Many of us have let the voices of our calling die out. The reasons could be many – we wouldn’t know where to start, how to go about, where the money would come from or simply we wouldn’t know if we can pull it off. And it becomes more than a personal loss when someone with a social intent backs off. Pooja Warier strongly felt that individuals who have wonderful ideas to make a difference to the world around us should not be held back. With this thought she, along with Richard Alderson, founded UnLtd India – a unique launch pad for social entrepreneurs.

Vijaya’s dream is sustainable agriculture that bridges the rural and urban gap, Inir’s is a rural India that’s self-empowered, Ashok’s is a generation of leaders empowered through sports – and UnLtd India is where all these dreamers converge. These passionate individuals, whose ideas will make a difference to the society we live in, come together at UnLtd India. They learn from each other, share their experiences and enjoy belonging to a rich group of change makers.

Some of the people involved with UnLtd India

Many of these wonderful ideas need the kind of crucial support that UnLtd India provides in their early stages. UnLtd India gives these individuals, the investees, a platform to take their work to the next level. They are taken through an enriching experience – peer learning, investee interactive sessions, exposure to professional advice, incubation, identifying resource gaps, training and guidance on fund raising etc. Their dreams are tested for practicability, they develop as leaders and their working models are strengthened. In the end these initiatives blossom into strong social ventures that are bound to touch many a thousand lives.

Ashok Rathod, founder of Oscar – an organization that uses sports to make youth and children aware of their rights and responsibilities – says, “The incubation team has helped me put systems in place and boost my targeted budget from 1 to 7 lakh rupees. Interacting with other investees has pushed me to think about my community and approach partnerships in new ways. Other investees think big, so I do too.”

Pooja Taparia of Arpan - Spreading awareness and bringing dignity back to the victims of child sexual abuse.

Here’s what Karen Braganza from the Incubation team of UnLtd India has to say – “What is most unique about our cohort of investees is the diversity they bring to the group – diversity in terms of their backgrounds, age groups, ideas and innovation. We have attempted to create a program that not only provides access to funds, expertise and networks, but also lets our investees leverage that diversity through peer support programs.”

The fact that UnLtd India goes beyond being a financial support provider makes it dearer to its investees. UnLtd India truly understands that it’s not an easy journey for social entrepreneurs to make their dreams come true. It will almost take an extra bone for a youngster to announce to his family that he’s gonna quit his job to work for a social cause. And when you have peers who follow the safest of career paths, financial constraints and other factors can become rather complicated. That’s when a group of like-minded people at a place such as UnLtd India will make a difference.

UnLtd India, based out of Mumbai, organizes bi-annual incubations for participants chosen from among many applicants. Next round of applications will be open on 1st April 2012. Take a look at their website http://www.unltdindia.org/and you can see a wide variety of people who work on some of extremely interesting of ideas. May be you could apply for the next session too!

Some Investees of UnLtd India

Evaluating the scale of their impact, UnLtd India proudly says, “for each 1 Rupee we have provided in funding, each investee has on average raised or earned a further 4.15 Rupees – that’s a 415% increase. Each of our investee projects has, on average, created 4.2 new jobs in the economy. Our support has led to significant increases in confidence (141%), focus (115%), communication (138%) and leadership skills (112%) for our investees.”

While we were not aware of it earlier, The Better India has featured a lot of investees of UnLtd India for the wonderful work they are doing. Some of these are: Partho Bhowmick of Blind with Camera (a unique initiative allowing the visually impaired to learn photography using sound), Dhruv Lakhra of Mirakle Couriers (a courier company employing the deaf), Vijaya Pastala of Under The Mango Tree (an organic certified company linking rural producers and urban consumers) and Nikita Ketkar of Masoom (an organization working with night schools in Mumbai to improve their quality of education).

Nikita Ketkar of Masoom - Improving quality of education for lesser privileged students of night schools

As UnLtd India continues to strengthen our change makers and expand the scale of their good deeds, we can hope to see a better and a happier India in the days to come.

Sparrow. The ubiquitous bird of India. The name brings back memories of grandmother’s stories and folk tales we heard long, long ago. But when was the last time you saw that little bird hopping on your window sill? When was the last time you heard its sweet voice calling out? A couple of minutes ago? A few days ago? Some weeks ago? Chances are, it’s been a while.

Mohammed E. Dilawar. A nature conservationist with a difference. A man who has taken the plight of the tiny bird to heart. A man who dares to think beyond the tiger and other glamorous species to the smallest and what many people would consider, the most inconsequential species to protect. This is a story about one man’s efforts to change the urban landscape and bring back the common house sparrow.

Mohammed Dilawar with Nest Boxes. Photo: Courtesy EcoWalkTheTalk

Six years ago, when Dilawar saw a report from an organization in the UK that deplored the state of the house sparrow in that country, he knew India was headed the same way. “The rapid decline in urban open spaces and greenery, combined with modern architecture and the use of pesticides that kills bugs the sparrows need to feed their young has led to the steady extinction of the bird in these spaces. With the disappearance of its natural habitat, the bird cannot be expected to survive for very long.”

But six years ago, when Dilawar expressed his concern about this, nobody took him seriously. “When I spoke to people about it, they laughed at me. Government and private organizations have their own research mandates and these generally revolve around threatened or critically endangered species. I used to ask people if they want to wait for the sparrow to make it to that list before they act. I wondered why we could not have an organization that was dedicated to save common flora and fauna, many of which we probably would not even recognize if they were on the brink of extinction.”

The House Sparrow. Photo: Courtesy www.cbmi.in

“After setting up the Nature Forever Society, we got a lot of feedback from people telling us how useful this was. Urban flora and fauna was something not many people were aware of at the time. We realized that the effort to save the sparrow helped people understand the common species all around them. The protection of the sparrow got directly related to the protection of its urban habitat, which made people naturally think of conservation methods. Thus, the sparrow acted as an ambassador and facilitator for the protection of the common flora and fauna.”

Today, after reaching out to thousands of supporters with his efforts, he has managed to bring a change in the way people view the concept of conservation in India. The Nesting Boxes and Bird Feeders that he sells on a non-profit basis have gained immense popularity and helped people become conservationists in their own homes. It has helped people address the main problems of the sparrow – that of shelter and food – and find an emotional connection with the birds they have always been familiar with. These items have also helped the Nature Forever Society manage to raise funds for their activities without the help from any governmental or non-governmental organization.

But this was not enough. Mohammed says, “I wanted to remove any negative emotions attached to the protection of the sparrow and wanted to celebrate the 10,000 year old relationship we have with the bird. I believed that the sparrow deserved a day dedicated to it.” From the past 3 years, March 20th has been assigned World Sparrow Day in commemoration of people’s efforts to save this bird from extinction. This has received immense support from various conservation organizations, and is now a hugely popular event all across the world.

How can you become a part of this conservation movement? You can participate in any of the several events and activities conducted by the Nature Forever Society:
• Adopt Nest Boxes and Bird Feeders – These not only help you connect with the birds in your vicinity and provide them food and shelter but also helps you get attached to the initiative and contribute to its sustainability.
• World Sparrow Day – NFS had chosen March 20th as World Sparrow Day and in 3 years this initiative has gained immense popularity being celebrated in more than 30 countries across the world. There is a dedicated website for this at www.worldsparrowday.org which also contains information about more than 22 species of sparrows along with an eclectic collection of photographs.
• Sparrow Awards – Launched to commemorate people who have been silently making an effort to save the environment over the years.
• Biodiversity Photo Competition – An effort to take the focus of nature photography away from glamorous species, costly cameras and traveling to exotic locations. Instead, NFS wishes to encourage common people to get involved by using ordinary and even phone cameras to capture and help document the common flora and fauna of our country.
• Project Save Our Sparrow (SOS) – In association with Burhani Foundation, NFS distributed 52,000 bird feeders across the world and got recognized by Guiness Book of World Records as the largest distribution of bird feeders.
• Help Birds in Summer Campaign – An initiative that is started at the onset of every summer, it sends out an SMS request urging people to provide water for birds.
• Ban the Catapult – An attempt to curb the use of the catapult in the country by getting it tagged a weapon in the Wildlife Act of India
• Common Bird Monitoring of India (CBMI) – An ambitious project launched yesterday with the mission to involve citizens in monitoring and providing information about the common bird species of India. Learn more about how to get involved at their website: www.cbmi.in

After stealing almost all of the sparrow’s natural habitat and food sources, it is time we did our bit to make amends.

International Literacy Day was celebrated all over the world on the 8th of September in many different ways. In India, Pratham Books had an ambitious plan for the day – to get 100 volunteers to conduct storytelling sessions in their towns, villages or cities. A lofty plan like this had all the chances of failure, and at times it looked like it might. But guess what, as time drew close, they got 250 volunteers representing each and every state in India! Thousands of children were read a story – “Susheela’s Kolams”, specially chosen for this day, about a girl who loves Kolams (a form of rice painting drawn with rice powder/chalk, also known as Rangoli) and dreams big. One of the volunteers was our friend and writer Meena Vaidyanathan, who conducted a session in Assam and shares her experience with us.

Literacy has different meanings for different people. A few years ago, just being able to sign one’s name was considered enough to be deemed “literate”. Since then, even the statutory definition of literacy has changed. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has defined literacy as the “ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.”

Meena (in the centre) telling the story to 20 kids at NabPrabhat Orphanage at Tezpur, Assam

To create and interpret and communicate, children need to imagine and articulate their thoughts. What better way to inculcate these skills than storytelling? Story telling is an art that has mental, social and educational benefits on children. Besides, who doesn’t love the warm, fuzzy feeling one gets from listening to a good story?

The story chosen for these sessions was "Susheela's Kolams", about a girl who loves Kolams (a form of painting with rice powder/chalk) and dreams big

Listening to stories help kids imagine a world of their own weaving in the words that they hear into a fabric that is unique, that can potentially help shape his or her personality and thinking. Much more sometimes than what they may do learning from a class lesson, and it definitely helps kids broaden their ability to imagine and express than watching television endlessly. Through stories, kids can get to learn about places, practices in life, relationships etc. Stories also allow children to know about their own cultural roots, differences between cultures and various lifestyles and also learn about new worlds, while helping kids to visualize the plot and characters.

So when Pratham Books thought of a country-wide storytelling as a way to mark the International Literacy Day, I jumped at it. “Susheela’s Kolams” was a beautiful book. Simple, colourful but more importantly, introduced so many new words and concepts in a fun manner. How many opportunities do children in the far east get to learn about Tamil Nadu and a word called “Kolam”? But they did, and learnt how to make them! They learnt about the Air Force and about trains. I conducted the story telling session at the Nabprabhat Orphanage in Tezpur in Assam, with about 20 kids, none of who had been in a train before. And Susheela’s kolams helped them visualize their own little train journey. We read the story together and then learnt how to make kolams. The enthusiasm was palpable and the creativity oozing out!

The children are enthused by the story and get down to drawing some of their own Kolams!

None of the kids had Hindi or English as their first language. But the pictures and the expressions helped them understand the nuances of the story, and they answered questions with such gusto and asked such probing questions that it made me realize just how much the process of story-telling encouraged them to participate in the learning process. Hearing stories with interesting expressions and a patterned speech helps break the code of language, the sounds of words, the rhythm of sentences, and bring out the emotion even in the youngest of children. Kids love to talk instead of listening to anything. Storytelling gives them the necessary training to listen and understand instead of talking, helping them nurture valuable life skills that will enable them not just to become literate but also well-rounded individuals! As children experience an entertaining story, they pair this positive emotion with storytelling, which encourages them to explore and experience it again, listening to others, perhaps even to recorded stories, and eventually telling their own.

A whole lot of Kolams came out of the storytelling session at Tezpur!

This wasn’t the first time I was doing a story telling session and definitely won’t be the last. But a campaign that got a whole lot of story-telling volunteers to reach out to thousands of kids forebodes the beginning of something different. Hopefully with the momentum continuing, we will be able to offer the young ones of today knowledge packaged in exciting, interesting, yummy stories, that combines bits of history, geography, good morals, strong values, and insights into life!!

After all, isn’t a literate society all about a continuum of learning? In enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.

The Hornbill Festival, held in the first week of December every year, is a marvelous riot of colour that shows off the rich fare of diverse cultures and traditional arts that is Nagaland. Here you can witness the attires, folk music and dance forms, headgears, cuisines, paintings, handicrafts, and other intricacies of the varied tribes and sub-tribes of the state, as Meena Vaidyanathan did. Here we invite you to take a look at the festival just gone by through her words and lens, while hoping you can make it there yourself this year!

Some of the interesting headgear and attire of the local tribes

The beauty about diversity in the world we live in is that at the heart of our social fabric, culture shapes our identities, aspirations and relations to others. And the myriad of cultures make the experience of living that much more colourful and vibrant.

Dance forms an integral part of the festival

The differences in cultures, both subtle and otherwise, shapes places and landscapes that we live in, and give our unique lifestyles their form. Heritage, visual and performing arts, cinema, music, publishing, fashion or design all have a place that bring to life this cultural panacea.

There are many forms of performing and martial arts that are unique to the region

The Hornbill festival that has been showcasing the cultural canvas of Nagaland and North-east India for the last 12 years just reinforces just how brilliantly cultural and creative sector can impact social and economic development while introducing this beautiful part of the world and its people to those who come seeking to know better.

Even though it is so colourful, the subtle differences between the art forms, costumes, ornaments, weapons, etc stand out and catch our attention

Celebrated in the first week of December, the festival features traditional arts, dances, folk songs, and games conducted amidst near perfect replicas of tribal hutments to the loud applause of an ever-growing enthusiastic audience. Every year, a new theme, game or contest is added to give the festival a new flavour urging even those who have experienced the festival before to be hungry for more.

Uniqueness in Diversity

This is was my first participation at the Hornbill, but I definitely have to go back for more. After all, I learnt there are nearly 1400 villages in Nagaland, each having a unique tradition, dance form and attire, and given that only a few get invited to perform every year, the opportunity to see the dances and other cultural events that one witnessed this year might come after a 100 years.

Some examples of local furniture on display

Besides, the beautiful lovely people, near-perfect management of the teeming crowds, clean utilities, exotic food and cold rice beer or Zutho to wash it down is a heady enough combination that will draw me back to Kisama village where the hub of activities during the Hornbill festival is.

The Rock Shows at Kohima kept the night alive

If the mornings were rife with splashes of colour, exciting head gear and energetic dances, sundown brought the city of Kohima alive with the night bazaar, carnival and the fabulous rock shows.

The city of Kohima as is true with many other parts of India has severe power shortage and we got to experience the gravity of the situation first-hand. But the obvious lack of infrastructural support did not dampen either the spirit of the people or enthusiasm among the visitors. During the day, the drive down the Naga slopes in winter is a treat to the eyes. Wild poinsettias in full bloom make the entire area dressy and festive as if nature is celebrating the Christmas spirit as well.

The food is primarily meat-based, but there are some exciting vegetarian options as well. Meena learnt to cook Lutho food with a family. Lutho is a tribe in Nagaland.

The Naga food has not been influenced much by other cuisines in the region. Hunting being the favorite occupation of the people, meat is an indispensable part of the Naga cuisine, but I was pleasantly surprised at the festival that the vegetarian in me was as excited as my non-vegetarian son. Apart from the expected pork and beef specialities, bamboo shoot, lettuce wrapped sticky rice balls and yam leaves made for some fabulous vegetarian options.

A signboard that says it all

The Naga king chilli, for which the Government of Nagaland has obtained GI rights, is widely used to add flavor and spiciness to the dishes, and consequently, most of the dishes were rather hot! It wasn’t difficult however to balance the spicy food with farm fresh fruits, especially pineapples and kiwis and yummy rice cake. I also relished the sweetness of the sticky rice tea which reminded my much of the Kerala red rice Kanji in its flavour and delicate smell.

Naga tribesman in traditional attire competing in the archery contest.

The food and the local games (piglet catching, greased bamboo pole climbing, Naga chili eating and archery to name a few) kept my otherwise restless little boy so totally engaged that when it was time to leave, he literally had to be coaxed with the promise that we will be back soon!

A painting of the hornbill taken at the art gallery

The make shift art gallery, where in addition to some outstanding works of art by local artists, we also got to hear interesting voices, was a delight. The highlight was Javed Akhtar’s talk, brief but interesting, where he talked about how art can be the harbinger of progress. The Second World War museum that Kisama houses is by far the best chronicled war museum I have seen in India.

Meena is learning to use some Naga weaponry here. Staying with a family takes the experience to a different level.

I would urge Hornbill festival enthusiasts to find local friends to host them around the villages between Kisama and Kohima rather than stay in the Kohima hotels. The experience just increases multi-fold when one lives and stays with the beauty and warmth of a hospitable group of people!

Interesting headgear everywhere we looked!

To me, the Hornbill festival was a lot more than just an annual affair of mass get together. To me it was a window to get to know an experience a beautiful part of the world, rich in tradition with its unique identity and cultural legacy. It’s a beautiful way to bring awareness about preserving the bio-diversity in the region along with its heritage while providing opportunities to the local economy to flourish.

The riot of colour that was the Hornbill Festival!

The few days spent at the Hornbill makes me yearn to know more. It reminded me of how much there is to learn and experience. As I drove along the Dhansiri river on my way to Dimapur to return home, I held on to the samples of locally weaved cloth, the pictures of local birds, the masks and the bamboo utensils we bought. They will keep the memories of a beautiful land that has so much to offer alive until I find the opportunity to be back.

All Photos: Meena Vaidyanathan

What does the term ‘Hacking’ bring to mind? Something illegal? Nefarious? Criminal? Well, here’s an organization that has taken the infamous term and given a completely positive spin to it. This is through the events it holds every year, calling technologists from all over the world to come together and build solutions for humanitarian problems using open source platform. These events are, very appropriately, called Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK).

The RHoK banner inviting participants to the Bangalore Hackathon in December 2012

They are driven by their belief that every human being seeks the joy of service; and that given the opportunity, people around the world will dedicate their time and skills to creating a positive impact in society. Looking at the numbers that turn up for their ‘Hackathons’, their premise seems to be founded on solid ground. For many years now, RHoK has been working to create a self-sustaining global community of innovators building practical open technology solutions for challenges facing humanity, both locally and globally.

How does RHoK work?
RHoK achieves its purpose by bringing together technology experts, communities and organizations together in order to define real world problems and work towards an acceptable solution. This is done by hosting weekend ‘Hackathons’ around the globe at the same time twice a year.

On 1-2 December 2012, 30 cities in 18 countries around the world hosted RHoK hackathons. Bangalore and Pune joined in from India to hack for humanity along with like-minded hackers from other countries.

The Bangalore Hackathon:
RHoK hackathon in Bangalore was hosted at office of the Center for Internet and Society (CIS). Over the weekend the office of CIS was filled with frantic keystrokes and discussions to get some proof of concept that techies had in mind to be transformed into reality.

The teams are busy at work, trying to creatively solve the humanitarian challenge laid before them

On Saturday morning at 9:00am the subject matter experts presented the problem statement they were sponsoring and the techies chose what they wanted to solve and how they wished to do it. After that the techies formed teams and started hacking over the weekend. Around 30 techies formed 5 teams in Bangalore, and 1 team was working from Chennai, so totally 6 teams worked on the problems over the weekend. The hackers made the most of the time they had over the weekend, some of them stayed overnight at CIS to get some more work done. At the end of the day and half of hacking the teams came up with their proof of concept / work in progress which was judged by a panel of judges.

The Hacks Developed at RHoK Bangalore 1-2 December 2012:
1. Help for Cause: This team was working with Greenpeace. The idea of the hack was to bring the NGOs (who need volunteer time) and weekend volunteers (who have volunteer time) together on technology platforms including mobiles and web. The team worked over weekend to come up with an iPhone app as a proof of concept.

2. Green Trails Project: This problem statement was presented by India Hikes. Trekkers go to the mountains and take a lot of necessary things along like bottles of water, food packets, etc, and many a times leave the waste behind in the hills polluting the hill’s ecosystem. This team worked on gamification of incentives program for the trekkers who will clean up the hills out of goodwill or for incentives. The team came up with a nice web-based application as proof of concept for the same.

3. Data visualization for NGO reports: The problem was presented by Amnesty International. It asked for data representation on a map along with timeline to be available on web for creating awareness. One individual hacker worked on this to come up with a timeline to represent the report.

Presentation time for the teams with their proof of concept

4. Micro Finance report customization: A team of developers from HP worked with Micro Finance Open Source (mifos) for extending the mifos platform functionality by developing a module to create a template to get custom reports for the micro finance institutions. The team came up with an almost finished product in Bangalore and a similar product was developed by a team from Chennai who worked over the weekend from that location. HP employees from 4 locations around the world: Bangalore, Chennai, Dublin & San Francisco were working on MIFOS project at this RHoK, this whole HP-MIFOS project was coordinated by Social Coding for Good.

5. Missing children: A problem presented by Mr. Praveen, a designer from Yahoo Labs, who narrated a story of his friend from Kanpur, a roadside vendor who lost his son and couldn’t trace him in the city. This problem seeks to get a smart phone app where people will click snaps of homeless children on the road, railway stations, bazaars, etc. These photos will be stored on a server along with their location data and whenever some parents upload their missing child’s photo, then the database of the photos will be searched for matching face and the location will be given. The team came up with server side app for uploading the photos and location data as a proof of concept.

The judges for the event were luminaries from different walks of life like the corporate sector, development sector, investor community, academia, etc. No doubt they had a difficult time selecting the best hacks from the ones presented on the final day. The event ended with the teams resolving to meet over the next few weekends to finish the pending work on their projects, and see it implemented in real life.

The successful RHoK event at Bangalore – Six projects, two winning hacks, and lots of amazing energy.

It is heartening to see many of these ideas being taken to execution stage with the potential to impact many lives, as I witnessed at the previous hackathon, held in June 2012, when I was judging the event and was highly impressed by the solutions presented by the teams. One hack that really stood out was an SOS application called Bachao that acted as a witness for crimes and an alert system in case one felt one was in distress. The team continued working on it after the event, and their app has now been incubated by Geeks Without Bounds. We hope to see it available on our phones very soon!

To know more about RHoK events, and how you could participate, visit the website: http://www.rhok.org/ or get in touch with Yogesh Londhe at: yoga1103@gmail.com

About IWRM Asia
The Resource Alliance has a 12 year history of organising the International Workshop on Resource Mobilisation (IWRM). It is widely recognised as the leading training for building the fundraising capacity of non-profit organisations especially in the emerging economies of Asia and Africa.

The IWRM Asia is a four day conference focused on providing comprehensive training in all aspects of resource mobilisation and sustainable fundraising techniques. Through a vibrant mixture of hands-on ‘how to’ Workshops and high-energy Plenaries, the aim is to equip participants with a thorough grounding in resource mobilisation theory, as well as a set of practical techniques with which to build their fundraising capacity.

Programme
The 2013 programme offers the following exciting tracks to set you on your way towards fundraising success. The programme has something for everyone, both beginner and experienced practitioners alike.
• Fundraising Fundamentals and Strategy
• Corporate Fundraising
• Communications
• Brand building of the organisation
• Social media: How to use social media tools?
• Financial performance and risk management

Some of the key speakers this year are:
• Tony Elischer (United Kingdom)
• Pesh Framjee (United Kingdom)
• Fred Fournier (France)
• Usha Menon (Singapore)
• Mitch Hinz (Bangkok)
• Bow BowChoon (Malaysia)
• Bidisha Fouzdar (India)
• Irwin Fernandes (India)
• Ashok Mahapatra (India)
• Shweta Luthra (India)
• Major General Surat Sandhu (India)

Networking and Peer learning
With more than 200 participants from over 30 countries, the IWRM Asia attracts the key decision-makers from both small and large non-profit organisations, giving you a unique opportunity to network with non-profit professionals from across Asia and the world. It is a one stop platform that offers a unique environment for skill-sharing and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.

For more information on registration, programme, bursaries, discounts and venue, please visit the Resource Alliance website at www.resource-alliance.org

You could also write to iwrmasia@resource-alliance.org or call +91 11 41354766

Eco-Productive Cities
A three-day conference
5th to 7th September 2013 at Auroville (near Puducherry), India
Registration Fees: Rs.9500

Auroville Green Practices, a part of Auroville, an international township in South India globally recognized for its efforts in sustainability, is organizing its annual conference and this year the theme is Eco-Productive Cities.

Some of the key environmental and social challenges are associated with resource and waste management. Urban centers generate immense waste streams which when badly managed, contribute to pollution and climate change. Utilizing this waste output efficiently, as raw material, has the potential to transform human habitats into eco-productive land- and city-scapes providing an increased quality of life for its residents.

Auroville Green Practices invites policy makers, municipal authorities, architects and landscapers, project developers, urban planners and engineers who have an interest in planning, designing and building Eco-Productive Cities. Distinguished national and international professionals along with several Auroville experts will join the workshops to stimulate discussions and share their knowledge and experience.

More details:
http://www.agpworkshops.com/agp-conference

Contact:
Martin Scherfler or Shefali Mendon
Auroville Green Practices
Email: info@agpworkshops.com

Read about a one-of-a-kind residential program in Bangalore that aims at equipping individuals from the for-profit as well as non-profit sector with essential tools in dealing with conflict, complexity, diversity and change in a constructive and creative manner.

Meta-Culture (http://www.meta-culture.in/) is South Asia’s first organization dedicated to making relationships more effective. It is their business to break impasses, address conflict and facilitate decision-making. Their methodologies – Dialogue facilitation, mediation and consensus building – are used in the corporate, social and government sectors.

Ah!wake is an attempt at transforming the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us. The workshop brings together several core skills: critical and creative thinking and collaborative problem solving. During Meta-Culture’s nine years of practice they have found that these skills are immensely valuable for successfully handling conflicts. Participants will introspect and reflect on their values, and motivations. They will also learn how to appreciate diversity and therefore engage constructively with people who think differently from them. Ah!Wake is inspired by the need to look afresh and creatively at the state of the world we live in. The complexity of local and global problems precludes easy or conventional solutions.

The course outline on Meta-Culture’s website describes what the four days of this experiential workshop will entail: http://www.meta-culture.in/Ah!Wake.php. The curriculum has been designed based on years of professional and academic experience in the field of conflict resolution. Participant takeaways include a heightened sense of self awareness and skills and dispositions to navigate through contemporary complexities.

Update: The dates of the workshop have been moved to July 3-6th, 2014. So you could still register if you haven’t already!

Want to spend your time doing something different? Something beyond regular movies and social parties? From an international arts festival to a wildlife movie screening, here is a list of six events this week that matter.

1. North Eastern Diaries

An evening with a wildlife filmmaker and two-time Green Oscar nominee SandeshKadur followed by a series of short films and discussion on his mission to document the natural and cultural treasures of the Eastern Himalaya. Very little is known about the wildlife and people of eastern Himalayas as it is considered too dangerous to allow outsiders. In this series, SandeshKadur, a wildlife photographer and filmmaker explores this remote and unseen region on a quest to document some of its rare inhabitants, from Golden Langurs to Clouded Leopards.

Where:  Suchitra Film Society , No.36, 9th main , B V Karanth Road, Banashankari II Stage , Bangalore , Karnātaka , India

When:  6:30 pm, Friday, 19 Sep 2014

2. Bengaluru International Arts Festival 2014

Bengaluru International Arts Festival 2014 is now celebrating its 7th year in epitomizing “Celebration of Harmony through Arts”. Thought provoking and well curated art presentations by artists from both India and abroad are being featured in BIAF 2014.

Be a part of  Indian music, dance, fusion, folk and theatre, etc. and enjoy this celebration of “Harmony through arts” and “Go Green Bangalore” movement and contribute Rs.100/- to promote Bangalore as a cultural hub.

When:  Sep 05 - Sep 21, 2014, all day event

Where: Multiple venues. Click here for details.

3. The Oil Spill India 2014

The Oil Spill India 2014 at Goa, will focus on the prevention of, and response to environmental incidents in the marine environment. This dedicated area will feature the latest technology and service solutions for assessing the potential of spill related impacts, mitigating against and, if necessary, responding to them.

The International Oil Spill Conference (OSI) provides a vital forum for professionals from the international response community, private sector, government and non- governmental organizations to come together to tackle the greatest challenges facing us with sound science, practical innovation, social engineering and Imagination. Click here for details.

Where: Holiday Inn Resort, Goa

When: Sep. 18-20, 2014

4. Peace on Earth film festival

Screening of films on the theme of world peace and forgiveness. The festival will support and feature works of independent filmmakers and their work from around the world on the themes of peace, nonviolence, social justice and eco-balance. For more details click here.

For details, contact – Murtaza Bootwala: 7875800555
info.worldpeacecinema@gmail.com

When: Sunday, September 21, 2014 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Where: World School Of Happiness, Mumbai, India

5. “Incredible Uttarakhand” photo exhibition

Society for Agriculture Growth and Administrative Research (Sagar) presents “Incredible Uttarakhand” an Exhibiton of photographs by Mountaineer-cum-photographer Shekhar Jayal.  The exhibition will showcase amazing clicks of scenic beauty of Uttarakhand which is also Jayal’s hometown. For more details click here

When: 1^st to 30^th September, 10 am to 8 pm

Where: Lobbies Nos. 4A, 4B, 5A & 6A, India Habitat Centre (IHC), Lodhi Road, New Delhi

6. Unseen Faces, Unheard Voices – Photography Competition

Suchetadhama brings a photography competition to show respect to the elderly – especially those who are deprived and forgotten – on 1st October World Elder’s Day.

The top ten entries will be exhibited along with the works of prominent professional photographers in a photography exhibition coming up in Bangalore in October 2014. Winners will get a week-long master class with a leading professional photographer and a coffee table book by Raghu Rai.

Last date to apply: 19th September. Send your entries to suchetadhama@gmail.com

So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and be a part of these amazing events!

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1. Be The Change

Witness the power of young superheroes at the Be The Change Celebration 2014. Participants from all across India and over 20 countries will come together to share their stories of change and how they created change!

Be a part of inspiring workshops from some of the greatest minds in education- Shaheen Mistry, Anil Gupta, Kiran Sethi and a stellar line-up of artists, educationists, visionaries and change makers!

2 days where children from around the world will inspire,
2 days where the boldest minds will shift our thinking,
2 days of innovation, collaboration and celebration!

For details on workshops and participation please visit btc.dfcworld.com
To register, visit bit.ly/registerbtc2014

Be a part of the only global movement that celebrates the power of children all over the world saying, ‘I can’.

When: Sat Sep 27 2014 at 10:00 am to Sun Sep 28 2014 at 05:00 pm
Where: Entrepreneurship Development Institute Of India, Ahmedabad

2. Mastek Cause-A-Thon 2014

It is an annual marathon organized by Mastek Foundation. It is a charity event. Cause-a-thon supports various nonprofits every year. Free a child from malnourishment and hunger. Join in Cause-a-thon and support The Akshay Patra Foundation to break the cycle of Poverty.

When: Sun Sep 28 2014 at 07:00 am to Sun Sep 28 2014 at 11:00 am
Where: Central Park, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai ,Maharashtra, Central Park, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.

3. Tribute To Gandhi

Paying tribute to Gandhi, an interaction session will be held discussing about Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, and his idea of India. To be moderated by B G Verghese, panelists Dr. Sudarshan Iyengar, Pavan Varma, Niyaz Laiq and Sanchaita Gajapati will be discussing about books on Gandhi and topics like non-violence, Satyagraha, non cooperative movement, his influences and relationship with Africa. The talk will be followed by bhajan recital by Radhika Chopra.

When: Tuesday, Sep 30, 2014
Where: India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Colony Delhi

4. Bangalore Literature Festival

The Bangalore Literature Festival, a fêtes for readers and writer is back. A platform that brings the bookworms and bibliophiles to meet their favourite national and international writers.

There will be book launches, workshops, panel discussions, performances, interactions and much more for everyone.

This year the festival is dedicated to Jnanpith awardee Professor UR Ananthamurthy. Several eminent writers have planned a tribute planned by several writers.

Well-known names such as Girish Karnad, Arun Shourie, Gulzar,Leila Seth, Shobhaa De, Nayantara Sahgal, Chetan Bhagat, Natwar Singh along with 25 international participants.This year, the orgnisiers are also proving a platform for aspiring author through their initiative Lit-Mart, where in they are allowed to present a three-minute pitch of their manuscripts.

When: From Friday, Sep 26 till Sunday, Sep 28, 2014
Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel(Electronics City)

5. Heart for Art

Picture Source

Parikrma Humanity Foundation and Gallery G presents ‘Heart for Art’ a fund-raising initiative which showcases the Parikrma children’s art to the world. The exhibition brings together works by student artists from the four schools run by the Parikrma Foundation in Bangalore. The theme of this year’s show is “Colours” and the works of art include a mix of oils on canvas and water-colors on paper. For more details log on to http://parikrmafoundation.org.

When: Fri 26 Sep
Where: Gallery G, 38, Maini Sadan, 7th Cross, Lavelle Road, Bangalore 560001

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1. Woman Impressions – Art Exhibition - Bangalore

Woman Impressions – The essence of being a woman, Indian women amidst diverse settings have been captured on canvas, in the form of original masterpieces.

Explaining the theme Mr. S. R. Magar, M.D., Magnitude Gallery, said, ‘Our latest exhibition is an apt portrayal of womanhood in all its glorious forms. Traditionally, women have been a backbone of family life. But, today one can see her stepping out from the confines of domestic life and don many hats. Beautiful and a storehouse of many emotions and talents, she has a powerful presence everywhere. Woman Impressions captures the versatility of being a woman.”

When: Oct 02 – Oct 31, 2014
Where: Magnitude gallery, # 140/13, 27h Cross, 13th Main, 3 Rd Block, Jayanagar , Bangalore

2. Gandhiji in Bangalore – Photography Exhibition - Bangalore

A show comprising photographs of ‘Gandhi in Bangalore’ is being shown for the first time ever, in an art space. These photos, all in black and white, capture the colourful events of Gandhi’s five visits to the city before independence. The show is based on images and text in the book ‘Gandhi in Bangalore’ written by VemagalSomashekar, a Bangalore historian.

When: Oct 02 – Oct 13, 2014
Where: Rangoli Metro Art Center, M.G. Road Boulevard, Bangalore

3. Heneyu Arts and Craft Mela

Heneyu Arts and Craft Mela is a cultural weave of rural traditions and contemporary sensibilities, held in Gundlepet, near Bandipur, Chamarajnagar District, Karnataka from Oct 1 – Oct 14.

They have stalls presenting rural handicrafts and arts of women entrepreneurs and self-help groups. Other stalls are a mix of handloom and handicraft products, food and beverage stalls and lecture demonstrations.

Significant performances are organized for this weekend. Friday, the 10th is the Idea Sambrama, which is a local talent show with performances. On Saturday, the 11th, the Mela is presenting a Self Defense workshop for Women in the late afternoon. This will be followed by a talk on the Soligar tribe and a cultural evening with a tribal dance by Soligars. The evening wraps up with light live music. In keeping with the concept of back to Nature and the Eco-compliant concepts of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, on Sunday, Thaalavattam will perform on musical instruments made from recycled materials.

At the heart of it, we want to marry urban sensibilities with rural heritage. We want to go back to nature. Please join us at Heneyu this weekend from 9th to 12th, to celebrate the season.

W: www.heneyu.com
F: www.facebook.com/Heneyu.Mela

When: Oct 1 – Oct 14, 2014
Where: Gundlepet, near Bandipur, Chamarajnagar District, Karnataka (about 6 hours by road from Bangalore)

4. The Sujani Story - Delhi

The Sujani Story, a talk by Swati Kalsi is about a group of talented and exceptional women in Bihar who for over a century have created distinctive artworks called Sujani, the embroidery tradition of the state. Swati Kalsi who is a textile and fashion designer and has worked with handcrafted textiles for about a decade will discuss how the society driven by mechanization, fast mass production and ever-changing consumer choices has hampered these womens living and why these hand skills and representative of these women’s identities are no more given importance.

With this talk, Swati aims to bring to light the various facets of the traditional handcraft and the designer’s interface with it to explore a way forward.

When: Lodhi Road, Delhi
Where: Saturday, Oct 11, 2014

5. Beti Zindabad Cyclothon - Delhi

The Beti Zindabad Cyclothon shall be a mass awareness generation event, which seeks the participation of the people of Delhi and those who happen to be in Delhi. The Beti Zindabad Cyclothon, by purpose, will be a promotional event to spread the messages of the campaign far through the event. The messages focus not only on the survival but the thriving and empowerment of the girl child through education, healthcare and well-being among others. The Beti Zindabad Cyclothon is also symbolic of freedom and independence of girls and women. To know more about the event click here.

6. Star Innovator 2014 – Ahmedabad

With the onset of the advancements in technology and policy across the nation, it becomes irrefutably imperative to prepare the future generation of engineers and technologists, with the right set of knowledge and skills, to explore the various opportunities with innovation for a bright and environment-friendly future. This is a distinct program, which is a combination of workshop, online project internship and contest. Star Innovator is a prestigious one of its kind event, which is organized at pan India level.

When:08 Aug – 18 Oct 2014
Where: Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Raisan Village, District-Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

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1. XIMB ‘GRAMOTSAVA’ (Orissa)

XIMB, the key intellectual resource of Xavier University is all set to orchestrate the 9th edition of Rural marketing Fair- “GRAMOTSAVA”. It is one of the biggest marketing extravaganzas in the B-school circuit, this year being organized from 16th to 18th October 2014. The 3-day fair is organised by the RMAX, the Rural Managers’ Association of XIMB.

Gramotsava, being one of the flagship events of RMAX, is organized every year in the Haats of rural Odisha witnessing a thousand footfalls for a span of three days. This event has proven to be an excellent platform for leading organizations from different sectors to market their products and services. It helps understand the rural market dynamics and the behavior of rural consumer in Odisha as such. It helps in exploring the business opportunities lying in the “Utkala bhoomi”.

Some of the participating companies are TAFE, Spring Health, Shailija Organics, HUL, Mahindra and Mahindra, Piaggio, Britannia, Everest, Hero Moto Corp, ITC, Godrej Agrovet, Cavin Kare, Paradeep Phosphates Ltd, Cholayil Group, Lotte Group, LIC, ICICI Lombard and the UNICEF.

When: 16-18th October, 2014
Where: Rural Haats of Gope (Puri) and Kalapatthar (Khurda)

2. X-Athon 14 (Bhubaneshwar)

Waking up early is now just a monotone routine. The serious formals, the daily sheet, the annual reports greet us at 9am work. The clicks of heels and vapour of expresso starts our day. We got no time to pause or breathe in the greenery.

But on this 19th October, the Xavier Institute of Managment, Bhubaneswar brings you all X-Athon. Grab on your ipods, plug in your earphones, get your energy drink and prepare to run. Don’t run to compete rather do so to beat the odds. Run for your health. Run for your heart.And more importantly run to bring smiles on a few faces.

All money raised from the event will go to “Smile Foundation”.
Registrations open at http://eventdesk.in/EventInfo.aspx?eventId=123
Visit their website for more details.

When: October 19th
Where: XIMB, Bhubneshwar

3. Sale of Art for Akanksha at Happy Feet Home (Mumbai)

Happy Feet Home is hosting a sale of Art for Akanksha’s latest festive collection. Art for Akanksha empowers children from low-income communities with a powerful art education, provides art-related career opportunities for Akanksha alumni and generates revenue through high-quality products. These products are on sale at Happy Feet Home. Do come and shop for a cause!!

When: October 18th, 11:30 am to 6 pm
Where: Happy Feet Home, C/o Shivaji Sherkhane, 13/A/3 Sindhi Colony, New Sion Co-Op Society, Opp Old SIES College, Sion (W), Mumbai – 22

3. Free Facial Deformity Camp (Bangalore)

Trinity Care Foundation is conducting this camp for identifying Needy and Poor { Children and Young Adults } with Facial Deformities and Providing them Surgical Treatments Free of Cost at Mallige Medical Centre.

The Type of Facial Deformities are :
1. Cleft Lip,
2. Cleft Palate,
3. Nose Deformity due to Cleft,
4. TMJ Ankylosis,
5. Ear Deformity,
6. Facial Tumours
7. Any other Facial Deformities

To know more check out their event page.

When: October 18-19
Where: Mallige Medical Centre, 31/32, Crescent Road, Bangalore, India 560001

4. Captive elephants care and their moving plight: Conservation Express Talk and Panel Discussion (Bangalore)

Culminating the day long events of Conservation Express is a talk by Ms. Suparna Bakshi Ganguly on ‘ Care for captive Elephants’ in Bangalore.

Ms. Ganguly is the Co-Founder and President of Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), Bangalore, India, and Co-Founder Trustee and President of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC), Member, 2010 National Task Force on Wild & Captive Elephants, and Member of the subcommittee constituted by the Central Zoo Authority of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests, for inspection of zoo and circus elephants in 2011.

This would be followed by a panel discussion and interaction with Ms. Suparna Ganguly , Mr. Surendra Varma and Mr. Selva Prakash. To know full details check out their event page.

When: October 18th
Where: Atta Galatta- #134, KHB Colony, 5th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore, 560095.

5. Participation (Kolkata)

At Belabahal, they are running different activities so that the local children and youths will be fitted in mainstream society. Join hand with them to make it so. Check out this space to know more.

When: October 18
Where: Turnstone Global Suite#F-1,Om Tower, 36C , B.T. Road, Calcutta, 700002

6. ‘Criss-Cross’ – A story exhibit of lives of Rana Tharu Women (Delhi)

In the past few months, a cluster of 50 women engaged in a series of active discussions, by participation in workshops and worked with the fellows, to design, visualize and create their own sustainable brand of products – “Rana Grass Product”. “Criss-X-Cross” – a result of this initiative, will showcase an array of Grass-woven products and will offer a sneak peek into the lives of the Tharus.

When: October 17th, 11 am to 7 pm
Where: Lokmanya Art Gallery in Hauz Khas Village.

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A positive movement that provides a platform to changemakers to showcase their work and also connects them to like-minded people, SoCh is changing one city at a time. From bringing people together to helping them expand their reach, SoCh covers many grounds. Bhavana Nissima shares with us her experience of the community driven initiative in Hyderabad.

The Better India website brings together stories that restore our faith in humankind, uplift our spirits when cynicism dwells heavy, awaken empathy, string us back to the community of sharing, of friendship. From these stories emerge new connections, new meanders, new possibilities for joy, for self and all.

Just like The Better India, but on a face-to-face level, is a movement in Hyderabad that brings together people and organizations to tell the story of good, of love and of giving. Yes, they prefer to call the idea a movement and not an organization. And the movement is called SoCh.

SoCH calls itself a movement and not an organization.

What does SoCh do?

Biannually, they conduct a SoCh event where social changemakers in the city of Hyderabad tell the story of their work, who they have affected, and how they did so. At the end of the event, you become silent in respect, and then join in to applaud the positive spirits in this city. So far they have conducted three such events and the fourth will be held on November 1st this year.

SoCh organizes events to showcase efforts of changemakers and how they changed the lives of many.

Who is behind SoCh? A group of individuals from various walks of life—Subhorup Dasgupta (social media consultant), Madhavi Dasgupta (medical transcriptionist), Nivedita (owner, Nivasini Publishers), Raj (software engineer) and Asrar (HR head). This is what they say:

“We accept without judgement, the inability or unwillingness of those entrusted with social improvement to translate their mandate into effective action. We believe social change has to be organic and cannot be thrust on a people. We believe that the individual contains the multitudes and that all it takes is one individual to initiate the process of change. We believe in the collective wisdom and power of a people to determine and implement what is best for them. We believe that all we need is love, and the willingness to express that love through tangible action.”

Who are the changemakers presented so far?

To name some: Thodu-Needa – an organization that assists senior citizens seeking companionship; Adhya Educational Society – an academy that improves and supports educational experience for students from socio-economically challenged and disadvantaged conditions; Our Sacred Space – a community arts space for preserving and encouraging traditional art forms (find The Better India article on them here); Society to Save Rocks—a group committed to preserving the ancient granite rock formations in the city (find The Better India article on this group here) ; Anju Khemani who works with the hearing impaired in the community; Chandrasekhar on how he teaches photography for the visually impaired; Amit Deshwal with Centre for Learning (that he sometimes calls as Centre for Unlearning); Autism Society of Andhra Pradesh; Satya Harishchandra Foundation (which cremates unidentified and unclaimed bodies); Aahaar Kuteer (a restaurant that serves millet-based meals to raise money for its NGO, Arpan Trust) and many others. You can visit their Facebook page for info on all changemakers presented at SoCh so far.

SoCh events accord the opportunity for social changemakers to showcase their work before like-minded individuals. Many of these changemakers work anonymously. Some work against resistance. Some work despite lack of resources or funds. These events give them visibility and the audience inspiration and perhaps new directions. These events often get promoted on mainstream media which increases the spiral of support to social change work within the city.

But is that all that happens?

No. SoCh creates a momentum where folks begin to intersect their skills. For example, Nivasini Publishers are bringing out a booklet later this year that will provide easy-to read material on topics like Autism, written by local social changemakers. Adhya Educational Society supported Our Sacred Space children’s summer workshop this year. Our Sacred Space dancers performed to raise awareness and in support of Society to Save Rocks. All these interconnections bring about a community that is vibrant, positive and hopeful.

And yes, folks at SoCh welcome people in any city to start SoCh events, to catalyse the Better India, once city, one town at a time. Please let them know so they can promote the same on their page.

- Bhavana Nissima

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1. Dharamshala International Film Festival

Dharamshala International Film Festival is a non-profit venture presented by White Crane Arts & Media, a trust set up by long-term Dharamshala residents and internationally renowned filmmakers, Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, to promote contemporary art, cinema and independent media practices in the Himalayan region.

The festival is showcasing the best of recent Indian and international cinema and creating an intimate forum where filmmakers and film-lovers can interact in an informal and meaningful way. For more details, check out their website and facebook page. You can also get in touch with Black Swan Journeys for customized tours.

When: 30 October – 2 November, 2014
Where: DIFF House, Across Norbulingka Institute, Dharmshala (Dharamshala), HP – 176057

2. Connecting Change makers and Thought leaders – Secundrabad

A positive movement that provides a platform to changemakers to showcase their work and also connects them to like-minded people, SoCh is changing one city at a time. From bringing people together to helping them expand their reach, SoCh covers many grounds. Read more about their work here.

The team is back with the fourth edition of SoCh and, as usual, they are really excited about the speakers and performances that will be part of it. Sneak previews will be leaked regularly on this event page.

When: Nov 1 – 5pm to 8pm
Where: 9-1-84/1/A/1 Sardar Patel Road, Ring Road, next to Orchids Florist, Secunderabad

3. Indian folk painting exhibition – Mumbai

Jehangir Art Gallery has on display paintings by artist CD Mistry. The Ahmedabad-based artist is known for folk motifs in his works. He has served as a lecturer and principal of Sheth CN College of Fine Arts, Ahmedabad and has been a member of the jury of Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi. Know more about this event here.

When: Oct 27 – Nov 1
Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Colaba, Mumbai – 400001

4. Puppet Show: BhaamaKalaapam – Exalting Satyabhaama – Bangalore

PutthaliBimba live puppet theatre troupe presents “BhaamaKalaapam – Exalting Satyabhaama”, an adaptation of the evergreen classic Kuchipudi interlude to the ancient Vijayanagara Temples and Mysore court.
• Wood-and-Rod puppets with live Nattuvangam and live Classical Music ensemble .
• Original “puppet dance” choreography with classic dance Jatis by puppets!
• Handcarved puppets creation and story-narrative by Deepika Dorai with music support by proven performing classical musicians.

When: 01 Nov 2014, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: Bimba-The Art Ashram #42, Ratnavilas Road, Basavanagudi

Call Deepak 08041489354/26622639 for more details.

5. Kadak Badshahi- Ahmedabad

Directed By: Mallika Sarabhai, Yadavan Chandran and Nisarg Trivedi
Cast: Mallika Sarabhai, Raju Bharot, Amit Ambalal and Nisarg Trivedi

Kadak Badshahi is a play about the evolution of Ahmedabad city and outlines the major stories of the making of this city. Right from Sir Barrow Herbert Ellis Bridge, also called the Lakadiya pul, role of martyr Saduba to the famous Kankaria lake; the play tells the story of their importance in making the city called Amdavad for the rest of the world.

When: From Friday, Oct 31 till Sunday, Nov 09, 2014
Where: Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, Usmanpura, Ahmedabad – 380013

6. INK Live – Mumbai

INK Live is a unique and stimulating experience to witness a real-time telecast of the INK conference live and uncut.
The experience is designed for students and young professionals, and is very affordable. The event hosts interactive workshops, speaker interactions, inspiring and engaging discussions, and other fun-filled learning activities with peers. For speaker interactions, selected speakers are brought to the INK Live venue for face-to-face interaction with the attendees. Know more about the event here.

When: October 31 – November 2
Where: ASB (American School Of Bombay), BKC, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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1. XIMB Xpressions – Bhubneshwar

The annual management fest of Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar is an event that plans to reach out to the best minds in business schools to test their business acumen as well as their zest for life. It is a three day event packed with business simulation games, paper presentations, quizzes, case studies, cultural activities, fun field games and much more.

X-Pallavan

In an attempt to do whatever we can to save our Mother Earth, Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar has started X-Pallavan as an initiative towards a greener society.

Xansad

Xansad is the perfect platform for our future leaders to come together and brainstorm over some of the most critical issues of the world. To be held on the morning of 7th November, XANSAD promises to be a spectacle, engaging participants in intellectually stimulating debates from across a spectrum of social, political, educational and economic issues plaguing the country and the world.

Spardha

Spardha is a social entrepreneurship competition by Rural Managers’ Association of XIMB (RMAX). Spardha tests the social entrepreneurship quotient of participants through a series of stages encompassing sectors which influence the rural scenario of India. Spardha does not stop at just being the competition and aims at generating ideas, concepts and policy suggestions by participants which can be put to use in real time to develop the rural and rurban(rural plus urban) India.

Aaghaz

In an attempt to keep street plays live, XIMB organizes ‘Aaghaz-the street play competition’. The main aim of this form of art is to reach out to the common man and the mass audience to convey some message of social importance. The theme for this year is “Metamorphosis”: Change in Perception of Freedom.

Prayag

This year Xpressions will host a new event, Prayaag exclusively for the esteemed faculty and alumni of Xavier Institute of Management. The event will stage performers from Ability Unlimited Foundation whose talent is unique and internationally renowned.

Where: XIMB Bhubneshwar
When: 7th to 9th of November, 2014

Check out their website for more details.

2. A Musical On Climate Change – Bengaluru

Bangalore Little Theatre’s annual children production returns the 8th time around! This year’s theatre production is unusual (and very special) in many ways. “Our Iceberg Is Melting” is an original script based on a well-known book by an internationally renowned management expert with the challenge of Climate Change as the backdrop. The characters in the play are penguins in Antarctica!

Where: Various venues across the city
When: Nov 14th, 7:00pm and Nov 15th 11 am and 7 pm (at ADA Rangamandira, J.C Road, Bengaluru) and many more shows

Check their facebook page for more details or contact them: amcblt.play@gmail.com / info@bangalorelittletheare.org

3. Unconvention|L – Bengaluru

Villgro presents Unconvention|L Bengaluru, an event where you will have the opportunity to hear the inspiring stories of successful social entrepreneurs, network with sector leaders, and connect to a larger eco-system of support and opportunities. It is part of Unconvention|L, a national series of events organised by Villgro, a leading social enterprise incubator, designed to inspire budding local social entrepreneurs and nurture a social enterprise movement across India. Check out this space for more details.

Where: Dell Inc, 12/1, 12/2A, 13/1A, Divyasree Greens , Koramangala Inner Ring Road, Challaghatta, Varthur Hobli Dell Office Building, Bangalore.
When: 8th November, 1:30 pm to 6 pm

4. Dastangoi: In support of Kashmir – Delhi

Dastangos Mahmood Farooqui & Darain Shahidi will perform the Partition dastaan. The entire proceeds from this performance will go to those affected by the recent floods in Jammu & Kashmir, via the Huzaifah Lanker Trust.
Check out their event page for more details.

Where: The Amphitheatre, Sanskriti Kendra, Anandagram, M G Road, Delhi
When: November 7 at 6 pm

5. The Mumbai Conference – Mumbai

The Mumbai Conference is a Model United Nations Conference organised by ‘The Think Tank’ that aims to improve the standard of Model UN. It is an attempt to re-instate the quality of debate in the current model UN circuit. Check out their website for more details.

Where: World Trade Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra
When: Nov 7 to Nov 9, 2014

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Ever wondered what “inclusion” is? Is it accepting things which you are not too comfortable with? Or is it being open to “different” people, cultures and traditions. Here are five takes on what inclusion means to these five individuals and five questions you should ask yourself.

1. Would you learn sign language for a friend who couldn’t speak and hear?

A few months back, I was asked by one of my friends to help with a photo shoot for her dance company in a rural setting. We went to a small village on the outskirts of Bangalore and that’s where I met these three lovely, enthusiastic kids who followed me all around. I spent some time with this playful bunch, and learnt a beautiful thing about them. The little boy in the middle has a hearing impediment and so his friends learnt the sign language to be able to communicate with him. The other two attend school and come back to teach him the alphabet and basic English words in sign language. They told me that they do it because he is their dear friend and they do not want him to miss any chance in life. I was thrilled to learn about their passion of supporting each other despite all odds.

Inclusion means many things for many people. For me, the half hour spent with these kids taught me about ‘Inclusion’ better than anything else.

What is your idea of Inclusion?

2. Would you make your voice heard if you are denied your basic rights?

“Government keeps crunching numbers and policies year after year. But where are the disabled children in schools and where are the opportunities for them? What purpose do the policies serve if children with special needs are still forced to stay devoid of education? Not getting education is not my fault, it is the society’s fault.

You know how unless a baby cries, the mother cannot find out if she needs something? I have come to realize that it is very important to express. To ask. To demand. It is important to make others aware of our needs. I was invited as chief guest for a Disability Day celebration and to my horror I found that there was no ramp for me to move up the stage. Just imagine, a venue for Disability Day which is inaccessible itself! I simply refused to go up the stage until the secretary personally ensured that the place was made accessible for the disabled. One has to ensure that their voice does not fall on deaf ears. The key is to be assertive, not aggressive.”

-Dr. Sruti Mohapatra

3. Would you let a person with disability make his/her own place in the world and not treat them ‘differently’?

Ruchir epitomizes optimism. Lacking in vision but not in his attitude towards life, he has steered his life through accomplishments that most of us consider unattainable. He insisted on dropping out of the ‘special school’ that his parents initially enrolled him in, and convinced them to put him in a regular school with others. After completing his BCA, he went on to crack the highly competitive CAT exam and made his way into Alliance University for MBA. An exciting opportunity to work as a brand manager with a leading jewellery design company brought him to Bangalore, where he lives on his own.

Described as a go-getter by his friends and family, Ruchir strongly advocates the need for people with different abilities to take the initiative in building an inclusive society. He finds it more pertinent that they face their challenges, find out solutions and break the barriers to establish their own place in the world, instead of expecting the society to treat them ‘differently’. Technology plays a great role there. With smartphones and tablets today, it is easier to access information and to meet others.

While I was chatting with him, Ruchir showed me how he reads the daily newspaper from his phone’s scanner and watches Bollywood movies through visual narration tracks.

Meet Ruchir Falodiya, a rockstar who has turned his disability into a super power.

4. Would you take your child’s ‘different’ behaviour seriously and accept the harsh reality?

“I was born with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autistic children show different kind of symptoms, which are mostly misinterpreted by others. My teacher took my hyper activeness and inhibition to speak up as my naughtiness and would often reprimand me for that. It was my mother who observed my behavioral patterns and understood that I needed help. She made me undergo therapy and encouraged me to overcome my challenges.

I love to read a lot. There is no novel by Dan Brown that I haven’t read. I also like mathematics. I am great with numbers and arithmetic. So I decided to do B Com after school. I know statistics, accounting and many more things and now I have joined a multinational company. All this would not have been possible without the constant support from my mother. She is my mentor and my best friend. She also runs a therapy centre for about 20 children with Autism. I help her with the classes and also take care of the finances and other logistics. She calls me her special advisor.”

– Rohan Athreya

5. Would you be able to consider life on a wheelchair to be as simple as wearing spectacles?

.”After a spinal injury on a road accident 14 years ago, I landed on a wheel chair. With the hope that it is all going to be easy, starting a new way of living wasn’t difficult. I have been working as SAP Programmer for the past 10 years. With a good job in hand and with all that I need to live an independent life, I’m managing to live my life much better than what it used to be without a wheelchair. I love going on long drives in my car and the recent one was the trip from Bangalore to Hyderabad and from there to Pondicherry (my home town) and then back to Bangalore.

When we find it difficult to read books and newspapers, we use spectacles; similarly, since I cannot walk, I use a wheel chair. It makes it all easy for me (and people like me) if everyone understands the concept of inclusiveness in this simple way. Life is good and it is all in the way you take it.”

– Robert George

This photo story has been compiled by Geetanjali Kaur, a volunteer for the India Inclusion Summit.

The India Inclusion Summit 2014 is being organized on the 28th and 29th November, 2014 at the Park Plaza Hotel, Bangalore. Check out their website for more details and to register.

1. World Diabetes Day Walkathon 2014 – Kolkata

Organized by RSSDI WB Chapter, this is the oldest and probably the largest walkathon to be held on occasion of WDD in Kolkata. Here are the programme details-
Flag off : 09:00 am. Termination : Command Hospital, Alipore. Patients, school children, industry personnel, physicians, members of many NGO expected to join.

When: Friday, November 14, 8:00 am
Where: Victoria Memorial, 1, Queen’s Way, Kolkata.

2. Dastkar Nature Bazaar – Delhi

Dastkar Nature Bazaar 2014 is all set to showcase more than 120 crafts groups from around the country. The theme of this years fair is Cow. So you can find on display lots of products associated with the cow like herbal and natural beauty products, Kutchi copper-coated bells, Eri silk textiles dyed with cow dung from Assam, and innovative depictions of the Mother Cow in varied crafts.

When: From Thursday, Nov 06 till Monday, Nov 17, 2014
Where: Kisan Haat, Anuvrat Marg, Andheria Mor, Chattarpur Delhi

3. Workshop: Violence Against Children – Bangalore

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M S Ramaiah Medical College and Hospitals, is organising a one-day workshop on 19th Nov from 10 30 am onwards to focus on the issue of violence against children, esp in the background of recent assaults on kids in Bangalore schools. School Managements, teachers, NGOs working on childrens issues, police personnel, forensic experts, psychiatrists will be the participants.
For more details and registration please contact, Dr.Chandrika Rao, Head of Paediatrics Dept, Cell No 9980915125, only through SMS

When: November 19, 10:30 am to 4 pm
Where: MS Ramaiah College, Bangalore.

4. Prithvi Theatre Festival – Mumbai

The annual celebration of the theatre fraternity that is held at Prithvi Theatre was started in the year 1983. This year you can expect fresh set of plays, live music, stage acts by budding actors and a larger than life indoor circus. Stage Talk at Prithvi features eminent theatre personalities such as Om Puri, Shernaz Patel, Kumud Mishra, Rohini Hattangadi, Paresh Rawal.

When: From Wednesday, Nov 05 till Sunday, Nov 16, 2014
Where: 20, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu Mumbai

5. Sambhav 2014 – Delhi

The festival is planned to celebrate and show case holistic development and inclusive growth of artists with disability in the society. It is planned to be a unique demonstration of the ‘will to succeed’ irrespective of the region and culture they belong. It is an attempt to establish global synergy for serving the humankind. For more details, check out their website.

When: November 14, 15 and 16, 2014
Where: India International Centre, New Delhi.

Want to include your event in the list? Write to us at- contact@thebetterindia.com

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1. Zero Budget Natural Farming workshop – Mysore

Popularly known as Krish ka Rishi, Subhash Palekar is in Mysore and it is a wonderful opportunity to learn it from the man himself a technique that has shown success with over 4 lakh farmers. Know more about the event here.

What is Zero Budget Spiritual Farming? Check out this link to know all about it-

http://palekarzerobudgetspiritualfarming.org/zbnf.aspx

To get a feel about what this workshop is like, do check this 4-part series on YouTube –

When: 19th Nov to 23rd Nov
Where: Kalamandir Auditorium, Mysore.

2. Bangalore Street Fair – Bangalore

Kid’s Directory and Apple of my I, a popular children’s store in Bangalore, bring you a one-of-a-kind STREET FAIR held on 12th A Main, Indiranagar Bangalore. There will be food stalls featuring Indian/International cuisines, clothing, games, local street attractions like tattoo art, pottery making, Mehndi and kid-friendly and adult-related activities.

When: Sunday, November 23rd.
Where: Indiranagar, 12th A main, Bangalore.

3. Peaceful Protest: Save Tribal Land of Manipur –  New Delhi

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The govt. of Manipur is trying to acquire 3000 acres of land at Haolenphai village near the border township of Moreh. The govt. is in the process of taking this land without the consent of the villagers and the tribal community.

In order to show their grievance to the govt. and urging to speed up the process of revoking the smart city plan in Haolenphai, TSA-D & NCR and Save Tribal Land group is jointly organising a protest on 22nd Nov, 2014 at Jantar Mantar. As this is a tribal issue they are earnestly inviting every tribal community in Manipur to support and participate in the protest. Know more about the even here.

When: November 22, Saturday, 2 pm to 4 pm
Where: Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

4. From Exclusion to Empowerment: The Role of Information and Communication Technologies for Persons with Disabilities – New Delhi

The major objective of the event is to promote the human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities and to encourage all stakeholders to take concrete measures for the empowerment of persons with disabilities through the effective application of ICTs. Know more about the event here.

When: Monday, 24 November 2014 – 9:00am to Wednesday, 26 November 2014 – 6:00pm
Where: New Delhi

5. Dusk to Dawn Chennai Marathon 2014 – Chennai

Each of us has the power to renew lives by pledging to donate organs, and it is this very noble thought which is the start-point for the ‘Dusk to Dawn Chennai Marathon 2014′. It is an initiative to create awareness among people about liver diseases, liver wellness and Organ Donation. Do join hands at Island Grounds on 22nd November 2014 and show that you care! Know more about the event here.

When: November 22, 10pm
Where: Island grounds, Chennai

Want to include your event in the list? Write to us at – contact@thebetterindia.com

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1. India Inclusion Summit – Bangalore

India Inclusion Summit is a community driven initiative that brings together thought leaders from the field of inclusion to deliberate, discuss and take forward diverse talents available in our society. The Summit is an egalitarian platform attracting people from a range of fields.

They aspire to create the world’s largest platform that fosters diversity and inclusion in the society. And, dream to inspire 10 million lives in their journey of inclusion by 2020. It is an inspirational platform that brings awareness and drives inclusion of specially-abled people at Corporates, Schools, Policy making bodies, NGO’s and Parent Associations. This summit has been conceptualized to drive inclusiveness everywhere and it’s a free summit to participate in. Click here to know more details about the event.

Watch Naseeruddin Shah perform a live act at the charity dinner on 28th November, followed by many speakers of repute including Shah, Navin Gulia, Diwakar Sharma, Temple Grandin, Sudha Menon, Bharat Dhabolkar and more at the Summit on 29th.

When: November 28-29
Where: Park Plaza Hotel, Bangalore.

2. Celebrating Differences – Pune

A Dance Ensemble and the launch of our Book of Short Stories. While many schools are now welcoming inclusive education and catering to children with different needs, Ekansh Trust finds that sensitization is necessary. Their story book seeks to reach out to children who share these inclusive learning spaces and help them bond better and celebrate differences. Check out their event page for more details.

When: Dec 3, 6 pm
Where: Nehru Memorial Hall, Sadhu Vaswani Rd, Modi Colony, Pune, Maharashtra

3. Art Abled – Bangalore

As a part of their continued efforts to create a platform for people with disabilities, GiftAbled in association with Cheshire Disability Trust is organising ArtAbled to mark World Disability Day. ArtAbled is a platform for artists with disabilities to showcase their talent and art in the form of paintings, music, dance or products which are made by them for their livelihood. ArtAbled also includes special sessions on Assistive Devices, Corporate Inclusiveness Environment and Interactions with persons with various disabilities. During ArtAbled, the team will also be fulfilling the needs of a few persons with disabilities through their ‘Wall of Hope- Needs not wishes’. Visit their event page for more details.

When: Dec 3 to Dec 7
Where: Cheshire Disability Trust, National Livelihood Resource Center, 34, 6th Main, HAL 2nd stage, Old Airport Road, Bangalore.

4. Hyderabad 10k Run – Hyderabad

The Hyderabad 10K Run Foundation is a Not for Profit Organization registered under the Indian Trusts Act. The Hyderabad 10K Foundation has been established with an objective of promoting Health, Fitness and Sports. The Foundation uses its funds for the causes 10 Km Running race Hyderabad Heritage Marathon Go! 5K Women’s Run School Sports & Athletics. Check their events page for more details.

When: November 30th, 5:00 am to 9:30 am
Where: Necklace Road, Hyderabad

5. Re-valuing menstruation – because Life depends on it! – Chennai

Goli Soda & Eco Femme present ‘Re-valuing Menstruation – because Life depends on it!’

Learn More About:
a. Environmental and health impact of sanitary waste (what’s in a pad?)
b. Alternative menstrual products and care
c. “Ad-versity” of media messaging around sanitary products and what this communicates to women

When: November 28th, 2014
Where: Ashvita Nirvana, #33, 5th Avenue, Besant Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Want to include your event in the list? Contact us at- contact@thebetterindia.com

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1. Running For Ability – Chennai

A 160-member team will represent Running For Ability on December 7, 2014 at The Wipro Chennai Marathon. Running For Ability is an initiative of The Spinal Foundation. The focus is to raise awareness of quality life after a spinal cord injury,  spread knowledge about the ability latent in physically challenged persons, and highlight the importance of sports. The team includes 58 physically challenged persons who would be doing 850 kilometers without assistance.

Five of the physically challenged are doing the full marathon (42.2 kilometers) and nine are doing the half marathon (21.1 kilometers). The rest would be doing 10 kilometers each. The Spinal Foundation is Pan-India self-help group for persons with Spinal Cord Injury also representing all major NGOs & individuals working for this cause across the country.

A spinal cord injury, at one stroke, imposes multiple physical challenges such as loss of sensation, ability to walk, use hands, bladder control, bowel control, ability to procreate and manage body temperature, apart from high costs of rehabilitation, ongoing high living expenses for a lifetime, and acute psychological stress. Conservative estimates place the number of spinal cord injured in India at about two lakh persons with 10,000 new cases added every year.

As part of its Awareness Programs, The Spinal Foundation has Running For Ability, a platform for spinal cord injured and other physically challenged persons to participate in marathon events. Our first event was The Wipro Chennai Marathon, which started in 2012, and has become the marque running event in Chennai.

In 2012 and 2013, they put together a team of physically challenged – 2 and 8 respectively in the two years – supported by doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists from Christian Medical College, Vellore who do outstanding lives changing work on a daily basis. They had 38 and 63 runners respectively.

In 2014, their effort, now a part of The Spinal Foundation, takes a major leap with 58 physically challenged – 28 with spinal cord injury, six who are impaired by polio, nine hearing challenged and 15 amputees. The Challenging Ones – a self-help group for amputees and WORTH Trust, which recently celebrated completion of 50 years, are co-partners in the initiative.

They have a group of 85 therapists / doctors / students of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy from Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, who do outstanding service daily in restoring lives of persons affected by brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, stroke and children with special needs.

The collective distance by the 160-member team would be about 2250 kilometers. They have a band of dedicated about 15 Chennai Volunteers who provide encouragement and support. They hope to increase the number of physically challenged persons further in the years ahead. Check out this page for more details.

When: 7th Dec
Where: Wipro, Chennai

2. Bangalore Theatre League – Bangalore

Foremost Forever, which is focused on women empowerment through art, is partnering with TEA Arts and DURGA this year to bring the Bangalore Theatre League across colleges and corporate in Bangalore, on the theme of women empowerment and women safety.

The event involves teams putting together short films, plays, creative writing, painting/photography and radio theatre with the short-listed entries being screened at the below mentioned venue and show times.

The event not only brings a celebration of women to the wider audience but also helps connect the next generation with the cause that’s so integral to Foremost Forever.

When: 7th Dec and 14th Dec, 4pm and 7pm (2 shows each, on both days)
Where: Rangasthala Auditorium, MG Road

Know more on the event here.

3. World Soil Day – Mumbai

World Soil Day celebrates the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to the human commonwealth through its contribution to food, water and energy security and as a mitigator of biodiversity loss and climate change. Be part of this global event and educate the farmers and all stake holders to care for the soil. “Nanozim”- Securing healthy & beneficial Soil for a Food Secure World! Be part of a pan India celebration of World Soil Day and Jaago Re Kisan Campaign of InGene Organics.

When: 5th Dec
Where: Poonam Chambers, Worli, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Check out this page for more details.

4. The Gender Issue as part of Pix – Photography Exhibition – Kolkata

The exhibition featuring 13 artists will include a brief presentation by Tanvi Mishra on the PIX: Gender Issue followed by a panel discussion on Is Photography Stranger than Fiction?
Moderated by Philippe Calia, discussion will include Arko Dutto, Zishaan Akbar Latif and Ronny Sen as panelists.

When:  From 18th Nov to 7th Dec
Where:  Seagull Foundation for the Arts, 36C, S.P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata

Know more about the even here.

5. Pet-a-Thon – Bangalore

The Pet-a-Thon is about animal causes. Express your love to the animals & voice your opinion against cruelty towards animals. Check out the event page for more details.

When: 7th Dec
Where: Petstepin, # 38, Rustam Bagh, Behind Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road, Bangalore

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