Youth Venture Challenge in Mumbai

Message from Youth Venture:

 

Youth Venture is about to begin it's second cycle in Mumbai, so we are trying to spread the word to young people across the city between the ages of 15-24.

Most of you probably know that Youth Venture Challenge supports young people as they start their own social ventures.  We provide seed funding (up to Rupees 10,000). But we also conduct capacity building workshop and provide other resources (e.g mentorship). It's a dynamic program which seeks to transform the role of young people in Indian society.

Do you know any young people who are passionate about an issue (even if they aren't sure how to solve it)? Send them our way! We can help them develop their ideas and build a strong skill set.

You can contact Youth Venture by emailing at tvipin@ashoka.org or calling 9821877975.

Youth Venture Blog - http://yvchallenge.blogspot.com

 

Manthan Award South Asia 2008 - Nominations Open

Greetings from "Manthan Award South Asia 2008"!

We are pleased to announce the launch of "Manthan Award South Asia 2008" recognizing best ICT & e-Content Practices and Innovations for Development. Nominations are open for 2008 from e-Content innovators, practitioners and creators across South Asian Countries who wish to nominate their products and innovations for this prestigious award.

Nominations are invited in 15 categories: e-business; e-learning; e-culture; e-government; e-health; e-enterprise and livelihood; e-entertainment; e-education; e-environment; e-inclusion; e-localization; e-news; e-youth; m-content; community broadcasting.

To file nominations please visit www.manthanaward.org or http://www.manthanaward.org/NomProduct.asp

The Manthan Award is an initiative of Digital Empowerment Foundation with strategic support from Department of Information Technology, Government of India, and World Summit Award Austria.

Last Date for Nominations: July 15, 2008


For further details contact:

Ms. Ravi Kanta / Mr. Md. Niyaz
The Manthan Award South Asia 2008 Secretariat,
12/17, Sarvapriya Vihar,
New Delhi – 1100016, INDIA
Tel: 011-26532786 / 26532787 / 46024552 / 46080646
Telefax: 011-26532787
Email: manthanaward@gmail.com

Work From Home, Save The Environment

Sun Microsystems has presented evidence that telecommuting is not just a convenience for workers who wish to dispense with the morning routine of struggling to find something to wear, then fighting traffic or braving the gauntlet of public transportation. Sun just released the results of its Open Work Energy Measurement Project, a survey of its employees aimed at finding out just how beneficial its flexible scheduling policies are by calculating the difference in the environmental impact of commuting to an office versus working from home. It found that 98 percent of each employee's carbon footprint for work came from his or her commute. By staying home for half of a five-day workweek, the average employee reduced his or her job-related energy use by 5400 kilowatt-hours per year. Commuting half as much also saved each worker $1700 per year in fuel and other auto-related costs, and allowed them to regain more than two weeks that would otherwise be lost to traffic snarls or waits at train stations.

To learn more about Sun's eco responsibility efforts, visit: www.sun.com/eco

And for more information on Open Work, visit: www.sun.com/openwork

Nvidia High Impact Grants - $50000 each

Nvidia is willing to donate a High Impact Grant of $50,000 for community upliftment purposes. They're looking for four great organizations who will each receive $50,000 if they can prove they'll use the funds to create a transformative impact. The details can be found at http://www.nvidia.com/object/high_impact_grants.html

The process involves preparing an online application and shortlisting. The deadline for application submission is June 20, 2008.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact communityrelations [at] nvidia.com

iVolunteer - International Volunteering Opportunities

You will probably work for 40 years. Make two of them memorable.

iVolunteer Overseas and VSO offer a unique opportunity for committed Indian professionals to share their skills with disadvantaged people in the developing countries of Asia and Africa.  

VSO is an international charity that works through volunteers to fight poverty and disadvantage (voted top international development charity at the Charity Awards 2004). In India, VSO recruits volunteers through the iVolunteer Overseas Program (IVO).

VSO is  looking for skilled and experienced Indian professionals who are willing to volunteer for international assignments in the areas of Project Management, NGO Development Worker, Community Mobilization, HIV and AIDS, Microfinance, Mental Health and Primary Education.

Our volunteers make a 2-year commitment to share their skills where they are most needed. In return, they acquire a lot of expertise and abilities working with an international organization.

Who can volunteer

Post-graduate, over 25 years old, with minimum working experience of 3 years in the above work areas and fluent written and spoken English. Above all, the candidate must be willing to work in an interdisciplinary environment with sensitivity to cross-cultural development needs.

Previous Applicants:

Those who have previously applied to the program but were not called for a personal interview can again apply by sending an updated application form and CV.

How we support volunteers

Travel expenses, health insurance, monthly living allowance and other supportive grants. For a detailed working of the financial support please visit www.ivoindia.org

How you can apply

If you are interested in the program then send us your latest CV in word format at ivo@ivolunteer.org.in . You can also visit http://ivoindia.org/pages/HowtoApply.htm  download the application form, fill it and send it back to us at.

Last date for sending applications is 10^th July  2008

Thanks,

iVolunteer team

Pan-Bangalore Collection Drive - 15th June

Pankhudi Foundation is on its way to conduct its 3rd Collection Drive across Bangalore. The collections from this campaign would be donated to the Sri-Lankan Refugee Camp/School (also known as Rajiv Gandhi International Academy - IGIA) at Yelahanka, Bangalore.

Click here to see poster:


The Plan:
We will be starting early - around 8:30 AM with the collection drive and plan to return by 12 noon. We are booking a tempo and all members would be picked up from near thier residences along with the collections.

Timings:
Day - Sunday - 15th June
Time - 8:30 AM to 12 noon

What to Collect:
Clothes, Books, Toys, or any other useful household items.

Wish to be a part of this? Connect with:

Yatin Sethi - yatin.sethi [at] gmail.com
Sonali Majumdar - crazedflyer [at] gmail.com

Short Film: It is The Music

Budhan Theatre is a group based out of Ahmedabad (Gujarat) fighting for the rights and to raise awareness about the condition of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes using street plays and documentary films. Visit www.budhantheatre.org

A wonderful 4-min musical documentary by Dakxin Chhara of Budhan Theatre.

A gift from CSR Wire

I just received a copy of the recently published Chris Laszlo's book - Sustainable Value: How the world's leading companies are doing good by doing well as a gift from the CSRwire Team.

CSRwire is the leading source of corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, reports and information. Its members are companies and NGOs, agencies and organizations interested in communicating their corporate citizenship, sustainability, and socially responsible initiatives to a global audience through CSRwire's syndication network and weekly News Alerts.

Thank you Jack and Iris for this wonderful book :)

Chris Laszlo talks about his book in this video

Paul Farmer Encouraging Students to Get Involved

Dr. Paul Farmer, director of Partners in Health, gives some advice for the college generation looking to make a difference.

UnLtd India Incubation Program

Do you know exceptional individuals in Mumbai with ideas or initiatives for social change?

UnLtd India is looking for applicants from Mumbai for our unique incubation support programme.

The programme offers a one year long package of:
1. Start up funding
2. Hands-on assistance
3. Connections to peers, experts and leaders

The programme aims to develop leaders and enable them to start up sustainable, high-impact initiatives.

Eligibility criteria

The applicant must be:
1. Over the age of 16
2. Resident in India and based in Mumbai

The applicants must have an idea or initiative that is:
1. Beneficial for a deprived community or the public at large
2. Entrepreneurial in nature, i.e. resourceful, practical and/or innovative

If the applicants apply on behalf of a registered organisation then:
1. He/she must be a co-founder of the organisation
2. The organisation must not be more than 4 years old as a registered entity
3. The organisation must have a current budget of less than Rs. 10 Lakhs

Important points to note

1. Applicants could be working part time on their idea/project.
2. Applicants need not have registered organisations.
3. Applicants can apply as individuals or teams (up to three members) can apply.

Selection process

The applicants who meet the basic criteria will go through the following steps:
1. Meet an UnLtd India team member by 31st July, 2008.
2. Submit an application form by 15th August, 2008.
3. Present in front of an interview panel in September 2008.

If you know anyone within your network who meets the above criteria, then please send us their contact details at pooja.warier  [at] unltdindia.org or call us at 9867949306.

Here is the list of 10 social entrepreneurs from Mumbai who are being supported by UnLtd India.