Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Waste Wise Trust (WWT)




Waste Wise Trust (WWT) is a non-profit organization (founded in 2003) that provides socially and environmentally responsible solid waste management services to the corporate sector and residential communities in Bangalore. They have more than 20 years of experience working on behalf of informal waste pickers and their families, and promoting environmental sustainability through integral solid waste management. Waste Wise Trust promotes participation in civic cleanliness, waste segregation, waste minimization and recycling. WWT mainly works towards the development of people involved in waste picking activities.

Waste Wise Trust aspires to excel in the field by providing high quality professional waste management services to the corporate, institutions, apartments, residential colonies and small town/city municipalities. It’s mission is to provide complete end-to-end waste management solutions that are anchored in socially responsible and environmentally friendly approaches to create zero waste organizations and societies while creating formal job opportunities for waste pickers.

WWT believes in the model of organized solid waste management through waste pickers, as this approach creates sustainable job opportunities for waste pickers, provides healthier and dignified working environment and is the best way to maximize the recycling thus reducing the carbon footprint on earth. 

get in touch with Waste Wise Trust
for more Sustainable Environment News, Keep Reading N2MN



Sunday, April 22, 2012

WAVE

Women Aloud Video blogging for Empowerment (WAVE) is a unique digital platform for young semi-urban Indian women to voice their perspectives on issues that matter through video blogs. One young woman was selected through non-government organizations and colleges from every state in India for an innovative 9-month mentor-ship program, and provided with video equipment, intensive training and monthly stipends for participating in the project.

WAVE was an inspired idea of Sapna Shahani and Angana Jhaveri and took flight after winning a grant from 2009 Digital Media and Learning Competition. 

With this first-of-its-kind citizen journalism program, WAVE aims to share compelling videos that start conversations and builds bridges across global boundaries to enable the exchange of novel solutions. WAVE hopes that this new video material from areas as far as Aizawl and Trivandrum will not only inspire action within the community, but also engage individuals and organizations working towards development, academics, researchers, and social investors. 

WAVE’s philosophy is that young women in India need to be heard and encouraged to analyze the problems in their communities and go on to become leaders who provide effective solutions in order for society to become socially and economically empowered.

get in touch with WAVE
for more Women Empowerment News, Keep Reading N2MN



 


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

SRISTI






By : Kanika Kakkar

SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions), which means creation in Sanskrit, was born in 1993 as a result of the felt need for an institutional support to the activities of the Honey Bee Network. Honey Bee signifies a philosophy of discourses, which is fair, authentic and accountable. It advocates people to people learning. 

Sristi vision is to create a framework for creating an inventive ethic at grassroots level and forging links between excellence in formal and informal Science through Honey Bee Network.

SRISTI was set up to provide organizational, intellectual and logistics support to the Honey Bee Network. The primary objectives while setting up the organization were: systematically documenting, disseminating and developing grassroots green innovations, providing intellectual property rights protection to grassroots innovators, working on the in situ and ex situ conservation of local biodiversity, and providing venture support to grassroots innovators.

SRISTI manages the Honey Bee database of innovations, and supports the publication of the Network's newsletter in three languages, English, Hindi and Gujarati. 

Lately SRISTI has being focusing on more concerted ways of hitherto neglected domains like women's knowledge systems, value addition through a natural product laboratory, using ICT to establish knowledge network, connecting innovators, traditional knowledge holders with the centres of formal excellence, entrepreneurs etc and innovations in education. 

Know more about Honey Bee Network, at SRISTI
For more Sustainable Technologies, Keep Reading N2MN


Saturday, April 14, 2012

CHANGE TALK with SHAFIQ.R.KHAN - FOUNDER, EMPOWER PEOPLE



By: Alam Bains 

Human trafficking is modern slavery. Former Indian Home Secretary, Madhukar Gupta, believed that as many as 100 million people in India are involved in trafficking, and world expert Professor Kevin Bales acknowledges that India "may have more slaves than all the other countries of the world put together".
 
In order to understand the phenomena of Bride trafficking, we interviewed Shafiq. R. Khan, the Founder of EMPOWER PEOPLE, an NGO working to protect female victims of violence and mitigate post-violence trauma. EMPOWER PEOPLE is one of the pioneer organizations focusing on the issue of human trafficking for the purpose of forced marriage and female foeticide in North India. Shafiq sheds light on the social evil of Bride Trafficking.

What is Bride trafficking?

When girls are deceived in the name of marriage and then sold to others, such girls come under the definition of bride trafficking. The whole thing gives an impression of a normal marriage; but such girls re-trafficked and sold in the name of marriage again and again. This type of trafficking is called Bride Trafficking. It is a new word to define an inhuman custom which is being practiced for centuries. Bride buying is an old custom of world, especially India where a man has the privilege of buying a girl in the name of marriage. China and Korea are well aware of this phenomenon.

In which parts of the country is it more prevalent and why?

We are (India) source, transit and destination for bride trafficking. Some girls are being trafficked to other countries as well like Arab countries, Canada, Australia, USA and UK from Andhra Pradesh, Haryana-Punjab and Rajasthan. Ironically Haryana-Punjab and Rajasthan are major destinations for Girls who are being trafficked from eastern and southern states. 90 percent cases of bride trafficking are domestic while 10% are international.

According to our analysis extending over a period of six years, it is found that highest percentage (23%) of bride trafficking take place from West Bengal. Assam is the next state from where 17% of girls have been lured into the trap. Undivided Bihar is next to Assam from where 13% of girls are trafficked.

Trafficking is now an organized crime and traffickers are professional criminals who are working for money. Poverty and other justification behind trafficking is nothing but a ‘myth’ created by those who want to keep their eyes closed from such an inhuman social crime.

What is the position of Indian legal system on the phenomena? Can an affected woman seek justice and if so, under which laws?

Unfortunately, there are no meaningful laws to tackle this; ITPA (Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act) is a special law for prostitution, not for all forms of trafficking. It is confused and self-contradictory too. Bonded labor act 1976 and Juvenile Justice Act can’t tackle this type of case. Indian Penal Code section 366 is an only way to tackle this, but it has no provision for rehabilitation or reintegration of victim girls.

Only two NGOs are working on the issue one is EMPOWER PEOPLE and the other is Shakti-vahini.  But Shakti-vahini is working on some other issues as well, since bride trafficking is not an issue which could raise funds and, of course, no one can sustain without funds.

Why is there such less awareness about bride trafficking in India?

Since victims are girls and they are from pitiable social backgrounds. Not only bride trafficking, but other issues related to these girls like ‘genital-singe’ and ‘witch killings’ are also ignored by media and elite civil society.

I would like to add one more thing that our NGOs  are fund oriented and they are not working for any specific issue that is why most of NGOs are working on those issue which can easily funded by any foreign agencies or any social groups.

Please tell us a little bit about your organization EMPOWER PEOPLE and why did you decide to take up the cause of bride trafficking?

EMPOWER PEOPLE was born in 2006 with an aim to work for victims of bride trafficking. When I was in March against Female Foeticide in Haryana, I met a trafficked woman and decided to work on this issue. Now, Empower People is working as an umbrella organization for 20 CBOs across the country.    

How does your organization deal with the problem of bride trafficking and what are the techniques and methods you follow during rescue and rehabilitation?

We are working in destination and source area for prevention, rescue and then rehabilitation. We believe that, if society is responsible for any problem then society, itself, can resolve the problem. Our belief-system reflects in our character, extended society is our funder, worker and volunteer. Most of rescue done by our organization was conducted by public participation and which can be termed mass rescue operation. Even we believe in, and successfully doing community based rehabilitation for those victims.

Please tell us about your current projects, especially the “WALK AGAINST BRIDE TRAFFICKING”.

Now we are working on sustainable rehabilitation and skill development of trafficked girls. Rescue and other crisis intervention centers are smoothly functioning in Haryana and Punjab where we are working on trafficking and honor based crimes.

Walk against bride trafficking is a programme to create a people’s network against bride trafficking and violence against women from source area to destination area of trafficking. It is not simply an awareness programme but it is an innovative fund raising idea and an opportunity to sensitize and engage male members of the society. Recently, we have completed first phase of the “March against bride trafficking” where we covered 4500 Km from Assam to West Bengal. During this march, we have seen some unforgettable moments. It was really unbelievable, when I was speaking on prostitution, sex work, rape and trafficking in mosques and other religious places, the religious leaders also came forward. They actively participated in the march. Some vaidik pathshala and Arya Samaj also took keen interest in the issue.  We will start a campaign with religious leaders as soon as possible.   

What is the documentary “DRAUPADI’S DESCENDANTS” about and what is the message being sent out through it?

Draupadi’s Desendents was funded by PSBT and directed by Oindrilla hazra. It was an attempt to cover all aspects of bride trafficking. It is first film where we can find such ethnic-track of bride buying and trafficking. It also covered Honor based crimes. The Haryana police are using this documentary as IEC material in police training and police gender sensitization workshops.

What changes would you like to see in India in the context of atrocities against women?

Our society (Indian) is hell for women, not only female feticide, trafficking or honor crime but rape, pornography, bride burning, witch-killing; every crime is being justified in a way or the other.  Hunger, poverty and other universal problems are also associated with women. So we have to work on everything but, at least, crimes should not be justified by any absurd logic. 

What are the future plans for EMPOWER PEOPLE?

We are planning to launch an embroidery house in August 2012, where survivors of Bride trafficking will be helped in their sustainable rehabilitation. Now, we are focusing on this project. Approximately 25 survivors of BT are being trained who will take the charge of Empower people.  

Eradicate Bride Trafficking, Join EMPOWER PEOPLE
For more Social stimulating Change Talks, Keep Reading N2MN

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Ecopreneurist : a blog for eco-entrepreneurs

Ecopreneurist is a blog for eco-minded entrepreneurs. They deliver advice, tools, and services to help fellow eco-entrepreneurs start, run, and grow their businesses more successfully. It contains information and advice covering business and management tasks, including eco-marketing, sales, finding capital, managing people, and other sustainable start-up opportunities. 

Ecopreneurist covers the latest trends in sustainable and socially responsible startups, companies and products. Their target audience consists of eco-entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs incorporating sustainability into their business plans. They also bring eco-business success stories to its readers.

Ecopreneurist.com is part of the Important Media network that combines the observations of a wide variety of well-known writers in the sustainable business eco-sphere.

Know more @ Ecopreneurist 
for more Green News visit N2MN

Monday, April 9, 2012

Search Years : Igniting Young Minds



By: Kanika Kakkar

Search Years vision is to create a positive environment where children and young people can realize their full potential, take control of their lives and interact with the world around them. Its mission is to research, create, develop and employ such innovative mediums and tools that make the process of learning inspiring, impaction and above all, full of wonderment and fun for our partners – children.

Search Years partners with young minds through the stages when they begin to question and search for answers. They understand that development of a child should not only be on a physical and mental level, but spiritual, personal and social planes too, SY through education raises awareness about social issues and motivates young people to be the engines of change. Search Years partners with individuals, corporate and organizations to have them share their knowledge equity by placing highly qualified and motivated educators from the community in government schools to improve the quality of education in the under- served and challenging schools. 

Their volunteer educators from the community engage in active teaching of academic, environmental, cultural and art education by using creative tools, interactive mediums and play, thereby enhancing impact and wonder in the learning process.

SY works in government schools, to make education meaningful and fun, improve student enrollment and attendance and bring down school drop-out rate by adopting teaching methodologies that inspire a sense of discovery and transform learning into a joyous experience for children. They infuse quality in education through creative and innovative methods of delivering the content based on the syllabus drawn by the concerned boards of education.

 Know More about Search Years?
More Comprehensive Education News @  News Not Making News



Saturday, April 7, 2012

Citizen Effect

By: Kanika Kakkar

Citizen Effect is driven by the idea that anyone can make a real and significant impact in the world. It is their mission to provide everyday citizens the tools and networks they need to work directly with communities in need around the world. 

They give Citizen Philanthropists the ability to choose their project, leverage their social networks, and communicate directly with their partner community. They also provide their field partners the tools they need to actively manage their projects so they can seamlessly share information with Citizen Philanthropists and directly report on the impact projects are having on the ground. 

Citizen Effect is a completely different approach to philanthropy. 

Citizen Philanthropists are powerful community builders. They help their partners across the world build more self-reliant and sustainable communities. But they also build stronger communities here at home by bringing people together for a common cause and promoting civic engagement. They believe giving and community building should be a central part of everyone’s life, not something left to weekends or annual drives. 
 

Know WHY CITIZEN EFFECT?

More Community Builders News @  News Not Making News