NGO functionaries held for attempt to picket V Narayanasamy's house
About 80 functionaries belonging to different NGOs, including women, were taken into custody today when they attempted to stage a dharna at the residence of the Union Minister of State in the PMO, V Narayanasamy, to protest against his alleged "derogatory coments" against the Anti-Kundankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) movement recently.
The agitators, who were taken into preventive custody near Anna statue at Odiansalai here, raised slogans against the Minister and said his comments had "exposed his intention to dislocate the spirit of the movement against the plant and also insulted the genuine concerns of the people".
Narayanasamy had recently said a probe was on into the source of funding and other aspects of the three-month long stir against the nuclear power plant at Kudankulam.
"The agitation is going on for three months. How is it sustained, is a question mark. It is not known who is financing all this. A detailed probe is on," he had said.
They agitators claimed the KNPP should be wound up as it was a threat to the environment and livelihood sources of the fishermen and those living in its vicinity.
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Duc Loi Embraces the Thanksgiving Spirit
By Rigoberto Hernandez
For Amanda Ngo, the owner of Duc Loi supermarket, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year.
She stocks groceries, manages dozens of employees and on top of that she cooks a dinner for more than 450 people in need. The mustard greens and apple pie that she cooks were served outside her store on Thanksgiving Day.
This is the third time Duc Loi , which has been in the Mission since 1996, has hosted the feast. It was a record year because word of mouth and more people are in need, Ngo said.
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Samuel: HIV/AIDS foreign funds dwindling; state to fill void
The reality of our HIV situation is this:
1. For the past eight to nine years there has been no change in TT's infection rate.
2. There are approximately four new infections daily and 1,400 cases annually.
3. The cost of antiretroviral therapy for someone with HIV is $14,000 annually. This excludes other costs associated with treatment.
Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and Member of Parliament for Arima, Rodger Samuel provided the above information on TT's HIV situation during an interview on November 26 at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port-of-Spain.
HIV/AIDS “is something we have to take very seriously,” Samuel said.
While the data may not surprise those involved in the HIV/AIDS response, another reality is that funding from foreign sources has dwindled significantly and the lions’ share has to come from the state.
As part of the response to HIV and AIDS a sustained information and education campaign will be launched next year. Samuel said it will last for two to three years “with the intention of reducing our new infections by 50 percent by 2013 or 2014; the United Nations want us to do it by 2015.”
According to Samuel, if the country aimed for the sky but landed on clouds, this was an achievement. He said brainstorming has started for what will be a “massive campaign” to get everyone involved.
“HIV/AIDS, if it does not infect you, it will affect you because you are Trinbogonian. Our taxes will have to pay for it”
This year will mark the first year World AIDS Day is being observed without the National AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC). The NACC was disbanded March 31 to make way for a statutory body. The closure of the agency was announced in the 2010 election manifesto of the People' Partnership. In the aftermath, the Health Ministry, Tobago HIV AIDS Coordinating Committee were charged with coordinating the response. Samuel said draft legislation was with the Attorney General Anand Ramlogan for the new statutory committee.
“They are reviewing it to see what are the laws conducive to TT. It is before the AG in the meantime a number of things are happening.”
The OPM put out an advertisement a few months ago asking all non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in the HIV/AIDS response to register.
“We have had a tremendous response. Organisations have all come forward and provided their documents. We wanted to make sure they were registered with the Ministry of Legal Affairs, know how long they were registered, (and there was) no fly by night situation so that was part of the process that took place so far.”
The closure of the NACC caused the Government to get flak from NGOs concerned about the vacuum left in service. Samuel said the NACC was established with a World Bank loan of US$20 million. The work of the NACC was based on criteria set out in the loan. “That arrangement was extended and extended then the loan came to an end, and contracts and everything came to an end also. So when you have all these people talking that we shut down the NACC and all sorts of nonsense. They should know it was aligned to the process.”
Samuel said the NACC was a coordinating committee, not an implementing agency.
“They could not tell you what you have to do, or you can't do. They did not have that teeth. The statutory body will. There are one or two countries that have a statutory body.”
Asked what the Budget for HIVAIDS response was, Samuel said with the disbanding of NACC, the allocation has been placed with the Planning Ministry. “The Ministry of Planning has put up an allocation which can be accessed. We have gotten permission from Cabinet to set up an interim HIV agency, for us to set up all the mechanisms and platforms until the statutory body comes on board so it is a smooth transition. We are in the process of setting up that interim agency.”
The OPM is preparing to host a symposium with interest groups. Samuel said it will be “a reality check to make sure everybody understands the direction we want to take and everybody is heading in the same direction.”
He described the response by various organisation in the country as “lacking cohesiveness” and NGOs were duplicating efforts. The symposium will bring different public and private sector organisations together to plan the way forward, develop a comprehensive approach and ensure buy-in.
“We also intend to develop our IT (Information Technology) process to make sure there is connectivity from ministry to ministry especially, the service oriented ministries.”
Samuel indicated there will be greater monitoring of organisations accessing state funds.
“There needs to be some monitoring and evaluation and assessments of programmes NGOs are doing so there will be proper accountability. Sometimes you have NGOs coming out of the same zones doing the same thing accessing funds and spending funds on the same people. We are trying to realign all these things so it is specific and direct.”
He said an idea being explored is the mapping of the country in zones to ensure that people in rural areas were getting the help they need.
Samuel said some organisations approached different ministries to get funding for their projects.
A new system will network the state agencies involved in providing assistance to NGOs to keep track of the distribution of funds and recipients.
He gave an example of how the system was expected to work – if an NGO went to the Ministry of the People for funding, officials would have a computer code to access the data base of OPM or another ministry to see if a grant had already been disbursed.
“Those are the things we are doing. There are limited resources in the world. We are not getting any subvention from abroad anymore. Now every cent that is going to be spent on HIVAIDS has been from the government of TT. We have no grants.”
Samuel said money was drying up around the world and most of the foreign subventions were going to Sub-Saharan Africa. He said some funds can be accessed from the US Department of State for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
“The majority of money to be spent has to come from the Budget,” Samuel said.
Combatting stigma and discrimination is also high on the agenda. “There is stigma in the health sector, serious stigma. We need to make all our clinics general clinics so when you are in there you could be going to check for diabetes,” he said.
--------------------------------------------
NGO to file PILs to enforce RTE Act
On Children's Day, a leading NGO working for child rights has decided to approach the Delhi high court to enforce key provisions of the Right to Education Act and for the integration of poor children who are mentally challenged with the main-stream educational system. The NGO is gearing up to file these PILs in this week.
Social Jurist is all set to file PILs highlighting the failure of the government to effectively implement key provision of the RTE Act that requires schools to reserve 25% of their seats for the poor kids. Similarly, another PIL aims to get HC intervention for better integration in the mainstream of 392 poor children that are mentally challenged in the age group 5 to 18 in state government run Asha Kiran Home at Rohini.
Realising the significance of Children's Day, the NGO is gearing up to file these PILs this week itself.
Speaking to TOI, advocate Ashok Agarwal who runs Social Jurist, pointed out that, in the capital almost all measures benefitting children and their education have been taken by authorities only after the high court has intervened, which is why more PILs are being filed.
Agarwal, while explaining why the contribution of legal system is also important to remember on Children's Day, said, "Be it laying down a deadline to notify rules of RTE Act, or improving conditions of children being forced to study in tents run by schools , or pushing for special educators for disabled kids in private and government runs schools or preventing commercialization of education, the HC has nudged the government/civic agencies concerned so that children can get better education. Had it not been for the intervention of the judges, all the measures would have remained on paper with no real progress in real terms."
Aggarwal cited another instance of how HC has benefitted the kids. For instance, it was only after the parents of children studying in private unaided schools approached HC and challenged the "arbitrary" fee hike by the institutions that their accounts are now under the scrutiny of the committee headed by a retired judge. Last week, HC asked the state government to respond to allegations by the parents that despite the court's explicit order to of not providing necessary infrastructure to the committee.
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Vivian Dsena at an art show in Pune
Leading artists came together to exhibit their works at the art show organized by NGO INDIA at 2047.
Ulhas Raikar, Sanjay Nikam, Deepak Sonar, B.P Karthik, Priya Bhendre, Ramesh Thorat sculptor Rajan Jagganath and the international artist Shola Craletti all displayed their works for the noble cause of raising funds for kids with HIV. Socialite Monika Trivedi was amongst the early guests while Honaji Sanas was seen on the social circuit after a long time. Dr. Tarvin Kaur was seen appreciating the works.
Host for the evening the very fashionable Tehseen Poonawalla was seen bonding with his close friends television superstar Vivian Dsena and fiance Vahbiz Dorabjee who specially came in to lend support for his cause. Gallery owner Arvind Jadhav and Damini Oberoi ensured everyone were looked after, while the city's champagne crowd proved once again when it comes to cause they all have a heart of gold!
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AutoTempest Donates $10,000 to CARE International
Creator of car search engine chooses poverty relief NGO as endowment recipient
Victoria, British Columbia (PRWEB) November 30, 2011
AutoTempest founder Nathan Stretch selects CARE International, a relief and development NGO working to combat poverty in developing countries, as the recipient of a $10,000 charitable donation. AutoTempest, an online used car search engine bringing up listings from all major used car classifieds, has been carefully designed to connect individuals with quality used cars. The same effort and commitment to quality drove the recipient selection process, with CARE being ultimately chosen for its emphasis on long-term solutions and its success in creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world.
During the decision making process, the AutoTempest founder was impressed with the high quality of CARE's charitable endeavours and its focus on building local skills, with 97% of staff being nationals of the countries in which the programs are run. The charity works with the local communities to identify the most marginalized beneficiaries; often women and girls. CARE helps individuals help themselves - through their programs, people learn skills and receive knowledge so that they themselves can be agents of lasting change in their communities.
"It was very important to me to choose a charity that not only was in line with my values, but that brought a high level of quality and accountability to its processes and undertakings," shares AutoTempest founder and President Nathan Stretch. "I was impressed by CARE's ability to address all of my very specific questions. They stood out as a top-notch organization that doesn't just address the symptoms of poverty; they are committed to tackling the underlying causes. I appreciate their comprehensive approach and their focus on empowering individuals to become self-sufficient and bring long-term change to their communities."
To learn more about CARE International projects, go to www.care-international.org (US: www.care.org, Canada: www.care.ca). To find out more about the AutoTempest used car search engine, visit www.autotempest.com
About CARE International
CARE International, founded in 1945 to offer relief and care packages to war-torn Europe, has more than 65 years of experience and long term presence in over 80 of the world's poorest countries. The organization works with local communities, local partners such as aid agencies and hires local staff to identify solutions to poverty. Communities are full participants in the planning, implementation and evaluation of CARE programs, building local capacity to effect real change and long-term resilience. CARE's work is made possible with the support of private individuals, foundations, corporations, United Nations agencies, and national governments.
About AutoTempest
AutoTempest, based out of British Columbia, Canada has been helping individuals find their next car...faster since 2008. With a search engine that brings up results from all the most popular car classified sites in America, including eBay Motors, Craigslist, Cars.com, and many more, plus now a full library of used car buying resources and tools, individuals in the market for a car need search nowhere other than AutoTempest. Founder Nathan Stretch's first foray into niche search engine development started in 2006 with SearchTempest.com, the easy way to search Craigslist. He added AutoTempest.com in 2008, and most recently MovieTempest.com, launched earlier this year and currently in beta.
All company names mentioned in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. None of the Tempest sites are in any way affiliated with Craigslist®
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Matchmaker for HIV+ves wants govt to take over
After helping 100 HIV+ patients find their life partners through his matrimonial website, Solapur-based deputy regional transport officer Anil Valiv now wants the state government to take over his project.
Valiv set up www.positivesathi.com in 2006, and has been operating single-handedly handling the website.
“Many couples who met each other through my website come to thank me personally. There are also a few members who have got married, but have not given a feedback. But, it does not bother me. Now, I want the government to take over my project as I cannot run it anymore,” he added.
In 2011, 12 couples got married after meeting their partners through India’s first matrimonial website for HIV+ people — the highest number in the five years of the website.
After finishing work at the transport office, Valiv would spend the rest of his waking hours on his social work — to find life partners for HIV+ people. And, he offers the services for free.
More than 3,000 HIV+ people are registered with this portal, including more than 150 from abroad.
“The idea [of starting a matrimonial website for HIV+ people] came to me when I was posted in Latur where I used to give road safety lessons to 60 to 70 truck drivers every day. My friends asked me to sensitise the drivers about HIV as they are more at risk because of their lifestyle,” said Valiv.
“I spoke to the local doctors and NGOs working in this field. When they told me that HIV+ people find it difficult to find suitable life partner, I decided to create a platform for them and launched this website. Surprisingly, it was a success,” said Valiv.
People can register their names and ages on the website and members communicate with each other through emails.
Last year, with the help of an NGO in Pune, Valvi had organised a gathering of HIV+ people looking for life partners. Nearly 100 people had turned up for the event and a few even found their life partners.
Last year, the website had appealed to people to sponsor a HIV+ orphan. Five children have received help in this manner. Donors meet the children directly and pay an NGO for their education.
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Back-to-back robberies, slow state response suspicious, says Venezuelan freedom of expression NGO
For the second time in just over a week, the Caracas offices of Public Space, a Venezuelan freedom of expression NGO, were attacked. On Nov. 26, electronic equipment donated after the Nov. 16 robbery was stolen.
According to Director Carlos Correa, the attack was similar to the previous one, where the robbers forced open the doors and stole computers, monitors and other electronic equipment. This time, however, the robbers also stole surveillance equipment and videos from the first attack, according to the newspaper El Universal. The robbery was reported to the Corps of Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations. "These back-to-back thefts and the state's slow response raise a lot doubts about those responsible and their motives," said Public Space in a statement on its website. "Public Space wants to reiterate its desire to continue its work promoting and defending human rights, especially freedom of expression and access to information," the NGO added.
Since July 2010, Public Space has been under investigation by the Public Ministry for receiving financial support from international sources, including the United States, designed to "promote spaces of attack against President Hugo Chávez." Correa has been the target of a government-supported smear campaign, and received death threats during a freedom of expression demonstration.
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NGO warns of growing genocide threat
A Swiss-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) has told Western politicians that religious minorities in the Middle East face life-threatening conditions.
Christian Solidarity International (CSI) wrote to Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, United States President Barack Obama and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, urging them to bear religious minorities in mind when assessing the Arab Spring.
CSI, which pushes for freedom of religion and human rights, called on Obama to make the increasing problem of genocide an issue in his State of the Union address in January.
The organisation said several million lives and the future of religious pluralism in the Middle East were at stake.
CSI demanded the UN secretary-general announce a genocide warning and take preventative measures. It also called for subsidies for the democratisation process and a ban on aid money for organisations which practise religious discrimination.
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Civic issues: PIL filed over poor action on HC order
INDORE: Vikas Mitra Drishti 2050, a city-based NGO, filed a PIL on Wednesday, highlighting poor implementation of high court directives on water, garbage, and environment management issues in the city. Hearing a second appeal of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), Madhya Pradesh high court, Indore bench, had directed the NGO a few days ago to file a separate petition on the issues.
The PIL is against the state government, divisional commissioner, Indore mayor, Indore collector and 11 others. The NGO urged that the HC directives on July 22 on city cleanliness be strictly followed. The other major points on which the organization sought court intervention related to garbage management in the city by sticking to Indore master plan, detailed analysis of Narmada project and strict adherence to traffic engineering for better traffic management.
Referring to the Urban Development Ministry survey of 2009-10, the petitioner said water and air are highly polluted in Indore.
"According to the survey, carried out in 423 cities on clean water, effective garbage management, drainage, environment and greenery, Indore district scored abysmally low-43.26/100 and the city ranked 61," said petitioner Kodwani, adding, "Similarly, the environment and forest ministry had passed an order on January 13 last year banning new industrial units in and around Indore because of high pollution in the area."
The petitioner requested the court to get the directives implemented on nine points in the city. The nine-point directives were issued twice--- on July 22 and October 21.
Even after four months, the directives are not being followed. The petitioner asked for action against officers for laxity and transferring those who spent more than three years in Indore in keeping with government policies.
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Sankey Tank road widening gets High Court green signal
Putting an end to the battle that has raged between the residents of Malleswaram and the BBMP, the High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday allowed the civic body to go ahead with widening of Sankey Tank Road.
A file photo of a resident sticking a poster on a tree protesting the widening of Sankey Road near Malleswaram 18th Cross. Passing orders on the writ petition filed by Meenakshi Bharat and others, the Division Bench comprising Justices N Kumar and H S Kempanna ruled that there was no mala fide intention on the part of the BBMP and the road was being widened in public interest.
The BBMP has also been directed to take preventive steps to ensure that the Sankey tank bund is not breached under the guise of development and widening of the road and also take effective steps to see that the saplings planted are protected.
The Court has also directed the NGO Hasiru Usiru to coordinate with the BBMP to protect and preserve the tank bund as a part of the environmental protection programme. Further, Hasiru Usiru has been given the liberty to approach the Court, if the BBMP does not comply with the Tree Preservation Act, while cutting trees along the side of the road.
The Bench directed the BBMP to complete the process of road widening within 12 months from the date of the judgment. On the question whether the decision to widen the road ran contrary to the provisions of Section 13(1) of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961, the Bench ruled in the negative stating that the decision to widen the road to 30 metres was taken in 1984 and whatever subsequent changes were made to the plan, the length of the road was not changed.
Since a public opinion was taken in 1984, the Court ruled that it was not mandatory for the civic body to again take public opinion on the width of the road. Further, the Court accepted that the stretch from Bhashyam Circle to Malleswaram 18th Cross needed to be widened to accommodate the heavy traffic coming from and moving towards Yeshwantpur.
The Court criticised the civic agencies and observed: “The plan to increase the road length to 30 metres was taken in 1984. Unfortunately it shows how a public authority functions as even after 26 years, the civic authorities are unable to provide the said road.”
While acknowledging the environmental concerns behind the cutting of the trees to facilitate the road widening, the Court observed that it was important to strike a balance between ecological balance and development as both were required.
Encroachment by school
The Court also directed the BBMP to take steps to settle the civil dispute involving encroachment of the BBMP land by a school on the stretch. About 600 sq metres of land has allegedly been encroached by a school, and the institute had filed a civil suit to prevent the BBMP from taking any action against it. Ever since the BBMP decided to fell 19 trees on the stretch between Bhashyam Circle in Sadashivanagar and Malleswaram 18th Cross, residents of Malleswaram have been staging a determined protest to save the trees and protest against the road widening. But BBMP has so far managed to fell 17 of the 19 trees and with this order, they can now fell the remaining two trees and widen the Sankey Road to 27 metres from the existing 12 metres.
The stretch from 18th cross to CNR Rao Junction is 16.5 metres wide and from there to Yeshwantpur Circle it is 24 metres. The entire stretch will be uniformly widened to 27 metres.
In its argument, the BBMP had submitted that prior to launching the road widening drive, it had referred the matter to an expert committee of Directorate of Urban Land Transport.
The report prepared by it said that the stretch from Bhashyam Circle along the Sankey Road had to be widened, but it was very difficult as the road passed through a tank bed.
It also said that the land had been encroached and suggested recovering it and widening the road with a slight change in alignment, as no land acquisition was required.
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NGO to move HC against private bus operators
NAGPUR: Private bus operators of Vidarbha have turned travelling a luxurious affair for people. For them, the festive season of Diwali meant nothing, but a means of extorting money from passengers. This year, they doubled their fares. In fact, a ticket from Pune to Nagpur or to any one other place in Vidarbha had cost commuters not less than Rs 1,200, claims advocate Ravindra Bhusari of Sahyog Trust.
His trust is contemplating to file a PIL at the Bombay High Court next week, against private bus operators who have hiked the fares manifold compared to regular rates. Human rights activist and lawyer Asim Sarode will plead the case on their behalf.
"People, including students who are away from their native places for jobs or studies, generally travel back home during such occasions. These operators exploit them by charging exorbitantly. Ironically, the commuters don't have an alternative in this regard," Bhusari told TOI.
Bhusari believed that if the public raise their voice against these operators, it would be a stronger opposition. He has invited written complaints from all those who have been victims to such extortions. He also emphasises that the tickets be gathered as a proof against the private bus service operators.
"There are no printed rates on the tickets and the rates are just written with a pen or a pencil. Rates are also changed everyday during the season. Private bus operators charge fix rates and commuters are left with no choice but to pay," said Bhusari.
There are other issues as well which Bhusari brings to notice. "These private bus drivers have no track of time. They don't start on the said time and stop anywhere in between. For women passengers, it becomes inconvenient because the stops are not fixed and drivers take a halt at any place which is unsuitable for women passengers," said Bhusari.
Citizens who have gone through this difficulty can send their written complaints to address "35, Mahavir Nagar, Nagpur-9". For any other detail, the complainant can call on 9373121680.
About 80 functionaries belonging to different NGOs, including women, were taken into custody today when they attempted to stage a dharna at the residence of the Union Minister of State in the PMO, V Narayanasamy, to protest against his alleged "derogatory coments" against the Anti-Kundankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) movement recently.
The agitators, who were taken into preventive custody near Anna statue at Odiansalai here, raised slogans against the Minister and said his comments had "exposed his intention to dislocate the spirit of the movement against the plant and also insulted the genuine concerns of the people".
Narayanasamy had recently said a probe was on into the source of funding and other aspects of the three-month long stir against the nuclear power plant at Kudankulam.
"The agitation is going on for three months. How is it sustained, is a question mark. It is not known who is financing all this. A detailed probe is on," he had said.
They agitators claimed the KNPP should be wound up as it was a threat to the environment and livelihood sources of the fishermen and those living in its vicinity.
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Duc Loi Embraces the Thanksgiving Spirit
By Rigoberto Hernandez
For Amanda Ngo, the owner of Duc Loi supermarket, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year.
She stocks groceries, manages dozens of employees and on top of that she cooks a dinner for more than 450 people in need. The mustard greens and apple pie that she cooks were served outside her store on Thanksgiving Day.
This is the third time Duc Loi , which has been in the Mission since 1996, has hosted the feast. It was a record year because word of mouth and more people are in need, Ngo said.
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Samuel: HIV/AIDS foreign funds dwindling; state to fill void
The reality of our HIV situation is this:
1. For the past eight to nine years there has been no change in TT's infection rate.
2. There are approximately four new infections daily and 1,400 cases annually.
3. The cost of antiretroviral therapy for someone with HIV is $14,000 annually. This excludes other costs associated with treatment.
Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and Member of Parliament for Arima, Rodger Samuel provided the above information on TT's HIV situation during an interview on November 26 at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port-of-Spain.
HIV/AIDS “is something we have to take very seriously,” Samuel said.
While the data may not surprise those involved in the HIV/AIDS response, another reality is that funding from foreign sources has dwindled significantly and the lions’ share has to come from the state.
As part of the response to HIV and AIDS a sustained information and education campaign will be launched next year. Samuel said it will last for two to three years “with the intention of reducing our new infections by 50 percent by 2013 or 2014; the United Nations want us to do it by 2015.”
According to Samuel, if the country aimed for the sky but landed on clouds, this was an achievement. He said brainstorming has started for what will be a “massive campaign” to get everyone involved.
“HIV/AIDS, if it does not infect you, it will affect you because you are Trinbogonian. Our taxes will have to pay for it”
This year will mark the first year World AIDS Day is being observed without the National AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC). The NACC was disbanded March 31 to make way for a statutory body. The closure of the agency was announced in the 2010 election manifesto of the People' Partnership. In the aftermath, the Health Ministry, Tobago HIV AIDS Coordinating Committee were charged with coordinating the response. Samuel said draft legislation was with the Attorney General Anand Ramlogan for the new statutory committee.
“They are reviewing it to see what are the laws conducive to TT. It is before the AG in the meantime a number of things are happening.”
The OPM put out an advertisement a few months ago asking all non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in the HIV/AIDS response to register.
“We have had a tremendous response. Organisations have all come forward and provided their documents. We wanted to make sure they were registered with the Ministry of Legal Affairs, know how long they were registered, (and there was) no fly by night situation so that was part of the process that took place so far.”
The closure of the NACC caused the Government to get flak from NGOs concerned about the vacuum left in service. Samuel said the NACC was established with a World Bank loan of US$20 million. The work of the NACC was based on criteria set out in the loan. “That arrangement was extended and extended then the loan came to an end, and contracts and everything came to an end also. So when you have all these people talking that we shut down the NACC and all sorts of nonsense. They should know it was aligned to the process.”
Samuel said the NACC was a coordinating committee, not an implementing agency.
“They could not tell you what you have to do, or you can't do. They did not have that teeth. The statutory body will. There are one or two countries that have a statutory body.”
Asked what the Budget for HIVAIDS response was, Samuel said with the disbanding of NACC, the allocation has been placed with the Planning Ministry. “The Ministry of Planning has put up an allocation which can be accessed. We have gotten permission from Cabinet to set up an interim HIV agency, for us to set up all the mechanisms and platforms until the statutory body comes on board so it is a smooth transition. We are in the process of setting up that interim agency.”
The OPM is preparing to host a symposium with interest groups. Samuel said it will be “a reality check to make sure everybody understands the direction we want to take and everybody is heading in the same direction.”
He described the response by various organisation in the country as “lacking cohesiveness” and NGOs were duplicating efforts. The symposium will bring different public and private sector organisations together to plan the way forward, develop a comprehensive approach and ensure buy-in.
“We also intend to develop our IT (Information Technology) process to make sure there is connectivity from ministry to ministry especially, the service oriented ministries.”
Samuel indicated there will be greater monitoring of organisations accessing state funds.
“There needs to be some monitoring and evaluation and assessments of programmes NGOs are doing so there will be proper accountability. Sometimes you have NGOs coming out of the same zones doing the same thing accessing funds and spending funds on the same people. We are trying to realign all these things so it is specific and direct.”
He said an idea being explored is the mapping of the country in zones to ensure that people in rural areas were getting the help they need.
Samuel said some organisations approached different ministries to get funding for their projects.
A new system will network the state agencies involved in providing assistance to NGOs to keep track of the distribution of funds and recipients.
He gave an example of how the system was expected to work – if an NGO went to the Ministry of the People for funding, officials would have a computer code to access the data base of OPM or another ministry to see if a grant had already been disbursed.
“Those are the things we are doing. There are limited resources in the world. We are not getting any subvention from abroad anymore. Now every cent that is going to be spent on HIVAIDS has been from the government of TT. We have no grants.”
Samuel said money was drying up around the world and most of the foreign subventions were going to Sub-Saharan Africa. He said some funds can be accessed from the US Department of State for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
“The majority of money to be spent has to come from the Budget,” Samuel said.
Combatting stigma and discrimination is also high on the agenda. “There is stigma in the health sector, serious stigma. We need to make all our clinics general clinics so when you are in there you could be going to check for diabetes,” he said.
--------------------------------------------
NGO to file PILs to enforce RTE Act
On Children's Day, a leading NGO working for child rights has decided to approach the Delhi high court to enforce key provisions of the Right to Education Act and for the integration of poor children who are mentally challenged with the main-stream educational system. The NGO is gearing up to file these PILs in this week.
Social Jurist is all set to file PILs highlighting the failure of the government to effectively implement key provision of the RTE Act that requires schools to reserve 25% of their seats for the poor kids. Similarly, another PIL aims to get HC intervention for better integration in the mainstream of 392 poor children that are mentally challenged in the age group 5 to 18 in state government run Asha Kiran Home at Rohini.
Realising the significance of Children's Day, the NGO is gearing up to file these PILs this week itself.
Speaking to TOI, advocate Ashok Agarwal who runs Social Jurist, pointed out that, in the capital almost all measures benefitting children and their education have been taken by authorities only after the high court has intervened, which is why more PILs are being filed.
Agarwal, while explaining why the contribution of legal system is also important to remember on Children's Day, said, "Be it laying down a deadline to notify rules of RTE Act, or improving conditions of children being forced to study in tents run by schools , or pushing for special educators for disabled kids in private and government runs schools or preventing commercialization of education, the HC has nudged the government/civic agencies concerned so that children can get better education. Had it not been for the intervention of the judges, all the measures would have remained on paper with no real progress in real terms."
Aggarwal cited another instance of how HC has benefitted the kids. For instance, it was only after the parents of children studying in private unaided schools approached HC and challenged the "arbitrary" fee hike by the institutions that their accounts are now under the scrutiny of the committee headed by a retired judge. Last week, HC asked the state government to respond to allegations by the parents that despite the court's explicit order to of not providing necessary infrastructure to the committee.
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Vivian Dsena at an art show in Pune
Leading artists came together to exhibit their works at the art show organized by NGO INDIA at 2047.
Ulhas Raikar, Sanjay Nikam, Deepak Sonar, B.P Karthik, Priya Bhendre, Ramesh Thorat sculptor Rajan Jagganath and the international artist Shola Craletti all displayed their works for the noble cause of raising funds for kids with HIV. Socialite Monika Trivedi was amongst the early guests while Honaji Sanas was seen on the social circuit after a long time. Dr. Tarvin Kaur was seen appreciating the works.
Host for the evening the very fashionable Tehseen Poonawalla was seen bonding with his close friends television superstar Vivian Dsena and fiance Vahbiz Dorabjee who specially came in to lend support for his cause. Gallery owner Arvind Jadhav and Damini Oberoi ensured everyone were looked after, while the city's champagne crowd proved once again when it comes to cause they all have a heart of gold!
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AutoTempest Donates $10,000 to CARE International
Creator of car search engine chooses poverty relief NGO as endowment recipient
Victoria, British Columbia (PRWEB) November 30, 2011
AutoTempest founder Nathan Stretch selects CARE International, a relief and development NGO working to combat poverty in developing countries, as the recipient of a $10,000 charitable donation. AutoTempest, an online used car search engine bringing up listings from all major used car classifieds, has been carefully designed to connect individuals with quality used cars. The same effort and commitment to quality drove the recipient selection process, with CARE being ultimately chosen for its emphasis on long-term solutions and its success in creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world.
During the decision making process, the AutoTempest founder was impressed with the high quality of CARE's charitable endeavours and its focus on building local skills, with 97% of staff being nationals of the countries in which the programs are run. The charity works with the local communities to identify the most marginalized beneficiaries; often women and girls. CARE helps individuals help themselves - through their programs, people learn skills and receive knowledge so that they themselves can be agents of lasting change in their communities.
"It was very important to me to choose a charity that not only was in line with my values, but that brought a high level of quality and accountability to its processes and undertakings," shares AutoTempest founder and President Nathan Stretch. "I was impressed by CARE's ability to address all of my very specific questions. They stood out as a top-notch organization that doesn't just address the symptoms of poverty; they are committed to tackling the underlying causes. I appreciate their comprehensive approach and their focus on empowering individuals to become self-sufficient and bring long-term change to their communities."
To learn more about CARE International projects, go to www.care-international.org (US: www.care.org, Canada: www.care.ca). To find out more about the AutoTempest used car search engine, visit www.autotempest.com
About CARE International
CARE International, founded in 1945 to offer relief and care packages to war-torn Europe, has more than 65 years of experience and long term presence in over 80 of the world's poorest countries. The organization works with local communities, local partners such as aid agencies and hires local staff to identify solutions to poverty. Communities are full participants in the planning, implementation and evaluation of CARE programs, building local capacity to effect real change and long-term resilience. CARE's work is made possible with the support of private individuals, foundations, corporations, United Nations agencies, and national governments.
About AutoTempest
AutoTempest, based out of British Columbia, Canada has been helping individuals find their next car...faster since 2008. With a search engine that brings up results from all the most popular car classified sites in America, including eBay Motors, Craigslist, Cars.com, and many more, plus now a full library of used car buying resources and tools, individuals in the market for a car need search nowhere other than AutoTempest. Founder Nathan Stretch's first foray into niche search engine development started in 2006 with SearchTempest.com, the easy way to search Craigslist. He added AutoTempest.com in 2008, and most recently MovieTempest.com, launched earlier this year and currently in beta.
All company names mentioned in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. None of the Tempest sites are in any way affiliated with Craigslist®
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Matchmaker for HIV+ves wants govt to take over
After helping 100 HIV+ patients find their life partners through his matrimonial website, Solapur-based deputy regional transport officer Anil Valiv now wants the state government to take over his project.
Valiv set up www.positivesathi.com in 2006, and has been operating single-handedly handling the website.
“Many couples who met each other through my website come to thank me personally. There are also a few members who have got married, but have not given a feedback. But, it does not bother me. Now, I want the government to take over my project as I cannot run it anymore,” he added.
In 2011, 12 couples got married after meeting their partners through India’s first matrimonial website for HIV+ people — the highest number in the five years of the website.
After finishing work at the transport office, Valiv would spend the rest of his waking hours on his social work — to find life partners for HIV+ people. And, he offers the services for free.
More than 3,000 HIV+ people are registered with this portal, including more than 150 from abroad.
“The idea [of starting a matrimonial website for HIV+ people] came to me when I was posted in Latur where I used to give road safety lessons to 60 to 70 truck drivers every day. My friends asked me to sensitise the drivers about HIV as they are more at risk because of their lifestyle,” said Valiv.
“I spoke to the local doctors and NGOs working in this field. When they told me that HIV+ people find it difficult to find suitable life partner, I decided to create a platform for them and launched this website. Surprisingly, it was a success,” said Valiv.
People can register their names and ages on the website and members communicate with each other through emails.
Last year, with the help of an NGO in Pune, Valvi had organised a gathering of HIV+ people looking for life partners. Nearly 100 people had turned up for the event and a few even found their life partners.
Last year, the website had appealed to people to sponsor a HIV+ orphan. Five children have received help in this manner. Donors meet the children directly and pay an NGO for their education.
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Back-to-back robberies, slow state response suspicious, says Venezuelan freedom of expression NGO
For the second time in just over a week, the Caracas offices of Public Space, a Venezuelan freedom of expression NGO, were attacked. On Nov. 26, electronic equipment donated after the Nov. 16 robbery was stolen.
According to Director Carlos Correa, the attack was similar to the previous one, where the robbers forced open the doors and stole computers, monitors and other electronic equipment. This time, however, the robbers also stole surveillance equipment and videos from the first attack, according to the newspaper El Universal. The robbery was reported to the Corps of Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations. "These back-to-back thefts and the state's slow response raise a lot doubts about those responsible and their motives," said Public Space in a statement on its website. "Public Space wants to reiterate its desire to continue its work promoting and defending human rights, especially freedom of expression and access to information," the NGO added.
Since July 2010, Public Space has been under investigation by the Public Ministry for receiving financial support from international sources, including the United States, designed to "promote spaces of attack against President Hugo Chávez." Correa has been the target of a government-supported smear campaign, and received death threats during a freedom of expression demonstration.
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NGO warns of growing genocide threat
A Swiss-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) has told Western politicians that religious minorities in the Middle East face life-threatening conditions.
Christian Solidarity International (CSI) wrote to Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, United States President Barack Obama and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, urging them to bear religious minorities in mind when assessing the Arab Spring.
CSI, which pushes for freedom of religion and human rights, called on Obama to make the increasing problem of genocide an issue in his State of the Union address in January.
The organisation said several million lives and the future of religious pluralism in the Middle East were at stake.
CSI demanded the UN secretary-general announce a genocide warning and take preventative measures. It also called for subsidies for the democratisation process and a ban on aid money for organisations which practise religious discrimination.
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Civic issues: PIL filed over poor action on HC order
INDORE: Vikas Mitra Drishti 2050, a city-based NGO, filed a PIL on Wednesday, highlighting poor implementation of high court directives on water, garbage, and environment management issues in the city. Hearing a second appeal of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), Madhya Pradesh high court, Indore bench, had directed the NGO a few days ago to file a separate petition on the issues.
The PIL is against the state government, divisional commissioner, Indore mayor, Indore collector and 11 others. The NGO urged that the HC directives on July 22 on city cleanliness be strictly followed. The other major points on which the organization sought court intervention related to garbage management in the city by sticking to Indore master plan, detailed analysis of Narmada project and strict adherence to traffic engineering for better traffic management.
Referring to the Urban Development Ministry survey of 2009-10, the petitioner said water and air are highly polluted in Indore.
"According to the survey, carried out in 423 cities on clean water, effective garbage management, drainage, environment and greenery, Indore district scored abysmally low-43.26/100 and the city ranked 61," said petitioner Kodwani, adding, "Similarly, the environment and forest ministry had passed an order on January 13 last year banning new industrial units in and around Indore because of high pollution in the area."
The petitioner requested the court to get the directives implemented on nine points in the city. The nine-point directives were issued twice--- on July 22 and October 21.
Even after four months, the directives are not being followed. The petitioner asked for action against officers for laxity and transferring those who spent more than three years in Indore in keeping with government policies.
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Sankey Tank road widening gets High Court green signal
Putting an end to the battle that has raged between the residents of Malleswaram and the BBMP, the High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday allowed the civic body to go ahead with widening of Sankey Tank Road.
A file photo of a resident sticking a poster on a tree protesting the widening of Sankey Road near Malleswaram 18th Cross. Passing orders on the writ petition filed by Meenakshi Bharat and others, the Division Bench comprising Justices N Kumar and H S Kempanna ruled that there was no mala fide intention on the part of the BBMP and the road was being widened in public interest.
The BBMP has also been directed to take preventive steps to ensure that the Sankey tank bund is not breached under the guise of development and widening of the road and also take effective steps to see that the saplings planted are protected.
The Court has also directed the NGO Hasiru Usiru to coordinate with the BBMP to protect and preserve the tank bund as a part of the environmental protection programme. Further, Hasiru Usiru has been given the liberty to approach the Court, if the BBMP does not comply with the Tree Preservation Act, while cutting trees along the side of the road.
The Bench directed the BBMP to complete the process of road widening within 12 months from the date of the judgment. On the question whether the decision to widen the road ran contrary to the provisions of Section 13(1) of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961, the Bench ruled in the negative stating that the decision to widen the road to 30 metres was taken in 1984 and whatever subsequent changes were made to the plan, the length of the road was not changed.
Since a public opinion was taken in 1984, the Court ruled that it was not mandatory for the civic body to again take public opinion on the width of the road. Further, the Court accepted that the stretch from Bhashyam Circle to Malleswaram 18th Cross needed to be widened to accommodate the heavy traffic coming from and moving towards Yeshwantpur.
The Court criticised the civic agencies and observed: “The plan to increase the road length to 30 metres was taken in 1984. Unfortunately it shows how a public authority functions as even after 26 years, the civic authorities are unable to provide the said road.”
While acknowledging the environmental concerns behind the cutting of the trees to facilitate the road widening, the Court observed that it was important to strike a balance between ecological balance and development as both were required.
Encroachment by school
The Court also directed the BBMP to take steps to settle the civil dispute involving encroachment of the BBMP land by a school on the stretch. About 600 sq metres of land has allegedly been encroached by a school, and the institute had filed a civil suit to prevent the BBMP from taking any action against it. Ever since the BBMP decided to fell 19 trees on the stretch between Bhashyam Circle in Sadashivanagar and Malleswaram 18th Cross, residents of Malleswaram have been staging a determined protest to save the trees and protest against the road widening. But BBMP has so far managed to fell 17 of the 19 trees and with this order, they can now fell the remaining two trees and widen the Sankey Road to 27 metres from the existing 12 metres.
The stretch from 18th cross to CNR Rao Junction is 16.5 metres wide and from there to Yeshwantpur Circle it is 24 metres. The entire stretch will be uniformly widened to 27 metres.
In its argument, the BBMP had submitted that prior to launching the road widening drive, it had referred the matter to an expert committee of Directorate of Urban Land Transport.
The report prepared by it said that the stretch from Bhashyam Circle along the Sankey Road had to be widened, but it was very difficult as the road passed through a tank bed.
It also said that the land had been encroached and suggested recovering it and widening the road with a slight change in alignment, as no land acquisition was required.
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NGO to move HC against private bus operators
NAGPUR: Private bus operators of Vidarbha have turned travelling a luxurious affair for people. For them, the festive season of Diwali meant nothing, but a means of extorting money from passengers. This year, they doubled their fares. In fact, a ticket from Pune to Nagpur or to any one other place in Vidarbha had cost commuters not less than Rs 1,200, claims advocate Ravindra Bhusari of Sahyog Trust.
His trust is contemplating to file a PIL at the Bombay High Court next week, against private bus operators who have hiked the fares manifold compared to regular rates. Human rights activist and lawyer Asim Sarode will plead the case on their behalf.
"People, including students who are away from their native places for jobs or studies, generally travel back home during such occasions. These operators exploit them by charging exorbitantly. Ironically, the commuters don't have an alternative in this regard," Bhusari told TOI.
Bhusari believed that if the public raise their voice against these operators, it would be a stronger opposition. He has invited written complaints from all those who have been victims to such extortions. He also emphasises that the tickets be gathered as a proof against the private bus service operators.
"There are no printed rates on the tickets and the rates are just written with a pen or a pencil. Rates are also changed everyday during the season. Private bus operators charge fix rates and commuters are left with no choice but to pay," said Bhusari.
There are other issues as well which Bhusari brings to notice. "These private bus drivers have no track of time. They don't start on the said time and stop anywhere in between. For women passengers, it becomes inconvenient because the stops are not fixed and drivers take a halt at any place which is unsuitable for women passengers," said Bhusari.
Citizens who have gone through this difficulty can send their written complaints to address "35, Mahavir Nagar, Nagpur-9". For any other detail, the complainant can call on 9373121680.
