exemption as
their services were for the benefit of general
public or a cross-section of public like aspiring
professionals, with profit utilised for the
objects. These may also be affected by the proposal.
Impact
on donors
It is true, investment income need not
be a casualty, because the amendment of "charitable
purpose" excludes only income from commercial
activity. But the effect of the amendment on
Sec. 80G will be adverse. Recognition of Commissioner
under Sec. 80G is necessary for a trust or institution
to merit 50 per cent deduction for the donor.
Recognition will not be forthcoming, if the
trust or institution having a fourth charitable
purpose has some taxable income, even if only
part of its income is not exempt on account
of the amendment.
Section 80G does not recognise eligibility,
where part of income of charitable institutions
may be taxable, because the amendment is to
the definition of "charitable purpose"
itself. In the result, the amendment made to
"charitable purpose" could lose for
most of the institutions not only the right
to exemption for part of its income, but also
recognition under Sec. 80G blocking the source
of funds, the mainstay of their operations.
The Income-tax Department already has brought
various amendments in Sec. 11 to 13 and section
10(23C) providing for rigid regulations for
charitable institutions as regards investments,
application, accumulation, audit, timely filing
of returns with reports from Chartered Accountants,
bar against any private benefit and the like.
Registration can be withdrawn for violation
of conditions for exemption. A separate wing
for monitoring the exemption cases was also
established. Instances of abuse of concessions
requiring withdrawal of exemption on the close
scrutiny undertaken for the past few years have
not been significant. The sudden need for this
amendment is not, therefore, understood.
Many public sector organisations, which have
lost exemption like housing boards, city improvement
trusts and marketing committees with effect
from April 1, 2003, are availing themselves
of exemption, subject to regulations now applicable
for them, because they are covered by the fourth
object. There would be absolutely no point in
making them pay tax, when they are undertaking
State functions under State supervision.
The Chairman of the Central Board of Direct
Taxes has gone on record promising a circular
exempting chambers of commerce, though the proposed
amendment would squarely cover them. If chambers
of commerce, which are also directly affected
are to be spared, there are obviously other
targeted institutions, which are not indicated.
Are the trusts running language newspapers,
sports bodies, professional institutions, home
for disabled, women and children? It would be
far better to withdraw exemption for targeted
institutions under Sec. 11 to 13 by making an
amendment to the definition of charitable purpose
under Sec. 2(15) than a wholesale withdrawal.
There are a number of charitable institutions
involved in the fourth object of general public
utility, which are assisted by the State either
by funds, grants or State co-operation. There
are others, which are doing extremely useful
services complying with all the regulations.
At a sweep, this amendment could withdraw exemption
for all.
Need
for second look
The least that could be done now is to
defer this amendment and some of the other far-reaching
procedural amendments in a separate Amendment
Bill, since these amendments could not have
received as much attention as was required even
on the part of the Finance Minister, since this
has not been the subject matter of any prior
discussion any time before. Hopefully.
Members of Parliament and knowledgeable public
would react to the proposals after examining
them. The amendment has to be definitely deferred,
if not altogether scrapped.
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A moving
Impact |
On April 28, Impact India Foundation celebrated
the 100th Lifeline Express Project—at
Atgaon Station, Shahapur, Maharashtra. From
April 28 to May 8 cleft lip, ear, polio and
cataract surgeries will be conducted for the
villagers around the area. A month before, volunteers
had gone around identifying potential patients.
On the first four days the patients are checked
and surgeries scheduled in the next four days.
The schedule of the train:
June--Mansur (Ratlam); July –Nellore;
August- Hoshangabad; September- Ujjain; October-Amethi.
Each of the stops are sponsored by groups from
all over the world who often send representatives
along. The Railways are partners of course and
provide platforms, electricity and water at
the stops. The brand new five-coach train, with
two operating theatres equipped with five operating
tables, was inaugurated in July last year by
Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, and Mr. Lalu Prasad, at the
National Rail Museum, New Delhi. During the
trains transformative journey across India it
goes about restoring sight to the blind, hearing
to the deaf, smiles to those affected by clefts
and mobility to those afflicted by polio.
Impact India Foundation's Lifeline Express is
the world's first hospital train on which surgeries
are conducted. At a typical project (approximately
four to six weeks), the following types of operations
are performed.
1. Orthopaedic: Correction of post-Polio contractures,
lower limbs, generally up to the age of 15 years,
barring Cerebral Palsy patients
2. Ophthalmic: Cataracts - Intra Ocular Lens
implants
3. Middle ear operations
4. Plastic Surgery: Cleft lips
Volunteers help with: Dressings of operated
patients, sorting medicines, feeding in data
on the computer, running errands, Observe operations
in the Operation Theatre with the permission
of the Surgeons.
The older four-coach train, equipped with three
operating tables, has been dedicated as a permanent
hospital to Impact India's Community Health
Initiative in Thane District .Contact Tel.022-66339605-7,
email: impactindia@mtnl.net.in
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Why POSCO? |
It is estimated that the Indian government
will lose Rs 89,000 crores and state government
of Orissa will lose Rs 22,500 crores for SEZ
alone. POSCO would have paid import tax on approx
$6 billion of machinery with a loss to Indian
central and state governments of 10 to 15%.
This is another Rs 2,400 crores to Rs 3,600
crores subsidy, without any justification, as
the competitors of POSCO, TATA and Mittals are
paying that amount. There is no explanation
of this action anywhere in the documents. This
also does not account for duty to be paid on
12 million tonnes of steel every year for the
1st few years.An analysis of both the direct
and indirect economic impact of this project
leads us to conclude:
* Orissa state government is clearly under-representing
the interests of the people of the state. Even
at global market conditions, it would have been
able to get orders of magnitude greater benefits
for the people than it is today as part of this
deal
* It is questionable whether the people of Orissa
actually gain from this project or whether the
opportunity cost of implementing this project
outweighs the benefits. The project is certainly
not an unquestionable boon as it is being made
out to be.--Sandip Dasverma and Dr Sanat Mohanty
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Madhya Pradesh High Court gives land-mark judgment |
Giving a land-mark judgment
yesterday in a case filed by the Narmada Bachao
Andolan seeking rehabilitation and resettlement
for the oustees of the Omkareshwar dam, a bench
of the Madhya Pradesh High Court comprising
of Hon'ble Chief Justice Shri A.K. Patnaik and
Justice Shri Ajit Singh directed that every
farmer, encroacher, and adult son of farmer
must be provided agricultural land for land
with a minimum allotment of 5 acres of irrigated
land, as per the R&R Plan, R&R Policy
and GOI approvals. The Hon'ble High Court also
directed that every adult son of such cultivator
must be also allotted such land, even if he
is not a titleholder.
The bench of the High Court also directed
that the present water level of 189 meters cannot
be raised until the R&R of all the oustees
of the project including the allotment of land
is completed. The High Court also directed the
State government to pay Rs. 10,000 to the petitioner
– the Narmada Bachao Andolan as costs.
It may be noted that the Omkareshwar dam is
one of the large dams being constructed in the
Narmada valley. 30 villages and nearly 8000
families are affected by this dam.
High Court holds Oustees have
a fundamental right to be better-off after displacement
The High Court stated that it is a fundamental
right of the oustees under Article 21 of the
Constitution to be made better-off after displacement.
The High Court held that the oustees may be
made better-off by various means, whether by
the allotment of land, or employment, or other
schemes. However, the High Court held that "
If the Government assures land, but later does
not offer land, it will be the duty of the Court
to enforce the right"
The High Court held that it is the constitutional
obligation of the State government to provide
R&R entitlements to the oustees including
the allotment of land.
The State government tried to escape its responsibility
by modifying the R&R Policy in 2002 and
stating that the allotment of land will be made
only "as far as possible". However
the High Court held that such a modification
did not absolve the Government of its duty to
allot land for land to the oustees, with a minimum
allotment of 5 acres of irrigated lands, and
that the same would have to be complied with.
The High Court also held that the Government
could not have been compelled to provide lands
if the same had been impossible. However, it
was the finding of the High Court that lands
are available in the State of Madhya Pradesh
since the Government has provided thousands
of acres of lands to SEZs and private industries.
However the State government had made no effort
to obtain private lands for the oustees. The
State Government and the NHDC are under a constitutional
obligation to allot lands to the oustees, and
suitable government lands and private lands
must be obtained and allotted to the oustees.
The High Court further ordered that the Redressal
Agency would file a Report in the High Court
by the 14th of June, and the matter of permitting
further impoundment or submergence of the 25
villages would be decided on the 17th of June
by the High Court based on the progress of R&R
including the allotment of land.
Narmada Bachao Andolan,2, Sai Nagar, Mata Chowk,Khandwa,
Madhya Pradesh.
Telefax: 0733 - 2228418/2270014 E-mail: nobigdam@bsnl.in
CONNECTiNG
Don’t Water it down
(Excerpts from an editorial in Business Standard
Chennai, April 15, 08)
For years now organization such as the Centre
for Science and Environment have been arguing
that industry does not pay for water it uses,
ruthlessly exploiting ground water resources
for free, for next to nothing. Apart from being
unfair in a country with genuine water scarcity,
this ensures that industry uses precious groundwater
resources in an inefficient manner. E.g. thermal
power plants in India use 80 cu mt of water
for every 1000 watts of power produced compared
to less than 10 cu mt elsewhere!...According
to CSE industry consumes over 35percent of the
total water available in the country…(industry
estimates it 6-8%)
….It would certainly be a good idea to
charge farmers the correct value for their water…but
in defence of agriculture it can be said that
overwhelming majority of farmers are engaged
in activity that is simply not viable and hence
there can be a case made for subsidized inputs.
No such argument can be made for industry.
Especially in the context of the falling per
capita availability of fresh water- from 5177
cu me in 1951 to 1820 cu mt in 2001 and perhaps
no more than 1340 cu mt by 2025, it is high
time state governments did something to rectify
matters. The UP governments move to introduce
a law to regulate the use of groundwater by
manufacturers of soft drinks and mineral waters
deserves to be endorsed. ..there should be penal
water rates for consumption that is over and
above any norm that has been shown to work internationally-
as with thermal power plants stations, textile
units and paper mills. This reform package can
work because it cannot possibly come up against
a political headwind. Indeed, farmers will applaud
if industries are asked to pay the full economic
cost of water and simultaneously asked to be
come more water efficient in the use of --water.--
Rima Kashyap.
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Success sans grants!!! |
The registered units of LG&DES group- Koya
Wes, Madhuri Sewa Nyas and Gokul University,
do not get any grant from any Funding Agency,
all lands were donated by the people.
In Koya Wes, Chhattisgarh: It has about 100
Acres of Land in few different places of South
Bastar Region. Average variable costs of these
lands in market vary from Rs 50,000 to Rs 500,000
per acre. Thus, it has property of cost of about
Rs 30 Million (0.75 Million US$) and about Rs
2 Million (0.05 Million US$) worth building
constructions. Presently a Cottage Manufacturing
unit of Hand-Made Clothes is being run which
may be converted into Training Center for Cloth
Manufacturing.
LG & DES run 4 centers for Organic and Natural
Farming in different places of the region, have
constructed about 10 mud dams as Water Harvesting
Structures in various villages, and constructing
a residential education center for Tribal Children
working for Joint Forest Management and Tribal
Economy.
We have been offered Oil Producing Machines
(each worth of about Rs 200,000 or US$ 5,000)
to make oil from forest product collections.
The group attracts more than 10,000 people from
various villages of South Bastar for public
meetings, and have more than 2000 people who
are directly associated with them as our partners.
“We can march with thousands of people
without recourse to any advertisement, or grant.
But we can not advertise our mass-strength because
we do not want to lose any member/volunteer/
supporter/ well-wisher, as South Bastar is one
of the bloodiest areas of India. We have already
lost many of our friends in this region.
Gokul University, Bihar has about 80 Acres of
Land in two different campuses. One campus has
10 Acres an other 70 Acres of land worth more
than Rs 30 Million (0.75 Million US$) and about
Rs 2 Million (0.05 Million US$) worth building
constructions and instruments.The university
is a practical-research unit for Village/ Cow/
Agro-Industrial based Economy.
Madhuri Sewa Nyas, Bihar can access 300 Acres
of land for Professional, Community Hospital
and Vocational Training Institutes in Khagaria
District Head Quarter. This property is worth
Rs 200 Million ( 5.0 Million US$) and about
Rs 20 Million (about 0.5 Million US$) worth
building constructions and instruments. A 60-
bed hospital is being run. 60 seats capacity
Nursing Training Institute, based on norms of
Indian Council of Nursing, has been completed.
We have been offered 1200 Acres of land more
in Khagaria for our activities. However this
offercould not be accepted due to lack of funds
for a programme there.
Uttar Pradesh: In this state, some of our friends
are working in Health, Value Education, Yog
and Education. But we could not organize our
activities here.
Delhi & NCR: We run an unorganized Non-Formal
Discussion Forum for Social Accountability.
Some of our friends are working on Local Environment
Activities. We have started activities on Right
to Information. All the above work, was started
without any grants from funding agencies. No
one can get this much land without the trust
of the local society. We did not buy land--.
we were given the land by the local society.
We did not need to spend money to get support--Our
work is people-oriented. We do not offer/ are
not able to pay any salary or honorarium to
our friends, volunteers, supporters.
Whatever we have in our organization- our mass
strength-- is not based on money, salaries,
honorarium or media publicity. Contact -: Vivek
Umrao Glendenning [mailto: coordinator@localgovernance.org]
Vivek Umrao www.localgovernance.org/vivekumrao*Ms.
Rukmini Sekhar ,The Viveka Foundation, New Delhi
Email: viveka4@gmail.com
Web: www.vivekafoundation.org.
Tel: 011 26497586, 26492473
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The red Ribbon Express |
The Red Ribbon Express spreading HIV awareness,
prevention, countering stigma and life after
HIV around the countryside was flagged off from
New Delhi Railway Station on December 1, 2007.
The train after travelling across Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh, parts of Maharashtra and Chattisgarh,
to Uttaranchal, Jharkhand, and Bihar reached
Guwahati on March 8.
Mohan Singh Rana, 27, is CEO of the Red Ribbon
Express and is on board through its journey,
Nehru Yuva Kendra's volunteers play a critical
role in outreach and mobilization.
In its one year, the train will go through 22
States, 70,000 km making 180 halts (in 180 districts),
language changing 11 times over, before it returns
to New Delhi on December 1, 2008..According
to CEO Rana, an average of 3,000-4,000 people
visit the train each day.
The first three coaches containing the exhibition
give basic information about AIDS and use a
communication style that is highly interactive
packaged as infotainment with touch-screen games,
and audiovisuals, music videos and PSAs (public
service advertisements) featuring youth icons,
actors and cricketers.
A coach designed as a 60-seater auditorium is
meant for in-depth training. Male/female doctors
and counsellors are also on board. The live
training sessions are designed for a cohesive
group — doctors, district officials, teachers...
The train is an interesting partnership between
various ministries and departments such as National
AIDS Control Organisation, the Railways, Youth
Affairs. Various colleges, women's groups and
departments have been mobilised to encourage
people to attend the exhibition.
While the train is stationed on the platform,
NYK volunteers cycle to neighbouring villages
doing nukkad nataks and skits. More than 43,000
villages will be covered through the year. In
addition, there are two buses with a mobile
exhibition covering the district's periphery.
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Environment Groups Oppose
WB Funding to Coal Plants |
Environmental groups called on the World Bank
to delay a decision on funding for a $4.2 billion
coal-fired power plant in India until more analyses
of costs and environmental impact are done.
In a letter to the United States representative
at the World Bank, six environmental groups
said the bank could not effectively fight climate
change while also funding high carbon-emitting
projects, such as the 4,000 megawatt Tata Mundra
coal project in Gujarat state.
The International Finance Corp (IFC), the bank's
private-sector lender, said its $450 million
proposed funding for the project for the coal
plant, being developed by Tata Power Co Ltd
, India's largest private-sector power firm,
would use new "super-critical" technology,
which cut carbon emissions by 40 percent compared
to other plants in the country.
The environmental groups argue that the Mundra
region where the plant will be located has huge
solar potential, while coal for the project
would need to be imported from Indonesia and
other countries at rapidly rising costs. The
groups include the Environmental Defense Fund,
Friends of the Earth US, National Wildlife Federation,
Bretton Woods Project and the International
Accountability Project.
(As reported in The Guardian)
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TN constitutes welfare
board for transgenders |
To mitigate the problems faced by transgenders,
the Tamil Nadu Government has constituted a
separate welfare board for them, a first of
its kind by any government in the country.
Chief Minister M Karunanidhi signed orders
on April 10 appointing the social welfare minister
as the president of the board, said a statement
from the secretariat.
Apart from secretaries of law and finance,
and other senior officials heading various agencies
like Women's Commission, police, and State Human
Rights and Social Justice Commission, a number
of transgenders have been included as non-official
members of the board, said the statement. Earlier,
the government had introduced separate ration
cards for transgenders, pioneering initiatives
for helping the marginalized community.
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MEDIA |
FILMS
Voices from the Waters 2008
3rd International Film Festival on Water Bangalore
Film Society, Arghyam, Svaraj- Society for Voluntary
Action Revitalization and Justice, Finger Lakes
Environmental Film Festival, Ithaca College,
USA (FLEFF) Mountainfilm in Telluride, USA,
Alliance Francaise de Bangalore and Water Journeys
- Campaign for Fundamental Right to Water are
organizing the third International 'Voices from
the Waters'- the biggest international film
festival on water in August 2008 contributing
short,documentary, animation and feature films
(DVD format only) withEnglish subtitles on water
and related issues. Also include aphotograph
and CV of the film-maker, a minimum of three
film stillsand a short synopsis of the film.
You may also send us photographs for exhibition
at the festival.
Deadline for entries is 30th April, 2008 . contact
Georgekutty A.L.Secretary, Bangalore Film Society,
Tel: 91- 80- 25493705 Email: bangalorefilmsociety@gmail.com
, waterjourneys@rediffmail.com,
http://www.voicesfromthewaters.
Bullets and Butterflies
by Sushmit Ghosh
(41 mins/ English)
The film traces the journey of a handicapped
street child and a biking enthusiast on a motorcycle
- popularly known as a *Bullet -* as they travel
from the bustling cityscape of Delhi to the
serene hills of Himachal Pradesh. It is the
journey from a promise made during a fleeting
conversation to its fulfillment in an unforeseen,
bizarrely deep understanding between the odd
pair; inadvertently providing an insight on
differently- abled people and the hardships
of a life lived on the streets. Email: space.kriti@
gmail.com, http://krititeam.blogspot.com
Taza Khabar*(Hot off the Press!*)
Directed by Bishakha Datta;
31 mins; Documentary;
Hindi with Englishsubtitles)*
* Are free and fair elections being held in
Nihi gram panchayat?
** How does the quarrying of a hill affect farmers
in Bharatkup village?
** Why have eight people died of tuberculosis
in Sukhrampur village?
In today's media-saturated world of celebrity
hype and overdrive, *Khabar Lahariya *is almost
an anachronism. This 8-page Bundeli newspaper,
published every fortnight from a small town
in U.P.'s Chitrakoot district, covers all the
news that mainstream media forgot. In March
2004, the women behind *Khabar Lahariya* received
the prestigious Chameli Devi Jain award for
their unique experiment in 'journalism by the
village, of the village, for the village.' *Taza
Khabar: follows the all-woman team of journalists
at *Khabar Lahariya *on a breathless journey
through police stations, polling booths, power
cuts, printer failures, and sleepless nights...all
part of a determined effort to ensure that Issue
62: Election Special reaches its rural readers
right on time. ContactAbhishikta +91 9819953938
*Morality TV Aur Loving Jehad: Ek Manohar Kahani
(*Morality TV And The Loving Jehad: A Thrilling
Tale)
*30 mins, DV, Hindi with English subtitles*
Director & Writer: Paromita Vohra
In the winter of 2005 Indians switched on their
TV sets to watch yet another "breaking
news" story, but one which shocked them.
In the town of Meerut, police officers, mostly
women, swooped down on lovers in a park and
began to beat them up. Along with them they
took photographers and news cameramen with the
promise of an exclusive sting operation. As
images of the operation played again and again
on every news channel, Meerut saw some of the
couples run away out of fear and shame and serial
protests for and against the event, which also
made the news for some days. What is the story
of this news story? The film looks outside the
frames that weave the frenetic tapestry of Breaking
News on India's news channels to uncover a town's
complex dynamics. It examines the legacy of
this kind of story telling, from the relishing
accounts of true crime magazines like
Manohar Kahaniyan to the double morality of
pulp detective fiction to the tabloid news on
Indian TV, to unfold a thrilling but disturbing
tale of its own.
Other Media Communications
is an institution set up to cater to the communication
needs of social movements and civil society
groups in India. We work in print, audio-video
and new media areas. We have produced more than
half a dozen documentaries on social issues
in India. And present a package include five
highly acclaimed documentaries from the recent
past, at subsidised prices.*
*The package comprises the following documentaries:
*
*Hey Ram!! Genocide in the
Land of Gandhi*
*Hey Ram!! was the first film to be completed
on the Gujarat Genocide, February 2002 in the
aftermath of Godhra and was released even as
the violence was raging in Gujarat.*
*Resilient Rhythms
This film documents the various atrocities that
are committed on people simply because of their
caste and shows how Dalits are fighting back.
Naga Story: The Other Side of Silence. The film
provides an introduction to the history of the
Naga struggle, and documents the human rights
abuses suffered by the Naga people in more than
50 years of existence as part of Independent
India.
Naka Naka Dupont, Naka (No
to Dupont)
This film is the story of the Goan peoples'
triumph over the multinational
company 'Dupont' and a sterling model for similar
struggles.*
BHOPAL – The Survivor's Story
For more details visit, www.othermediacommunications.com*,
Free- 'Burma: A Multi Media Presentation' (VCD)
in the package). The
DVD pkg Rs.3500/- (Inst)and Rs.2000/- (ind)
VCD package Rs.2000/- and Rs.1000/- e-mail to
santhosh@othermediacommunications.com.
*Other Media Communications Pvt. Ltd.Bangalore
– 560 071, India **Tel: 080 41151587*
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Y21 Foundation a NGO which
supports youth power based at Bangalore is organising
a south asian short film festival
in related to social issues during July 08 in
Bangalore. Those NGOs interested to participate
can send their DVD by courier on or before May
30th to Mr. Ram SundherY21 FoundationBangalore
- 560 043
Email: y21foundation@
gmail.com
The 4th IAWRT Asian Women's Film Festival 2008
- Insights and Aspirations) was held On 11 and
12 of April, at Sri Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain College
Bangalore ; films to be showcased were made
by women directors who celebrate the vision
of women through film. It reflects how women
filmmakers explore reflect, negotiate, resist
and document the self, family, religion, political,
social, cultural and the environment. The festival
featured Morality TV & the Loving Jehad,
Mira Nair's Migration ;Swati Thiyagrajan' s,
Amma: A Shy Girl From Madurai - a journey into
the life and times of the legendary M S Subalakshmi
;;, Bishakha Dutta's Taaza Khabar ; Nandita
Das' Leap Frog ;Leena Manimekalai' s Goddesses
; contact: 9845019306, 22353216/17. Journey
through Lines: India Reflects.
Through the eyes of cartoonists,
Direction : Vimay Rai
Production : PSBT and Prasar Bharati
Language : English Duration : 30 minutes
The film chronicles democracy in India from
its nascent stages to recent times under the
leadership of different Prime Ministers.Contact:
Gaurang Bharti Raval Drishti Media,Arts &
Human Rights Ahmedabad. India. 380054 www.drishtimedia.org
Tel: 079-26851235
If you wish to enter your film/s in the Billion
Eyes festival this year on the theme Caste,
please visit our website http://www.abillion
eyes.in/ and submit your entry before 15
July. A downloadable form is provided on the
site. For further details contact the address/
phone given below: From: "prakriti foundation"
<abillioneyes@
gmail.com>.
In the issue June 2005 : Vol.1 - Issue 14, under
the heading ‘Wonders of Kambalwadi there
is a mistake in the name of the director. The
name of the director is mentioned as Rajeev
Bhat which is wrong, it should be Rajiv C. Shah.
Mr. Rajiv C. Shah is the director of the film
hence you are requested to correct this error.You
can clarify this fact by contacting Mr. Rajiv
C. Shah on 9821144299 or Mr. Kisan Mehta 9223448857.
PAD.MA <http://pad.ma/>
is an online archive of video material, primarily
footage and not finished films, which have been
densely text-annotated. The entire collection
is searchable and viewable online, and is free
to download for non-commercial use. Descriptions,
keywords and other annotations have been placed
on timelines by both archive contributors and
users. At the moment, PAD.MA<http://pad.ma/>has
approximately 150 "events" on video,
mostly from Mumbai and Bangalore. This adds
up to about 100 hours of fully transcribed video
footage, which we expect to grow to more than
400 hours by early 2009. The PAD.MA project
is initiated by a group consisting of oil21.org
from Berlin, the Alternative LawForum<http://www.altlawfo
rum.org/>from Bangalore, and threeorganisations
from Mumbai:Majlis, <http://www.majlisbo
mbay.org/> Point ofView<http://www.pointofv
iew.org/>and chitrakarkhana. net /CAMP
<http://camputer.
org/>.Abhishikta +919819953938.
Karjey Heth (: Born In Debt)
(2001)
The film explores the lives of agriculture labour
in Punjab in the backdrop of green revolution.
The film reveals that agriculture labour in
Punjab is under swear mental, physical, economical
and social pressure. The film starts with a
confession of a person in his sixties that he
inherited debt from his parents and ends with
a teenage girl uncertain about her future. The
film links mechanization, change in crop pattern
and deteriorating health and overall living
conditions of agriculture labour. It is an attempt
to articulate the missing variable of the development'
s narrative of Punjab. This film got commendation
award at IDPA festival 2002
'On my own again'
Anupama Srinivasan's
(30 mins/ English/Hindi 2007)
"I was a boy who didn't run fast enough.
Would I have run if I could?
Did I want to run?
Why didn't I run?
This more than anything else troubles me about
my childhood."
The film weaves together images, sounds and
words in an attempt to trace the thoughts and
feelings of people as they try to comprehend,
cope with, fight against and overcome the consequences
of child sexual abuse. It is not a film about
the abuse; it is a film about the survivor.
"anupama srinivasan" <onusrinivasan@hotmail.com>
-------------------------------------------------------------------
BOOKS
Domestic Violence in India : What one
Should Know? ' (A Basic Book)
(Pages 523)
Price Rs. 390/ for Soft Cover
and Rs. 525/ for Hard Bound
It is about the issue of domestic violence in
India and addresses it in multidimensional perspectives.
It integrates social, psychological and legal
aspects in a comprehensive manner. The book
also discusses the recently enacted the Protection
of Women From Domestic Violence Act 2005 in
detail.
Soochana ka aadhikar: Khuuch Samajik ve kanooni
Pehlu
Soft cover
Price Rs. 100/- pgs 160)
About the Right to Information in Hindi, it
deals with the process that went behind making
of law besides features of law in simple language.
The book also deals with some experiences after
the law became operational in India and briefly
analyse several cases being adjudicated by the
Central Information Commission constituted under
the Right to Information Act 2005.
Our Fundamental Rights and Duties
Price Rs. 60/- Soft Cover p. 56)
This book is a simplified version of constitutional
rights and duties. Written in question and answer
from it simplifies the whole aspect and is recommended
for training programmes.
Rights of A Consumer Price
Rs. 90/- soft cover p. 89)
This book present all information a consumer
requires in simplified manner and deals specifically
with rights of consumers under the Consumer
Protection Act
Available at::We The People Trust, New Delhi
Tel: 011 65904815 / Mobile 9212387138 Email:
wethepeople_
apc@yahoo.co.in
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Children as active citizens,
a policy and programme guide Child helplines
are viewed as essential within the complaints
mechanisms procedures available for children.
An Inter-Agency Working Group on Children’s
Participation, comprised of ECPAT, Knowing Children,
Plan, Save the Children, UNICEF and World Vision,
recognises that the work undertaken by child
helplines is crucial for enabling children to
express their views and seek support. To download
the publication, please see: www.iawgcp.com/
publications. Html.
The War against Growth Fundamentalism
Pampering Corporates, Pauperizing Masses:
Arvind Sivaramakrishnan
Daanish Books,
2007. 274 pp, Rs 275.00
A collection of short papers by 28 academic
economists and political scientists, civil servants,
and activists, describes India in plain English.
Drawing extensively from the Government of India's
economic and performance reports and several
international reports, it confirms Paul Brass's
observation: India is not headed for catastrophe
but is a living catastrophe.
To start with, the rhetoric of inclusive growth,
with politicians, the apparatus of state, and
business and finance fixatedly chanting the
mantra of aggregate growth – which the
authors call growth fundamentalism - is a lie,
a crude cover for growing inequalities inherent
in a system of intensifying structural retrogression.
The trumpeted policy changes have nothing to
do with competition, as even international financial
magazines note; instead they favour the large
corporates, creating a plutocracy and oligopoly,
which is also likely to devastate small-scale
retailing. Trickle-down means the poorest trickle
even further down; the proportion of rural landless
households grew from 38.7% in 1993-4 to 40.9%
in 1999-2000, the rate of wage-growth fell from
16% to 8% in the same period.
The large corporates have also moved out of
manufacturing into relatively unproductive -
but highly profitable - services, retail, and
real estate, the last a hiding-place for monstrous
volumes of highly-inflationary illegal cash
and a vehicle for upper-caste and upper-class
brutality to the poor through casual state-supported
eviction.
The Indian emperors' new clothes are tailored
by statisticalcasuistry amounting to mendacity..
The redefinition of poverty is, for its part,
breathtakingly brutal; while 36 billionaires
have come to hold wealth equal to a quarter
of GDP, the poorest 10% of the population –
110 million people – spend less than nine
rupees a day in per capita consumption at current
prices. The poorest third of Indians –
four hundred million people – are eating
a third less per day than they were in 1975,
and even then their food consumption was below
the UN's recommended minimum. But according
to the Republic of India, the poor are not poor;
they have just been redefined.
Tax policy, for its part, is directed towards
lying for the private sector. Inevitably, the
most heartbreaking papers here are on agriculture.,
India has thousands of farmers committing suicide,
as they are millions of rupees in debt, crippled
by high input costs, by state corruption and
contempt, by an environment deeply degraded
by grossly misused chemicals, and by the indifference
and rapacity of formal and informal lenders.
So India opens its doors to corporates, who
close in on hundreds of millions of Indian farmers
to turn them into dispossessed contractors and
sub-contractors whose every movement is controlled
by the corporates and who have to produce flowers
and expensive fruits for urban élites
and for export. India, is paying more for imported
grain than it does to buy from Indian farmers.
The book also contains a chapter on health care,
which details a situation as bad as that of
agriculture. the story is one of sheer rapacity
in the private sector and contempt, indifference,
and corruption in the great bulk of the public
sector. Inevitably, the poor are sicker, get
far less prevention or treatment, and die younger.
And on every indicator, economic, educational,
and everything else, women are treated far worse
than men. Arvind Sivaramakrishnan is an Associate
Professor at the Asian College of Journalism,
Madras.
India: Democracy and Well-Being: An Inquiry
into the Persistence of Poverty in a Dynamic
Democracy.
Amarjeet Sinha
New Delhi: Rupa, 2005.
412 pp
The book, by a civil servant turned researcher
and activist, considers why India's democracy
remains largely formal and fails to deliver
substantive goods and significantly to alter
the often scarcely-believable divisions and
stratifications of Indian society. Amarjeet
Sinha recognizes the assertiveness of disadvantaged
groups qua groups, and their electoral successes,
but points out that, when elected, parties claiming
to represent such groups have made little or
no difference to society, to the functioning
of public institutions, or to the widespread
presence and even dominance of extreme poverty
throughout very large proportions of India's
population.
Sinha's argument, based on empirical accounts
of India's systems of health, education,and
social security and on details from all the
states, is that theexisting patterns of representation
and mediation between citizens and their representative
assemblies and other public institutions are
inadequate to ensure the delivery of substantive
goods.
Sinha's stories of individual lives are,like
so much in India, very painful, and he repeatedly
shows how the Republic of India maintains a
pervasive contempt for its own citizens in its
secrecy, arrogance, and high-handedness and
is engaged upon nothing less than a systematic
policy of genocide, on a continental scale.
The Struggle To Be Human (a training manual)
Looking at sex work and prostitution through
the lens of gender, sexuality and rights
Rs 500 (postage extra).
Built on a fully participatory methodology,
The Struggle To Be Human is a three-day structured
training programme that explores and unravels
participants' own deep-rooted attitudes and
beliefs about gender, sexuality, sex work and
prostitution. It contains exercises, films,
games and other interactive methodologies and
other stimulating learning tools to catalyze
participants to think about these complicated
issues. The Struggle To Be Human can be used
by a variety of organizations, groups and individuals
- particularly those working on women's rights,
HIV, public health, reproductive and sexual
health, human rights, or sex workers' rights
with grassroots activists, advocates, researchers,
policy makers - and with groups of sex workers.
Are We Not Women? (a report)
Women in prostitution, feminist activists and
sex workers' rights groups in dialogue Rs 100
(postage extra).
Are We Not Women? brings together
critical moments from a series of dialogues
that were organized in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune,
Bangalore and Kolkata in collaboration with
women's rights organization in each city. These
dialogues aimed to create a channel of communication
on prostitution and sex work between feminists,
women's groups, and women in prostitution and
sex workers' rights group. Are We Not Women?
looks at a multitude of overlapping issues:
Is sex work 'work'? Can exchanging sex for money
be equated to or compared with providing other
services? Are there moral issues underlying
our understanding of prostitution and sex work?
How can we locate the 'choices' of women in
prostitution in the larger context of women's
choices, while acknowledging their specificity?
Does a 'woman's right to her body ' translate
into a 'right' to using her body in the marketplace
- for prostitution or for anything else? Is
violence faced by women in prostitution a form
of violence against women? How can women's rights
organizations acknowledge and support the struggles
of women in prostitution?
Both publications combines the ground-level
experiences of women in prostitution at the
VAMP collective, the organizational experience
and insights of SANGRAM, and Point of View's
passion and skills to communicate marginalized
points of view.
For copies contact sangram.vamp@
gmail.com or pointofview mumbai@
gmail.com
Towards Gender Justice and Peace: Ten Years
of Women’s GRC
The Mohalla Committee Movement Trust
Ed. By Lakshmi Menon . Pages 20.
Available at Tel: 022-66608347
The first Women’s Grievances Redressal
Cell (GRC) specifically for Women’s complaints
was set up in the Mumbai Police Commissioners
office in 1982 with social workers. Later 2
more cells were set up in Dadar and kandivili
by TISS with the cooperation of the Mumbai Police.
These cells proved to be very useful in solving
complaints from women being ill-treated and
it was only when the social workers running
the cells were not able to bring the warring
parties to an agreement that the police machinery
was put in motion. The system was very successful.
The Mohalla Committee Movement Trust started
in 1994 to bring about communal harmony in localities
affected by the communal riots of 1992-3 decided
to open a few more Women’s GRCs under
the banner of the MCMT and six Cells are now
working. This report gives the history of the
Women’s GRCs and documents its activities,
challenges and achievements.
A Unique Crime: Understanding Rape in
India.
Edited by Swati Bhattacharjee
Publisher: Gangchil (Kolkata)
Pages 331. Hardcover.Price Rs 450
Rape is a unique crime, for society inflicts
more suffering on the victim than on the perpetrator.
The fear of rape shapes women's lives. This
book does not aim to theorise the problem of
rape. The questions raised here are of practical
and immediate concern: What can be counted as
'consent' in a sexual relationship? Why is medical
evidence of rape so often inconclusive? How
can a family cope with a sexually abused child?
By putting together articles from lawyers, doctors,
activists, journalists and researchers, this
book hopes to examine rape from different perspectives.
It aims to develop a discourse on rape that
will move on from pre-fabricated ideological
frameworks to a multi-dimensional, many-layered
dialogue.
Swati Bhattacharjee , Swati.Bhattacharjee
@abp.in
Tel. 033-22600344 (direct)
Emerging Areas for Promotion of Voluntary Sector
in 21st Century
Knowledge Series Paper - 15
21st century NGO's are required to be knowledge
based professional, business organizations.
In the paper several important issues viz. Capacity
Building, Networking, Funding, code of Conduct
have been dealt with elaborately.
Document is at Contact: Sundar Vadaon rsundarvadan@
yahoo.co.in
'Indradhanu- Samalaingikatech e Vividh Ranga'
a book which discusses various issues on homosexuality
from the Indian perspective is ready.
Mr. Bindumadhav Khire, from Samapathik Trust,
Pune
Marathi. 125/-Rs.
Topics covered:- Homosexuality in terms of Religion-Law,
gay marriages, adoption; Psychiatrist and Activist
perspectives;Social- Institution of Marriage
in India; Media Perspective; Coming to terms
with homosexuality; Coming out; Issues related
to coming out; Relationships; Sexual Health;
NGOs- Need of NGOs, Issues, Activism and Gay
Rights
For more deails contact samapathik@hotmail.com
Braille Libraries at Bahadurgarh
(Haryana), : Under this scheme we circulate
Braille books to blind readers throughout the
country free of charge and currently have 26500
volumes of 1600 titles.
Computerized Braille Press for Blind at Bahadurgarh
(Haryana) Under this project we are providing
Braille Books in Hindi & English
and regional languages to Students
upto 12th Standard. Besides this monthly Braille
Magazines are also being published in Hindi
& English.
NFB Library & Braille Press,7/485, Delhi-Rohtak
Road,Bahadurgarh - 124507
Distt. Jhajjar (Haryana) .Tel : 91-01276-230912,
91-01276-235849, 91-01276-329719Mobile : 09416054912
Telefax : 91-01276-233025 www.nfbcontribution
.com Email : nfb@nfbcontribution.com
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SHIS updates
Kolkata:It was a great day on 28th
March, 2008 when SHIS (Southern Health Improvement
Samity) started operating a full fledged maternity
center at the Sreedharnagar Panchayat Building
of Rakhalpur village in Pathar Pratima block
of South 24 Parganas district in Sunderbans.
The area being at the farthest end of Pathar
Pratima, pregnant women had to travel for long
hours through the rivers/canals/man made roads
and for obvious reason delivery of child could
not wait.
The Six room maternity center would run round
the clock duly manned by the medical and para
medical team MA Wohab, Director SHIS,said in
his inauguration speech, in the presence of
Sabitri Pal, President SHIS and Dr. Sachhidananda
Sarkar, CMOH South 24 Parganas district.
World
Women’s Day
World Women’s Day was observed on 8th
March, 2008 at Bhangar and Chandaeswar through
different awareness and cultural programmes.
World
TB Day
Like every year, World Tuberculosis Day was
observed on 24th March, 2008 with the medical
team of SHIS spreading awareness to the villages
in their respective area on how the disease
Tuberculosis spread rapidly and how to prevent
that. Contact SHIS" <info@shisindia.org>
Gandhi in NY
New York: The Satya Graha Forum,
a collaboration of leading New York cultural,
arts, environmental, educational and spiritual
institutions, launched a multi-faceted initiative
to create a city-wide dialogue on Gandhi’s
Satyagrah movement. The month-long initiative
kicked off on April 6, with a gathering in Manhattan’s
Union Square Park, the site of New York’s
Gandhi statue and various peace and faith-based
organizations walked to Union Square for the
symbolic launch to the ‘Satya Graha Initiative’.
The Satya Graha Forum is inspired by Philip
Glass’s acclaimed opera, Satyagraha, which
opens at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center
on April 11.
“Our goal is to unite and inspire a new
generation to apply Gandhi’s message to
their own lives,” said Helen Tworkov,
founder of the Satya Graha Forum and of Tricycle,
The Buddhist Review, “Gandhi’s philosophy
has just a much relevance today as it did 70
years ago. Instead of relying on others to change
the world for us, we can understand that change
for the outside comes from change on the inside.”
April marks the 78th anniversary of theSalt
Satya Graha, and the 40th anniversary of the
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., one
of Gandhi’s most prominent disciples.
The participating institutions for the month-long
events include Asia Society, Japan Society,
The Nation Institute, Columbia University Teachers’
College, The Garrison Institute, and Rubin Museum
of Art. The events at various venues in the
city will be the largest ever programme built
around Gandhi in the US, and includes several
talks and discourses by pastors in churches
on Gandhi’s use of Satyagraha and how
Gandhi matters in the present age of growing
geopolitical conflict. There will also be interpretative
dance performances focusing on peace and non-violence
and a screening of Richard Attenborough’s
film, Gandhi, starring Ben Kingsley.
A journalistic movement
Khabar Lahariya began as an experiment in 2002,
aided by Nirantar, a resource centre for gender
and education. It is based in Chitrakoot district,
one of the 200 poorest districts in India, where
there is practically no industry and the majority
of people survive on rain-fed agriculture. Literacy
rates are lower than the national average; female
literacy is only 35 per cent. The sex ratio
is also below the national average, only 872
women to a 1,000 men. Incidents of sexual violence
are high and the justice delivery system barely
functions as criminal gangs operate with impunity
under the nose of a complacent and often complicit
administration.
Against this background, a group of Dalit and
adivasi women felt the need to start and run
their own newspaper because the existing media
in the area did not report on the issues that
concerned them.Training workshops for the budding
editors and journalists were held. In the initial
years, they stuck to familiar areas - violence
against women, developmental stories etc. But
a survey of readers shocked them into realising
that their paper was being seen as a publication
only for women and about women when they wanted
to make it a rural newspaper that would be read
by everyone.
The shift took place in 2004 when the general
elections were held. The women had reported
on Panchayat elections. With the help of Nirantar,
the Khabar Lahariya women plunged right in.
And thus began the emergence of a truly rural
newspaper that today covers politics, development
and a range of issues and news. It is read by
men and women, by officials and other journalists.
It is taken seriously.
Each fortnight one woman carries the editorial
matter by bus to Allahabad, over 75 km away,
where the paper is printed. Altogether, 4,000
copies of the two editions are printed, an estimated
10 people read each copy and the paper reaches
over 150 villages in Chitrakoot district and
four blocks in Banda district.
After a great deal of discussion amongst themselves,
the women decided only recently to accept advertisements
with a strict code. The result of all this is
evident in the confidence in these women, and
why today even district officials, are now willing
to speak to them on the phone.
RTI
BCAS Foundation is conducting a free
clinic by appointment on Right to Information
(RTI) on Saturday, 19th April 2008 from 11 a.m.
to 1.00 p.m. at 7, Jolly Bhavan No.2, New Marine
Lines, Mumbai 400020. For appointment contact
66595601-05.
Bombay Chartered Accountants' Society
7, Jolly Bhavan No.2,New Marine Lines Mumbai
400 020
Tel: 6659 5601-05
PCGT conducts free RTI clinics every first Saturday
of the month at Mahalaxmi Chambers, Mahalaxmi,
Mumbai. Tel. for appointments.
CSR
Into the interiors of Thane, hardly 15 kms from
Vasai-one of Mumbai’s suburbs education
was the last priority of Padval Pada village.
The Astarc group which has
a factory in Vasai tied up with the panchayats
and school authorities to provide need-based
support and constant monitoring to maintain
standards. With the introduction of English
and the groups support now 25,000 students around
the area benefit from the group’s Kishore
Musale Charitable Trust. Contact www.classicstripes.com
Because of its hilly terrain rural unemployment
was high in the Almora region of Uttarakhand
and that was the reason SIDBI (Small Industries
Development Bank of India began its Rural Industrialisation
programme. To develop viable and self-sustaining
tiny enterprises SIDBI works with the NGO, Centre
for Bharatiya Marketing Development in Delhi
which imparted training in developing entrepreneurial
skills and help in getting loans. From ecotourism
and adventure sports to photography, baking
units, CBMD has been able to set up 200 new
units which employ 400 people. The start-up
costs are met by SIDBI to be returned on a reducing
scale in three years.
G. Narayanan, ED, Indian Overseas Bank. Inaugurated
the IOB-Sampoorna - Total Village Development
Scheme in Nazarethpet Branch to service area
villages Kuthambakkam and Padur on 27 Feb' 08.
The Vision of this scheme is 'Creation of a
Sustainable Model for Village Development which
will be replicated in other parts of the country
on the similar lines.
Hyderabad: Procter & Gamble (P&G)
has tied up with Child Rights and You
(CRY) to launch ‘Shiksha 2008’,
a school education programme to help educate
underprivileged children in India as part of
the company’s global philanthropy programme
P&G Live, Learn and Thrive that focuses
on the development of children in need across
the globe. The project has so far helped 67,000
children across 435 communities get education
through a donation of over Rs 4 crore. The programme
makes it easy for P&G consumers to help
educate underprivileged children by simply buying
any of the company’s large packs products
in the months of April, May and June 2008.the
company has committed a minimum of Rs 1 crore
to its partner CRY, which will be allocated
to projects focused on enabling the child’s
right to education.as part of the Shiksha projects
CRY will also re-look at existing education
policies, create awareness to build more schools
with better infrastructure and basic amenities
like water, electricity, health through participation
of the state education departments.
MoneyLIFE Magazine and IL&FS Trust
Company Limited held a Workshop on
Making a Will and Reverse Mortgage. Mr.Shankar.S.Pai
of Make a Will Foundation talked on Will-making.
While IL&FS Trust Co. Ltd. made a presentation
on Reverse Mortgage – a facility that
allows home-owners to earn from their property
while still living in it. The Union Budget has
provided some tax concessions that make these
feasible. Contact Sheetal at MoneyLIFE –
2444 1059 – 24441060 by phone or, email
at : mail@moneylife.in
Working on borders
J&K: With the child hood conviction of working
at and for the people living near India's borders
and greatly inspired by Bhagat Singh and his
works, Adik Kadam and his cousin Bharati Mamani
established, Borderless World Foundation (BWF)
in 2002.
They started visiting the most disturbed and
sensitive State of Jammu and Kashmir from 1997
after completing his class 12. He was the only
Hindu civilian working in Kupwara. Even after
being kidnapped many times, he never gave up
and continued to work for the girl orphans in
that area.There are around 24,000 orphans in
Kupwara.The BWF established three orphanages
in different parts of Kashmir -- Kupwara, Budgam
and Anantnag. Starting with four orphan girls,
Basera -e -Tabassum (BeT) which means adode
of smiles was established in May 2002. Today
it has 78 orphans. The girls are encouraged
with their academics for nine months in Kashmir
and then during their vacation for two to three
months various activities are conducted for
their overall development. Last year the girls
were in Pune for an education tour for twenty-eight
days. involved in various extra-curricular activities
like sports, music, drama, and dance in some
of the city schools. "The main reason to
get them here is to bridge the gap between them
and our people, to make them feel that there
is the whole of India to take care of them and
there is much more than Kashmir," says
Kadam.
Over the years many industrialists from Pune,
Delhi, Bombay and also many NRIs have lent a
helping hand to BWF.
World Health Day Celebrations
Kerala: Nocer-India celebrated
World Health Day on April 7 at Perla with a
day long blood donation camp where 500 volunteers
donated blood from 9am to 6pm inaugurated by
Sri C.H.Kunjambu M.L.A. Manjeswaram. The panchayat
president Ms. Puspha presided. The other objective
of the programme is to check and find out the
diabetics in the village. Follow up is planned.The
objective was to make the rural people aware
about the importance of volunteering Blood donation
and the importance of periodically checking
of blood sugar.Dr. Krisna Kumar and Dr.Kesavananda
Naiks are the Doctors who are conducting classes.
Contact nocermathew@yahoo.com
nocermathew.
Mumbai: The HELP Library held a free health
check up camp and a daylong symposia of wellness
and health specialists on World Health Day,
April 6 at their library premises. Free diabetes,
BMI, diabetic retinopathy and blood sugar check
ups. The programme included, amongst others
talks on Abhinay Yoga by Lalit Parimoo, Stress
by Dr Rajesh Parikh; Preventive cardiology by
D. Ashish Contractor followed by Survivors stories.
A book, “Healthwise Handbook” was
also released.
Womens comp. ed.
Mumbai: eDropp is especially
organizing a literacy program for Women empowermentto
make women aware about internet which will make
their life more easier and comfortable. This
orientation to women will make them confident
and independent in their day to day life.
If any Women's Organization can arrange a workshop
or meeting of their members, it will be our
great pleasure to present this concept to esteemed
members of their organization which will be
highly educative and "empowering women".
Maximum time taken by us will be 1 hr
For more details, please call us on 4003 6900.
kumud pandey
kumud.edropp@
gmail.com
Day care for degenerative illnesses
Tiruchi: A day care centre and hospice
offering free palliative care for patients with
degenerative illness will soon be set up by
the Palliative Care Association of Tiruchi.
Announcing this at the inauguration of the association
T. Mohanasundaram, founder of the association
and director of Sudharshna Palliative Care Hospital,
said the hospice would offer in-patient services
based on the severity of the diseases. The district
administration had offered to identify a suitable
site for the purpose. The centre would cover
patients with chronic ailments including HIV/AIDS,
cancer, renal failure, and neurotic and psychiatric
disorders. Resources would be raised locally
and free medicines distributed.
MSMs to the fore
Pune: According to the National
AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)'s HIV
sentinel surveillance and HIV estimation- 2006
– urban areas like Delhi, Pune, Bangalore,
Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Kolkata have recorded
a very high HIV prevalence among MSM
Dr R R Gangakhedkar from National AIDS Research
Institute (NARI) pointed out that there was
also a high percentage of gays among married
men. The third phase of the NACP will now concentrate
on access to Sexually Transmitted Infections
services to be provided by the NGO itself. At
a state level media consultation on HIV/AIDS
organised by the Centre for Advocacy and Research
various concerns and issues of MSMs and People
Living with HIV/AIDS networks were discussed.
Jasmir Thakur, coordinator of the Sambhavana
Society that deals with 1,140 MSMs in Pune and
2,800 in Mumbai strongly urged that 'homosexuality
should not be medicalised'.
Handpumps free women
The humble hand pump has become an emancipator
for a handful of women in Bundelkhand. Savitri,
Prema, Bhuri and 20 other illiterate, oppressed
women from Karvi in Chitrakoot district are
earning their livelihood by repairing hand-pumps.
For years, these women had been facing domestic
violence. Chitrakoot Jal Nigam (CJN) began supporting
the women by giving them contracts to fix hand-pumps
in the area. Today, the women receive private
contracts as well, and earn upto Rs 300 a day.
Hisabh Do Campaign-
Obtaining information about how public funds
are used is not the only objective of the Hisabh
Do Campaign. The Hisabh Do Campaign aims at
1) Making the citizen aware that they have a
right to know through voluntary disclosures
how the public funds are being used, and 2)
Creating a mechanism for interaction between
the voter and his elected representative. The
Hisabh Do Campaign questionnaire seeks information
about whether the local residents were consulted
and what was the process followed in deciding
the priority of the projects undertaken. loksatta_initiative@yahoogroups.com
Water harvesting through surangs
Achyutha Bhat's family had nearly 20 surangas
dug in their property. Fourteen out of this
are still serving them. Surangas provide them
water not only for irrigation, but for drinking
and domestic purposes too. What's more, they
don't have to spend a single paisa for diesel
or electricity to get this water. All the water
is free flowing - due to gravitational pull.
In the 15-acre barren hill slope the family
got decades ago, five acres containing arecanut
and coconut gardens stands today, courtesy these
surangas. No other water body like open well
is feasible here because of the slope and soil
type. "If and when we foresee some water
scarcity," explains son Govinda Bhat, 51,
"we go for one more suranga"
The Politics of Seeing
Kolkata: In 'Capturing Calcutta?
The Politics of Seeing', photographer Ariadne
Van de Ven explores the western photographic
eye on India and the damage it does. At a talk
on 23 Feb 23 at the Conference Hall of Academy
of Fine Arts, according to her, even when taken
with the best political or humanist intentions,
famous photographs taken by master photographers
-- Henri Cartier-Bresson and Don McCullin are
just two -- often reinforce the stereotypes
that the west has of India. An exotic paradise
full of graceful women in colourful saris, with
elephants and gods,; and a desperate hell-hole
in grainy black-and-white unacceptably full
of victims of poverty, hunger and disease on
the other hand. She considers that both extremes
are true, of course, but three major layers
are missing: The icons of exoticism and of destitution
both show a timeless India: without history,
without politics and without western economic
responsibility.
Ariadne's argument is that photographs play
a major role in this stereotypical view <drikindia@gmail.com>
WEBSITES
Renowned Right to Information (RTI) activist
Shailesh Gandhi inaugurated www.silver Innings.org,
a comprehensive and dedicated website to address
the concerns of senior citizens."This is
a historic event for senior citizens,"
said Mr John Thattil, Regional Director (West),
Help Age India, who was the guest of honour
at the function. This website will host sections
on health and medical issues, finance and investments,
law, leisure activities and hobbies, help line
and counseling services and a directory of old
age homes and other services needed by the elder
population and their family members.Sailesh
Mshra, founder said the Indian Youth Climate
Network (IYCN) is the first major programme
of Delhi Greens, a youth-led NGO working on
the issues of climate change, rural development
and urban re-development wishes to reach out
to other cities to network and bring together
all small/big people/organisation s that are
working for better environs. The IYCN is led
by Kartikeya Singh and Govind Singh trained
by Mr. Al Gore and Dr. R.K. Pachauri to spread
the message of Climate Change … (www.climateprojectindia.org).
There are interim websites of the Indian Youth
Climate Network and of Delhi Greens. and the
What's with the Climate? blog. Websites: http://delhigreens.
org> http://iycn.
in>
> Blogs:>
http://delhigreens. com, http://whatswiththe
climate.org
A website, on adolescents. The URL: www.rgniyd-ahdp.gov.in
has been started. Contact K. Sam Prasanth Kumar
Project Officer, Adolescent Health And Development
Project, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of
Youth Development, Sriperumbudur,09884230081
A link to a short policy brief titled: "Strengthening
access to sexual and reproductive health services
for people with HIV and for people at risk of
HIV". <http://www.path.
org/publications /details. php?i=1555>
This policy brief was developed as part of the
PATH Convergence Project and contains recommendations
from one of the working groups at a workshop
organized by the National Institute of Research
on Reproductive Health(NIRRH) to develop an
India-specific action plan for converging HIV
and SRH services.Dr. Amitrajit Saha Associate
Director SRH [India]
PATH New Delhi Ph: 11-26530080- 88 (Email::asaha@path.org>
URL: www.path.org
Global HR Network
The Global Human Rights Education Network is
an information and advocacy network that promotes
learning and training in the field of human
rights. Membership is open to all organisations
that support the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and are involved in education and training
activities promoting the human rights framework.
The online application form for the Global HRE.
Network can be found at http://www.hrea.
org/hre-network/
The informal network, constituted by over 10,000
individuals and organisations engaged in human
rights education worldwide, will now network
To promote information sharing among membership
and To advocate for human rights education and
training in all sectors... A public Directory
of organisations that have joined the network
will be made available on the Web. Felisa Tibbitts,
Director,Human Rights Education Associates (HREA)
- US office Ee-mail: ftibbitts@hrea.org
World Consumer Rights Day
Mumbai: On March 15 Consumer Rights
Day, an awareness Programme on Consumer interests
and Today's Telcommunications Issues was organized
at Jaihind College, to increase the awareness
of consumers about telecommunications services
in India and to bear influence on the Telecom
Service Providers, Law Makers, Regulatory Authority,
Dispute redressal Authorities etc about the
type of service, its quality and its cost effectiveness
in terms of tariffs. The event was jointly organised
by IMC and BTUA (Bombay Telephone Users' Association.)
e-mail: achint@mtnl.net.in
Stand Up and take action: Oct.
17 -19
Last year, more than 43 million people all
over the world stood up and spoke out sending
a clear and powerful message to governments:
Keep your promises to end poverty and achieve
the Millennium Development Goals.
Whether by a signed petition, a text messagecampaign,
phone calls to local government representatives,
face to facemeetings with parliamentarians,
local and national leaders - What's most important
is to Stand Up and take Action to make our demands
heard loud
and clear.
In India, Campaigners will be reminding government
to implement time-bound MDG-based national development
strategies, plans and budgetary allocations;
to improve MDG implementation and delivery mechanisms
with a strong focus on poor and excluded groups
particularly women; to create and implement
plans for increased transparency and fighting
corruption, and greater accountability on MDG
planning, implementation and reporting to elected
officials (Parliaments, local Governments etc.),
and citizens groups, Stand Up, Take Action 2008
will be held over a three day period from October
17th -19th.so that at home, at work, at school,
university or in a place of worship will have
the
chance to take part. Aim to break the world
record for the most number of people to Stand
Up Against Poverty. UN Millennium Campaign <info@millenniumcamp
aign.org>
Prayaas
SIESCOMS in association with CSIM (Centre for
Social Initiative and Management) organized
a Social Entrepreneurship Competition Prayaas
on 29th March 2008 on March 29 at SIES College,
Nerul, Navi Mumbai.
Social entrepreneurship is a growing field
that combines social work principles with a
business like approach to advance societies
and address social problems in an innovative
and effective manner, expressed Dr. A.K. Sengupta,
Director of SIESCOMS in his inaugural address.
Prayaas 2008 had invited entries from NGOs/
groups on social entrepreneurial theme touching
poverty, health, education and environment.
Six entries emerged to the final : WINGS proposed
to take up marketing of NGO products in India
while NAVKIRAN took the initiative of finding
an alternative avenue for farmers. FLAMES spoke
about reducing the mental stress of studies
on students while another project was prepared
to curb
female feoticide in India with management techniques.
Another upcoming entrepreneur planned out an
innovative medical scheme for the middle class
and lower middle class families while another
volunteer through his expert opinion tried to
give dignity to the beggars
The judges for the event : Dr. A. R. K. Pillai,
President, Indian Development Foundation (IDF),
Dr. Narayan B. Iyer, National Co-ordinator,
Indian Development Foundation (IDF), Ms. Kavita
Kowshik, Managing Director, Maitreya CSR Pvt.
Ltd., Mr. Ganesh Srinivasan, Consultant, Mckinsey
&
Company after evaluation chose the innovative
presentation of medical policy scheme for the
families to Mr.Denny John who conceived and
presented the project of mediclaim policy who
received a prize money of Rs.10,000/= and a
trophy. The runner-up team NAVKIRAN came second.
<http://indiandevelo
pmentfoundation. blogspot. com/2008/ 03/prayaas-
for-social- entrepreneurs. html>
National Water Conference
March 28th 2008, Day 1, The day started off
with a cultural programme by the Ghazipur and
Ballia kala manch teams. A pond was inaugurated
in the village by Dr. Sandeep pandey and five
women from the community performed a pooja and
instead of usual mantras, slogans against coca-cola
were raised.
The session for the day was on People's Right
to Water. The panelists were Chanchal Mukherjee,
NAPM, UP co-ordinator;Govardhan Gand, Movement
against the Maitrayee pariyojana, Khushinagar;Kalmi
Devi, Movement against the Maitrayee pariyojana,
Khushinagar; Dr. Sandeep Pandey Chinta Devi,
Pradhan, Singhachaver village, Ballia.
Bhai Baliram, Local leader of anti-coke movement
in Ballia;Rameshwar Kuri, Movement against Coca-Cola
in Kaladhera, RajasthanDavid, Environmental
Consultant, California Mithai Lal, Gaon Bacho
Sangharsh, MehdiganjChitranjan Singh, PUCL(People's
union for civil liberties) President.
Probe into Coke plant
Varanasi: The District Magistrate
of Varanasi, Bina Kumari Mina, has initiated
an investigation into the role of the Coke Bottling
Plant in Mehdiganj on the drop in local water
levels and high incidence of toxic chemicals
around the plant site.
The DM of Varanasi has asked Assistant DM R.P
Singh to lead this study following the reports
by the State Pollution Control Board reporting
changes in water level and high amounts of hazardous
chemicals that has affected neighbouring communities.
This action follows the Water Conference that
culminated in Varanasi last week as well as
the march to the bottling plant organized to
increase awareness and share the concerns of
local communities with regards to the impact
of the bottling plant. The DM had promised to
quickly take action following these findings.
POSCO news
Patna, Orissa: A small village in Dhinkia panchayat
of Ersama block in the East Coast of Orissa
is now referred to as ‘POSCO Area’,-
this is where the world’s third largest
steel producing corporation, Pohang Steel Company,
(POSCO), plans to build its $12 billion steel
plant and captive port.
For the last three years, POSCO, backed by the
state government as well as the Centre, has
made consistent, systematic, yet unsuccessful
attempts to ‘take over’ this highly
fertile and ecologically fragile coastal area
for its projects. For the last four months,
18 battalions of police have been deployed around
these villages, occupying government school
buildings. The administration had also barred
the entry of essential supplies into these villages
and restricted free movement of people in the
region.
On April 1, celebrated as Orissa Foundation
Day, or Utkala Diwas, the people of Dhinkia
marched 4 kilometres from their village with
a single agenda – to reclaim the entry
point into the area at Balitutha, which had
been under siege by the police and local administration.
This was the day POSCO, which signed an MoU
for the project with the Orissa government in
June 2005, had planned to conduct its groundbreaking
ceremony at the project site, only to call it
off later.
POSCO Pratirodh Sangarsh Samiti (PPSS). Walked
through the thriving local-rural economy - a
rarity in the country, to reclaim their land..(Tehelka)
RTI
Chennai Corporation appointed eight Public Information
Officers under the Right To Information Act
at the Ripon Buildings. According to a press
release from the Civic body the following officers
are appointed as Public Information Officers
and can be contacted for the respective information
required from the civic departments.
General Administration and Pension - Lakshmi
Assistant Commissioner- Ph: 2538 3732;Revenue
and Elections - M.Namdeo Ph: 2538 3732;
Health and Family Welfare - Dr.Krishna Health
Officer - Ph: 2538 3611
Land and Estates - Lilly - Revenue Divisional
Officer - Ph: 25366370
Works, Mechanical Engineering, Electricity,
Bus Route Roads -
Raghupathy Chief Engineer - Ph: 2538 3602
Buildings, Bridges, Storm Water Drain, Solid
Waste Management, Parks,
and Auditoriums -Balasundaram, Chief Engineer
- Ph:2538 3781
Council affairs - G Latha - Revnue Divisonal
Officer - Ph: 25383695
Financial Management, Central Accounts Committee,
Audit - Jayakanthan
- Financial Advisor - 2538 3733.
Garbage Concern - NGO
Mumbai: 'Garbage Concern' is 'concerned about
everybody's garbage' beginning with home, school
locality, workplace, markets, restaurants, marriages,
parties and temples together with festivals,
pilgrimage sites. and conduct awareness/sensitization
programmes through a P/P presentation- that
explains the-- meaning, nature, composition
and management of garbage/waste followed by
field trips to zero-garbage zones
-- Initiate and monitor the conversion of the
'wet, stinking *waste'* into 'dry, odourless
wealth'-by Vermicomposting. They have conducted
awareness sessions in 25 schools, 12 colleges
and 10 housing societies re.composting of the
wet wastes by Vermiculture, Water Conservation
(recycling and rain water harvesting), Disaster
Prevention and Management etc (together form
part of the Holistic, Sustainable Environment
Management ( in the new, project –oriented
syllabus for EVS in schools with field trips
to Zero Garbage sites like Esselworld (education
cum picnic), Mahim Nature Park, Nirvana Park
and Eco-tels like Orchid, Rodas, Lotus (www.garbageconcernindia.org)
Contact Prof. Francin Pinto.Tel:.25600198,9892910023
International Women’s Day
In just three years time, 2011 will see the
International Women's Day's Centenary - 100
years of women's united action for global equality
and change. We still do not have 33% reservation
in Parliament, do not have adequate child and
maternity rights and benefits, do not have equal
wages, do not have labour laws to prevent exploitation
in the unorganized sector, do not have justice
for dowry, rape and domestic violence cases.
Here’s what various women’s organizations
did:
Solidarity for Sharmila Irom
During the last 7 years, Sharmila Irom has been
on a hunger fast with asingle demand: Withdrawal
of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA)in
Manipur. The act legitimizes any army personnel
to shoot, kill and destroy a person or a property
on mere `suspicion'. According to Justice Jeevan
Reddy Commission `the Act itself has become
a symbol of oppression, an object of hate and
an instrument of discrimination and high-handedness'
.The United Nations Committee on Racial Discrimination
under the International Convention on Elimination
of all Forms of Racial Discrimination urged
the Govt. of India to repeal the AFSPA within
one year. The proposed time provided by the
UNCRD is ends on February 26, 2008.The women's
movement in India have supported the cause of
Sharmila Irom in Trivandrum, Trichur, Calicut
and Cochin solidarity protests, film screenings,
letters to Prime Minister, Defense Minister
and political leaders, signature campaigns,
Interventions through press etc. (copies of
a film on Sharmila available from Wilfred, INSAF,
A124/6 Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi Ph: 011-26517814)
visit: manipurfreedom.Org
In Mumbai: Women's wing of Sri Shanmukhananda
Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha in association
with Manav Seva Dharma Samvardhani Trust,
Chennai honoured ten women achievers in diverse
fields :Ms. Meenakshi & Mr. Umesh (Puvidham
Rural Development Trust); Ms. Shobha Murthy
(Aarambh); Ms. Bhuvaneshwari & Mr. Muralidharan
(Sevalaya); Ms. Shanthi Raghavan (EnAble India);
Dr. Shabina Ahmed & Mr. Ahmed (Assam Autism
Foundation);Dr. Maya Tulpule (Shweta Association);
Sister Lissy (National Domestic Workers Movement);
Ms. Soma Ghosh (Onkar Seva Sansthan)
In Bangalore: This year women from
marginalised sexualities, genders, labour and
caste came together by dressing in vibrant diverse
costumes to parade between Vittal Malya Road
to Mahatma Gandhi circle concluding with a candle
light vigil to assert rights of all women as
human rights. *Organised by: Sangama, Samara,
LesBiT, Karnataka Sexworker's Union.
National Alliance of women
organized a Protest rally in front of Mahatma
Gandhi Statue on M.G. Road and in a statement
said, “Women’s interests can never
be completely represented by a group of men.
The very treatment of the reservation bill is
proof of this. Everybody agrees on the principle
of equal participation for women, but none will
lift an honest finger to ensure equal representation.
Preventing women from creating their own leadership
and obstructing them from policy-making decisions
is simply a continuation of the gender subjugation
that has gone on for millennia.They demanded
Immediate Passage of 1/3rd reservation for women
in Legislative Assembly and in the Parliament.
Dr. Ruth Manorama, National Alliance of Women.
C/o. No.19, 6th cross, Rangadasappa Layout,Bannerghatta
Road, Bangalore 560 030.
Karnataka Domestic workers Union came
together to assert: “We are human beings
not machines”“We demand ‘decent
work’ and working conditions withdignity”
“We have nothing to lose; but a world
to win”. Wearing black bands they met
in various units in Koramangala, Lingarajpuram,
Jayanagar, Srinagar, Bangarappanagar, Yeshwantpur
and at Ramaih hospital during the day (Mamta--9845763191)
In Mumbai:A Candle light Vigil was held at the
Gateway of India On Eve of Women's Day - 7th
March with Dr. (Mrs.) Indu Shahani - Sheriff
of Mumbai;Rahul Bose - Renowned Actor Anahita
Uberoi - Renowned Theatre Personality:Gaurav
Bhaskar Mobile: 09987000191/ 24449144 Email:
gauravb@rediff.co.in
'Women For Good Governance'
along with 'IMC,Ladies' Wing' conducted a full-day
seminar on "Women & Property Rights"
at IMC to impart information on:-General Scenario
for Property Laws for Women, Denied Rights:
How to deal informally / formally / legally.
Need for women to know about the Family Financial
Property. Importance of will and its technical
aspects of interpretation.
Adv.Flavia Agnes, M.P.Vashi, Y.P.Singh, Rajesh
Mudholkar,Arvind Jain, Shri.Mahendra Mehta and
Sr.Journalist S.Tripathi addressed the participants.
Contact- Nusrat : 9867178566.
'Lakshmi goes without money and Saraswati sans
education' the Mahila Satta commented at the
Lok Satta Movement's office here today on International
Women’s Day. Mahila Satta appealed to
women to stop whiling away their time watching
TV serials and take active interest in politics
for transforming society.Only by entering politics,
women can play a key role in policy issues and
provide equal opportunities to women in all
fields. loksatta.maharashtrachapter@gmail.com
The Economic Times presented “Women Leadership
Summit” on March 6, 7 chaired by Ms. Nilam
Dhavan CEO Microsoft India ( Contact Ujwal:
09892094777 or email: smg.ujwal@gmail.com
In Delhi: A Walk for Social Justice on March
8th 2008, from Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate
up till Rashtrapati Bhawan to present a charter
of demands to the President of India by a unified
group of leaders, for every Indian woman. (from
Mohini Giri: guildofserviceni@yahoo.com)
WIT-ty celebrations
Mumbai: On Feb 19th, WIT celebrated its 40th
anniversary. A typaical story is of Ansari "I
remember I joined the organisation as a worker,
stitching small items. Within four years, I
was a salesgirl at their Tardeo store. Then,
in 1990, I was promoted to be a designer. Now,
I teach new girls in home-based enterprise.
I think I must have been good to have come so
far."
Like Ansari, WIT itself has come a long way.
Envisioned in 1968 by barrister Kamila Tyabji,
the organisation' s objective was to attempt
to provide a livelihood for poor and unskilled
women. "Back then, Tyabji would buy pieces
of cloth and hand them out to these women to
stitch saree petticoats," explains Shyamala
Nath, chief executive officer of WIT.
Today, WIT generates business amounting to a
few lakh rupees every year, all of which goes
into empowering underprivileged women and their
families. Today, about 450 to 500 women contribute
to WIT's enterprise - manufacturing food products,
upholstery and toys, besides participating in
teaching programmes and official activities
like accounting and book-keeping.
Sr. Cit get legal
Mumbai: F ward senior citizens Association organized
a Full day Workshop on Legal awareness for senior
citizens/ care givers/ volunteers/ professionals
on 16th March 2008, for nearly 100 senior citizens
for the workshop from F ward at Paraplegic Foundation
to discuss. Right to Information, Investment
Management, Succession Act, Domestic Violence,
Common man and Police Station (IPC), Legal Counseling,
Co-operative Societies Act, Will- Making etc
Contact: Tel: 022- 24015150 (O), 9833406288(M)
Eamail: tfwas@yahoo.co.in
or rbingole@yahoo.com--
Sex Ed Prog inputs wanted
“I am creating a comprehensive sexuality
education programme that I want to take to schools
and colleges, among other communities in the
form of interactive workshops. I would like
you to help me create the various modules that
I'm working on. In order to make my sessions
really interesting and engaging, I am looking
at using a range of materials to help participants
become aware of their own feelings, attitudes,
values and biases as well as to nurture values
such as open-mindedness, respect for self and
others, and high self-esteem, and learn life
skills such as an ability to take responsibility,
decision-making, communication, assertiveness,
ability to ask questions and seek help, critical
thinking, and empathy.
If you know of any material - photographs, articles,
poetry, TV commercials, print advertisements,
movies, you tube videos, songs, TV shows, books,
posters, etc. - that could help facilitate discussions
Activities, games and food-for-thought questions
on the above topics are very welcome as well.
Contact: Chandni Parekh. Social Psychologist
and Sexuality Educator chandni.parekh@
gmail.com
Community Support for the Disabled
and the Elderly launched
New Delhi: A recent meeting of the representatives
of Family of Disabled, Indian Association of
the Muscular Dystrophy (DelhiChapter) and Develop
India Trust, led to the emergence of *CSDE India*.
The participants unanimously decided that the
aim of the initiative shall be to provide social
and community support to the persons with disabilities
and elderly, within the jurisdiction of Delhi.
To start with, need-based volunteer services
would be provided to the people with disabilities
and the
elderly. Recently Brotherhood has joined the
group and assured all support.They plan to provide
Services of Volunteers to persons with disabilities
and the elderly based on their needs and requirements
and train Care-Givers for the persons with disabilities
Email: csdeindia@gmail.com
Subhash Chandra Vashishth, Mobile : +91-11-9811125521
Students against nukes
New Delhi Members of Students
Against Nuclear Power (SANP) with support
from leading journalists, social activists and
other organizations began an indefinite hunger
strike starts from March 10 at Jantar Mantar.
SANP is a group of students of Masters of Social
Work (MSW) from St. Joseph 's College, Devagiri,
Kerala who demand that India should withdraw
the signing of Indo-US nuclear deal. Eminent
author Susan George (Transnational Institute,
Amsterdam), senior Journalist Praful Bidwai,
Ramon Magsaysay awardee Dr Sandeep Pandey and
others joined the fast on the first day. The
fast is to raise more awareness and invoke public
consciousness that Indo-US nuclear deal will
cause serious social, economic, political and
environmental impacts and discuss more cost-effective
and environmental friendly alternatives for
contact: Tomy Jacob (Convenor), Delhi : 9990166975
Ranjith K, Calicut : 9946025015 Email: sanpindia@gmail.
Com
1st ann. Of Nandigram
Kolkata: The first Shaheed Anniversary
of Nandigram was held from March 14-16 with
the Inauguration of Shaheed Stambh (Tower of
Martyrdom) in two places in Nandigram •
Maintaining
20.minSilenceto pay tribute to the revolutionary
martyrs followed by a Dharna in Kolkata of people's
movements, organizations and artist and intellectual
forums*NAPM-west Bengal, Nandigram Manch NAPM
National Convenor Contact : 09433624241* 09433972662
Save Ganga & Save Himalayas March
New Delhi: Veteran Gandhian Activist Shri Anna
Hazare, Swami Nikhilananda, Head of Chinmaya
Mission,Delhi, Veteran parliamentarians Dr Najma
Heptulla, Smt. Nirmala Deshpande, Shri Kunwar
Rewati Raman Singh
along with many other eminent persons led a
March on 12 March organized by the National
Women's Organization and others to “Save
Ganga & Save Himalayas” March to celebrate
the 78th Anniversary of Gandhji's Dandi march
and to create mass awareness and put moral pressure
on the government to take time-bound decisive
steps to completely and permanently save the
Ganga-- symbolizing all rivers and water bodies,
and the Giriraj Himalaya, symbolizing all mountains
forests and wildlife.The March commenced with
prayers near Bapuji's Samadhi at 8:30 a.m and
concluded with the formal presentation of Ten
Demands to Save the Ganga and the Himalayas
to the Pres and the PM. Contact: Smt Rama Rauta,
Pune.Phone: 020-64730196
Email: ramarauta@rediffmail.com
or log on www.Savegangamovement.org
New nikahnama on the anvil
Lucknow: Finally, a women-friendly
nikahnama drafted over last three years, essentially
by women scholars and activists! On March 16,
the 12 paged Sharai Nikahnama"scripted
in Hindi and Urdu and applicable to both Shia
and Sunni communities (which have separate nikahnamas
at present), went public, in a specially convened
meeting of the All India Muslim Women Personal
Law Board (AIMWPLB) here.
The brain child of AIMWPLB president, Shaista
Ambar and a thirty-member executive body, the
"jehadi"(used scoffingly by clerics)
nikahnama has already generated much speculation
in the community.. The final outcome likely
to ruffle many a privileged feathers may, therefore,
not go down well with hardliners.
However Ambar, who set up the splinter body,
after rebelling against the All India Muslim
Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) -the highest body
of ulema in the country, for its "distinct
gender bias", remains unfazed."We
have merely attempted to provide succour to
wronged women and make marital home a secure
place. But at the same time, care has been taken
to ensure that each written word comes straight
from Quran, she told TOI
Street Craft gets/needs help
Mumbai: Students from the Welingkar
Institute of Management, Matunga, have initiated
a project called – STREET CRAFT, to help
street artisans get corporate orders and fulfil
them. To make this model self sustaining, they
need to involve an NGO which helps the underpriviledged
.Contact Neha Mirashi 9970093793.
Scholarships for hearing impaired
Mumbai:Nilam Patel Bahushrut Foundation,
encourages integration, higher education and
equal opportunity by awarding scholarships for
college education to hearing impaired students.
The scholarships, special awards and prizes
are given at SSC, HSC, Graduate and Post Graduate
levels every year. The students can apply for
scholarship at each level as they proceed further
in their pursuit of higher education. 331 students
have benefited so far since its inception.
As part of our initiative in expanding the area
and scope for our services, the foundation extended
the scholarship scheme to Gujarat in the year
2007 besides Maharashtra.
Contact Nilam Patel Bahushrut Foundation, SF-205,
Riverdale Apartment, Opp. Sun Moon Park, Akota,
Vadodara 390 020*
Yamuna Satyagraha completes 200 days
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New
Delhi: Motorists on National Highway-24
connecting Delhi with Ghaziabad often marvel
at the frenetic construction work underway
at the Commonwealth Games Village facing
the Akshardham Temple on the eastern bank
of Yamuna.
But few have noticed one of the longest-running
environmental campaigns in Delhi, at a corner
next to a smelling storm-water drain right
outside the Village. Known only to a few,
the Yamuna
Satyagraha, as the campaign is called,
completed 200 weather-beaten days on Sunday.
The campaign was launched to “save
the oldest and most vital water resource
of Delhi”, which environmentalists
feel face grave threat to its survival from
the construction work on the river's bed.
Led by Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh
they are holding together the fight for
something so intrinsic to Delhi's sustenance.
These “water warriors”, are
keeping alive people’s right to a
free river. “It does not matter how
many people take note,” said 26-year-old
Sunil Prabhakar, who has been at the site
since August. “Often people fail to
realise what the city loses if its river
ceases to exist.
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Rajendra
Singh talking to satyagrahis / Photo
credit: Mahipal S. Rawat / OWSA |
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Then
there is Atravati Devi, representing those
who have been farming on the Yamuna riverbed
for decades. So far this woman from Mandavali
village has composed over a hundred songs
on the river that thank the river for providing
water security to generations of Delhiites.
Why does a majority of Delhi ignore a protest
for something so vital to the city?
“We have programmed ourselves in a
way that until any natural calamity is on
our heads, we refuse to cause ripples in
our comfortable city lives,” said
conservationist Manoj Misra about the city's
supposed apathy in joining in the protest.
“This is symptomatic of a city that
has gotten so comfortable receiving water
through taps they do not care where the
water comes from,” he said Now, to
“awaken the elite and the educated”
who have been giving the protest a royal
snub, the group is now organising a panel
discussion this month where eminent social
scientists, environmentalists and bureaucrats
will debate the ills of concretisation of
a riverbed. Source: Hindustan
Times. |
|
Yamuna
satyagrah / Photo credit: Mahipal S.
Rawat / OWSA |
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Keraleeyam
for HIV orphans
Chennai: A charity box scheme of Keraleeyam-Global
Kerala initiative to mobilise financial assistance
for orphaned HIV positive children was launched
at Chennai airport by Rajiv Gandhi National Institute
director G. Rajasekharan on Feb 22. The scheme
is being executed with the consent of the Ministry
of Civil Aviation.
Under the scheme, charity boxes are to be placed
in airports across the country to rehabilitate
HIV positive children.The proceeds of the scheme
will be utilised to provide financial assistance
to such children's medical and educational needs.
At present, about 200 children in south India
benefited from the scheme, under which boxes have
placed in schools and offices in Kerala. Keraleeyam
secretary general N.R. Harikumar said this scheme
was aimed at reaching out to needy children and
their families.
Madhyam – Youth for Change launched
Mumbai:Population First launched
its Discussion Forum under the Madhyam- Youth
for Change program in collaboration with K.J Somaiya
College of Arts and Commerce, Vidyavihar, Mumbai
on February 1.
Earlier interactions with students during the
ongoing Laadli campaign had revealed that many
students regretted not having any avenue to engage
in discussions among peers on social development
issues. The discussion forum initiated as part
of the youth initiative of Laadli provides a platform
for young people to discuss, debate, question
and examine their own biases and condition and
in the processes be more gender sensitive and
socially aware individuals.
Program officers and students of NSS units were
brought on board, and encouraged to take initiative
and arrange the launch (and thereafter the forum
every month) in their respective colleges. The
first discussion forum, held at K.J.Somaiya College
dealt with the theme of 'Sexual harassment in
public places . It was an inter-collegiate event
attende by about 80 students of various colleges.Organisations
wanting to participate can send a mail to michelle@nomadindia
.net or call Michelle Chawla + 91-9860030000.
Valley of Love (VoL) is a non-profit social and
voluntary organization that is committed to humanity.
VoL was formed in the United Arab Emirates in
1998, with the mission “to offer assistance,
solace and hope for anyone in need, irrespective
of nationality, caste, creed or religion to better
the quality of human life for poor expatriate
workers in the UAE, VoL coordinates with government
agencies, hospital authorities and consulates.
Free transport for all PLHIV
Assam: From March 2008 the Assam Government has
announced that transportation will be free for
all PLHIV on ART. (The government had started
transportation support for PLHA only in Golaght
dist two years before). The government has also
announced free testing facility including City
Scan and MRI. for BPL people and PLHAs.
The Health Child- an Australian Assamese Association
has come forward to provide free nutritional and
educational support to PLHIV children who are
in need. As a first phase they are supporting
10 families with one or more child with a min.
Rs. 1500/- pm package for three months. Contact
Jahnabi Goswami e-mail: <jahnabig@yahoo.com>
Conf held
CEBI organized its first orientation program on
"CSR Practices in Uttarakhand"
on 4th March 2008 at Chinmaya Mission, Dehradun
(India) (""CEBI" (Centre for Ethical
Business Initiatives) is an offshoot of SEWAA"
--its CSER (Corporate Social and Environment Responsibility)
wing). CEBI is working to bridge the conceptual,
ideological and conviction divide between the
corporate and development sector, and to evolve
ethical business practices in the region. to bring
together leaders from the business, social, and
government sectors to explore areas of mutual
engagement in the field of Corporate Social and
Environmental Responsibility (CSER) were Prominent
speakers :"Padmashree" Dr R.K. Jain,
Director of Combined Medical Institute (CMI),Swami
Arun Chaitanyaji of Chinmaya Mission, Brig K.G.
Behl (Retd. Dy. Survey General of India), Dr.
S.K. Mukerjee (Ex Director Wildlife Institute
of India), Mr. Anil Jaggi, ICT4D Consultant and
Ms. Daisy Khan of LBSNAA, Mussoorie For further
details contact: Ms. Tanya Jakimow, (CEBI) Email:
cebi4d@gmail.
com
Legal Aid Centre:
Jt Convenor Mr Sanghaii, The Legal Aid and Advice
Centre, Yeshodham High School Trust Ofice, Goregaon
East, Mumbai - 400 063. Tel.(022) 26861054, 820588829.
Symposium: Climate change, sustainability and
equity--A civil society approach, was held in
Hyderabad, March 7-8 March at the National Institute
for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Yousafguda,
Hyderabad.This is the second climate change symposium
being held in recent times that emphasizes the
role of civil society interventions in climate
change issues. Twomore symposiums are proposed
to be held in 2008. One in Bhubaneshwar with the
theme,"Towards a fossil fuel reesociety",
and another in Hyderabad (September) with the
theme, "Climate change and labour".
contact: climatechange.hyd@rediffmail.com
Tel: 040.27791693, Mob: 93912 07618.
The South Asian Cochrane Network held the 2nd
South Asian Regional Symposium on Evidence Informed
Health Care, ‘Investing in Evidence for
Better Health Care’ was held on April 9,
at Christian Medical College, Vellore.: A host
of international speakers from the Steering Group,
Centre and Branch Directors, and the Coordinating
Editors’ Executive of the International
Cochrane Collaboration attended Key note address
was given by Dr. Tikki Pang, Director, Research
Policy and Cooperation,World Health Organization.
The symposium was held to set priorities for research,
explore ways of facilitating evidence- based health
policy and practice in the region and publicize
resources in The Cochrane Library that is currently
available free at the point of access to half
the world’s population.Programme and speakers:
see www.cochrane-sacn.org
or tel: +91 416 2284499 +91 416 2260085 +91 (0)9443743851.
Nomad India Network in collaboration with Maraa
held a Technical and Content Training Workshop
on Community Radio was held at its Demonstration
studio in Dahanu, Maharashtra from April 25th
-27th. The second in a series of workshops planned,
the aim is to demystify technology and provide
a hands on experience of both the technical and
programming aspects of a CRS. With a significant
component on content development and programming.
Nomad India is a network of communication technology
activists committed to developing affordable technologies
for the access and benefit of communities.*C.P
Mathew**Chief Coordinator 050 3090506*.
Seminar on "CSR in Contemporary World:
Relevant Issues & Dimensions" was held
on April 15, 2008, at Indiam Merchants Chamber.
Organised by IMC and Karmyog, a leading social
website, the speakers were Mr. M N Chaini (President
elect IMC); Ms. Janet C. Geddes (KPMG) Mr. Vinay
Somani (Trustee, Karmayog) who gave the Karmayog
Corporate Social Responsibility Ratings of India's
top 500 Companies and Presented Certificates of
Appreciation to Companies; Mr. Anand Piramal (Piramal
Group); A case Study by Somaiya Grameen Vikas
Kendra Mr. Kanavi (Manager CSR -- Somaiya Group)
Mr. Sudhir Rana National Expert, CSR, (UNIDO).
Women Sexworkers Annual Convention
was held on March 28/29 at Bangalore organised
by Suraksha with support from Karnataka Health
Promotion Trust (KHPT). Suraksha works with sexual
minorities, sexworkers and urban poor in Dharwad,
Ramnagar, Bangalore Rural and Bangalore Urban
Districts of Karnataka on health, development
and human rights issues. ‘Stigma, Discrimination,
Resistance and Hope’, a public hearing on
women sexworkers took place on March 28 followed
by a dialogue with social activists on issues
affecting women sexworkers the next day at the
Rotary Club, Contact: : Maggie Thomas –
9448410557, Mamatha Rao - 9900597618, e-mail:
<suraksha_khpt@
yahoo.com>
Right to Water National Conference
and Protest Against Coca-Cola Mehdiganj, took
place from March 28-30, at: Mehdiganj Junction
(MorVaranasi). There was Inauguration of Public
Pond Constructed by Villagers by Rajendra Singh
and was followed the talks by Rajendra Singh,
agsaysay Award Winner, rainwater harvesting expert,
RajasthanRavi Kiran Jain, Senior Lawyer and President
of People's Union for Civil Liberties UP; Prof.
Banwari Lal Sharma, Coordinator, Azadi Bachao
Andolan, UP Session Chair: Amarnath Bhai, past-president,
Sarv Seva Sangh, UP Ganga Express Way and Impacts
on the Ganges and Environment had speakers: Dr.
Sandeep Pandey, Magsaysay Award Winner, co-coordinator
NAPM, UP Chitranjan Singh, Vice President, People's
Union for Civil Liberties UP Prof. Deepak Malik,
Director, Gandhi Studies Institute Varanasi, UP
Community Struggles Against Water Exploitation
– Local to Global: Speakers were: Velloor
Swaminathan, Coca-Cola Virudha Samara Samithy,
Plachimada, Kerala R. Ajayan, Convenor, Plachimada
Solidarity Committee, Kerala Rameshwar Kudi, Kala
Dera Sangharsh Samiti, Rajasthan Chinta Dewi,
Village Council Head, Sinhachawar, UP Baliram
Ram, Coca-Cola Bhagao Krishi Bachao Sangharsh
Samiti, Sinhachawar, UP Raj Narain Patel, Gao
Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, Mehdiganj, UP Nityanand
Jayaraman, International Campaign for Justice
in Bhopal, Chennai Nandlal Master, Lok Samiti,
Mehdiganj, UP Amit Srivastava, India Resource
Center, US.
Impacts of Declining Water Tables
and Pollution and Solutions
participants incl:Elected Officials and Political
Parties; UP State Pollution Control Board; Uttar
Pradesh Ground Water Board
Impacts of Water Privatization
and Alternatives Speakers; Medha Patkar, Coordinator,
National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM);
Gaurav Dwivedi, Researcher, Manthan, MP;Dr. Swati,
National Vice President, Samajwadi Jan Parishad,
Varanasi Contacts: Nandlal Master 94153 00520,
Suresh 98390 17963, Sandeep Pandey 0522 234 7365,
Amit Srivastava 98103 46161
The Velas Turtle Festival & Dolphin Watch
was held from March 15-16-17 as Sahyadri Nisarg
Mitra, a small NGO from rural Maharashtra along
with the villagers of Velas, who have been doing
commendable work protecting our coastline and
its creatures such as the Sea Turtles and other
endangered birds such as the Sea Eagles, Vultures
and Swiftlets. Cwlwbrate their success. Constact
: zans_kar@yahoo.co.uk Vth Residential Training
on Process documentation and communication
was held from April 22-26 at Bajaura, Kullu (HP).
Stories remain undocumented due to the lack of
necessary skills at the part of organization.
Training program is also to impart skills among
project executives of how to write case and success
stories Contact: Mr. Chuni Lal, Grassroots Institute,
Kullu (HP) Tel:Grassroots India Trust 011-26955452,
09868993710 E-mail: grassrootsinstitute@gmail.com
Website: www.grassrootsglobal.net/gi
ICT for Communities Scale
and Economic benefits This is the eighth
in a series of conferences organized by Vidya
Pratishthan' s Institute of Information Technology
(VIIT) in aramati,Maharashtra, India. This year,
the conference will focus on scale and the economic
benefits of Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) on communities, exploring avenues through
which governments, NGOs, development agencies
and corporations can work, to successfully scale
ICT initiatives to benefit the Indian population.
From: acgoje <director@viitindia.org>
Open Form organized a National Advocacy
Conference on, "Education for All
by 2015: Will we make it?" On March,
16, 2008, at Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New
Delhi e expect delegates from Colleges, Professional
Institutes, and Grassroots Organizations, NGOs,
and Multilateral organizations, Private Sector
Organizations, Media, Academicians and State Governments
from different part of country. The primary aim
of this Advocacy Conference was to organize focused
group discussions with different stakeholders.
E-mail forum@openforum.in or tel.:011 46170001.
Parivartan launched a new training programme.
The programme 'Institution Development
for Enterprise Promotion' was organized
from March 17-19 at New Delhi.The programme was
designed for personnel in development agencies
and projects; and development professionals involved
in developing instituional framework for livelihood
promotion.
Global Fund Round 8 Application launched
Global Fund Round 8 application has been launched,
and the deadline of proposal submission will be
July 1, 12:00 Geneva Time. Please download the
proposal guidelines and propose forms at http://www.thegloba
<http://www.thegloba
lfund.org/ en/apply/ call8/> lfund.org/en/
apply/call8/ in order to facilitate the applicants'
understanding on Global Fund policies, the Global
Fund Secretariat has prepared several Fact Sheets,
which can be downloaded from the above link .If
you find any documents can not be downloaded,
please write to liangyanyan@ <mailto:liangyanyan%40gmail.
com> gmail.com.
The Global Fund Secretariat also has opened forums
at MyGlobalfund. org. Those who would like to
discuss topics on the Global Fund can login and
join the online discussion. http://myglobalfund
<http://myglobalfund
.org/forums/ 203.aspx.>.org/forums/ 203.aspx.
Linda Liang, China, The member for the Developing
Countries NGO Delegation to the Global Fund Board
e-mail: <liangyanyan@
<mailto:liangyanyan%40gmail.
com> gmail.com>
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