New Delhi: Several groups and civil society organisations have come together to bring out the People's Manifesto with an objective to engage people in setting up the agenda for the country for next five years.The exercise is being presently carried out in 365 out of 547 parliamentary constituencies spread over 27 States and two Union Territories.

By far, a total of 230,943 people have participated in the process of drawing up a set of demands to be included in the manifestos through public consultations and hearings organised in 100 constituencies from eight states - Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, etc.

Some of the constituencies where the exercise was taken up included Rae Bareilly, Chapra, Lucknow, Vaishali, Hajipur and Dausa represented by the Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Minister for Rural Development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Dalit leader and former Minister Ramvilas Paswan and young Congress MP Sachin Pilot respectively.

National Centre for Advocacy Studies and WNTA convener Amitabh Behar said: "This effort aims to inspire people to engage with the national elections as an opportunity not only to cast their vote, but also shape the future that they want for themselves and for the country."

Lysa John from WNTA pointed out that the demands were reflective of the baseline of poverty and as basic as hand pumps, edible oil, sugar, electrification, housing for dalit and other vulnerable social groups, etc.( OWSA).

Charter of the People 2009.

The Centre for Legislative Researchand Advocacy (CLRA), in consultation with civil society organisations from across India, has prepared the Charter of the People 2009-- a 20-point development plan for India.

Executive Director of CLRA Vinod Bhanu explained the rationale for the need for such a charter: "It is an attempt to help bridge the gap between people and the political parties and highlight the issues of human development that need to be urgently addressed, he asserted.

The Charter recommends that urgent steps be taken to eradicate poverty and hunger. The other demands include smooth passage for the Right to Education Bill; comprehensive laws to deal with sexual harassment of children; combating HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases; police, prison and judicial reforms; increased budgetary allocation for health and education; and proper mitigation measures for climate change.

These 100 local manifestos have already been given to the heads of all major political parties. The All India People's Manifesto will also go online "through an integrated framework of web tools aimed at mobilising youth and netizens to voice their demands via video, SMS and a host of other social networking sites."

Lucknow: The democratic process may finally find expression politically if the newly constituted forum of social activists taking up people's causes has its way.

Called the People's Politics Front (Lok Rajniti Manch), it held its first national convention at Lucknow at the Ganga Prasad Memorial Hall in Aminabad. The convention saw a huge turn out of supporters from UP and its surrounding states including Kushinagar, Agra, Hardoi, Sitapur, Sultanpur, Faizabad, and even Samaspur Bihar and New Delhi. The Lok Rajniti Manch was formed recently to provide a pro-people clean alternative to the dominant money and muscle power oriented politics has Kuldip Nayar, Rajinder Sachar, Medha Patkar, Aruna Roy, Prashant Bhushan, Banwari Lal Sharma, Brahma Dev Sharma, Swami Agnivesh, Yogendra Yadav, Ravi Kiran Jain, Samsher Singh Bhisht, etc. associated with it. Its first national convention was held in Lucknow on Mar. 5/6 and the Lucknow unit of the Manch formally launched with a people's campaign for voter awareness and to discuss support to possible candidates.

Mooted by well known columnist Kuldip Nayar, People's Politics Front has been formed to build a political alternative in the country so that people's issues can be brought to center-stage.

Says Nayar, "The aim is to bring organizations working for people's causes at grass root levels under one forum. The vision I have for PPF is to see it take the shape the Green Party did in Europe. There is so much that is not right with the political scene in the country today so the effort of PPF will be to expose the dominant model of mainstream political parties which rely on muscle power, money power and unscrupulous ways for winning elections so that this practice can be rejected. We don't have a symbol or a flag but our presence will be felt and soon."

But while the PPF will participate in the electoral process their involvement will be just that of a supporting hand to contestants wanting to fight the elections. This will be done by fielding candidates from the masses itself.

Explains Dr Sandeep Pandey, Magsaysay Awardee and a well known social activist, "We will provide a platform to local leadership who have earned the love and trust of the people by taking up their causes. If they wish to contest the elections PPF will support them in every way. Therefore instead of having a party president we will have a presidium which will reflect the people's views and choices. Today those who call themselves `daliton ka neta' have crores to spend on their b'day celebrations but don't bother about several thousands who are starving. This system will have to change and PPF can provide that forum for change."

A fact which most candidates who will be contesting from the platform being provided endorse. Like 28 year old Neel Kamal, a electoral candidate from Misrik Sitapur who is up against BSP's Ashok Rawat and BJP's Ram Prakash Rawat. But he is confident that he will be victorious as the issues he will pick up are people's problems."Mera koi muddaa nahin hai sirf logo ki awaaz ko uthana hai. I will voice their concerns, their pains and their problems and if they feel I am right they will support me."

Members of Project Vijay, a youth organization formed by students of Lucknow, Allahabad and Bundelkhand University as well as IITians , who have taken up cudgels against corruption and the corrupt are all for the PPF.

"The candidates who win will be representing PPF in the Rajya and Lok Sabha. They will have the support of activists like Medha Patkar, Aruna Rai, Rajendra Sacchar, Yogendra Yadav and many more who are members of PPF."

People's Politics Front has been formed to build a political alternative in the country so that people's issues can be brought to center-stage and the dominant model of mainstream political parties which rely on muscle power, money power and unscrupulous ways for winning elections can be rejected. Contact: Arvind Murti, 9839835032, Keshav Chand, 9839883518, SR Darapuri, 9415164845, Dr Sandeep Pandey / Arundhati Dhuru, Ph: 0522 2347365, M: 9415022772, email: ashaashram.

Under the joint banner of People's Action for Employment Guarantee (PAEG) and National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI), representatives from various political parties made presentations on their agenda prior to general elections in the country.

Highlighting on the state of urban employment, Roy expressed despair on the government's failure to fulfil its promise of employment guarantee scheme for the urban areas.

Jean Dreze, eminent economist and activist raised questions on the government's decisions to link minimum wages with consumer price index and freeze wages in states, in spite of the opposition from Rojgar Guarantee Parishad.

While the Congress party leader Dr. Sudharsana Nachiappan stated that his party would make efforts to take forward the employment guarantee scheme, the Bhartiya Janata Party's Prakash Javedekar said that judiciary and corporate sector need to be made more responsible.

He added that urban poverty should be dealt with a much more holistic approach.

Communist Party of India's D. Raja told that his party wants education, healthcare, housing and employment to be made fundamental rights.

All the party representatives were unanimous in their demand for increasing the number of workdays guaranteed under the NREGA and bringing corporate sector under the purview of the RTI.

The event ended with a hope that their demands would find space in the election manifestos of all major political parties and that the new government would ensure better credibility and transparency in governance.

Delhi: A "Jan Manch" on Employment Guarantee and the Right to Information was held in New Delhi on 21 March 2009, in anticipation of the Lok Sabha elections. Representatives of all political parties were invited to present their party's position on these two crucial issues, and to respond to public demands or queries. The event was convened under the joint banner of People's Action for Employment Guarantee (PAEG) and the National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI). A draft charter of basic demands on employment guarantee, and Right to Information was distributed .Contact janmanch09@gmail.com <janmanch09@gmail.com>

Jaago Re! One band, 5 cities, a million youth- All coming together for music with a difference to be the difference. Bangalore-based rock band, Thermal And A Quarter (TAAQ) in co-ordination withJanaagraha and Tata Tea played in cities all over India to tell young votes to "Shut up and vote." The "free" concerts were held on Mar.20 at Open Air Theatre, IIT Madrasi; Mar.23 at Presidency College - Kolkata; Mar.25 at Pragati Maidan, - New Delhi; 27th MARCH 7 pm D.Y.Patil College, Mumbai; 28th MARCH 7 pm St.Joseph's College of Commerce - Bangalore.

On International Women's Day a call to prioritize the women's agenda in their election manifestos - as outlined in the Women's Manifesto that has emerged through the first phase of the All India People's Manifesto initiative being co-ordinated across 27 States and 2 Union Territories by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan was made to all political parties.

Education for Girls enforced by law, enactment of the Women's Reservation Bill and the stronger implementation of the Domestic Violence Act are three key demands that have emerged recurrently in the Local Manifestos that have been released across 100 parliamentary constituencies so far, and with the involvement of more than 2.3 lakh people.

Equally significant are the range of measures that have been proposed to strengthen the economic role and participation of women : making the accordance of Farmer Status for women engaged in agriculture, the creation of assets for women a pre-requisite for all developmental programs and enforcing the equal participation of women not only as beneficiaries and as decision makers in the committees set up to oversee public programs.

The Women's Manifesto has emerged from the local level and therefore reflects the realities and expectations of the people of India. Collectively, the demands present a composite and completely do-able national agenda for women which no political party can afford to ignore.

United Nations Mar 3 (IPS) - After being blind for years to the needs and rights of women, the United Nations is finally well on its way to create a "fully-resourced" women's agency, says Stephen Lewis, the former U.N. Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. A long-time vocal advocate for women's rights, Lewis helped promote the creation of a billion-dollar gender institution, saying it is reasonable to ask for such an amount considering that the agency will deal with issues affecting half of the world's population, and that the funding is just a third of that given to the U.N.'s children's agency UNICEF and a quarter of the U.N.'s Development Fund's (UNDP) budget.

"We have an agency for children, we have an agency for health, we have an agency for sexual and reproductive rights, we've got agencies for all kinds of things, but not for women who need one, and I think the time has come," he told IPS correspondent Nergui Manalsuren.

The proposal calls for a new "gender architecture" , including the consolidation of three existing U.N. entities - the U.N. Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the U.N. Division for the Advancement of Women - under a single new U.N. agency. > March 06, 2009, Inter Press Service News Agency.

Responding to recent attacks against women in Bangalore -seven attacks in the last ten days, many individuals and organisations have come together to form FEARLESS KARNATAKA or Nirbhaya Karnataka to reclaim public spaces and promote safety for all.

In the wake of a series of attacks in Mangalore (the latest one was reported on February 24, 2009), women have been targeted in the name of morality, culture and "public decency". In Bangalore, the reasons for the attacks have been on similar lines - during the attacks, the girls were insulted for wearing jeans, sleeveless shirts and speaking English. We believe that the attacks in Bangalore then are a continuation of those that took place in Mangalore and coastal Karnataka regions - even though the identity of the attackers (and the organizations they belong to) could have differed. Team Maraa 080-4148-8264.

Women's groups in Bangalore submitted a Memorandum to the DPG , Karnataka in connection with the recent attacks against women in the name of 'culture' in Karnataka and particularly in Bangalore, asking him to take effective action to ensure safety and security to women on March 7.

On 8.03.09 evening women met in the neighbourhoods where these attacks took place, street theatre performances by Maraa were made in the Indiranagar, Ulsoor, (Jasmeen 9886840612 blanknoise@gmail.com), Vasanthnagar (Madhumita 9986067231 madhumita.rajan@gmail.com, Ratna 9886863343 ratnappender@gmail.com), Cunningham Road( Aarthi 9741496259 acarwilldo@yahoo.co.in);: CMH Road, Ekta 9880755875 forekta@gmail.com, Hemangini 9008644245 hemanginig@gmail.com), Rest House Road, Zainab Bawa 9945473641 bawazainab@gmail.com.

It was a celebration of the night, an affirmation of our right to move freely without threat and fear of violence, with performances, video projections, music and movement and a Blank Noise clothes exhibit to be launched at the venue, seeking to defy the notion that women "ask for it" by dressing in certain ways.--
Contact Alternative Law Forum Bangalore Phone 22868757/22865757.

The moral police hate love and love hate. Anjali Monteiro and K P Jayasankar provide answers to who needs moral policing, how much and why.

Mother India and her pristine, fragile 'Indian culture', all of which call for more and more policing. Here are some Frequently Unasked Questions (FUQs, no pun intended) about moral policing in India.

Question 1: Who needs policing?

Not impressionable young women and girls, but unimpressive young men and desperate old politicians who cannot handle the fact that people think. They want to manipulate people and some young men are malleable.

Question 2: What needs policing?

Everything, but particularly all sites and signs of 'modern' 'western' culture, from greeting cards to cell phones, from pubs to cyber cafes: moral panic always hovers over frontier technologies, behind the doors of the unknown. And those who are ignorant of these.

Why do we need policing?

The answer is simple: because 'Indian Culture' is fragile, over the last thousands of years It has survived.

What is 'Indian culture'?

Indian culture is as elusive as Indian food. -- the chilly first came to India with the Portuguese from South America not so long ago? And who defines it? Many of our 330 million Hindu Gods have spent the prime of their lives unclothed; Khajuraho and Konarak now badly need saffron fashion designers.

Why do the moral police indulge in policing?

To get attention... and our media play into their hands.

Question 6: Who gives the moral police the right to police?

When the captains of industry cosy up to a champion of ethnic cleansing, when a leading television news channel gives an award to a staunch defender of the politics of hate, one begins to understand how deep and pervasive the rot is.

The normalisation of hate politics, the selective amnesia of the middle class - all these add up to strengthening the power of the moral police.

Question 7: What of love in the time of moral policing?

The moral police hate love and love hate. While the militant ones are easy to spot, the 'soft' ones are insidious.

They begin to define the realm of the 'normal'. They censor our films, define dress codes, and make laws to control the Internet, all in the name of decency and order, of protecting the vulnerable and preventing social chaos.

While we must protest, firmly and loudly, against gross violations like Mangalore and Meerut, can we begin to speak fearlessly against the little everyday violations, the covert ways in which our spaces for love and freedom are encroached upon? And above all, we must never forget: Ayodhya and Mangalore are both manifestations of the same politics of hate and intolerance that we must resist till our last Valentine's Day.

(The authors are professors at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai)

Bangalore; The Karnataka State Unit of Lok Satta was launched on Feb.5 by Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, the National Coordinator for Lok Satta -- Mr. Surendra Srivastava, founder of the Maharashtra Chapter of Lok Satta Andolan was present. Tel : (080) 2228 1234, 2228 1800, Ajit Phadnis,Karnataka State Unit, Lok Satta Party ,Mobile No: 99015 04901.

Women's commission to probe assaults
The National Commission of Women has formed a committee to probe the assault on some young women in a Mangalore pub last week.

New Delhi: Terming it as a very unfortunate incident, the National Commission of Women (NCW) formed a 2-member committee -- a lawyer and a social activist-- to probe the assault on some young women by members of a self styled moral brigade in a pub in Mangalore last week.

"The commission is aghast at the kind of behaviour of the so called moral police with the young women in Mangalore. It was a very unfortunate incident, both illegal and not permissible. We have taken suo motu cognizance of the same," NCW Chairperson Girija Vyas said.

On Saturday, a group of 40 activists of the Sri Rama Sena barged into the pub Amnesia - The Lounge in Mangalore. They bashed up a group of young women and men, claiming the women were violating traditional Indian values. The girls were punched and their hair pulled by the self-styled moral brigade.The incident has invited sharp reactions from all quarters. The police have so far arrested 27 of the 40 member group, including Sena state Vice-president Prasad Attavara.

This report is release by the Ministry of Home Affairs and gives details of Contribution received by NGO's under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 1976.

1. Highest receiver of such contribution is Tamil Nadu Rs 2244 crs, Delhi Rs 2186crs and Andhra Pradesh Rs 1,211 crs.

2. When looked at city wise Chennai received highest contribution at Rs 928 crs, Mumbai Rs 891crs and Ranchi Rs 653 crs.

3. Largest donors are the USA Rs2971crs, Germany Rs 1650 crs and UK Rs 1425 crs.

4. List of foreign donors is topped by Misereor Postfech Germany Rs 1243 crs, World Vision International USA Rs 469 crs and Fundacion Vicente Ferrer Spain Rs 399 crs.

5. Ranchi Jesuits Ranchi Jharkhand received the highest contribution Rs 621 crs, followed by Sonthome Trust of Kalyan near Mumbai Rs 333 crs and Sovergein Order of Malta Delhi Rs 301 crs.

To know more read the report - http://www.mha. gov.in/fcra/ annual/ar2006- 07.pdf or see attached file.

Films:

Poison On The Platter
Dir. Ajay Kanchan
Prod. Mahesh Bhat
This documentary aims to spread the message on the harmful impact of GM foods on human health and environment. The combinations are bizarre - gene from pig in rice, from fish in tomato and from fire fly in peas. The label is Genetically Modified Food and they spell disaster. As filmmaker Mahesh Bhat puts it: "They open the floodgates and let poison into our blood." The documentary throws light on why BT brinjal is harmful. It is believed to have the potential to unleash unknown diseases. Potatoes, tomatoes, brinjal, mustard, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, rice and a whole lot of other crops are already under various stages of field trials. contact Mr Supran Sen of the Producers' Guild <guild@filmtvguild.in>

"Boliya pitaier soholi sootal"
(Assamese and Bodo)
directed by Altaf Mazid.
The film depicts a situation on the India-Bhutan border, 650,000 of the Bodo ethnic majority divert the course of the Pagladia River to 116 villages through 13 embankments. They are taking the river home from a rerouted course created in the 1920's. The film portrays this community's collective action... about the prayers offered to the river gods, the simplicity of village life, male bonding and camaraderie. It's about life without water, and at the same time life that resolves around water every moment. It's about an India that still exists quietly somewhere. Altaf Mazid 94351-93663.

"Arzoo"
26 mins.,Dir Shashi Gupta

Which essays the amazing transformation of a young woman Sulekha Ali, post Gujarat communal riots of 2002. Arzoo is a story of courage, knowledge, empathy and love. It is about an inspiring work in progress...The film has been uploaded on YouTube in three parts - "shashiarun" <shaghosh@gmail.com>

Rabba hun kee kariye (Thus departed our neighbours)
A film by Ajay Bhardwaj
Rabba Hun Kee Kariye trails a shared history of Punjab that was torn asunder in the fateful year of 1947. It captures feelings of guilt and remorse about the genocidal violence on the Indian side of Punjab. These informal tales, almost like folklore, are strewn across the memory-scape of Punjab's countryside. Through this documentary these long suppressed experiences become accessible in public domain for the first time Contact Pramilla Chhabra / K.K. Kohli 2462-1685/ 98107-23979 ajayunmukt@yahoo.com.

Sangha Majha Bapala (Tell My Father)
directed by Soumitra Bhattacharya
15 mins.
CCDS presents its latest documentary film, , on the child rights movement building up in more than 60 villages in Latur district of Maharashtra. These are drought-prone villages from where dalit labour migrate to the lush green sugarcane fields of western Maharashtra. Often, the dalits take their children with them to work the fields. But not any more. Now the children are demanding that they be allowed to go to school. They are asking why the entitled scholarships are not being granted to them, why they cannot eat the midday meal alongside the rest of the children. View this video.
http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-Media-Fellowship-Video.html.

Goa Goa Gone
Directed by Kurush Canteenwala
22 mins/ India/ 2008

Mining is the second-largest industry after tourism in Goa. As mining activity is intensifying across the state, so is the opposition to this unregulated industry by local residents. This film explores the impact of mining on people's livelihood in Goa - one of the world's 12 biodiversity hotspots.

I Want My Father Back
Directed by Suma Josson
70 mins/ India/ 2007
Produced by SALT FILMS
In Hindi & Marathi, with English subtitles

Farmers have been committing suicide in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, as in many other parts of India. The film looks at the reasons behind these suicides, beginning with the fall-out of the Green Revolution and the impact it had on the soil and input costs for the farmers. The other sections in the film include the changing traditional methods of farming especially with regard to seeds, the debt-loan trap faced by farmers, the further fall in prices of commodities owing to globalization, and the devastating effects of Bt. seeds. Since the past two years Bt. Cotton seeds are being sold by the Multinational Company Monsanto. These genetically modified seeds have created havoc in Vidarbha. The film raises these issues through conversations with ordinary farmers and activists. The filmmaker also speaks to some farmers who have been practicing organic farming.

"..don't leave me now." - Slum Sanitation in Mumbai.

Girish Menon
The director would be happy to screen/distribute my film to any interested NGO or government bodies or individual stakeholders.
Contact girish_menon@yahoo.com or 98204 24070.
The film can be viewed online at http://girishmenon.com/films.html and DVD copies are available at a nominal fee of Rs. 500/-

Film South Asia, the festival of South Asian documentaries, calls for entries for the seventh edition of its biennial festival being held in Kathmandu, Nepal from 17-20 September 2009. Documentaries made in and after January 2007 are eligible for the competitive section. Deadline for entries: 31 May 2009 (for films made between January 2007 to April 2008) Final submission deadline for entries: 30 June 2009 (for films made after April 2008). Details and entry forms are available at
www.filmsouthasia. org.

For further information contact:Upasana Shrestha, Co-Director, Film South Asia Secretariat, G.P.O. Box 24393, Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur, Nepal, Tel: +977 1 5552141 email: fsa@filmsouthasia.org, www.filmsouthasia.org.

Population First (PF) in collaboration with the Experimental Theatre Foundation (ETF) has launched a theatre based awareness program on the PC-PNDT Act. The Program seeks to widen understanding among all stakeholders, particularly the youth, the service providers, NGOs and community-based organizations. The street play on girl child will be enacted in various locations in Mumbai from 12 - May 15, 2009. It is aimed at approximately 100 Doctors, Nurses, Students, community members per performance. Contact: Ms. Pallavi Bandodkar, Population First, Shetty House, 3rd Floor, 101 M. G Road, Mumbai 400 023. Tel. (022)-22626599 / 07 / 97691 75999. Email: info@populationfirst.org.

Shifting Prophecy
Duration: 30 minutes
Dir. Merajur Rahman Baruah

The film explores the emergence of a rural Muslim women's movement in Tamil Nadu and their staggering struggle engaging with the questions of gender violence, linking with the issues of poverty, survival, and women's rights thus locating Muslim women's concerns within a larger civic and political discourse. The film delves into the prophecy of the Muslim women, who believe in freedom, justice, humanity and democratic principles. They have formed the world's first women Jamat & are constructing a women's mosque to counter gender biases and patriarchal social order. Contact: Baruah Mobile No.0091-9810880596.

King of India
107 min
Dir. Arvind Sinha

This film documents the lives of child performers who are wandering performers on the streets, pavements, fun-fairs, carnivals, markets, grounds, bridges and railway platforms of Kolkata. It focuses on a 6 or 7 year-old boy named Raja Hindustani, after the popular Amir Khan hit because, his parents say he was born the day the film Raja Hindustani was released. Together with his older brother Toofan and sister Jyotsna, he performs to the accompaniment of a cheap dholak that has seen better days.

The family is a migrant from Chhatisgarh, who claims to be a descendant of the 'Nats' of Rajasthan, but lives in a tent-like temporary shanty in the suburbs of Kolkata Today, the Nats are outside the caste system, and considered untouchables, although the medieval Rajputs they claim to be descended from were famed warriors. For several months each year, hundreds of wayside performers like this family make the chaotic and colourful metropolis their temporary home. "In the big city there is a ready audience for their entertaining skills. But they live in conditions that even the most primitive municipality should not approve of," says Sinha.

Online Archive

The following organizations: Oil21 from Berlin, the Alternative Law Forum from Bangalore, and three organisations from Bombay: Majlis, Point of View and ChitraKarKhana (CAMP) have developed an online archive, http://pad.ma. At the moment Pad.ma contains some 150 hours of video and over 92,500 annotations (text entries). They see Pad.ma archive as a way of opening up images, meanings and effects that are present in video footage and its production process: resources that conventions of editing and viewing have tended to suppress. This in a way, is its traditional archiving function.

In March 2009, Pad.ma was opened up to external contributions. Visit websites: pad.ma group=altlawforum.org, pointofview.org

NEWS

On 22 March 2009 the 1st Chhatttisgarh Peoples Film Festival ( Chhattisagarh Jan Filmotsav ) and the Bhilai Film Archive was inaugurated at the Nehru House of Culture , Sector 1 Bhilai. The Festival was inaugurated by Shri S.C Bayar , former Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh and the Bhilai Film Archive was inaugurated by film maker Amar Kanwar. Eminent sculptor from Bhilai and recipient of the Padamshree Mr M.J. Nelson was the special Guest of Honour. A traditional Chattisgrahi Panthi dance troupe led by Rishi Tandon performed at the opening. Well known singer Vinay Mahajan from Gujarat was also present and sang on the opening day. The opening film was a short film entitled 'Aisa Kyon' which was produced by Bhilai filmmaker Ajay TG and directed and shot by 5 young girls from the Dabrapara Labour Camp and Drkshakshi Balangan. Six documentaries and a feature film were shown though the day. The festival then shifted to Shivpuri, Jamul Labour Camp and Kohka Village in Durg for the next three days. Contact: Ajay T.G <tgajay@yahoo.co.uk>

Persistence Resistance: a festival of contemporary political films.

two day film festival that features International films on Afghanistan. Addressing the developments and challenges of an evolving country.Questioning popular perceptions and understanding Afghanistan in a new light. On 7-8 February 2009 at Amphitheatre, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (caption-still cant make salt).

Film Festival on Kashmir: PARA-DIES ON EARTH*.

A film festival organized by a group of students from Christ College was held on February 28, & March 1, at St. Joseph's Arts & Science College (Shanthi Nagar). The following films were screened: The Sky Below dir. Sarah Singh, 75mins/english subtitles.

A documentary on Pakistan and India vis-à-vis to 1947 Partition of Indian Subcontinent. It features voices from both sides of the border; while exploring ancient and historic sites - along with music - from Kutch toKashmir and Karachi to the Khyber Pass.

Jashn-e-Azadi - dir. Sanjay Kak, 2007/138mins/ English subtitles*

It's 15th August, India's Independence day, and the Indian flag ritually goes up at Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar, Kashmir. The normally bustling square is eerily empty - a handful of soldiers on parade, some more guarding them, and except for the attendant media crews, no Kashmiris.

PAPA 2 - dir. Gopal Menon, 2002, 24mins/english subtitles*

PAPA 2 was a notorious interrogation centre run by the Indian Armed Forces in Kashmir till 1996. Officially, over 2,000 - unofficially, over 10,000 -people have disappeared from the Kashmir Valley over the past 15 years. Most of these are enforced disappearances. This film documents the struggle of the mothers and wives of disappeared persons to trace their loved ones. The film deals with the harrowing tales of the families trying to trace their young men in the quagmire of rampant human rights abuse. It features interviews with the families of the affected people and also members of the Association of Parents of Disappeared People (APDP).

Yi As Akh Padshah Bai (There was a Queen) - dir. Kavita Pai & Hansa Thapliyal 2008/105mins/ English subtitles *
"Give us guns and we'll play our role!" - These are not the words of a hardened criminal; these are the words of a teenaged girl in Kashmir less than a week after her sister was buried. The entire cast & crew of this film are women. It is through these women - proud, strong, with an undying zest for life - that the film makers examine what peace means and how it can come about in Kashmir.

Killing of Kashmir - Unreported World -

The harrowing story of the Kashmiris caught in crossfire of rape, abduction and worse. "Peace is in the headlines as India and Pakistan begin talks to end 15 years of violence in Kashmir". But this is far from a reality for civilians caught in the crossfire between security forces and militants. Both sides abduct who they want. They torture and they kill. In this latest documentary from the acclaimed Unreported World Series, Sandra Jordan and Rodrigo Vasquez bravely travel deep into Kashmir to reveal the harrowing lives of Kashmiris.

Waiting - dir. Shabnam Ara, Atul Gupta,2005/39mins/ english subtitles*

This is a story of missing people, boys and men who were picked up by security forces and then simply disappeared. Sandwiched between India and Pakistan, Kashmir is a battleground for both. While the men are missing, but not declared dead, their wives are not widows but 'half widows. The 'half widows' need extraordinary courage in living. They live with the memories of their love. Suddenly they have to switch from being the woman in the veil to the bread-earner. Society treats them as unattached property like it treats most single women in India.

7. Crossing the Lines: Kashmir, Pakistan, India - dir. Pervez Hoodboy & Zia Mian, 2004/47mins/ english subtitles*

This Film is a story of people at war over borders and boundaries.. In this tragedy, each side tells the story of the injustice and violence of the other, and feels only the suffering of their own. This path-breaking independent documentary film, made in Pakistan, challenges us to look at Kashmir with new eyes and to hope for a new way forward.

Had-Anhad
105 mins

This film journeys in search of the "Ram" invoked in Kabir's poetry, delving into the heart of divisive Hindu-Muslim politics of religion and nationalism, encountering singers and lay people in India and Pakistan,probing the forces of history and politics that have created disputatiously diverse Rams, while also spawning many Kabirs.
<http://pages.google.com/edit/lynnehenry/Had-Anhad-still-1.jpg/Had-Anhad-still-1-full;init:.jpg>

Koi Sunta Hai
Dir. Shabnam Virmani
96 mins

This film interweaves the oral folk traditions of Kabir in central India with the intensely personal narrative of the late classical singer Pandit Kumar Gandharva, keeping the spiritual ideas of Kabir as the central binding thread. Journeying between folk and classical, between rural and urban expressions of Kabir, the film finds moments of both continuity and rupture between these disparate worlds.

Still can't make salt
Dir. Lalit Vachani
84-minute documentary

The Salt Stories is a longer version of a 52-minute film, In Search of Gandhi, selected by Steps International as one of ten international films included in a global broadcast of TV documentaries on democracy. The film places the Mahatma's historic Dandi March in perspective, juxtaposing it against the reality of the depriveations faced by the poor - of their basic needs like food, clothing and shelter.

Seventy seven years later, Vachani and his Wide Eye Film team followed the trail of the famous Dandi March, in search of Gandhi's legacy. Set against the backdrop of Gandhi's original journey, this road-movie makes caustic comments, simply through telling visuals and direct one-to-one interviews with a cross section of people, on how globalization of Gujarat equates Gandhi's 'salt' to a metaphor on poverty, forced migration, joblessness.

Chobi Mela V
Chobi Mela, Asia's largest and one of the most prominent photography festivals in the world was held on 30th Jan to 20 Feb 2009 at several major galleries in Dhaka, public spaces like Karwan Bazar Underpass and in the form of mobile exhibitions. This year's theme was "Freedom" and had 62 exhibitions from 33 countries. Mahasweta Devi was the chief guest and Noam Chomsky and Stuart Hall were on the video conference.

TransIndia
Directed by: Sapna Sahani
Duration: 4mins

This documentary looks at the life of a transgender person in Bombay who is a source of inspiration to others in her community because of her selfless dedication to outreach and spreading awareness through the NGO 'Humsafar'. She also shares her thoughts about the state view ofhomosexuals as criminals in India, life in urban society, and being HIV positive.

Towers of Mumbai - A documentary on the streets
Language: English narration with Hindi interviews (with subtitles)
Director and Producer (Varun Grover)
Duration: 30 minutes 50 seconds

Synopsis: This documentary profiles the festival through two different, now-concurrent now-anti, ideologies at play in Mumbai. Alternating between a Dahi-Haandi team (called 'Lashkar-e-Shivba') in Central Mumbai and a group of old-men in Girgaum, part of the same group which started this festival in Mumbai 75-years ago, the film tracks the lives and mechanics of the people involved in the festival. From a peep into their daily lives, to the grueling training sessions, to the final day where 200-men board the trucks to help and support their team on the streets - Towers of Mumbai documents the commercial, social and political aspects of this unique festival which combines culture, sport, and religion into one risky, gritty competition of human spirit and fantasies.

Shikhar - the Spirit of Mllakhamb
Duration: 13min
Directed by: Nikhil
Cast and Crew:
Pramod,Shreyas, Nikhil, Percy, Meghna, Lopamudra

This Documentary revolves around 'Mallakhamb' - Malla - the Gymnast, Khamb - Pole - an ancient traditional Sport that originated in Maharashtra in the early 12th century. Mallakhamb has different forms for instance - Rope mallakhamb and Rope and pole mallakhamb which is a combination of both the elements, the rope and the pole. The Film showcases the innumerable difficulties the sportsmen face in this sport like lack of funds and infrastructure, the challenges they face but rise out of it with only grit, resolution and determination as their 'mantra' of motivation to thrive in this extraordinarily perilous sport. For them, there are no boundaries, only the will and an enduring spirit to succeed.

A Fable from the Himalayas
Duration: 8 Mins
Director: Nitin Das
Genre: Fantasy

A magical tale about a young boy who finds the solution to Global Warming from a monk in the mountains.

Mere Desh Ki Dharti
Dir. Sumit Khanna
58 mins

This documentary film, financed by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT). film investigates pesticide overuse in Punjab, and its deadly impact. To add a touch of irony, Khanna titled his film Mere Desh Ki Dharti, a popular song from a Hindi film that pays tribute to the abundance of food, water and happiness in India. Winner of the Best Investigative Film of 2006 at the 54th National Film Awards, Khanna's documentary is intelligently edited and well-researched.

I Want My Father Back
Documentary film
70mins

This film on Vidarbha farmers' suicide has won the first prize at the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival. It looks at the spate of farmer suicides in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, where cotton is the main cash crop. The film looks at the disastrous impact of multinationals and bad government policies on agriculture, both on people and the land.

Rabba Hun Kee Kariye (65')
Dir: Ajay Bhardwaj; India 2007
Rabba Hun Kee Kariye (Thus Departed our Neighbours) trails a shared history of Punjab - a subcontinental culture, language and a way of life that was torn asunder in the fateful year of 1947. It captures the documentary maker's almost unexpected encounter with feelings of guilt and remorse about the genocidal violence of the partition. These informal tales, almost like folklore, are strewn across the memoryscape of Punjabi countryside.

Resisting Coastal Invasion
52 Minutes
Directed by K.P. Sasi

Both coastal ecosystems as well as the customary rights of fishing communities over coastal areas are severely eroded by developmental activities and market interests - tourism, industrialisation, sand mining, infrastructure- building, aquaculture and rapid urbanisation.The only piece of legislation ever enacted to regulate developmental activities along the Indian coast was the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification of 1991.Not surprisingly, in today's age of globalization, the CRZ Notification is increasingly being regarded as an impediment to free market. Moves are afoot to dispense with it altogether. What are the implications of such a deregulation agenda? Who benefits? Who loses? Who's accountable? Who is to blame? The film explores these questions and captures the struggles of fishing communities who are fighting tooth and nail against the takeover of their lands by the forces of globalisation.

_____________________________________________________________

3rd National short and documentary film festival 2009

Organised by Karimnagar film society(Affiliated To Federation Of Film Societies Of India) Documentary best film award: I want my father back Directed By Suma Josson
2nd Best : Soul voice solo voice Directed By Yadavan Chandran
Short films:
Best film award: The missing colours Directed By Prashanth Kanathur
2nd:The level crossing Directed By Rajadanda Pani
Navatarangam Award: Iron is hot Directed By Biji Toppo and Meghnath
Jjury merit certificates:
1) Idi naa jeevitham Directed by Venu Polasani
2) Nada mridangam Directed by A.V.Jayaraj
3) Amrit jal Directed by Naresh Chander lal
The award function was held on 22 February night at Filmbhavan. Contact: anand varala" <varalaanand@yahoo.com>

`Life on Venus'

Bangalore Film Society in collaboration with Breakthrough TV- Human
Rights in Frames is proud to present `Life on Venus', a selection of the most acclaimed and award-winning documentary films on women from across the globe.

Morality TV and Loving Jehad - A Thrilling Tale(31mins/ India) Dir:
Paromita Vohra

In winter 2005 in the town of Meerut, India, police officers, mostly women, swooped down on lovers in a park and began to beat them up. Along with them they took photographers and news cameramen with a promise of an exclusive sting operation. As images of the operation played again and again on every news channel as 'breaking news', Meerut saw some of the couples run away out of fear and shame and serial protests for and against the event, which also made the news for some days. The film looks at a town's complex dynamics  - the fear of love, the constant scrutiny and control of women's mobility and sexuality, a history of communal violence, caste and feudal equations. Assuming the tone of pulp fiction it examines the relishing accounts of true crime magazines like 'Manohar Kahaniyan' (The Thrilling Tales) to the double morality of pulp detective fiction to the tabloid news on Indian TV.

Leila Khaled Hijacker (59mins/Sweden) Dir: Lina Makboul

In 1969 Palestinian Leila Khaled made history by becoming the first woman to hijack an airplane. As a Palestinian child growing up in Sweden, filmmaker Lina Makboul admired Khaled for her bold actions; as an adult, she began asking complex questions about the legacy created by her childhood hero. This fascinating documentary is at once a portrait of Khaled, an exploration of the filmmaker's own understanding of her Palestinian identity, and a complicated examination of the nebulous dichotomy between "terrorist" and "freedom fighter."

Sari Soldiers (93mins/Nepal/ USA) Dir: Julie Bridgham

Filmed over three years during the most historic and pivotal time in Nepal's modern history, The Sari Soldiers is an extraordinary story of six women's courageous efforts to shape Nepal's future in the midst of an escalating civil war against Maoist insurgents, and the King's crackdown on civil liberties. When Devi, mother of a 15-year-old girl, witnesses her niece being tortured and murdered by the Royal Nepal Army, she speaks publicly about the atrocity. The army abducts her daughter in retaliation, and Devi embarks on a three-year struggle to uncover her daughter's fate and see justice done. The Sari Soldiers follows her and intimately delves into the extraordinary journey of these five other brave women on opposing sides of the conflict, through the democratic revolution that reshapes the country's future.

No More Tears Sister (76mins/Canada/ SriLanka) Dir: Helene Klodawsky

A story of love, revolution, and betrayal, No More Tears Sister explores the price of truth in times of war. Set during the violent ethnic conflict that has enveloped Sri Lanka over decades, the documentary recreates the courageous and vibrant life of renowned human rights activist, Dr. Rajani Thiranagama. Mother, anatomy professor, and symbol of hope, Rajani was assassinated at the age of thirty-five. Stunningly photographed, using rare archival footage, intimate correspondence and poetic recreations, the story of Rajani and her family delves into rarely explored themes - revolutionary women and their dangerous pursuit of justice.

Sancharram- The Journey (107min/India) Dir: Ligy Pullapally

Set in the lush, rural Kerala, The Journey begins with the childhood friendship between beautiful, outgoing Delilah, a Christian girl, and the sober, idealistic, and inwardly focused Kiran, whose Nair family settles next door. They quickly become inseparable, and in time Kiran feels attracted to Delilah, but suppresses it. She finds a Bergerac-like outlet by writing love letters to Delilah for Rajan, a local boy pursuing her. When Delilah learns the truth about the letters, she responds  - to Kiran. As neighbors begin to talk,Delilah' s family flies into panic mode with arranged marriage plans; meanwhile Kiran fights back, leaving Delilah in the middle of a tug of war. The director achieves in this film a piquancy that deepens a sensitively drawn story.

For program list, feedback visit:BlogBFS <http://blogbfs.blogspot.com>

BOOKS

India: Urban Poverty Report 2009

Publisher: UNDP, 2009
The report brings together 16 prominent authors, scholars and foremost civil society representatives for throwing light on the nature and dynamics of urban poverty in India. UNDP's India: Urban Poverty Report 2009 says that sloppy city planning and urban land management have left the slum dwellers deprived of basic amenities and livelihood opportunities. Exploring the dynamics of growing urbanisation and poverty, the report aims to sensitise policymakers on protecting the interests of unprivileged population.

Mass slum clearances have driven workers, such as those in domestic service, away from their place of work and pushed many into crime, the report said.

Combining data with case studies, it will be useful for policymakers, civil society organisations, urban planners, and researchers in the fields of urbanization and development studies.

A new report jointly produced by the Indian government and United Nations Development Programme says economic growth in the country has further aggravated urban poverty. Measures like relocating traditional industries and mass slum clearances have meant a total loss of livelihood for many city dwellers.

Published by TARSHI (Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues), New Delhi
Basics and Beyond: Integrating Sexuality, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, a Training Manual provides the necessary tools and methods to demonstrate and strengthen the connections between sexuality, sexual health, reproductive health and human rights. It has over 75 exercises comprising more than 70 hours of training time, and detailed message points and instructions for each exercise. The exercises combine information on sexuality, sexual health, reproductive health and rights to elicit discussions and build clarity and understanding for participants on a variety of subjects and topics. The exercises also give participants tools and ideas to implement these issues in their day-to-day work.

Published by Probus Club of Chennai.
October 2008. Pages 300 Price Rs 100.00.
The First part gives details of the Probus club. The second part contains articles, stories and papers on healthy ageing in particular and other topics of interest to senior citizens. A few contributions are in Tamil. Articles are on health, diet, nutrition, exercises, cardiac problems, medical emergencies, dementia, sleep disorders, obesity, longevity, cancer. It includes law on senior citizens, music, elder abuse, and travelogue. The third part is a compendium of information such as: old age homes in Chennai and districts in Tamil Nadu, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kerala, Delhi ,Hyderabad and other cities. It lists retirement homes, homes for disabled adults. It also has important phone numbers in Chennai of ambulances, hospitals, blood banks, eye banks, police stations, death related service providers, help lines. It also lists doctors who do house calls and many doctors are geriatricians. To order, contact:: E.R S Ranganatha Rao (044)24995290 or Sri K Venkatachary (044) 24981099).

By Jeffrey Smith
Indian Edition published by the Deccan Development Society, Hyderabad, South Against Genetic Engineering and the Other India Press, Goa.
This book, written by Prof Jeffrey Smith of the Institute for Responsible Technology, USA, documents the health impacts of genetically engineered foods on human health.
For instance, Bt-brinjal, a genetically engineered form of vegetable, brinjal or baingan is manufactured by inserting a gene from a soil bacteria Bacillus Thurengiansis [Bt] l through a process called genetic engineering (GE) to develop pest resistant brinjals (Bt-brinjal) . This is supposed to reduce pesticides in brinjal cultivation. In the process of manufacturing Bt-brinjal, along with the Bt gene, antibiotic resistant markers, and a promoter (often a virus) are also inserted. This is extremely dangerous. When we eat Bt Brinjal, the antibiotics used in this process will affect us in such a way that it will desensitise our body to them, and deprive us of their benefits when required. Thus we will have to resort to higher levels of antibiotics to rid ourselves of infections. Contact: Institute of Agricultural Technology, Queen's Road, Bangalore Tel. (080) 2521 3104, 2528 3370.

By Asghar Ali Engineer
2008. 3rd edition,
ISBN 9788120739338
Hardback, Price: Rs. 500

This book covers various aspects relating to the status of women in the pre-Islamic period - customs and traditions, forms of marriage, divorce and forms of divorce, dower, traditions regarding slave-girls, and so on. It also deals with the status of women in the post-Islamic period - the Qur'anic concept of women's rights in marriage, divorce, inheritance, custody of children, polygamy, maintenance, property, right to earn, etc. It quotes extensively from the Qur'an and Sunnah. It also deals with the Arab adaat, that is, pre-Islamic customs and traditions regarding women. Altogether, it attempts to arm Muslim women with Islamic arguments for their empowerment. The author, a renowned scholar, has sought to set the record straight by reinterpreting women's rights in the true Qur'anic spirit. He argues that the Holy Book gives equal rights to both the sexes, and it does not discriminate between them as regards personal, democratic and human rights. The question whether in a secular society Muslim personal law needs any change, and, if so, in which direction the reform should be undertaken is dealt with in detail.
The third edition contains a chapter: On a Muslim Woman Leading the Congregational Prayer, which deals with the important aspect of Muslim women's problems and also hopes to further enhance their understanding of the Shari'ah issues.

Playing with Fire: Feminist Thought and Activism through Seven Lives in India
by Sangtin Writers and Richa Nagar
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2006.

This book is the story of a support collective called Sangtin formed by eight rural activists in UP in 1998.Their discussions in Hindi called Sangtin Yatra was published in 2004. Their "Journey of Sangtins," a word they loosely translate from the regional language Awadhi to mean solidarity, reciprocity, and enduring friendship among women, was developed collectively through "a fractured unity in voices" and written penned by their ninth member, a U.S.-based academic Richa Nagar. The eight rural activists recount their own stories of oppression, prejudices of caste and class, loneliness, courage, and fraught relationships in the context of their jobs. Immediately they felt the risks and consequences of communicating so openly about their work as women who fought for other women's rights. After the book was published in Hindi, some were transferred,, others almost lost their jobs, and most faced increased surveillance and suspicion.

RESISTING REFORMS?
Water profits and democracy

By Kshithij Urs and Richard Whitell

RSVP Arul Selva Shameem Ramkumar
9480452037 9663376636 9880038040

'Ethical Concerns in Clinical Trials in India: An Investigation' .
-Sandhya Srinivasan(co-author)

Clinical trials for MNCs 'killing the poor in India'

Close on the heels of the controversy about an alleged clinical trial death on one of Wyeth's paediatric vaccines, there is more damning revelation that could erupt into a bigger movement and upset the proponents of liberal clinical trial legislations in India.

According to a comprehensive report published by Centre for Studies in Ethics and Rights, clinical trials conducted on behalf of GlaxoSmithKline Pharma, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson may have harmed economically vulnerable Indian patients.

Sandhya Srinivasan, co-author of the report instituted by the Centre for Research and Multinational Corporations and Wemos, writes that trials which could not be conducted in developed countries are being conducted in India, taking advantage of people's lack of access to affordable, good quality care.

"The benefits of research do not reach the community as drugs found effective following these trials may not be affordable to the community in which they were tested. Such practices are in violation of the Declaration of Helsinki as well as the general principles laid down in the Indian Council of Medical Research's ethical guidelines for biomedical research," she states in the report.

Srinivasan picks clinical trials done in India on Tykerb (lapatinib), Seroquel (quetiapine) and Risperdal (risperidone) for her study. Taking each drug separately, she observes that the patients in the placebo arms of these trials were harmed by their participation.

The report says, "In the risperidone trial, seriously ill patients -- worse than patients in similar trials in the US -- were taken off treatment to prove the efficacy of a drug when an effective treatment was available. In the trial of quetiapine XR for long-term maintenance for schizophrenia, patients were put on placebo despite the existence of an effective drug. More patients on placebo suffered a relapse than patients on the active drug of proven efficacy. Patients on placebo suffered serious harm because of participation in the trial."

The report brings down claims of an emerging flawless regulatory setup in India. "The ruling on whether a trial design violates ethical principles is left to individual local ethics committees. A trial refused permission by an ethics committee at one trial site may be submitted to another and approved," Srinivasan writes in her 70-page investigative report.
Url.: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1232174

Citizens rally in Mumbai

Their rally against banners, hoardings, arches, flags, posters, for which MCGM permission has not been taken and which are put up in public spaces was initiated and supported by JNM as a citizen-centric direct action movement in Mumbai.

So far, Andheri West, JVPD, Bandra West, Khar West, Chembur have seen local activists and citizen groups there, supported by JNM, conducting symbolic protest action against such eyesores. At Bandra, ... some alleged party workers tried to harass some of the activists, filed false complaints against them at Bandra and Khar police stations, used political muscle to browbeat the police officers, got FIR issued against some activists, threatened physical violence and created an all night ruckus at the Khar police station. Hawkers and goondas were instigated by some politicians to do this.

Now higher authorities are contrite at this gross and improper behaviour and the CM, Home Minister, local MP, Mayor, Dy.Mayor, MCGM Licence Dept, Ward Officials have said they supported the fact that these banners are illegal. Yet some alleged party workers were hard at work, giving their own parties a bad name, probably to settle scores with the activists over their other citizen friendly activities.

Finally, the Citizen activism has prevailed. Citizens are empowered and the Govt. and Administration have acted to protect the citizen movements.

Praful VoraVolunteer & Convener, JNM 900 401 7654 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/juhuektaalm

Health Manifesto by NGOs
The 'Peoples Health Manifesto 2009' was released by Jan Swasthya Abhiyaan (JSA) - the Peoples' Health Movement, an association of over 1,000 organisations working in health care and policy. Highlighting the situation of public health care and emphasising that the current condition is abysmal, especially for the poor, the manifesto asks political parties to take effective measures to achieve people's right to health.

"This, the manifesto stated, "not only includes the right to timely and appropriate quality health care but also to the underlying socio economic and environmental determinants of health." It also includes food security, the issue of malnutrition, safe water, sanitation to all and a regulatory framework to address health concerns of genetically modified (GM) cropping and import of GM foods as key factors.

The manifesto also called upon the government to enact a National Health Act for ensuring "the right to comprehensive, quality health care at public expense in relevant health institutions to all, where everyone is entitled to the full range of guaranteed, free health services". The manifesto also stresses the need to reform and implement some existing policies on child health and nutrition, gender and health urgently as well as rework policy issues on drugs, medicines and patents. The implementation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has been criticised in the manifesto, which calls for increased allocation and effective expenditure of funds for the project.

Amit Sengupta of JSA called for the incorporation of the recommendations by political parties in their election manifestos for the upcoming general election as a demonstration of their commitment to public health.
Positive Habba.

MYSORE: Everything was positive about it. Called the `Positive Habba', it was a celebration of life for over 400 persons affected by AIDS at the festival organized by Ashodaya and Ashraya Samithi, the NGOs working for rehabilitation of AIDS patients, on March 29.

Sex workers from Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal will be part of the two-day festival which aims at making them acceptable in society along with an access to health facilities.

"We also intend to send a message that there are people in the society who care for them," Fatima, an activist with Ashodaya, said claiming this is the first of its kind programme in the world. State health secretary Madangopal inaugurated the habba by signaling a torchlight parade. Madangopal said there is a need to integrate medical services for HIV+ patients at the PHC level.

The event will also address a range of issues, including marginalization, discrimination and health problems faced by sex workers. Cultural events were also organized in the evening.
World Social Forum 2009
Participants from 5808 organizations from 142 countries in five continents participated in the IX World Social Forum at Belan city in Brazil in January 2009. More than 2300 activities involving over thousands of participants in panels, debates, seminars, cultural events, marches, demonstrations, and open spaces for direct interactions were held in this WSF in the heart of the Amazon region.

The outcome included declarations of the thematic assemblies, calls for action and mobilisation which were announced in the final assembly: A stronger convergence of social movements and civil society networks emerged at the end, leading to new alliances to face the multiple crisis and global issues in the world.

WEBSITES
Medical Services -Mumbai
The Bombay Medical Aid Foundation provides the following services: medical aid to needy, organizing various free medical camps at various locations, mobile medical van visiting various slums in and around Mumbai, and a hospital.
Website: http://bombaymedicalaid.com

In line with nomenclature used by major NGOs worldwide, Cancer Patients Aid Association's website has now been renamed www.cancer.org. in . You can access the website using both addresses for the present.

The BMC Education Department has it's own website at http://mcgmedu.in
The website has contact details of various officers, budget estimates, details of computer labs in BMC schools, details of the school mid-day meal programme, etc.

A new session on how to file an FIR and what are your rights when you are subject to police arrest
http://altlawforum.org/Training or contact ByathaNJagadeesha,Advocate,Bangalore <jagadeesh@altlawforum.org>

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) recently launched its website, www.wccb.gov.in Apart from encouraging greater participation in checking wildlife crime, the website also aims at increasing awareness among law enforcers, developing links with all WCCB stakeholders and at encouraging international tourists to reduce the demand for wildlife products. The portal also seeks to generate greater awareness about banned wildlife products, purchase of which can lead to imprisonment.
Following are websites which are useful for consumer protection:
www.fcamin.nic.in, www.corecentre.co.in, www.ncdrc.nic.in, www.consumerhelpline.in, www.cgsiindia.Org, www.consumeronline.Org, www.icrpc.org, www.consumer-voice.org, www.cai-india.org, www.cercindia.Org, www.cccindia.net12, www.ngpnet.org, www.core.nic.in, www.watchoutinvestor.com, www.consumercom.nic.in, www.pgportal.gov.in, www.bankingombudsman-rbi.org.in, www.confonet.nic.in, www.cag.org.in, www.investorhelpline.in, www.iepf.gov.in, www.sebi.gov.in, www.nse-india.com.

Community centre for survivors of HR violence
U.P. On Feb. 17 A community center (Sushil Tripathi School and community center) was jointly inaugurated by Mr. Anil Kumar Parashar Deputy Registrar National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, Ms. Helma Ritsher Chairwomen Indo - German Society Remscheid, Germany and Ms. Inger Agger Phd. Consultant Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victim (RCT), Denmark at Raup village in Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh.
The inaugural session followed by honouring eight survivors of Sonebhadra district who gave their testimony on violation of human rights and their fight with the joint endeavor of People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Varanasi and Rehabilitation and Research Center for Torture Victim (RCT), Denmark. A Hindi version of the Manual "Giving Voice" --Using Testimony as a Brief Therapy Intervention in Psychosocial Community Work for Survivors of Torture and Organised Violence in India by Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and Ms. Inger Agger was also released. Due to intervention of National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi and Supreme Court commissioner on Right to food a lot of changes took place.
Contact; Ms. Shruti Nagvanshi: +91- 9935599330, Ms. Shabana: +91- 9453155296, Mr. Upendra +91 - 9935599338.

Observing International Women's Day
Mumbai: Women Networking organised a programme at YWCA, Andheri to observe International Women's Day on 5th March. Nearly 60 participants from various women's and community-based organisations and also some individuals from the suburbs of Mumbai took part in a day-long programme which included a workshop with discussions on domestic violence, sexual harassment at work place, rape, views on women in pubs and public places, sex work and bar girls, and sex selective abortion. The discussions in small groups were very rich in the understanding of social and economic issues and had a clear gender perspective. Cultural activities songs, skits, mono acting, dance and quiz - all related to gender themes were performed. The groups which participated were Aakar Mumbai, Ashankur, Centre for Legal Services, Jan Jagruti Kendra, Mahila Takrar Nivaaran Kendra, Mukti Sadan, Prayatna, Prayas Kendra, Sanmitra Trust, and YWCA. Contact: Jaya Menon, Email: jaya11200@yahoo.co.in

Mahila Takrar Nivaaran Kendra (Women's Grievances Redressal Cell) organised a Dialogue between women's groups and the Police on 7th March 2009 at Holy Family School Hall in Andheri East, Mumbai. About 60 women participated in this Dialogue face to face with K.L. Prasad, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order), KM.N. Prasanna, DCP of Zone 10, Satish Sahney Former Police Commissioner of Mumbai, Assistant Commissioners of Police and Senior Police Inspectors of Zone 10. Dr Vibhuti Patel, Head of the Department of Economics, SNDT Women's University facilitated the Several clarifications were sought regarding issues such as, police role in Mohalla Committees, the implementation of the Domestic Violation Act (DVA), IPC 498 A, rape, abuses of young girls in schools etc. A positive outcome of this Dialogue was a police initiative to organise a meeting with women activities to provide information on the functioning of the DVA especially with regard to Protection Officer at Ward offices. Contact: Maria Ishwaran, Mob. (0) 9820983748.

Joint Women's Programme: On 8th March, about 500 women from several women's groups participated in a joint programme in Mumbai organised by the All India Democratic Women's Association, Stree Mukti Sanghatana, Forum against Oppression of Women, Akshara, Maharashtra Mahila Parishad, Bharatiya Mahila Federation. A rally was taken from Dadar to Prabhadevi ending in a meeting at Bhupesh Gupta Bhavan with speeches, slogans and songs. Leaflets in Hindi and Marathi were distributed. Following are the main points raised in the leaflet and speeches.

• The erosion of economic rights due to the economic policies of the state is therefore an important issue for women in the current situation.
• Abhor. Sectarian politics targets women; especially in view of the forthcoming elections, no mobilisation in the name of caste, community, region'
• violence and attacks on women and on young couples belonging to different castes and communities. sought to be socially sanctioned in the name of enforcing 'Indian' culture and moral codes on women; --demand severe action against those who perpetrate such violence.

Contact: Sonya Gill, AIDWA sonyagill1@yahoo.co.in.

U.P.The Global Science Academy (GSA), Basti (UP) observed International Women's Day on March 08, 2009, at its headquarters in Basti by focusing on gender equality including women's access to education and information, sexual and reproductive health services, female-controlled prevention methods like female condom and vaginal microbicide, and prevention of mother- to -child transmission. Contact: Dr. Anil Pratap Singh, Global Science Academy, Basti (UP) India.Tele-fax No.: +91 5542 247186,Mob. (0) 9336785696 website: www.gsa.org.in.

H.P.:From Darkness to Light - was the theme of the HIV/AIDS awareness procession in the small hill town of Palampur of Himachal Pradesh. The rally was flagged off by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr A. K. Mahajan from Indo German Hall Palampur and concluded at bus stand in the form of a red ribbon shape, which signified commitment to the fight against HIV. The Mashaal Rally attracted wide community participation and over 600 working women, anganwadi workers, health workers, Tibetan women, women lawyers and students from CSKHPKV Palampur and ITI Palampur participated in the silent event. Prior to this, artistes form the Nitika Kala Sangam, Sirmour, gave a captivating performance on various aspects of HIV transmission and prevention.The event was conducted in the evening to protect women's livelihood concerns, as most of the rural womenfolk are employed under NAREGA. A training workshop for 45 Female Health Supervisors from across the district was also conducted on 8th March 2009, to sensitise them and these will in turn train female health workers and female health supervisors, which will further raise awareness and generate demand for services. Contact: Dr RK Sood, Mob.(0) 9418064077, 9445157327. Email:drrksood@gmail.com.

Retirement Home for Sex Workers
Chennai: As part of its anti- trafficking initiative ICWO along with KKSS "Lighthouse" a home for retired women sex workers was inaugurated on March 7 in Chennai in connection with International Women's Day 2009 The Home is supported by APAC, VHS-USAID. Contact: .A.J .Hariharan, Founder Secretary, Indian Community Welfare Organisation - I.C.W.O. AP-216, 18th Main Road, 'I' Block, 6th Street, Vallalar Colony, Anna Nagar West, Chennai-600 040. Tel. ( 044) -26184392, 65515742, Mob (0) : 98401-88821
Email: fieldmaster@mail.com, fieldmaster2000@hotmail.com. Website: www.icwoindia.org.

Bangalore: Half day Seminar on History of Women's Movement and the challenges ahead:
'Tracing the history of the women's movement: Dr. R. Indira- Director, International Centre, Mysore University and Challenges faced by women's organisations and the way forward:
Dr. M.Ashadevi- Lecturer and feminist thinker, at Granthangana, Govt Library, Vijayanagar, Bangalore.
Contact: Sushma(9448046254) , Mallige(9945516296) , Gowri(9449972147) and others, Samanatha Mahila Vedike.

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Celebrating Sex Workers Day- Mar. 3

Kolkata: The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), the Sex Workers Collective of West Bengal, representing 65,000 sex workers (male, female and transgender) celebrated the International Day of Sex Workers (3rd March) at Kolkata, India. The five-day program starting from Feb. 27- Mar.3 included several parallel sessions in addition to cultural programs. All the issues and strategies addressed social discrimination, violence etc. focusing marginalized community with special reference to sex workers. through debates, seminars, workshops etc. which will be held during these days in partnership with different Educational Institutions in Kolkata. Contact: Ms.Dolly Das (Joint Convenor), 12/5 Nilmoni Mitra Street, Kolkata-700 006, West Bengal, India, Tel.(033) 2543 7451 / 7560 E-mail: sexworkersday.durbar@gmail.com Web site: www.durbar.org.

New Delhi: Jan Manch on Employment Guarantee and the Right to Information was held in New Delhi on 21 March 2009 prior to the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections where representatives of all political parties were invited to present their party's position on these two crucial issues, and to respond to public demands or queries. This event was convened under the joint banner of People's Action for Employment Guarantee (PAEG) and the National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI). A draft charter of basic demands on employment guarantee was prepared. Contact: Secretariat-Right to Food Campaign, New Delhi, Email: righttofood@gmail.com Email janmanch09@gmail.com.

Sunfeast 10K Run-Bangalore
Bangalore Sunfeast will sponsor the World 10K Run at Bangalore. in Bangalore on 17 May 2009. ITC Bangalore Cares has been appointed the official charity partner for the Sunfeast from 2008. This is a great opportunity to represent your cause and fundraise from individuals and companies for your cause and create public awareness of your good work. Contact: Ram Sundher, Bangalore Cares Team (0) 9845294096 Email: bangalorecares.sunfeastw10krun@gmail.com, website: www.bangalorecares.in

ESG is 10

Bangalore; Environment Support Group, one of India's most active environment groups celebrated a decade of involvement with the release of a Decadal Report by Dr. B. K. Chandrashekar, former Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council. At a function on Jan 10 the reease of the report was followed by two cultural performances - of Kalaripayattu by the Vallabhatta Kalari Sangam, Chavakkad (Kerala) and an Odissi performance by Diya Sen and troupe.
A decade of working with various local communities in Karnataka, across India, and with many organisations and networks across the world, has been reviewed in the decadal report which will be available on ESG's website (www.esgindia.org) Contact: esg@esgindia.org. Leo Saldanha ESG" leo@esgindia.org.

United action to end child labour in Karnataka
Bangalore: The Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL), a nation-wide network to eliminate child labour, took the lead in launching the initiative in which 90 civil society organisations across Karnataka have joined hands to end rampant child labour in the state. The Civil Society Initiatives for Elimination of Child Labour was launched in August 2008. Some of the civil society groups which have joined hands with CACL are Bangalore Hotel Owners' Association, Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners' Association, Karnataka Truck Owners' Association, and various trade unions including the Karnataka Beedi Workers' Union. The CACL initiative has the support of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Karnataka Child Labour Project.
According to a recent CACL survey, Karnataka has 400,000 child labourers, whereas the state government's labour department puts the figure at just 85,000. Child rights activists estimate that currently there are 50 million child labourers in India, though it was banned more than two years ago. The notification on prohibition of employment of children as domestic help and in restaurants or roadside 'dhabas' (eateries) came into effect on Oct 10, 2006. Violators face jail for up to two years and a fine of Rs.20,000.

'Operation masoom' launched
Ghaziabad :The Ghaziabad police in UP launched the Operation Masoom (Innocent) and 'freed" 250 children who were working in dhabas, sundry factories and other places, and arrested four persons under the Child Labour Act. The Ghaziabad police said, "this is an ongoing programme to try to prevent child labour, as well as identify any gangs which may be involved in kidnapping children and making them work." It is hoped that the operation will help the police to also identify child trafficking that may be going on. Apart from this, police add, it is, after all, a crime to have children below 14 years working.

Spin a yarn

Mumbai: In connection with Sarvodaya Day, the Aseema Trust organised the Spin-a-Yarn project with the aim of reviving spinning and the charka V. R. Devika, a former school teacher and now the Managing Trustee, Aseema Trust, has introduced the Spin-a-Yarn project in ten primary schools with a grant from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. This is in keeping with Gandhiji's emphasis on learning by doing - through art and craft. The aim of the project is to revive spinning and the charka, that was once the symbol of India's freedom movement and teach children lessons from Gandhi's life and teachings. The Trust visits the ten schools once every month and teaches them spinning, and have group discussion on self and society.

12th Anniversary of Maher
Pune: i: 1st. Feb.2009 at Vadu Budruk The Inter NGO Cricket Tournament "Innocent Hero's Trophy 2009" was a concept which turned into reality on the ground of Deccan Gymkhana pitch... The winner of this Trophy was "Deep Gruha Society",and the runner up was "Surajya Sarvangin Vikas Prakalp" both working for street and slum children.
Maharashtra Cricket Association , hadselected 11 + 2 players from various NGO's for screening .to play in the League Matches of Maharashtra of Under 14, under 16 and under 18 group matches.
Mr. Ajay Shrike, President of Maharashtra Cricket Association, Mr. Riyaz Bagwan, Chairman Selection Committee , Mr. Ahbijit Kale - Cricketer Indian Team were present at this moment along with few Ex and current Ranji Trophy Players. Mr. Arun Bhatia IAS.
Retd, was the chief guest.
Maher's new phone Nos.
Pune: Maher has changed its phone numbers:
Administrative office: +91 09011086134 / 09325313280/ 020 - 27033421
Vadu, the main centre: +91 09011086131, +91 09422006065(Ms.Hirabegum), +91 09011086132 (Ms. Mini), +91 09763809327 (Ms.Athena Nair),
Vatslayadham: +91 0020 - 20260788 (Ms. Yvonne)
Home for Mentally Disturbed: +91 09850519094 ( Raju Chavan) and +91 09890302135 ( Sachin Pise); Production: +91 09011086133 (Shirly Antony)

Contact Maher to Share your time, sponsor a meal, donate clothes. MAHER, Pune.
maher@pn3.vsnl.net.in , maherpune@gmail.com Website: www.maherashram.org

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Save Children Movement
Jharkhand: The Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) (Save the Childhood Movement) in its ongoing campaign India Action Month 2009 conducted a raid conducted in 58 roadside eateries in Jharkand and Delhi and rescued 120 bonded child labouers. The children were of age 7-15 years old. The youngest child Raju (name changed ) 7 years old was working in the Dhaba for one and half year "I wanted to go home but whenever I used to tell this to my owner he used to beat me and made me work double from my normal chores. Therefore I stopped complaining." Bachpan Bachao Andolan has emerged as an organisation of thousands of individual supporters under the banner of 'Bachpan Bachao Andolan' as well as network of over 780 NGOs, trade unions, human rights organisation etc. dedicated towards the total elimination of child labour and quality education for all in India. BBA has released over 76,000 child and bonded labourers since 1980.
In reaction to BBA's petition on Feb. 4 the state government of Delhi submitted before the High Court of Delhi, that to curb the instances of trafficking, especially domestic child labour, and to reign in the placement agencies mushrooming in the capital, the government will make a high level committee to draft guidelines for prevention of the crime of trafficking for forced labour and child labour in the capital.

Hearing a petition filed Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), the court accepted the government's submission and has granted the government 4 weeks to draft the above said guidelines.
Contact: Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement), L-6, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019. Tel: (0 11) 2622 4899, 2647 5481, Fax: (011) 2623 6818, Email: info@bba.org.in.
Website: www.bba.org.in Umesh Gupta, Coordinator Campaigns and Communication, (Mob.) 92120 89894 Email:advocacy@bba.org.in.

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Changing lives in Pune

Pune: 19-year-old Anjana Damraji who is currently a first year student of a degree course in science. She stays in Pune in a girl's hostel, manages to pay her fees through a government scholarship and also provides tuitions to five children during her spare hours to earn an extra bit of money. Anjana's parents work on a construction site as labourers and have been doing so for the past 24 years. Anjana wants to a course in computer technology and find a job as she wants her parents to retire. She pointed out that the crèche has changed the lives and fortunes of many children of construction site labourers.

There are many such people today who have been able to carve out a future for themselves, credit for which must go to Meera Mahadevan who first conceptualised the idea of mobile creches in 1969.Now, Tara Mobile Creches has taken roots in many cities across India. In Pune, it has 15 centres and caters to the needs of 1,300 children.

Today, for any big construction project that comes up, Tara Mobile Creches (TMC) comes in as the care provider. The builders arrange for a place on the site, and TMC provides well-trained, committed staff. From the age of two months onwards, children have to be left with the creche workers. Initially the staff has to sometimes round up the children.

Blue Cross of India in international environmental history
Chennai: The Blue Cross of India has been included in a list of major environmental achievements of the world on the website of Radford University in Virginia in the United States. Link here : https://php.radford.edu/~wkovarik/ drupal/?q=node/19.

The Blue Cross of India was formed in 1959. Co-founder, Chinny Krishna introduced the first neuter/return program for street dogs in the world in 1964, which he called "ABC," short for "Animal Birth Control." In 1997 the Indian goverment accepted the recommendation of the Animal Welfare Board of India that ABC should become national policy, and endorsed the goal of abolishing animal control killing throughout India by 2005.

CSR

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NASSCOM Foundation carries out software, hardware and services donation program called 'BiG Tech' for Indian non-profits and non-governmental organizations through its website www.bigtech.in.

Currently, BiG Tech is offering Microsoft Products - Microsoft Windows XP Professional Upgrade, Vista upgrade, Office Professional 2003 & 2007 ; Bytes of Learning that offers a Keyboard tutorial. UltraKey systematically teaches touch typing and safe keyboarding using voice, 3-D animation, video, and virtual reality. It provides many options that adapt to a broad range of age groups and special needs;. Eagle Audio Conferencing Service facilitates organization connects Conference calls on an unlimited basis. Using which one can get the entire team to have a discussion /meeting over the phone, there is no requirement to inform the service provider/or reserve the conference calls, as your dedicated conference room is open 24/7 , as such you can conference at anytime and however long you desire; BUSY, an integrated Accounting and Inventory Management Software targeted at Micro, Small & Medium Businesses (MSMBs)-- extremely user-friendly, flexible & powerful is also available free.

For donation of the above:

1. Your Organization needs to register for free on the website http://www.bigtech.in/user/register.
2. Once your Organization Qualifies for the Service select the desired software and place an order (one week)
3. We charge a small administrative reimbursement for our services. This is usually less than 4% of the software's retail price. You make this payment at the bank of your convenience in cash/cheque.
4. Your Organization will receive the software by courier and licenses can be downloaded from the Internet. (Delivery within two weeks subject to Payment Clearance)

If you have queries write to bigtech@nasscomfoundation.org or contact me on the number: +91-22-28234851.-Manasi This program is brought to you by NASSCOM Foundation in partnership with TechSoup, San Francisco based organization.

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Senior Citizens care in Mumbai
Mumbai: 'Aastha', a project for overall care of the senior citizens at Aarogyamm exhibition in Lokhandwala in Andheri West, Mumbai. Aastha will provide the necessary support required from regular health check up to counseling and recreational activities will be taken care by Aastha. The programme will extend its facilities and care to elderly who are unable to support themselves as their children are preoccupied in their hectic lives.

I am no lab rat
New Delhi: A campaign against GM foods has begun with concerned citizens urged to o say "I AM NO LAB RAT" to the Government of India, if they don't want to be a guinea pig in this experiment by profit-hungry corporations.

A rally was held at Jantar Mantar in Delhi 20 March 2009 and planned to continue, especially on April 7th, which is World Health Day, for a sustained direct action until the Government of India at the highest level steps in to say that our right to know what we are eating, our right to informed choices and our right to safe food will not violated through GM foods entering our plates. In other words, we want the government to stop Bt Brinjal. Contact: Kavitha Kuruganti, Kheti Virasat Mission, Street No 1, Baba Farid Nagar, JAITU-151202, District-Faridkot, Punjab. Tel. +91-9393001550 Website: www.indiagminfo.org, www.iamnolabrat.com.

Right Livelihood College
The Right Livelihood College (RLC), a global capacity building initiative of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation based in Sweden, was established in January 2009 .The College is hosted by the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and the global secretariat is located at the Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS) at USM on the island of Penang in Malaysia. RLC aims to harness and spread the knowledge and experience of Laureates of the Right Livelihood Award, popularly known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize". It does this through promotion of education, research, public understanding and practical activities. The main goals of RLC is to make the knowledge of Laureates accessible to all, the general public as well as individuals and selected groups with the potential to make the "winning ideas" of Laureates succeed and multiply, and to provide a 'hub' for promoting and multiplying the most successful solutions to urgent global problems through the development of information, communications and education activities including web-based learning materials, meetings, networking and an internship and research scholarship programme. There are some 133 Laureates from 57 countries. Website: www.rightlivelihood.org.

NREGS Irregularity
U.P.:The Gram Pradhan of Aira Kake Mau Village Panchayat of Bharawan Block of Hardoi District in UP agreed to show the documents related to implementation of NREGS in her panchayat in the wake of complaints from labourers that they have been paid less wages than what has been shown on their job cards. The people had assembled at the Pradhan's place on 8th January, 2009 but since the husband of the Pradhan, Ghanshyam, who actually runs the show was not there, they were told to come again on 14th January, 2009.

The labourers of the panchayat went to the Gram Pradhan's house with their job cards and Ghanshyam has agreed to redress their grievances.(So much for women's empowerment!!!!!). Contact: Rambabu, 9452144454,Ram Sagar Verma, 9451209863 Neelkamal, 9453898067, Sandeep Pandey, 0522 2347365, Asha Parivar and National Alliance of People's Movements, Hardoi.

Free Para Medical College, Nursing Course
Mumbai: The Aayush Mamta group of paramedical colleges is offering free preliminary nursing training course with 100% job guarantee (discounted rates for ayurvedic panchkarma therapy course)
contact Dr. Hemlata Jadhav, Aayush Mamta group of charitable hospital,K-6, Sector 4, Airoli , Navi Mumbai. Mob. 09321221000, 09322222102, 9004354000 between 11am-8pm. Email: aayushmsh@yahoo.com, tulas_h@yahoo.com Website: tulasayurveda.com.

Women Without Borders
Mumbai: SAVE workshop was organised by Women Without Borders on Feb.3 at the Press Club. SAVE --Sisters Against Violent Extremism-- was formed during an International Conference during Nov. 28 to 30 2008 in Vienna in which delegates from all over the world spoke in dialogue about the importance of mobilizing women against violent extremism.
The workshop participants were survivors of the attacks on 26/11 at the Taj Hotel, Nariman house, Leopold Restaurant, Cama Hospital, V.T. station and Dockyard Road Taxi blast. Narratives of the Nurses of Cama hospital brought out their work ethics and secular humanism. All of them wanted to work towards a Culture of Peace in a Climate of Fear. The documentary film made by SAVE not only gave a collage of terrorist attacks all over the world but also expressed courageous peoples' determination to bring peace and harmony. Contact: Prof. Vibhuti Patel, Director, PGSR, SNDT Women's University, Mumbai Email: vibhuti.np@gmail.com.

National Policy on Voluntary Sector
Chennai: VANI in collaboration with Rejuvenate India Movement-(RIM) organised a state level consultation workshop on 28-29 January, 2009 in Chennai to enable the participants to understand the various aspects of the National Policy on Voluntary sector, its implications for the voluntary sector and promote production of a policy for the state. Contact: VANI, Asha Nivas, 9, Rutland Gate V Street, Chennai - 600 006. Tel. 28333311, 28330772, 28331601.

Condemn torture and malnutrition
Uttar Pradesh: Ghasia ghetto of Raup village is icon against the police torture and its consequences. After the police torture, 18 children of Ghasia tribe died due to hunger and malnutrition situations. The community and the People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Varanasi took action. National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi and Supreme Court Commissioner on Right to Food also intervened. At the inauguration programme of the Sushil Tripathi School and community centre at Raup village in Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh, a ceremony was held to honour eight survivors of Sonebhadra district who gave their testimony on this violation of human rights. The programme was organized by PVCHR and Rehabilitation and Research Center for Torture Victim (RCT), Denmark, and a Hindi version of Manual "Giving Voice" Using Testimony as a Brief Therapy Intervention in Psychosocial Community Work for Survivors of Torture and Organised Violence in India developed by Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and Ms. Inger Agger was launched. The organizers have urged people to write a letter to Government of Uttar Pradesh to open a primary school with mid day meal scheme in above mention building and write an appeal to Government of India for the ratification of UNCAT.
Contact: Ms. Shruti Nagvanshi: +91- 9935599330, Ms. Shabana: +91- 9453155296, Mr. Upendra +91 – 9935599338.

Friends Society
(PIX) Friends Society (FS) campus in Vadodara, Gujarat and the adjoining Hill Memorial School were buzz with activities on eve of Uttarayan as the Youth Club children engaged themselves in flying kites along with FS volunteers Republic Day was celebrated at FS campus The Chief Guest was Sohiniben Thakkur, Municipal Councillor, Fatehgunj Region, Vadodara Mahanagar Seva Sadan & Guest of Honour was Abdulbhai Patel, Jt. Secretary, Vadodara Zilla Samajik Nyaya Samiti. Various cultural programmes were put up by the Balwadi children, Sunday School children and FS Youth club volunteers. The Chief Guest honoured Draupadiben Bhagya for her many years of services to empower the Balwadi teachers and volunteers. Other activities of FS included a picnic for 50 Cheer Up children (from Home for the Crippled, Pensionpura) Kavi Kamboi, where the Mahi river meets the Arabian Sea. Several voluntary Blood donation camps were also organized at the Office of Central Excise & Customs, Race Course, Vadodara with the support of the Indian Revenue Officers Ladies Association, held at "Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, M.S. University of Baroda, at Polytechnic College , M.S. University of Baroda, at the ABB Limited, and in the 2008-09, 578 blood units were donated to Blood Bank, S.S.G. Hospital , Baroda Contact: Anuj Agrawal" jaya.anuj1@gmail.com.

UDAYAN GHAR PROGRAMME : New Delhi: The 3rd Adi Dassler Udayan Care Annual Sports Event was held on Jan. 11 with Mr. Kapil Dev as Guest of Honor and Mr. Andreas Gellner, Adidas, as Chief Guest for the occasion.
With involvement of NCPCR and the QICAC group, the first workshop on 'Mental health care for homeless children living in residential homes: Reflecting on the present, innovating for the future' was held on Feb 6/ 7. This is the first in the series of three innovative workshops (local, national and international) being organized, to share experiences and knowledge on various methods and good practices of fostering mental health in children living in residential care.

Contact: Udayan Care, New Delhi-Tel.: 011-29840151/ 32603837, www.udayancare.org.

Festival of Folkarts - Urban Regeneration Initiative by EMPOWER

EMPOWER a leading civil society organization in Tuticorin is carrying out work for promotion of healthy lifestyle for the development of children and youth. In this connection, EMPOWER has identified about 500 children in the age of 9 to 18 years in the slums and has been imparting training in Tamilnadu traditional folkarts at free of cost for the last 10 months. The strategy is to engage them constructively and creatively to channelise their time and energy, otherwise spent in high risk behaviors. The main objective is to instill in them values of respecting traditions and culture by learning and appreciating otherwise Tamil traditional folkarts which are receiving lesser recognition in this part of Tamil Nadu.

On the occasion of Pongal a "Festival of Folkarts" was organized at the open stage at Roche Park, Tutiocrin beach and 150 children performed Oyilaattam , Pariattam , Thevarattam, , Kollattam, Kummiatam , Kaliyalalttam, , Karagaattam , Samiyattam etc. for about 3 hours. Contact: A.Sankar, Executive Director - EMPOWER.TUTICORIN - 628 008, TN. Telefax: 91 461 2310151 Mobile: 91 94431 48599 Email: ttn_empower@sancharnet.in Website: www.empowerindia.org.

Transgender Foundation
Mumbai: DARPAN FOUNDATION, a trust was established recently in Kamathipura, by the Mumbai based transgender community in the country especially for the benefit of the downtrodden in the society. Transgender community in India is totally neglected by the society and by the Government since several decades and according to the latest international findings published on the Internet, around eleven percent of the population of the world is from this segment.

DARPAN FOUNDATION shall not only look after the wellbeing of transgender but also shall look after various problems faced by sex workers, their children and widows and old aged persons. HIV AIDS infected persons and other who need a helping hand shall also be taken care of. The population of transgender community in the Mumbai city is over 2,00,000 and there are seven different sects headed by the Nayak of each cult. Most of these are living a nomadic life and are below poverty line. There is no provision for their employment and welfare and hence there was a urgent need to act in this direction. Over 80 percent of the TGs are said to have been tested positive for dreaded disease like HIV AIDS and the efforts by existing NGOs is not up to the mark. There are a few NGOs working in red light areas of the city but they are just trying to bring about awareness of disease. Preventive measures and education is also looked after these NGOs. Contact Sharmila Shalini Asha. Managing Trustee, Tel. 09324601581.

Email 1: amma.shatmila@yahoo.com Email 2: sharmila.chandni@gmail.com.

OBIT
Noted scholar, author and activist Smitu Kothari passed away on 23rd March at 6 a.m. of a cardiac attack after having undergone a heart surgery yesterday at AIIMS in Delhi. The cremation was held at Lodi Road electric Crematorium in South Delhi the same day. *Smithu was attending a Delhi Solidarity Group meeting with Himalaya Niti Abhiyan friends and others to discuss strategies and support for the people's struggles in Himachal Pradesh against displacement, mining and environmental destruction on the 20th afternoon, when he had a cardiac attack.

Smitu Kothari is one of the founders of Lokayan ("Dialogue of the People"), and Intercultural Resources, two centres in Delhi, India promoting exchange between non-party political formations and concerned scholars and other citizens from India and the rest of the world. Trained in physics, communications and sociology, he is involved in ecological, cultural and human rights issues striving to collectively forge a national and global alternative that is socially just and ecologically sane. He has been a visiting Professor at Cornell and Princeton Universities. He is President of the International Group for Grassroots Initiatives and a Contributing Editor of The Ecologist and of Development. He has published extensively on critiques of contemporary economic and cultural development, the relationship of nature, culture and democracy, developmental displacement, people's governance and social movements. Smitu was always a source of inspiration and support to not just people's movements and struggles in India, but also to voices of dissent and alternatives across the globe.

He was currently working on a new book, Ecological Justice: Nature, Culture and Democracy. Contact Delhi Forum, F-10/12, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi - 110017 Ph: + 91-11-26680883 / 26680914
Email: delhiforum@gmail.com / delhiforum@delhiforum.net / dforum@bol.net.in.

WATER DAY-March 22
Ahmedabad: The Institution of Engineers (India), Ahmednagar Local Centre in association with Sinchan Sahayog and other government organizations celebrated World Water Day on 22 March 2009 at CQA(V) Auditorium, Ahmednagar. Programmes like "JAL-PUJANA" (water worship) with prayer to water of seven main rivers in the district, chanting of Jalasukta, water pledge to the participants, essay competition, presentations by eminent organisations were organized to mark the occasion. Shri A D Bharadwaj, Director General, National Water Development Agency, New Delhi graced the function as Chief Guest and delivered Key Note address on the theme "Transboundary Water - River linking projects in India." You can also learn more at: www.indiawaterportal.org, www.water.org, www.worldwaterday.net, www.wateraid.org, www.globalwaterchallenge.org, www.tarunbharatsangh.org, www.idc-america.org.

Building the capacity of women to cope with 'peak water'

United Nations: At the fifth World Water Forum (WWF) in Istanbul on March 23 experts from international organisations expressed concern on the severity of the water crisis. Women's group highlighted the need for equal access to safe drinking water and greater participation of female community leaders in the management of world's supplies.
As more than 20,000 people meet in Istanbul for a major week-long conference on future management of the world's water supplies, women's groups are working to ensure that policy decisions about this critical natural resource take their concerns into account.

In addition to the waste and inefficiency of current water use models - particularly in the agricultural sector, where 40% of production comes from non-renewable resources - they also have dramatic environmental impacts.- Nastassja Hoffet

Paryavaran', an Environmental Film Fest
By Celin T Chacko
Thane, 28th December: Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and Envirovigil organised a three day Environmental film festival - 'Paryavaran' at the Narendra Balla Sabhagruha in TMC itself.
Around 40 films with subjects revolving around environment and nature were selected for the participants to view during the three days at the festival. Vatavaran-a Delhi based NGO that assisted Envirovigil with its film collections. The film festival was supported by TMS and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) jointly with an intention to generate civic awareness and to mobilise citizen participation in bringing about environmental reforms. Mr. Vidyadhar Valawalkar, Coordinator of the film fest said that, "This is a new culture for Thane residents".
Mr. Valawalkar had also organised a similar event in June 2008 in Mumbai and has plans to continue this culture every year. On the last day, selected short films were shown to the participants of the festival, which were a part of competition wherein local citizens were encouraged to send in their entries (films). "Local film makers will initiate more action on a local level", says Mr. Valawalkar. Envirovigil has been actively functioning for the last 10 years by working across 1000 hospitals along with TMC to manage Bio-Medical Waste in Thane district. They are also into organising environment awareness campaigns in schools annually.

LEGAL

section 22A of LSA 1987 wherein some of the public issues relating to sanitation, hospital services, transport, postal services can effectively be resolved and that too amicably being the very nature of Lok Adalats.

By virtue of section 22A of Legal Services Authorities Act 1987, some of the pressing civic problems as stated hereinafter in section 22B can effectively be resolved in Permanent Lok Adalats constituted for the purposes. The addresses of Lok Adalats can be obtained from District Legal services Authority or High Court Legal Services Authority.

THE LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITIES ACT, 1987 An Act to constitute legal services authorities to provide free and competent legal Service to the weaker sections of the society to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities, and to organize Lok Adalats to secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on a basis of equal opportunity.

Rickshaw Run
US-based social worker Karen McCready and UK-based student Tim Lloyd, under the team name of Pune Rebels', will be embarking on the 3,500-kilometre-long Rickshaw Run' from Shillong to Goa, to raise funds for Indian AIDS charities. The team will cover this distance in an autorickshaw in 15 days starting April 11 in Shillong.

The Rickshaw Run is an event held by an organisation called "The Adventurists" and started in December 2006 with an aim to mix adventure with fund-raising. All participating teams raise funds for their favourite charities through this drive."In partnership with Wake Up Pune, which is a coalition of NGOs working to raise awareness about HIV in Pune, we will be designing an HIV-positive' rickshaw (the mobile will be covered with information on HIV/AIDS in Hindi). It will also have messages about promoting love and support for those living with the disease," says McCready. The duo will also hand out educational material in Hindi along theirroute. McCready and Lloyd will spread awareness on HIV/ AIDS and raise funds for Deep Groha Society in Pune and the Frank Water Projects in Andhra Pradesh.

xTANSACS is supporting five Legal Aid Clinics (LACs) in Namakkal, Dindigul, Madurai , Tirunelveli and Cuddalore districts. These LACs are situated in the Government hospitals. The District Collector selected one positive network in their respective district to run the LAC. The LACs is supported with one Social Worker and two Out Reach Workers as staff. One advocate is deputed by the District Legal Services Authority. The Advocate visits the LAC thrice in a week for two hours on each of those days of visit. The Social Worker will coordinate work with various departments to settle the non legal cases. The Out Reach Workers will do the field work/ activities to render the service to PLHA. Once the case is filed, the follow-up action will be taken by the advocate and Social Worker together. So far 280 legal cases were filed and 100 disposed off; while over 200o non-legal cases were registered and over half dealt with. contact. Mr. V. Palani, Consultant (Civil Society & Mainstreaming) who is the nodal person for the project at TANSACS or Joevalan Niranjan ,TANSAC Campus, Chennai Mobile: +91 9444060597
New ART centre-Orissa
Orissa: A new ART centre was inaugurated at district Headquarter Hospital Koraput on Mar.11 and now patients from surrounding area can take advantage of the facilities. The centre is the first under the PPP model in Orissa, and has been started in collaboration with Ballarpur Industries Limited, NACO and the district administration. Contact: Dr.Lalita Mahajan, e-mail: harshnil61@yahoo.co.in.

PLHA Micro Insurance
Chennai: Project Concern International (PCI) supported by CARE-INDIA is implementing a pilot program- Insuring Lives and Livelihoods of PLHA (ILAL) through a micro insurance program with a mutual model-JEEVODHYAM. It offers two plans: Plan A - Rs.5,000 for which the annual premium would be Rs.400/annum, and Plan B - Rs.10,000, annual premium would be Rs.750/annum.There would be a waiting period of One year- during which the PLHA beneficiaries would be paid Rs.2000 and Rs 3000 for their respective plans in case of any eventuality. All PLHA, adults and children are eligible. Terminally ill PLHA will be observed for 3 months and latter on can be enrolled. This micro-insurance innovation is expected to enroll 2000 PLHA in the pilot phase. Contact: S.Ramkumar, Program Manager, Project Concern International, Salem(TN). Mob. (0) 9244561178, Email: pciramkumar@gmail.com. Website: www.pciindia.org.

HIV Welfare scheme in Goa
The Goa Minister for Social Welfare, Mr Ramkrishna Dhavalikar on Jan. 19 said that his department has cleared the proposal for monthly payment of Rs 1,000 under the Dayanand Social Security Scheme to HIV infected persons from Goa, and the same is now before the finance department for its approval. The department of social welfare has already decided that the directorate of health services would be the implementing agency for the payment of the sum to the HIV patients, he told The Navhind Times, adding that all the modalities for the same, including maintaining secrecy about the list of such beneficiaries, have been worked out by the DHS.

The project director of the Goa State AIDS Control Society, Dr Pradeep Padwal, pointed out that the scheme would not be open for each and every person infected with the HIV, but for only those HIV patients identified to be living under the below poverty line (BPL) and fulfilling the 15-year domicile clause, as regards their period of residence in the state. The government has decided to set up two new community care centres for the HIV infected persons, and further invited proposals from the NGOs for the same. Presently, there are two such centres existing at Girvadem, in North Goa as well another one in South Goa. Source: The Navhind Tmes,Goa edition.

Kerala's HIV Action Plan
The Social Welfare Department of Kerala has chalked out a plan of action as part of its efforts to integrate HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support activities into various programmes of the department. The department has taken the first step by taking up an issue central to the well-being of HIV-positive persons, that of nutrition. A scheme to give nutrition supplements to HIV-positive women and children has been approved by the government. The department has designated a nodal person, in the rank of Joint Director, to coordinate its HIV-related activities.

The draft plan prepared at recent workshop organised to draw up the action plan for sensitising people on HIV will incorporate a module on HIV in all training programmes. The department will also develop a core group of trainers.to train the staff to be more sensitive to the issues of HIV-positive persons. Another novel suggestion that the department has put forth is the development of `HIV-positive- friendly' ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) villages, at least one in every district. It will involve educating each ICDS village so that the community gets a clear understanding of HIV. This approach could encourage people to adopt a non-discriminatory attitude to HIV-positive persons. The Kerala State AIDS Control Society is pursuing its HIV-mainstreaming efforts with other departments too. Next in line for sensitisation are the Tourism and Local Self Government departments. Contact: Jaffer Inamdar, President, "Positive Lives Foundation, PLF-GOA" Mob. 09765328986, Email: plf@rediffmail.com.

Education programme for HIV+ children
Manipur: The Manipur Network of Positive People (MNP+) has launched a programme in association with donors with the objective to provide education support to 40 children living with HIV. In his keynote address at the launch of the programme, the MNP+ vice-president Ajitshwar said that according to an epidemiological report compiled by MACS, the number of people living with HIV in the age group of 0 to 20 years till May 2008 was 2974. Around 6500 children in the State have been affected/infected by HIV/AIDS. However, a large number of them are facing great hurdles in pursuing their education due to poverty. It is in the backdrop of such grim situation that the MNP+ and NGOs with support from local donors take up the initiative to provide education support to 40 such children during 2009-10, he said.

HIV Awareness in UP
Allahabad(UP): An HIV awareness campaign was organized in the Mela area in Allahabad to build the capacity of PLHAs and motivate them for effective participation in prevention of HIV roll-out program in India. "UPNP+ Sewa Dal" started awareness activities from 13th January, 09 to 29th January, 09 at Khakh Chowk, Sangam Lower Marg, Sector-3, (Near Dadda Ji Camp.), Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. The UPNP+ Sewa Dal also organised a silent rally on the theme of "We live a healthier life, we prevent new HIV infections" from our camp to Sangam on 18th January, 09.

In a recent held workshop on implementation of Forest Rights Act in Maharashtra, organised by Tribal Research and Training Institute (Maharashtra) and NCAS in Pune, the women activists from across the state working on Forest rights Act implementation came together and discussed the idea of looking at FRA from women's rights perspective.A two-day workshop "Strengthening Women's Rights in Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwelling Communities with Respect to Forest Rights Act" was held on Mar. 13/14 in New Delhi.

The women activists have emphasised the need to understand the processes of implementation of Forest Rights Act with reference to women's participation and role given in the legislation. Conatct: National Centre for Advocacy Studies (NCAS), N-13 A, 2nd Floor, Green Park Extension,New Delhi-110016 . Email: pune-21ncas@vsnl.com, ncasdelhi@vsnl.net.

VANI in collaboration with *Rejuvenate India Movement-(RIM) organised a state level consultation Workshop on policy for voluntary sector on Jan. 28/29 in Chennai, to increase awareness on various aspects of the policy, its implications for the voluntary sector and promote production of a policy for the state. Contact: Mr. A.L. Rangarajan, National Coordinator, Rejuvenate India Movement,# 6, Nelson Mandela Street, Chittlapakkam, Chennai - 600 064,Ph: 2223 5133, Mobile: 94449 71268, alrangarajan@rejuvenateindiamovement.org.

IFA convened five one-day workshops on "Capacity Building of Senior Citizens Organisations" in five cities in January 2009:
Bangalore -Regulatory Body for Institutional Care for Elders
Chennai - Successful and Graceful Ageing
Hyderabad - Ageing in Place
New Delhi -Advocacy for Rights of Older Persons
Mumbai -Asserting Rights of Older Persons
Contact National Coordinator K R Gangadharan : Vice President Asia IFA gangadharankr@gmail.com or the Secretariat: Mrs. Suma Prasad : suma.sprasad@gmail.com Ph: 9866078244.

The Indian Merchant's Chamber's (IMC) three Expert Committees-Corporate Governance & Governance Forum & Corporate Social Responsibility jointly organised a full day 2nd NGO Conference on the theme, "Challenges of Social Sector & Role of NGOs" on Saturday, 21st March 2009 in Mumbai. The conference was aimed at addressing the problem of duplication of efforts by NGOs, who are not aware of other NGO's work, and sought to impart management skills to most of the NGOs.
Over 100 participants from the NGO and the corporate sector as well as comp participated in this conference. It was an opportunity for NGOs and companies to interact and get a first hand feel of the good work being done by different NGOs in social sector. As a result, companies will be able to focus refocus their CSR initiatives in a better manner. The programme included an inspiring keynote address by S.Giridhar on Azim Premji Foundation's experiences in the field of elementary education. Other topics included credibility in NGO sector, experiences of NGO activities with the corporate sector, national and local governments - private public partnerships. Karmayog presented its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ratings of 1000 top companies in India. Other presentations included experiences of social entrepreneurship by Venture, Ashoka India and Grassroots Trading Network for Women. Success stories of NGOs, Ambuja Foundation and Helen Keler Institute for Deaf and Deafblind were showcased. The final session was on challenges faced by NGOs in terms of HR, finance and marketing practices. The conference participants signed up to become official members of the IMC's future activities related to CSR. Contact: Varun Miglani tel.(022): 22046633 Ext.151; Email: varun@imcnet.org.

RTI - Proactive Disclosure for Corporates

Mumbai: Shailesh Gandhi, the Central Information Commissioner urged corporates to take pro-active measures to bring transparency into the system. Although access to information held by corporates under the Right to Information Act is limited, corporates could give a big push in favour of public accountability by voluntarily putting documents of all their dealings with the government -- such as the terms of their MOUs and contracts -- on the interne. In his address at a meeting on "Corporate Governance and Right to Information Act" organised by the Indian Merchants Chamber's Young Leader's Forum
Gandhi sharply criticised corporates who, despite being the main instigators and beneficiaries of large-scale corruption, criticized the government and acted holier-than-thou. He named a number of prominent corporates that were currently fleecing the public exchequer of several hundred crores per year, and asked the gathering what steps would be taken for self-examination and self-correction.

Atul Desai, Senior Partner, Kanga & Co., spoke on various provisions of the Companies Act that shareholders could use for forcing corporates to be transparent and clean. "The current perception among those who run companies is that they have the first right to enjoy as much as possible, and only pass on residual benefits to individual shareholders," he pointed out, adding that a sense of trusteeship needed to be imbibed in company managements. Contact IMC.

Mumbai: Taking advantage of the presence of Shri Shailesh Gandhi in Mumbai a programme "PENDENCY HATAO, RTI BACHAO" a Performance Audit of Information Commission was organized by. Mahiti Adhikar Manch.: Bombay Catholic Sabha, BCAS Foundation, PCGT,Forum Of Free Enterprise, M.R.Pai Foundation, Tarun Mitra Mandal and Mahadhikar,H/West Ward Citizens Trust Shailesh Gandhi share his experiences as a Central Information Commissioner and his methodology of tackling the issue of appeal pendency in commission, Dr. Suresh Joshi will give his plan and strategy for reducing pendency in Maharashtra. The meeting held on Mar. 8 at at St.Joseph High School Grounds, , Wadala led to the Mahasrastra Commissioner of RtI, Mr Joshi to formulate plans for immediate pronouncements and plans to PIOs in the government departments.

Seminar on custodial torture & violence
Mumbai; The Justice and Peace Commission, Mumbai, 'Justice & Accountability Matters', programme of the Women's Research & Action Group (WRAG), Mumbai and the International Human Rights Education Consortium (IHREC) convened a three day Seminar on Torture on Custodial Torture and Violence in Mumbai, India on Feb.17-19. The seminar topics included concept & contexts of torture, Indian legal framework to prevent and punish torture, draconian laws, 'Institutional Impunity' and their impact on custodial violence, medico-legal perspectives on torture, non-custodial torture, torture: a gender perspective and torture in South Asia. Contact: Allwyn D'Silva (JPC) Tel. (022) 28852281, email: icor@mtnl.net.in.

World Consumers Day
Consumer Guidance Society of India in collaboration with Values & Perception Improvement Colloquium (VPIC)of R.D. National College, Mumbai organized a Seminar on `Awareness and Action - the only way forward," as part of World Consumer Day Celebrations on Mar. 14. 'The topics included: saving electricity & energy, boom or doom in stock market: mobile phone services, milk supply, safe eating, genuine and fake of . silk. Dr. M.S. Kamath., Hon. Secretary, CGSI moderated the seminar. Contact: CGSI, t.el. No 22621612; Telefax: 22659715.

Save the Mithi river
Mumbai: the Mithi nadi sansad was formed on Jan. 11 with the inspiration and guidance of Rajendra Singh (Rashtriya jal biradari), with the express task of reviving the Mithi river. TO mobilize volunteers and plan actions a meeting was held at chhabildas boys school, on Feb 16 to motivate others to participate, and fulfil our social (and environmental) duties. Contact :mithinadisansad-subscribe@jalsangrah.org or Anant Belgaonkar, FIRST IMPRESSION, Mumbai Tel.: 9819064462, 24326274.

Women against violence
Mumbai: Sisters Against Violent Extremism (SAVE) formed during an International Conference in Vienna in which delegates from all over the world discussed the importance of mobilizing women against violent extremism. A SAVE workshop was organised by Women Without Borders on Feb.3 at the Press Club to discuss the vital role that women can play in rejecting violent extremism, by building political, religious, and emotional bridges.

The workshop participants were survivors of the attacks in Mumbai on 26/11. Narratives of the Nurses of Cama hospital brought out their work ethics and secular humanism. All of them wanted to work towards a Culture of Peace in a Climate of Fear. The documentary film made by SAVE was screened and a declaration formulated. Contact: -Prof. Vibhuti Patel, Director, PGSR, SNDt women's university, Mumbai <vibhuti.np@gmail.com>
An International Conference on Energy and Environment, EnviroEnergy 2009, was conducted from March 19-21 at Chandigarh, by the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India. The Conference aimed to address the challenges in the emerging areas of energy and environment to achieve sustainable development. Website: http://www.enviroenergy2009.org.

Earth 09: International Conference on Green Management in a Warming World: Challenges and Opportunities was held on 20-21 March 2009 at Cochin, Kerala to address the present and future challenges of global environmental change and their implications on businesses and the society at large. It was organized by the Global Environmental Change, SCMS COCHIN and UNESCO Peace Chair, Manipal University Contact: Dr.Sunil D Santha. Website: http://scmsgroup.org/php/show_newsdetails.php?newsid=49.

Centre for Social Initiative and Management (CSIM) in partnership with Social Audit Network (UK) organised a two-day Master Class on "Social Accounting and Audit" to orient the professionals on the methods used for processing and preparing the social accounts, report the accounts in a standardized format and understand the process of getting it audited from Jan.22-23 in Chennai. Contact shilpa@csimhyd.com / csimchennai@gmail.com.

CDL organised a 3-day Training programme in Kannada on "Working With Newspapers" in Bangalore on 10-12 Feb. 2009. It was designed to build capacity in NGOs to develop relationships with the newspapers and using the print media for awareness building and advocacy of their issues. Contact: Communication for Development and Learning, 11/A, 7th Cross, 17th Main, Koramangala 6th Block, Bangalore - 560095. Tel: (0 80) 25503481, Fax: 91 80 25524192, Mob: 99020 72155. Email: cdlproject15@gmail.com.

A National Consultative Meeting of experts to develop a National Dementia Strategy was held at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi on 30-31 Jan. 2009. This meeting was organized by Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) in association with the Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, Jamia Milia. ARDSI is a national voluntary organization dedicated to the care, support, and research of dementia. Contact: ailesh2000_2000@yahoo.co.uk.

VISION (NGOs Network) organized the National Seminar on Social Reforms in Slums - Role of NGOs on14-16 March ,2009, at Titupathi at Chittoor District in Andhra Pradesh. The seminar covered the Need for NGOs Network & Workshop on Preparation of Action plan for the Next 3 Years and strategies for its implementation. to discuss the various panel themes dealing with the underlying causes of slums poor multiple miseries rather than in symptoms; National Seminar on Social Reforms in Slums "narla prakasam". Contact: vision_ngosnetkadapa@yahoo.com.

A national seminar was organized on Climate Change issues and mitigation priorities during 28 Feb-3 March at NM Institute of Engg.and Technology, Bhubaneswar. It had six technical sessions to cover almost all aspects of climate change, repercussions and mitigation options. Contact: Prof. Dr. Sanjay Samantarai, Chairman Cum MD, Satyasai Charitabke & Educational Trust, 1041 Mhanandi Vihar, Cuttack 4, Orissa. Tel. (0671) 2444239 Mobile: 9438126994. Email 1. sanjay_ouat@sify.com, 2. sanjay_ouat@in.com.

National Convention on Communal Harmony was organised on 30- 31t January, 2009 at Kabir Math, Jiyanpur, Ayodhya, District Faizabad, U.P. The programme included "Strategy, Suggestions for Future Action; Politics and Communalism". It was Ayodhya ki Awaz, Asha Parivar, National Alliance of People's Movements, Anhad, All India Secular Forum, Communalism Combat Contact: Faisal Khan, 09313106745, 09968828230, Jugal Kishore Shashtri, 09451730269, Kabir Math, Mob.09415404471.

Action Plus a coalition of 15 organizations in India organised a series of People's Panchayats in five cities in India. The first one in Bangalore was anchored by INSA India in coordination with YRG-Care and CASAM on 28 Jan. 2009. This is part of their advocacy towards enabling all people to live with dignity. The theme of the People's Panchayat was "Addressing Stigma and Homophobia". The programme included sharing of their life's testimonies by five people from sexual minority groups, briefly highlighting the discrimination they faced within cultural,educational, legal, religious, health and home settings. The Bangalore Panch consists of religious leaders. Contact: INSAINDIA Email: insaind@airtelmail.in.

A national workshop on 'Social dimensions of Marine Protected Area implementation in India: Do fishing communities benefit?' was held in Chennai on January 21 & 22, 2009. It was organized by the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) and was attended by representatives of artisanal and small-scale fishworker organizations, organizations in support of fishworkers, environmental groups, and the scientific community from around the country. ICSF, 27 College Road, Chennai - 600006. Tel: 044-28275303, Email: icsf@icsf.net; icsf@vsnl.com Web: www.icsf.net; www.icsf.org.

iVolunteer Institute of Volunteer Management (IIVM) in partnership with Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Madurai facilitated a 2 day Conference from April 14-15 "Volunteer Management 2009", for the first time in Madurai. The conference exclusively focused on "Volunteer Management" for Non-profit organisations and Educational Institutions.