India's most loved sportsperson Sachin Tendulkar, is at it again, helping promote the Joy of Giving week 2010. In an exclusive interview with Times Now, he says "the Joy of Giving Week is a great opportunity for an individual to express himself and what he wants to do for the community." Sachin of course not only doubled his contribution to his favourite charity Apnalaya last year during JGW, but also devoted a day to a cricket coaching camp, offering his time that was auctioned to raise funds. He says that he enjoyed getting to know the people who attended his camp.
The JGW has been lucky in that it has both famous and committed brand ambassadors. Whether it has been Sachin, or Nandita Das, Shriya, Surya, Madhavan, Rahul Bose or the corporate big wigs like Adi Godrej, all have not just lent their names, faces and voices, but more importantly have given generously of their time and that has been a major contributing factor to the success of the Week in its very year of inception in 2009.
However the famous can take a movement only upto a certain point. mass participation becomes essential for any movement to succeed and again JGW has been lucky in that it has caught the imagination of the public at large and turned into a national festival, cutting across all barriers and with all participating. Some of the ways the country contributed has been written about in today's Times of India in Mumbai. Meanwhile what of JGW 2010. here we go back to quote the star cricketer as he says:
We have set higher goals this year and higher targets. It is not only up to me, but it is up to the whole of India to help us achieve the target. This week is to celebrate, to make sure that there are happy people across the country, and there are smiles on faces. That is what we wish to do. The idea behind starting this joy of giving week was to spread smiles.
So let's all heed Sachin's words and come together to spread smiles. participate in the Joy of Giving Week between the 26th of Sept., and the 2nd of Oct 2010. A link that says more
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Of This and That....
Today's Indian Express carries a photograph captioned 'When Hunger Turns to Anger', depicting a victim of the flood in Pakistan, trying to throttle another victim apparently because the latter was trying to snatch food or preventing the former from getting food.
The latest hit film is Peepli Live, a satire on farmer suicide and focussing on the hopelessness of their lives. The flood victims of Leh continue to suffer even as reconstruction efforts are underway. Farmers in Aligargh are agitating, demanding higher compensation for their land.
The papers are also full of Vedanta and the latest richest Indian, Anil Agarwal, whose networth is estimated almost one and a half lakh crores.
If we were earlier unaware, of the chasm existing between the haves and the have nots it is made clear as one reads reports like these. We do concede that a purely equitable society is idealistic and to be very honest, is also unachievable. But yet, the difference need not be so wide. How can we as a society continue to exist when we are aware that even as we blow money on our comforts and luxuries, there are many who go to bed hungry and cold. This is not a rhetorical question, but one we truly need to ask and find an answer to, and the manner we choose to make amends, will reflect the society we want to create.
One could argue that all are not born equal, that one has a right to enjoy one's own hard earned money. Fair enough and we have no arguments with that but is it also not right that opportunities be made available to all ? Can we, sitting comfortably in our air-conditioned homes and looking for ways to invest money, not spare a thought for those less fortunate and in need of our time, our money, our resources, our expertise?
Thoughts like these perhaps prompted 40 US billionaires, motivated and led by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to pledge their money to charity. There are critics who wonder whether the pledge had to be public and was it publicity the billionaires were seeking. But we do not think so and would like to believe that the billionaires made public their intention hoping that others would follow their lead. We hope so too and in India, we do have corporate leaders devoting their time to spread the word about the Joy of Giving Week. Meanwhile unfazed by criticism, Gates Buffet are trying hard to convince their European counterparts to pledge their wealth to charity.
We may not be billionaires or even millionaires, but the little we have can be shared and let us resolve to do that during the Joy of Giving Week this year.
The latest hit film is Peepli Live, a satire on farmer suicide and focussing on the hopelessness of their lives. The flood victims of Leh continue to suffer even as reconstruction efforts are underway. Farmers in Aligargh are agitating, demanding higher compensation for their land.
The papers are also full of Vedanta and the latest richest Indian, Anil Agarwal, whose networth is estimated almost one and a half lakh crores.
If we were earlier unaware, of the chasm existing between the haves and the have nots it is made clear as one reads reports like these. We do concede that a purely equitable society is idealistic and to be very honest, is also unachievable. But yet, the difference need not be so wide. How can we as a society continue to exist when we are aware that even as we blow money on our comforts and luxuries, there are many who go to bed hungry and cold. This is not a rhetorical question, but one we truly need to ask and find an answer to, and the manner we choose to make amends, will reflect the society we want to create.
One could argue that all are not born equal, that one has a right to enjoy one's own hard earned money. Fair enough and we have no arguments with that but is it also not right that opportunities be made available to all ? Can we, sitting comfortably in our air-conditioned homes and looking for ways to invest money, not spare a thought for those less fortunate and in need of our time, our money, our resources, our expertise?
Thoughts like these perhaps prompted 40 US billionaires, motivated and led by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to pledge their money to charity. There are critics who wonder whether the pledge had to be public and was it publicity the billionaires were seeking. But we do not think so and would like to believe that the billionaires made public their intention hoping that others would follow their lead. We hope so too and in India, we do have corporate leaders devoting their time to spread the word about the Joy of Giving Week. Meanwhile unfazed by criticism, Gates Buffet are trying hard to convince their European counterparts to pledge their wealth to charity.
We may not be billionaires or even millionaires, but the little we have can be shared and let us resolve to do that during the Joy of Giving Week this year.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Redeeming our Pledge
This is what we wrote on the 13th of August 2009:
India is gearing up to celebrate Independence Day and usher in the festival season. This is that time of year, when our achievements as a country are faithfully recounted by the media, the time when we promise to redeem our pledge to become a developed nation and take pride in our status as a thriving democracy. This year, all this will take place under the shadow of the Swine Flu. But even as the threat of the H1N1 virus looms large, we forget that there are many other shadows that are invisible but yet are a reality to millions of Indians : poverty, child labour, illiteracy, displacement, malnutrition, domestic violence, physical, mental and sexual abuse, unemployment, ignorance and the list could go on.
On a first reading, nothing appears to have changed; we are still battling all the above along with Swine Flu and malaria, there is rampant corruption especially with the Commonwealth Games, Kashmir is seething, Leh is suffering because of floods, honour killings are more the norm than the exception and the list could go on.
Yet, one is hopeful and optimistic that positive changes are taking place slowly but surely and what is heartwarming is that these changes are mostly spearheaded by children. What else can explain the overwhelming response to Design for Change, an event that is a part of the Joy of giving Week. The Design for Change inspires children to identify a social problem and design a solution . This year, children from 24 countries are participating in this event, that appropriately begins on the 15th of August. By participating in this event, the children not only gain an insight into the problems of the community, but also learn to empathise. This is the manner in which an inclusive society can be built, by ensuring that our children walk with the ones who need the most support.
As we gear up to celebrate 63 years of Independence , let us all take a moment off to redeem our pledge to each other as Indians and promise to care and to share and forge relationships to build an all inclusive society where each one of us is accepted and treated with dignity. As the first of the JGW event kicks off on the 15th of August, let that be our promise. Let us learn from our children as they discover solutions to problems not of their making. A Joyous and Giving Independence Day to all our readers.
For those who would like to read last years' post, here is the link:
http://joyofgivingweek.blogspot.com/2009/08/towards-freedom.html
India is gearing up to celebrate Independence Day and usher in the festival season. This is that time of year, when our achievements as a country are faithfully recounted by the media, the time when we promise to redeem our pledge to become a developed nation and take pride in our status as a thriving democracy. This year, all this will take place under the shadow of the Swine Flu. But even as the threat of the H1N1 virus looms large, we forget that there are many other shadows that are invisible but yet are a reality to millions of Indians : poverty, child labour, illiteracy, displacement, malnutrition, domestic violence, physical, mental and sexual abuse, unemployment, ignorance and the list could go on.
On a first reading, nothing appears to have changed; we are still battling all the above along with Swine Flu and malaria, there is rampant corruption especially with the Commonwealth Games, Kashmir is seething, Leh is suffering because of floods, honour killings are more the norm than the exception and the list could go on.
Yet, one is hopeful and optimistic that positive changes are taking place slowly but surely and what is heartwarming is that these changes are mostly spearheaded by children. What else can explain the overwhelming response to Design for Change, an event that is a part of the Joy of giving Week. The Design for Change inspires children to identify a social problem and design a solution . This year, children from 24 countries are participating in this event, that appropriately begins on the 15th of August. By participating in this event, the children not only gain an insight into the problems of the community, but also learn to empathise. This is the manner in which an inclusive society can be built, by ensuring that our children walk with the ones who need the most support.
As we gear up to celebrate 63 years of Independence , let us all take a moment off to redeem our pledge to each other as Indians and promise to care and to share and forge relationships to build an all inclusive society where each one of us is accepted and treated with dignity. As the first of the JGW event kicks off on the 15th of August, let that be our promise. Let us learn from our children as they discover solutions to problems not of their making. A Joyous and Giving Independence Day to all our readers.
For those who would like to read last years' post, here is the link:
http://joyofgivingweek.blogspot.com/2009/08/towards-freedom.html
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
A Detour
Blogging about the Joy of Giving Week is not easy, because there is so much we would like to say that we do not know where to begin. Do we write about the Week specifically, do we focus on stories of giving, do we draw attention to the good work done by CSR s in corporates, do we keep you updated on events, help you with ideas on how you could participate, or do we concentrate on our Brand Ambassadors and the manner in which they help promote the Week ? So many areas and all of it merits equal attention because they are all important aspects that need to be written about. The posts in this blog have at sometime or the other, addressed all these issues and will continue to do so.
However, the one issue that many are curious about is how did the idea of the JGW originate. To this, there is really no clear answer, for no one, not even Give India that co-ordinated the festival last year and will do so this year too, is in a position to clarify this. One would like to think that the concept sprung from one of those Eureka moments. But a Eureka moment comes only when an idea has existed in the subconscious. Perhaps the idea of Joy of Giving Week has been dormant in many of us and just needed somebody to give it a voice. Only that can explain the unprecedented and unforseen popularity of the Week in its very year of inception.
The JGW aims to turn us all for a week at least into people who care and share. For a week we will not be selfish humans looking after our own interests but affectionate humans who can empathise. For a week we will forget the "weariness, the fever and the fret/ Here where men sit and hear each other groan." For a week, we will like Keats was, be transported into a world where the Nightingale sings with pure undulterated joy. Such will be our reward when we participate in the week long festival of giving between the 26th of Sept., and the 2nd of Oct.
However, the one issue that many are curious about is how did the idea of the JGW originate. To this, there is really no clear answer, for no one, not even Give India that co-ordinated the festival last year and will do so this year too, is in a position to clarify this. One would like to think that the concept sprung from one of those Eureka moments. But a Eureka moment comes only when an idea has existed in the subconscious. Perhaps the idea of Joy of Giving Week has been dormant in many of us and just needed somebody to give it a voice. Only that can explain the unprecedented and unforseen popularity of the Week in its very year of inception.
The JGW aims to turn us all for a week at least into people who care and share. For a week we will not be selfish humans looking after our own interests but affectionate humans who can empathise. For a week we will forget the "weariness, the fever and the fret/ Here where men sit and hear each other groan." For a week, we will like Keats was, be transported into a world where the Nightingale sings with pure undulterated joy. Such will be our reward when we participate in the week long festival of giving between the 26th of Sept., and the 2nd of Oct.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Youth and JGW
Amongst the biggest impact of the Joy of Giving Week has been the manner in which it has aimed to engage the youth. A previous post has articulated the involvement of school children. Today we share with you news about the innovative and wholehearted participation of college students in the JGW in an endeavour aptly called "Joyfest'; literally a festival of joy. Anchored by XLRI Jamshedpur, over 100 colleges signed up for the weeklong festival of giving in 2009. As Fr.Abraham Director of XLRI put it, "In our daily lives, we all help others in our own small ways. But here is an opportunity for us to do it together, to encourage others to do so, and to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism, which is so deep-rooted in the Jamshedpur community. As a part of our Diamond Jubilee celebrations, we have decided that we will make efforts to anchor and facilitate this cause for the city to which we belong… and contribute to the nation-building.”
The colleges were free to organise their own events in the manner they choose, the only condition being that the motive should be to enagage in giving. Hence we had colleges raise resources in fun ways, engage the disadvantaged especially children in activities, signup to be a part of the Vastra Samman campaign co-ordinated by Goonj, visit the elderly, clean the neighbourhood, promote safety awareness, civic consciousness and many more. It is practically impossible to share with you the many innovative ideas the students came up with or to share the empathy and concern the young display to those in need. So we leave you with a link to the Joyfest site where you will be able to read about 2009 Joyfest and track it during the current Joy of Giving Week, to be held between 26th Sept., and 2nd Oct.
http://www.joyfest.in/index.asp
The colleges were free to organise their own events in the manner they choose, the only condition being that the motive should be to enagage in giving. Hence we had colleges raise resources in fun ways, engage the disadvantaged especially children in activities, signup to be a part of the Vastra Samman campaign co-ordinated by Goonj, visit the elderly, clean the neighbourhood, promote safety awareness, civic consciousness and many more. It is practically impossible to share with you the many innovative ideas the students came up with or to share the empathy and concern the young display to those in need. So we leave you with a link to the Joyfest site where you will be able to read about 2009 Joyfest and track it during the current Joy of Giving Week, to be held between 26th Sept., and 2nd Oct.
http://www.joyfest.in/index.asp
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