This brochure offers decision-makers in the real estate and energy industries, as well as urban and municipal developers, a broad overview of the topics of decentralised energy generation and supply, and raises awareness of the goal of decarbonisation by 2050 at the latest. The advancing digitalization in the construction and …
debate and discussion, dialogue and the spirit of inquiry. These are the factors that are ushering in a gradual change in Saidapur village in Wardha district. The change is all about a new lifestyle that is kinder on the environment and the pocket. Motivated by Dharamitra, a Wardha-based non-governmental organisation …
Controversy reared its head once again on the East Coast Road (ECR), a 700-km-long highway being constructed from Madras to Kanyakumari. Activists of the ECR action committee (AC) were assaulted by miscreants at Kadapalkam village (40 km north of Pondicherry). The ECRAC is a group of non-governmental organisations demanding the …
THE NGO sector of Orissa has vehemently opposed the bureaucrats of the health and family welfare department of the state after they returned Rs 33 crore out of the Rs 60 crore grant for the 'blindness control programme' of the World Bank. The department said that it could not use …
THE rapidly evolving, inexpensive international communication afforded by the Internet is becoming increasingly important for non-profit groups. It has been instrumental in the organisation of campaigns against trans-national companies (TNCS) by environmental groups, as well as in providing a forum for information dissemination on subjects such as endangered tigers. Whereas …
THE Kani adivasis, living in the Agasthyar hills of southern Kerala, knew about jeevani for centuries. From this tiny medicinal plant Trichopus zeylnicus, they extracted Arogyapazha: a retroactive, immuno enhancing, anti-stress drug. Later, the drug was developed by the Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute Palod, Thiruvananthapuram. Now, a reward …
CIVIL wars and ethnic conflicts spilling across national borders evoke varying responses. At times, even though assistance and funds may be readily available, it does not reach the needy due to lack of coordination and communication among non - governmental organisations (NGOS) working in the field. Jon Bennett, former director …
AS THE general elections approach, a number of independent initiatives to influence the mainstream political process are coming up. The overriding concern of most of these initiatives by the non -governmental organisations (NGOS) - who are generally opposed to the prevailing model of development, and want to redefine development in. …
The Khadi and Village Industry Commission (KVIC) was setup in 1957 to cover 10 village industries, besides khadi (cottage or handloom weaving). In 1987, its scope was expanded to 96 industries, as varied as jaggery-making and electronics. To help develop a village industry, the KVICoffers artisans an aid package including …
The Vaijnath Leather Complex (VlC) established in 1962 in Bardoli, Gujarat, was hailed as a model of governmeritj intervention to revive the village leather industry. "Its founding fathers had a vision of producing gold from garbage by integrated development of the rural leather industry," say Usufbhai Patel, executive manager of …
Two Delhi-based NGOs, Development Alternatives (DA) and the Centre for Technology Development (CTD), provide examples of fairly successful, contrasting modes of disseminating technology to artisans. DA believes that technology interventions succeed only if they are commercialised. "If a technology does not profit everyone, it is useless," says Ashok Khosla, president. …
Why should we be ashamed of what we are doing?" demands Sudama Devi. We are earning a living." In a state where women are boUght and sold like cattle, the case of this wizened woman from ChoUhka village in Bihar's Rohtas district stands out. Sudama and her companion Sushela, who …
Tracing their origins to Lord Vishwakarma, the mythological source of all creative intellect, India's artisans evolved into a distinct social group with the emergence of settled agriculture and habitation. Excavations reveal that they were among the most productive mem- bers of the prolific Indus Valley culture. After the collapse of …
BHOLA Ram Kumawat still makes the best wooden toys inUdaipur; but he may well be the craft"s last sentinel.Kumawatbelongs to a family of renowned toymakersbut his son drawshandcarts for a living and his wife is a domestic help. Says the70old manThere are no forests left now - no khirni (Wrightia …
THE latest sector now to come under the scrutiny of the nation's premier investigative organisation _' 'the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) - are 61 NGOS. These were among'the 564 that had been blacklisted by the Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) in mid- 1995 for …
Under a novel development strategy aimed at improving the farmers' cause, a seven-year project mainly funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, is to be launched in April jfl Sri Lanka. The scheme will involve the total participation of villagers alongwith NGOs. Currently, necessary tanks and villages are being …
A 45-day yatra comprising activists from 30 NGOs was flagged off from Ahmedabad on January 30. The crusaders hope to mobilise public opinion on developmental issues. They also propose to form a non-patty political force that can apply pressure on political parties and candidates in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. …
HANDMADE paper or recycled paper is in hot demand these days as wood for the paper industry is becoming a scarce resource. IRED-Forum, No 54, brought out by a Geneva-based NGO, Development Innovations and Networks, offers a simple and easy method to make recycled paper at home. For papermaking, one …
