Established in the year 1984 in Delhi as an unregistered society, with a vision of “spreading feminist consciousness for the creation of a just society”, Jagori has been working unremittingly on its mission for over 25 years now. At the time of its genesis, Jagori described itself as “Women’s Resource and Training Centre”. For its founders, a group of seven people – Abha, Gouri, Jogi, Kamla, Manjari, Runu and Sheba – Jagori was their response to a need within women’s movement. They decided to form what they envisioned as a ‘creative space’ for women to express their realities, “to articulate their experience of oppression, to know more about it and to find ways of fighting it.”

Over the years, Jagori became a part of various defining campaigns and struggles. Among the issues raised by Jagori in the women’s movement have been those of single women, sexuality, mental health of women, safe travel for women in the railways, and consistent advocacy on violence against women. Jagori has also played a significant role as a member of the National Coordination Committee for conceptualization and coordination of the biannual National Conference of Women’s Movement in India. Jagori has also regularly engaged with the Indian Association of Women’s Studies (IAWS) and housed the Secretariat in 1995.

Over the years, Jagori’s objectives have been reshaped into consciousness raising and awareness building on violence, health, education, development and other issues critical for women’s individual and collective empowerment, production and distribution of creative material on feminist issues, dissemination of information and knowledge on feminist concern to meet the needs of women’s groups, NGO’s and development organizations and advocacy on women’s rights and gender equality.

At Jagori’s Resource Centre, one would find a library with a comprehensive collection of resources on various women’s issues. As a part of regular services, Jagori carries out information search and retrieval for both internal and external users. Specialized services like preparation of reading lists, information packages, topic-based bibliographies, are provided on request. Jagori also provides consultation services to smaller centers or NGOs for setting up libraries or information centers or similar assistance. Jagori also has a distribution and sale outlet for its publications and publications from women’s groups and feminist publishing houses from all over the country.

Among the most recent campaigns started by Jagori is the SafeDelhi campaign started to fight the problem of sexual harassment in Delhi.

To find out more about JAGORI, log onto www.jagori.org

“When I despair , I remember that all through history, the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a long time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it – always” – Mahatma Gandhi.

Triveni is a resident of a settlement in east-Delhi and is classified by the government as a “low-income” person. She relies on the Public Distribution System (PDS) for her quota of essential food grains. However, Triveni had been unable to obtain her entitled food grains from the PDS shop for the last 3 months and wanted to know what she could do. She was advised to file an application under the RTI (Right to Information) act requesting copies of all PDS records, including cash memos. Before the information could arrive, Triveni was offered Rs. 20,000 and sacks of grains by the PDS shop owner, if she took back her RTI application. When the information did arrive, Triveni was shocked to learn that as per government records, she had been getting grains from the PDS shop for the last 3 months! Triveni is literate and can sign her own name so she was outraged to see thumbprints of varying shapes and sizes against her name in the cash memos .

Parivartan, a voluntary not-for-profit civil society organization which is a “people’s movement against corruption”, had advised and helped Triveni with the RTI. Using this RTI act, Parivartan accessed records for all fair price shops in that area and began to analyse the information. In August 2003, Parivartan organised a jun sunwai (people’s hearing) and over 300 people from across Delhi filed RTI applications to view their food grains records.

As the campaign spread, there were reports of violence against Parivartan volunteers and the fair price shop owners lobbied to increase their commission under the PDS as they argued it was too low to make profits.

All this led Parivartan to push for institutionalising the system of public scrutiny of records. Two Saturdays of every month were designated for public viewing of food grains and for lodging complaints. Parivartan has managed to bring about a relief to hundreds of people who were at the mercy of the fair-price shop owners for their daily food necessities.

Before this, Parivartan had led a successful crusade against bribery in Income Tax department.

Parivartan works on the principle that ‘development’ is a function of both growth and equity. Their focus areas include Research, Training, Development Communication and Implementation. They also have a  training programme for Identifying and Mentoring Micro-Entrepreneurs .

So, if you are facing redtape-ism or if corruption is glaring at you, don’t just close your eyes ignoring it. File an RTI, take a stand and get counted. It is high time the activist in us wakes up from slumber. If you need inspiration, get in touch with Parivartan at their e-mail: parivartan_india[at]rediffmail[dot]com.

Today, The Better India completes 2 years of its existence. What started as a personal quest for positive news is now shaping up into a media organization covering some wonderful stories of courage, entrepreneurship, compassion and development. For this, we would like to pause here and thank you, our reader, for encouraging us and showing us that we were not the only ones who wanted an alternative view of life around us.

We would also like to thank the following:

• All the readers (yeah, once again!) who believed in our vision and helped us by referring to individuals and organizations that are bringing about a change.
• The fantastic organizations and individuals who are working relentlessly to bring about a difference in our society, community and environment.
• Dr. Sandeep Kochar who, even though he didn’t know us, flew down to Bangalore all the way from the USA to meet us and help us in our endeavors! You can read his experience here.
• MAM movies for inviting us over to IIM-A, where we addressed an esteemed gathering and showcased this initiative.
• Sowmya, a regular reader with a visual challenge, who was inspired by the article “Blind with Camera” to follow her dream of pursuing photography.
• The hundreds of readers who write to us regularly with kind words of appreciation. It really helps us to keep going!
• The freelance journalists who have contributed guest articles and added new perspectives to this site.
• Our Twitter followers for spreading the word about every article lightning fast. Also for offering to help us get our own logo (which is due to come out soon!)

It has been a wonderful 2 years of trying to practice positive journalism. As we reflect back, we would like to feature some of our favourite articles:

• Mirakle Couriers: Career Haven for the Deaf
• Comics for a Cause
• Doctor couple does wonders for tribals at Sittilingi
• Khabar Lahariya – A Weekly Newspaper in Bundeli
• Interview: Smita Ram – Rang De

We are loving this discovery of the better India, we hope so are you.

We have all read and heard about farmer suicides, pesticides in food and issues of child labour. Here is an organization that is working towards the eradication of all of these – Zameen.

Zameen is a unique farmer owned organic cotton trading company working to improve market access for marginalized farmers in India through certification, supply chain partnerships and organizational development.
Cotton farmers in India do not receive a fair price for their produce which leads them to usurious money lenders. Huge debt and inability to support their families leaves suicide as the only dignified option. In the Amravati district of Maharashtra, 5000 farmers commit suicide every year and that is an alarming statistic.

Zameen believes in the ‘trade, not aid’ approach to rural development. Farmers invest their own capital in Zameen and are completely engaged in the process. Zameen has a tie up with AOFG (Agriculture and Organic Farming Group), a non-profit organization, to facilitate the development of independent, legally registered farmer cluster associations that are self managed and are able to sell organic cotton as per strict international standards.

Infamously referred to as ‘dirty cotton’, the commodity accounts for 16% of global insecticide use which is far more than any other crop. Agro-chemicals contaminate local water supplies, degrade soil quality and harm wildlife. Farming communities also face an increased risk of various diseases like cancer. Zameen trains farmers in organic farming which has resulted in drastic improvement in soil fertility and farmers’ health.

As a Fairtrade certified organisation, Zameen farmers are no longer subjected to widespread speculation and fluctuation in market prices. Fairtrade guarantees a minimum price which covers sustainable farming and living conditions. Additionally, a social premium is earned by the farmer community and that premium is democratically invested in community development projects. So far, Zameen’s farmers have invested in wells, their children’s education and ofcourse into their own businesses.

Fairtrade prohibits child labour and encourages movement towards gender equality. Zameen farmers have access to international markets and being organized into an association gives them a stronger collection voice.

Know more about Zameen and their activities.
Website: http://www.zameen.org/
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hyderabad-India/Zameen-Organic/130739011014/

Jhansi Jan Suvidha Kendra (JJSK) comes as a pleasant surprise to those who have been thinking that public grievance redressal systems are highly incompetent or non-existing in India.

JJSK is a quick and reliable telephone based e-governance initiative which has resulted in an easily accessible platform for addressing public grievances anytime of the day, throughout the year!

As soon as the complainant calls on the toll free number 1077, the grievances are recorded automatically on an audio file and stored in a software program. The complainant gets a Unique Grievance Number (UGN) and the concerned officers are intimated on their mobile phones via SMS instantly.

Grievances are categorised as one of A/B/C according to the severity and the time within which they should be resolved. Various reports are generated by the software for weekly monitoring and the quality of redressal/disposal is finally confirmed by the District Magistrate. Reports are continuously uploaded on the website and the concerned person can check the status of the complaint anytime by just calling JJSK.

JJSK‘s attitude towards complaints lies in their line “Grievances are jewels to be treasured.”

Here’s hoping other districts of the country take a leaf out of JJSK’s approach, and help realize a dream of good governance through better use of technology.

JJSK’s website (mostly in Hindi): http://www.jhansi.nic.in/jjsk.htm

Every seven minutes, a woman in India dies due to pregnancy-related complications. Over a million babies born in the country die within their first month of life. India has the unfortunate distinction of claiming more than a quarter of the total newborn deaths in the world. The majority of these deaths occur in rural areas where poverty and lack of knowledge about proper maternal and child health care are the real cause of these fatalities.

The Indian government has come up with schemes such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the soon-to-be-launched National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) to address this dire situation. Both schemes give high priority to the issue of maternal and newborn health for marginalized communities, and seek to improve the availability of and access to quality health care for those at the lowest rung of the socio-economic ladder. Additionally, government programs such as the Janani Suraksha Yojana incentivize delivery in hospitals by encouraging mothers to opt for institutional deliveries.

Effective development communication programs can play a pivotal role in bridging these knowledge gaps by identifying barriers to behavior change, analyzing these barriers, and developing original techniques to overcome them.

AKHA

For instance, in Assam, a collaboration between the Indian government, UNICEF, and local bodies is using a boat called Akha to reach underprivileged indigenous tribes that inhabit geographically isolated sandbars and islands called chaporis. The chapori residents, who live near the lifeline of Assam—the Brahmaputra river, are often cut off from accessing health care facilities due to floods and other natural hazards. What’s more, awareness about maternal and child health care is all but drowned out by the other concerns for survival that face this group.

The Akha Boat

The Akha, which comes equipped with medical staff and communications materials, makes visits to these isolated regions with the mission to regularly provide facilities for maternal and child health as well as promote awareness about health-seeking behaviors. Findings suggest that the service delivery undertaken by the boat, which has been continually expanding over the last few years, has dramatically improved thousands of lives. 71 percent of the chapori mothers sought some form of antenatal care during their last pregnancy; of these, 42 percent sought care from the Akha.

This is one example of how an intervention tailored to the specific needs of a community can raise awareness and create tangible change.

SURE START

Another example is the work done by a project called Sure Start—an initiative based at PATH, an international not-for-profit organization supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The project is working with rural communities in Uttar Pradesh and settlements of marginalized people in Maharashtra to help mothers and their children to survive and stay healthy.

The project’s communications program is innovative in its efforts to raise awareness and interest about maternal and child health care issues. In villages, for example, the “letter from an unborn child” campaign reached out to 40,000 fathers-to-be, educating them about the importance of taking care of their wives during pregnancy. In both Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the program uses interactive and entertaining tools including dance, music, theater, and games to create awareness.

Mr. Nirbhay Singh, the elected head of one of the villages in Uttar Pradesh where Sure Start operates, estimates that since the program began in his village in 2008, 70 to 75 percent of adults in the community have become aware of safe delivery practices and the vital importance of ensuring access to maternal and child health services. One result is that payments under the government’s Janani Suraksha Yojana (a scheme that incentivizes institutional delivery) have increased alongside the growing awareness about the health benefits of giving birth in hospitals.

In this way, projects such as these use customized communication techniques to raise awareness of maternal and newborn health issues, thus helping local communities benefit fully from existing government schemes. It has often been said that knowledge is power, and the projects mentioned above give that power back to the communities they work in.

Sure Start works to educate women in India on maternal and neonatal health. Sure Start, an initiative by PATH, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to promote safe childbirth practices in India.

Connect with PATH at:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sure-Start-Project-by-Path/178629192101
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pathsurestart

Article courtesy: Vikas S from PATH Sure Start. Thanks Vikas!

We have all read comics when we were young. Many of us continue to read them due to their fascinating nature of conveying stories very easily.

But comics need not necessarily confine to the comedy genre. Can they be used to communicate an issue, a cause or a fact? World Comics India, led by Sharad Sharma, is doing exactly that – using the power of comics to bring about a social change!

World Comics India is a collective of cartoonists, media persons and grassroots activists. This organization makes use of comics to serve as a communication tool and as a mode of self-expression in remote areas of not only India, but many countries in South Asia.

Sharad Sharma, who leads World Comics India, is a cartoonist from Jaipur and has initiated numerous workshops where cartoons and comics are used to spread awareness. A novel idea indeed, considering that comics can easily cut across language barriers!

One of their campaigns was the Girl Child Right Campaign which aimed to address the issue of female infanticide in the region of Western Rajasthan. Here, they trained children and adults in comics making. These trained people in turn created over 300 comics focused on the girl child’s rights. World Comics India then conducted a road-based tour with all this material which was distributed to various villagers and local leaders. You can view all the comics created as part of this campaign here: Girl Child Right Campaign Comics

Similarly, they had also initiated a campaign against corporal punishment in Uttar Pradesh. Students of a school in Maharajganj used comics to spread awareness amongst teachers that punishment by beating is not really the right way to discipline children. Details of this campaign available here: Corporate Punishment campaign.

Their website is comprehensive with a lot of material available for people and organizations to make use of. For instance, the entire manual on how to go about creating these comics is available in both English and Hindi (both files are about 2 MB each).

If interested, you can download a series of videos available on their website which showcases how the various campaigns were initiated and also on how World Comics India trains people in the art of comics making! Click here to view and download all resources related to World Comics India, including a book written by Sharad Sharma and Leif Packalen titled “Grassroots Comics – A Development Communication Tool”.

For contact details, please visit their website www.WorldComicsIndia.com

Pointer to WCI provided by Sunandini Basu of Inktales

Mumbai, August 26, 2009: Marico Innovation Foundation announces its 3^rd edition of the Innovation for India Awards to be held on 12^th March 2010 in Mumbai. A significant initiative by Marico – the “Marico Innovation Foundation” was founded in 2003, with an objective to fuel Innovation in India. Under the leadership of stalwarts like Dr. Ramesh Mashelkar, the Foundation focuses on providing the country with a belief that Innovation is a crucial way to leapfrog into the center stage of global business leadership.

Over years the Foundation has effectively played the role of a catalyst by creating knowledge through years of in-depth research, multiplying this knowledge through various platforms and recognizing breakthrough innovations through its Innovation for India Awards.

Innovation for India Awards is the prestigious recognition for business and Social entities that have done some amazing breakthroughs that could hold lessons across all sectors. This year the Innovation for India Awards has added a new category- Public Services, which includes all innovations by Central or State government or any wing of the government including public-private partnership has innovated and have displayed a ‘clear public impact’.

So far the Awards have been recognizing and applauding outstanding leadership with innovative focus in Business and Social arena. Its intent is to reward projects and businesses that make a real difference to India and community at large. Based on the criteria of uniqueness, impact & scalability, ‘India’s Best Innovations” are declared at these Awards. Over the last 3 years, 23 such innovators have been recognized which includes organisations like Kirloskar Brothers, BOSCH MICO and Titan Industries Limited & Azim Premji Foundation, MV Foundation, Trichy Police and Kudambashree, ITC IBD,  Evalueserve. Tata Motors was recognised for their spirit of Innovation – The NANO by being bestowed with the Global Game Changer Award at the 2008 Awards.

Any Indian company, social organization, government body and/or individuals who have successfully conceptualized and nurtured a brilliant idea, made it work and brought it to market is eligible to participate.

The three categories under which Innovation will be awarded are – Business Innovation (Products/Services, Business Model and Innovation in social space by a business organisation) and Social Innovation (innovation by a social organisation). Public Services Innovation (innovations by Central or State governments or any wing of the government including public-private partnership)

The guiding principles for selection of Awards are transparent, Qualitative, Consistent and Fair. A high profile jury consisting of India’s most respected and eminent personalities, will judge the Innovations on the basis of its uniqueness, sustainability and scalability through a rigorous four-stage selection process.

For the purpose of evaluation of candidates, and architecting the awards process, the Marico Innovation Foundation uses Erehwon Innovation Consulting’s path-breaking innovation methodology and framework. This methodology has been used successfully for innovation evaluation across various platforms globally.

Dr R A Mashelkar,FRS CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow, National Chemical Laboratory & Chairman of The Marico Innovation Foundation states that “The Foundation’s mission is to encourage Innovation in India, by providing the nation with a belief that Innovation is indispensable and is the way to leapfrog India into the center stage of global business leadership. Through these awards we want to commemorate projects and businesses that make a real difference to the country and community at large.”

“Innovation in India is a key theme in India’s global repositioning as an emerging economic superpower. With the second edition of the Innovation for India awards, the Marico Innovation Foundation seeks to continue to fuel innovation in India- amongst other achievements, let Indian businesses build a cascade of successful and enduring Indian Global brands,” believes Mr. Harsh Mariwala, Council Member, Marico Innovation Foundation & Chairman and Managing Director, Marico Limited

Photographs from last year’s event:

(from the left)-Actor & Director, Aamir Khan, Ad-Guru & Lyricist, Prasoon Joshi in discussion with Mr. Arun Maira, Chairman

Mr. Sam Balsara, CEO Madison, awarded Mr. Kunwer Sachdev, CEO Su-Kam Power Systems Ltd. for Innovation in Business Process

About Marico Innovation Foundation

The Marico Innovation Foundation was created in March 2003 under the stewardship of Dr. Ramesh Mashelkar. The Foundation’s Mission is to Fuel Innovation in India, by providing the nation with a belief that Innovation is possible and is the way to leapfrog India into the center stage of global business leadership. The Foundation also believes that a framework will enable leverage innovation for quantum growth. The foundation is steered by a governing council that oversees both its vision and direction.

The reach is first envisioned to cover the business community, both professional and entrepreneurial.  The reach will soon expand to future business leaders and the general public.  The Marico Innovation Foundation is led by its Council Members, who are visionaries like Dr R A Mashelkar, FRS, CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow, National Chemical Laboratory, Anu Aga, Chairman, Thermax, Sam Balsara, CEO, Madison, Ashwin Dani,  Vice Chairman, Asian Paints, Ranjan Kapur, Country Manager, WPP, Arun Maira, Chairman, Boston Consulting Group, Harsh Mariwala, Chairman & Managing Director,  Marico, K V Mariwala, EX-Director, Marico, Rajiv Narang, Chairman & Managing Director, Erehwon Innovation Consulting, Dorap Sopariwala, Consultant. Visit www.maricoinnovationfoundation.org for more information.

The Divya Chaya Trust (DCT) was established in 1984 mainly to help destitute children and women. Their main aim was to support educational and vocational activities at schools in rural areas and encourage educating the orphans and school drop outs.

Their work is significantly differently as they impart career counseling and provide students with opportunities for further studies. The trust holds confidence building therapies in order to enable women to support themselves financially.

Divya Chaya Trust is located at various states across the northern part of India including West Bengal, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and is currently working with various child care homes and ashrams. These include the SD Jain Mahila Ashram and Arya Bal Griha at Delhi, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission situated in West Bengal and Delhi.

The trust has around 49 employees who work full time for the establishment and betterment of their reach. Apart from the above, there are approximately 50 volunteers who are working for the same mission.

Their remarkable achievement for the year 2007-2008 is that they have sponsored educational expenses for 500 children. They also had organized seven career counseling sessions for more than 150 children who had graduated and were looking out for jobs.

Their contribution towards the growth of special children with various disabilities is also outstanding. Although the government claims that of the total disabled population only 2% are educated and very few are employed, the DCT is doing their best overcome these figures and make them more presentable for the country. To achieve the same, the trust has various services which are solely for the disabled. They have a range of options to reach the disabled, which include financial aids, or even providing them with simple basic necessities like a hearing aid, a wheel chair or even a Braille kit. A contribution from our end towards supplying these necessities would definitely be of immense support to them.

The most disappointing fact, however, remains that their total income is severely lower than their expenditure. The trust did loose a significant amount which could have been well avoided, had there been enough contribution made towards the trust from citizens.
Despite this, the trust did not loose hope and has recently built a residential home for the elderly at Haryana.

It is truly incredible to know that citizens of our country are going beyond their reach to dissolve the bridge between the privileged and under privileged by ensuring that primary education and fundamental living necessities are being provided to significant section of people.

Read more about Divya Chandra Trust here: http://www.divyachayatrust.org.in/

NGO write up done by guest reporter Jheel Parekh.

How many people would pay from their own pockets to restore life into old trees? Perhaps not many. That is why it is inspiring to hear about Dr Ramana Rao, who paid nearly Rs one lakh of his own to relocate two ancient peepal trees that were felled in Bangalore to make way for new roads.

Catching sight of the two giant trees – one 225 years and the other 240 years old, lying at the side of a highway, Dr Rao decided he could not let them die. With the help of 40 people and two 50-tonne trailer trucks, he managed to transport the trees to T Begur village, where they have been planted and given a new life.

Dr Rao wishes he could find sponsors for many more such rescue efforts, as more and more trees are being subject to the axe. Infrastructure projects in Bangalore have recently evoked the ire of citizens in their injudicious and widespread tree-felling. The latest victim to this mass tree-cutting drive has been the pristine locale of Lalbagh – a 250-year old botanical garden that has been the pride of Bangalore since the days of Hyder Ali.

A portion of this beautiful garden has been earmarked to make way for the Bangalore Metro rail project, which will lead to the felling of nearly 300 old and lovingly preserved trees. Dr Rao wishes the City authorities would take an interest in conserving trees, especially those of great significance like the ones in Lalbagh.

“These trees have seen and weathered so many storms. It would be tragic to uproot them merely for the sake of new infrastructure,” he said.

Citizen protests have fallen on deaf ears as the government refuses to consider alternatives. Read more about the citizen efforts and how you can participate at Hasiru Usiru. There is also a rally on Saturday, May 9th, at 8.00 am on Nanda Road in a final bid to save these trees. Bangalore readers, do try and be there to lend your support to the campaign.

Deccan Herald carries the remarkable story of Dr Rao’s efforts in this article.
Image Courtesy: Flickr

Link Courtesy: Faiq Gazdhar. Thanks!