International Diabetes Federation elects new leadership to address global diabetes epidemic
The International Diabetes Federation is proud to welcome Professor Jean Claude Mbanya of Cameroon as its new President at the close of the IDF 20th World Diabetes Congress on October 22. He will lead the Federation for the next 3 years. IDF is delighted to announce that Sir Michael Hirst of the United Kingdom was voted President-Elect today the IDF General Council that is made up of more than 200 IDF Member Associations from over 160 countries. Sir Michael will take over from President Mbanya in 2012.
Jean Claude Mbanya is Professor of Endocrinology at the University of Yaounde, Cameroon and Chief of the Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Unit at the Hospital Central in Yaounde. He was instrumental in the IDF-led ‘Unite for Diabetes’ campaign, which led to passage of the United Nations Day Resolution on Diabetes in December 2006. He now steers IDF strategic direction to encourage governments to implement policies for the treatment, care and prevention of diabetes.
Professor Mbanya’s research focuses on cultural diabetes-related factors, which are often unique to the African countries and communities he studies. His practice and research have largely contributed to increase the world’s awareness on diabetes in Africa, a continent where non-contagious diseases such as diabetes are too often overlooked.
He takes charge at a time when diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are exacting a severe global toll, with most of the burden falling in the developing world. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases cause 60% of all deaths worldwide, with four in every five of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Diabetes contributes significantly to the NCD burden. Over 250 million people live with diabetes worldwide.
“The challenge ahead is to put diabetes care within the reach of all people living with diabetes. It is my hope that my time as President of the Federation will see an increase in spending on global health, with a major shift in funding for diabetes and non-communicable diseases. We have to act together to ensure that accidents of geography and history do not determine who should live or die,” said Professor Mbanya.
Sir Michael Hirst has served as a Vice-President of IDF since 2006 and as co-Chair of the IDF TIDES programme, which addresses diabetes care in emergency situations. He became interested in diabetes over twenty years ago when his youngest child was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a very young age.
Then a Member of the British Parliament, Sir Michael championed the cause of diabetes in Parliament, as a result of which he was co-opted to the Board of Trustees of the British Diabetic Association, now Diabetes UK. There he served as a trustee in a variety of capacities for 17 years, most recently as the first non-medical Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 2001-2006. As Chairman, he oversaw major changes in the operations and governance of Diabetes UK, Europe's largest organization for people with diabetes.
Sir Michael Hirst is a graduate in law of the University of Glasgow and was an exchange student at the University of Iceland. He later qualified as a chartered accountant and became a partner in KPMG, the international accounting firm, until he entered the British Parliament. Sir Michael held a number of senior positions in frontline politics until 1997 and was knighted for political and public service in 1992. He has also served on the board of a number of leading charities and public bodies, and is currently Chairman of two companies in the UK.
“I am deeply touched by the honour bestowed upon me by IDF’s member associations. I look forward to the opportunity to continue the work of the Federation. I will serve my apprenticeship under an inspiring leader and expect to learn a great deal over the next three years. There is a huge job to be done for people with diabetes and it will require a united global effort to improve their lives. It will be a challenge, but one that I shall relish. My retirement has been postponed,” said Hirst.
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Deepawali: The Festival Of Lights
Deepawali: The Festival Of Lights
The nights are laden with the intoxicating smell of the white flowers of ‘queen of night’. There is a rosy nip in the morning air, hinting at the approaching winters. The granaries are brimming with the recently harvested rice crop. For many businesses, the traditional (not the official) new financial year is about to begin. So what could be a more auspicious time to worship ‘lakshmi’ the goddess of wealth, and ‘ganesha’ the elephant god who removes all hurdles from our lives, than the festival of DEEPAWALI (which literally means ‘rows of earthen lamps’).
Diwali, the ‘festival of lights’ is celebrated on a dark moon night in the month of Kartik (according to the Hindu calendar), contrasting the power of brightness over darkness. As myriads of fireworks light up the black skies, and multi coloured twinkling lights of earthen lamps, candles, electric bulbs adorn the earth, all seems to be right with the world, with God in Her proper place.
Yet, Diwali is, in a way, symbolic of the many contradictions and contrasts that abound in our lives. Dhanteras, the first of the 5 days long Diwali festivities, is associated with the buying of some new utensil/ornament/household goods , symbolising prosperity. This year, in the city of Lucknow alone, 100kg of gold, 700 kg of silver, 750 cars, 3500 two wheelers, besides electronic goods and utensils, were estimated to have been sold on the day of Dhanteras itself, global recession notwithstanding. At the same time, the number of people subsisting below the poverty line has also increased. So, while many may not have a square meal on this day, few amongst us would be buying a special ‘mithai’, made of pine nuts, saffron and gold, priced at Rs 250 a piece.
The intense ‘anti cracker campaigns’ spearheaded by the environmental conscious brigade, go hand in hand with the nerve wrecking booms of cracker-bombs deafening the environs and polluting the air. The so called ‘green’, but expensive fireworks rub shoulders with ‘terminator' and other weirdly named rockets, which become deadlier with each passing year. There are Diwali Fireworks Displays alongside ‘Say No To Crackers’ drives. But it was heartening to hear from my students that at least 25% of them had stopped burning crackers in an effort to save the environment.
As the double meaning song goes, ‘playing with matches, a girl can get burnt’, so also the light which dispels darkness also causes devastating fires. In my school, the anti cracker drive was immediately followed by the city Fire Officer telling us the dos and don’ts in case of injuries / burns caused by crackers or an erring candle/diya.
All said and done, Diwali does give all of us an excuse to forget our woes, at least for a while and join in the festivities with gay abandon; to add some light and sweet moments to an otherwise mundane life. So let us imbibe the true meaning of this festival and enjoy it with moderation. Let us not make a vulgar display of riches, brushing aside the poor. Rather let wealth shake hands with poverty, and leave some of its sparkles forever in indigent palms.
Let the lights of diwali light up the hearths of the hungry and the hearts of the lonely. Let the festive air blow from the lowliest huts of India to the domes of the White House, and let the true spirit of Diwali (which signifies the victory of light over darkness and of truth over dishonesty) pervade all, irrespective of caste, colour, creed and social status.
Let us wish each other a peaceful, safe and happy Diwali.
Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS), has worked earlier with State Planning Institute, UP, and teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)
Published in:
The Asian Tribune, Sri Lanka
Thai-Indian News, Bankok, Thailand
Darjeeling Times, West Bengal
Modern Ghana, Accra, Ghana
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV News, USA
Bihar and Jharkhand News (BJNS)
Khabar Express News
Wikio news.com
Kisaso.com
The nights are laden with the intoxicating smell of the white flowers of ‘queen of night’. There is a rosy nip in the morning air, hinting at the approaching winters. The granaries are brimming with the recently harvested rice crop. For many businesses, the traditional (not the official) new financial year is about to begin. So what could be a more auspicious time to worship ‘lakshmi’ the goddess of wealth, and ‘ganesha’ the elephant god who removes all hurdles from our lives, than the festival of DEEPAWALI (which literally means ‘rows of earthen lamps’).
Diwali, the ‘festival of lights’ is celebrated on a dark moon night in the month of Kartik (according to the Hindu calendar), contrasting the power of brightness over darkness. As myriads of fireworks light up the black skies, and multi coloured twinkling lights of earthen lamps, candles, electric bulbs adorn the earth, all seems to be right with the world, with God in Her proper place.
Yet, Diwali is, in a way, symbolic of the many contradictions and contrasts that abound in our lives. Dhanteras, the first of the 5 days long Diwali festivities, is associated with the buying of some new utensil/ornament/household goods , symbolising prosperity. This year, in the city of Lucknow alone, 100kg of gold, 700 kg of silver, 750 cars, 3500 two wheelers, besides electronic goods and utensils, were estimated to have been sold on the day of Dhanteras itself, global recession notwithstanding. At the same time, the number of people subsisting below the poverty line has also increased. So, while many may not have a square meal on this day, few amongst us would be buying a special ‘mithai’, made of pine nuts, saffron and gold, priced at Rs 250 a piece.
The intense ‘anti cracker campaigns’ spearheaded by the environmental conscious brigade, go hand in hand with the nerve wrecking booms of cracker-bombs deafening the environs and polluting the air. The so called ‘green’, but expensive fireworks rub shoulders with ‘terminator' and other weirdly named rockets, which become deadlier with each passing year. There are Diwali Fireworks Displays alongside ‘Say No To Crackers’ drives. But it was heartening to hear from my students that at least 25% of them had stopped burning crackers in an effort to save the environment.
As the double meaning song goes, ‘playing with matches, a girl can get burnt’, so also the light which dispels darkness also causes devastating fires. In my school, the anti cracker drive was immediately followed by the city Fire Officer telling us the dos and don’ts in case of injuries / burns caused by crackers or an erring candle/diya.
All said and done, Diwali does give all of us an excuse to forget our woes, at least for a while and join in the festivities with gay abandon; to add some light and sweet moments to an otherwise mundane life. So let us imbibe the true meaning of this festival and enjoy it with moderation. Let us not make a vulgar display of riches, brushing aside the poor. Rather let wealth shake hands with poverty, and leave some of its sparkles forever in indigent palms.
Let the lights of diwali light up the hearths of the hungry and the hearts of the lonely. Let the festive air blow from the lowliest huts of India to the domes of the White House, and let the true spirit of Diwali (which signifies the victory of light over darkness and of truth over dishonesty) pervade all, irrespective of caste, colour, creed and social status.
Let us wish each other a peaceful, safe and happy Diwali.
Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS), has worked earlier with State Planning Institute, UP, and teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)
Published in:
The Asian Tribune, Sri Lanka
Thai-Indian News, Bankok, Thailand
Darjeeling Times, West Bengal
Modern Ghana, Accra, Ghana
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV News, USA
Bihar and Jharkhand News (BJNS)
Khabar Express News
Wikio news.com
Kisaso.com
Uttar Pradesh Urban Sanitation Policy draft released
Uttar Pradesh Urban Sanitation Policy draft released
Kulsum Mustafa
Draft listing guidelines for the Proposed Urban Sanitation Policy for the most populated state of India - Uttar Pradesh, was released on 15th October, 2009 in Lucknow. Jointly prepared by Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies (RCUES), Lucknow and UNICEF it addresses the sanitation issues of the state's urban population. The final draft was prepared after much debate and deliberation at a one-day culmination workshop, inaugurated by Prof (Dr) Dinesh Sharma, Mayor, Lucknow.
Dr Sharma highlighted the importance of state sanitation policy in the context of growing urban population and existing problems of urban environment. The participants of the workshop included People's Representatives, Executive Officers and Members of the Task Force.
"The implementation of such scheme will require mass awareness and participation, besides coordination and enforcement of legislative provisions for ensuring sanitation, proper management of solid waste, drainage and drinking water availability," said Dr Sharma. He stressed upon the need for converting such document in vernacular language for effective dissemination of information and citizens' awareness.
"Simple and practical guidelines of the sanitation policy need to be widely accepted by the public. Special importance must be given to of promoting effective sanitation in smaller towns and cities of the state", said Guest of Honor for the workshop, Ch. Jitendra Nath Singh, Mayor, Allahabad.
Prof. Nishith Rai, Director, RCUES, Lucknow welcomed the participants and special invitees to the workshop. He highlighted the need for preparing city sanitation plans based on city sanitation profile. He also reported that Govt. of India had been showing keen interest in this context and 50 ULBs have been taken up for preparation of city sanitation plans. He said the government is taking up 423 class I cities for preparing the city sanitation profiles.
Amit Mehrotra, Water Envirement and Sanitation specialist, UNICEF while highlighting the role of UNICEF said it aims at providing overall development to the children of the state, especially through school sanitation programme on which UNICEF is working with the state government.
Dr. Richa Varmani, Joint Director, RCUES made a detailed presentation on the Draft Guidelines for the Proposed Urban Sanitation Policy for the State of Uttar Pradesh. Dr. U.B.Singh, Joint Director, RCUES presented the vote of thanks.
Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)
Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV, USA
Twitter.com
Kulsum Mustafa
Draft listing guidelines for the Proposed Urban Sanitation Policy for the most populated state of India - Uttar Pradesh, was released on 15th October, 2009 in Lucknow. Jointly prepared by Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies (RCUES), Lucknow and UNICEF it addresses the sanitation issues of the state's urban population. The final draft was prepared after much debate and deliberation at a one-day culmination workshop, inaugurated by Prof (Dr) Dinesh Sharma, Mayor, Lucknow.
Dr Sharma highlighted the importance of state sanitation policy in the context of growing urban population and existing problems of urban environment. The participants of the workshop included People's Representatives, Executive Officers and Members of the Task Force.
"The implementation of such scheme will require mass awareness and participation, besides coordination and enforcement of legislative provisions for ensuring sanitation, proper management of solid waste, drainage and drinking water availability," said Dr Sharma. He stressed upon the need for converting such document in vernacular language for effective dissemination of information and citizens' awareness.
"Simple and practical guidelines of the sanitation policy need to be widely accepted by the public. Special importance must be given to of promoting effective sanitation in smaller towns and cities of the state", said Guest of Honor for the workshop, Ch. Jitendra Nath Singh, Mayor, Allahabad.
Prof. Nishith Rai, Director, RCUES, Lucknow welcomed the participants and special invitees to the workshop. He highlighted the need for preparing city sanitation plans based on city sanitation profile. He also reported that Govt. of India had been showing keen interest in this context and 50 ULBs have been taken up for preparation of city sanitation plans. He said the government is taking up 423 class I cities for preparing the city sanitation profiles.
Amit Mehrotra, Water Envirement and Sanitation specialist, UNICEF while highlighting the role of UNICEF said it aims at providing overall development to the children of the state, especially through school sanitation programme on which UNICEF is working with the state government.
Dr. Richa Varmani, Joint Director, RCUES made a detailed presentation on the Draft Guidelines for the Proposed Urban Sanitation Policy for the State of Uttar Pradesh. Dr. U.B.Singh, Joint Director, RCUES presented the vote of thanks.
Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)
Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV, USA
Twitter.com
'Smile Pinkie' opens for Indian audiences: Grand finale was in Varanasi on October 9
'Smile Pinkie' opens for Indian audiences
Grand finale was in Varanasi on October 9
Kulsum Mustafa
LUCKNOW: Eight months after 'Smile Pinkie', won the Oscar at the 81st Academy Award function for documentary on the lives of children with cleft on 23 February 2009, the film opened up for Indian audiences in Mumbai. The 39 minute documentary, which has remained the global hot favorite of the social and development sector, is being screened in cinema halls of Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi. The red carpet grand finale was held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, the home district of both the protagonist of the film, Pinkie and Dr Subodh Singh, the plastic surgeon who operated on Pinkie.
Dr Singh, head of GS Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Centre Varanasi, is part of the surgeons team attached to 'Smile Train' mission, an international charity that helps children with cleft and palate deformity.
Over 1.5 lakh surgeries have been done all over India on children with cleft. Dr Singh and his team have done 13,000 operations in Varanasi in the past five years. Over 160 hospitals and 250 surgeons are associated with Smile Train in India.
Smile Pinkie is a real world fairy tale that brings into focus the world of Dr Singh who is providing free surgery to fix the cleft lip of poor young children. The central character of the film is the six year old Pinkie - who is a poor rural girl living with her cleft chin deformity. The film was shot in Varanasi and Mirzapur. The director of the film Megan Mylan, Dr Singh, and Pinkie were all part of the team that was present for the opening. The film has not been dubbed but carries the original sounds.
Media Nest, a Lucknow based pan India media professions organization that works for the welfare of journalists and their families had in collaboration with UNICEF screened the movie for a private audience at Uttar Pradesh Press Club in March 2009. Dr Singh had on the occasion addressed the media and expressed his mission to wipe out cleft from every corner of India. "When journalists ask me what are my future plans I tell them: Simply to go out of business" said Dr Singh.
So strong is his sense of commitment to the cause that for him this Oscar is a means to get to every nook and corner of India wherein lurks a cleft child. Every person that he meets he asks them only one thing, "please bring any child with cleft to me."
In fact after winning the Oscar Dr Singh said, "This Oscar is not for one Pinkie but thousands of Pinkies who are still hiding in dark corners, waiting to see light again."
The transformation that Dr Singh has brought into the life of Pinkie is unbelievable. The girl who had no voice some months back, avoided people and used to hide behind the sari pallu of her mother is today a confident, normal child.
The narrative in 'Smile Pinkie' is so simple and natural. It touches your heart and moistens your eyes. The film, which is neither dubbed nor has any sub-titles plays totally on your emotional intellect. It brings out so vividly the trauma, the tragedy depression and severe inferiority complex that a child with cleft undergoes. Suffering from high degree of inferiority complex these children become recluse. These kids are considered evil and bad omen. Shunned by the young and old like all cleft deformed children Pinkie was not allowed to be part of any auspicious occasion. She was ridiculed and teased in school, children called her named and refused to make her part of their world. Slowly like all such children Pinkie also stayed away from them. She built her own world where noone was allowed to enter. She built a wall around herself.
The Smile Train team had the difficult task of convincing Pinkie's parents and Pinkie herself to break this wall, and enter the real world. A reluctant Pinkie took the step forward and what happened is before the world to see.
Fame and recognition was not what Dr Singh has been looking for. "For me every child that is brought to me is like an Oscar nomination, when the child leaves my hospital after the surgery it is an Oscar award, by now I have thousands of Oscars," says the doctor who has made cleft operations his mission in life. Why the Oscars matter to Dr Singh is because it will help him speed up his work, bring awareness and focus on an issue that has long been neglected.
Smile Train has through doctors like Dr Singh taken on a yeoman task- that of bringing back to life little innocent souls who have lost their zeal to live a normal life ever. To such children whose life Smile Train has touched one can feel the magical transformation.
Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)
Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV News, USA
World News Report
Movie Industry Today
Twitter.com
Wikio.com
Inboxrobot.com
Grand finale was in Varanasi on October 9
Kulsum Mustafa
LUCKNOW: Eight months after 'Smile Pinkie', won the Oscar at the 81st Academy Award function for documentary on the lives of children with cleft on 23 February 2009, the film opened up for Indian audiences in Mumbai. The 39 minute documentary, which has remained the global hot favorite of the social and development sector, is being screened in cinema halls of Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi. The red carpet grand finale was held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, the home district of both the protagonist of the film, Pinkie and Dr Subodh Singh, the plastic surgeon who operated on Pinkie.
Dr Singh, head of GS Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Centre Varanasi, is part of the surgeons team attached to 'Smile Train' mission, an international charity that helps children with cleft and palate deformity.
Over 1.5 lakh surgeries have been done all over India on children with cleft. Dr Singh and his team have done 13,000 operations in Varanasi in the past five years. Over 160 hospitals and 250 surgeons are associated with Smile Train in India.
Smile Pinkie is a real world fairy tale that brings into focus the world of Dr Singh who is providing free surgery to fix the cleft lip of poor young children. The central character of the film is the six year old Pinkie - who is a poor rural girl living with her cleft chin deformity. The film was shot in Varanasi and Mirzapur. The director of the film Megan Mylan, Dr Singh, and Pinkie were all part of the team that was present for the opening. The film has not been dubbed but carries the original sounds.
Media Nest, a Lucknow based pan India media professions organization that works for the welfare of journalists and their families had in collaboration with UNICEF screened the movie for a private audience at Uttar Pradesh Press Club in March 2009. Dr Singh had on the occasion addressed the media and expressed his mission to wipe out cleft from every corner of India. "When journalists ask me what are my future plans I tell them: Simply to go out of business" said Dr Singh.
So strong is his sense of commitment to the cause that for him this Oscar is a means to get to every nook and corner of India wherein lurks a cleft child. Every person that he meets he asks them only one thing, "please bring any child with cleft to me."
In fact after winning the Oscar Dr Singh said, "This Oscar is not for one Pinkie but thousands of Pinkies who are still hiding in dark corners, waiting to see light again."
The transformation that Dr Singh has brought into the life of Pinkie is unbelievable. The girl who had no voice some months back, avoided people and used to hide behind the sari pallu of her mother is today a confident, normal child.
The narrative in 'Smile Pinkie' is so simple and natural. It touches your heart and moistens your eyes. The film, which is neither dubbed nor has any sub-titles plays totally on your emotional intellect. It brings out so vividly the trauma, the tragedy depression and severe inferiority complex that a child with cleft undergoes. Suffering from high degree of inferiority complex these children become recluse. These kids are considered evil and bad omen. Shunned by the young and old like all cleft deformed children Pinkie was not allowed to be part of any auspicious occasion. She was ridiculed and teased in school, children called her named and refused to make her part of their world. Slowly like all such children Pinkie also stayed away from them. She built her own world where noone was allowed to enter. She built a wall around herself.
The Smile Train team had the difficult task of convincing Pinkie's parents and Pinkie herself to break this wall, and enter the real world. A reluctant Pinkie took the step forward and what happened is before the world to see.
Fame and recognition was not what Dr Singh has been looking for. "For me every child that is brought to me is like an Oscar nomination, when the child leaves my hospital after the surgery it is an Oscar award, by now I have thousands of Oscars," says the doctor who has made cleft operations his mission in life. Why the Oscars matter to Dr Singh is because it will help him speed up his work, bring awareness and focus on an issue that has long been neglected.
Smile Train has through doctors like Dr Singh taken on a yeoman task- that of bringing back to life little innocent souls who have lost their zeal to live a normal life ever. To such children whose life Smile Train has touched one can feel the magical transformation.
Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)
Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV News, USA
World News Report
Movie Industry Today
Twitter.com
Wikio.com
Inboxrobot.com
Popular cartoon character 'Meena' will reach UP schools on AIR waves
Popular cartoon character 'Meena' will reach UP schools on AIR waves
Kulsum Mustafa
Lucknow, October 12, 2009: Widely recognized and appreciated in most South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh UNICEF's popular cartoon character Meena - will soon be being re-introduced to children in a totally new 'avtaar'. A special 15 minute magazine format broadcast, designed for school hour, centered on Meena will be broadcast by All India Radio (AIR) stations. Preparations are on to prepare the 30 pilot episodes. The number of episodes will later be scaled upto 160.
Meena was conceptualized by UNICEF in 1990. In these 19 years, 9 years old Meena has endeared herself to both the young and the old. She comes out as a smart, fun loving, spirited and loveable girl. Asking many questions she has proved to be a successful advocacy and teaching tool promoting girls’ education and children’s rights through shot films, spots, book, videos etc. The series of Meena films are available in a number of languages throughout, including Bengali, English, French, Hindi, Nepali, Portuguese, Spanish and Urdu Meena will now be using a powerful medium like radio to communicate messages on certain important aspects of child rights, health, child-friendly schools and social behavior changes.
Research has shown that simply through narratives Meena has done a great deal of good to society. She has succeeded in increasing girls’ enrolment in schools, and helped cut down the dropout rate of school children. Meena has held the hand of young girls and taught them to shun early marriage. She has dealt with child labor, gender equality, and health issues simply and effectively. Now Meena is being trained to take on a totally different responsibility- advocating child-friendly schools.
Though radio as a medium of communication is comparatively new for Meena, her mentors are confident that she will sail through it empowered by good and powerful stories backup. Meena of radio requires a team to help her adapt to this medium and communicate effortlessly with the children. Content writers with an all powerful creative team are already preparing framework of what Meena will communicate.
UNICEF in collaboration with the state education department organized a one day workshop on content development for 30 radio Meena episodes in Lucknow on October 13, 2009.
This pilot project, wherein each episode will be in magazine format will be of 15 minutes duration each and will be aired by All India Radio stations during school hours, first in Lalitpur and later in all schools of Uttar Pradesh.
The participants at workshop comprised UNICEF, AIR and education department officers, representatives of State Institute of Educational Technology, district co-coordinators, teachers, and students.
"The basic characteristics of Meena will remain, we are just giving her familiar face a voice," said Rachana Sharma, UNICEF official she illustrated the aims and objectives of Meena communication initiative radio programme in her presentation.
"Meena has a strong presence in Uttar Pradesh. She is a popular and necessary part of not just girls’ education but is also the perfect vehicle for carrying out health and social behavior change messages" said Vinobajee Gautam, UNICEF education specialist.
He said the framework for the content has been broadly divided into three themes – Child Rights, Gender equity and child friendly schools.
Mr. Suresh K Soni who heads girls’ education in the state was of the view that Meena radio episodes must incorporate information on adolescent issues and on environmental protection. Children he stressed needs sensitization on these issues.
"We are aiming at broadcasting the first episode on 24th January 2010, to coincide with Girl child day," Mr Atul Gupta, consultant, UNICEF, said.
Ms Sarita Singh, gender co-ordinator, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan spoke on the Meena communication Activities in Uttar Pradesh. She said Meena is engraved in the hearts of every school going child and many girls look upto Meena as role model.
Ms Sharmila Dass from Purple Audacity made a presentation based on the findings from the formative research done on the content in three blocks of Lalitpur district. She said the children as well as parents are delighted that Meena will be now on radio. However she sounded a word of caution and said the community was not very keen on Meena, who is just nine years old speaking on sex issues.
The content writers team realize the great responsibility they have taken. Reading and seeing Meena is very different from portraying Meena on radio but they said they are all geared up to face the challenge.
"We will base our messages on entertainment. There will be a song, a game and a story in each of the episode," informed Saumya Sen, director, Meena radio project creative team.
Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)
Published in:
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Bihar and Jharkhand News (BJNS)
Kulsum Mustafa
Lucknow, October 12, 2009: Widely recognized and appreciated in most South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh UNICEF's popular cartoon character Meena - will soon be being re-introduced to children in a totally new 'avtaar'. A special 15 minute magazine format broadcast, designed for school hour, centered on Meena will be broadcast by All India Radio (AIR) stations. Preparations are on to prepare the 30 pilot episodes. The number of episodes will later be scaled upto 160.
Meena was conceptualized by UNICEF in 1990. In these 19 years, 9 years old Meena has endeared herself to both the young and the old. She comes out as a smart, fun loving, spirited and loveable girl. Asking many questions she has proved to be a successful advocacy and teaching tool promoting girls’ education and children’s rights through shot films, spots, book, videos etc. The series of Meena films are available in a number of languages throughout, including Bengali, English, French, Hindi, Nepali, Portuguese, Spanish and Urdu Meena will now be using a powerful medium like radio to communicate messages on certain important aspects of child rights, health, child-friendly schools and social behavior changes.
Research has shown that simply through narratives Meena has done a great deal of good to society. She has succeeded in increasing girls’ enrolment in schools, and helped cut down the dropout rate of school children. Meena has held the hand of young girls and taught them to shun early marriage. She has dealt with child labor, gender equality, and health issues simply and effectively. Now Meena is being trained to take on a totally different responsibility- advocating child-friendly schools.
Though radio as a medium of communication is comparatively new for Meena, her mentors are confident that she will sail through it empowered by good and powerful stories backup. Meena of radio requires a team to help her adapt to this medium and communicate effortlessly with the children. Content writers with an all powerful creative team are already preparing framework of what Meena will communicate.
UNICEF in collaboration with the state education department organized a one day workshop on content development for 30 radio Meena episodes in Lucknow on October 13, 2009.
This pilot project, wherein each episode will be in magazine format will be of 15 minutes duration each and will be aired by All India Radio stations during school hours, first in Lalitpur and later in all schools of Uttar Pradesh.
The participants at workshop comprised UNICEF, AIR and education department officers, representatives of State Institute of Educational Technology, district co-coordinators, teachers, and students.
"The basic characteristics of Meena will remain, we are just giving her familiar face a voice," said Rachana Sharma, UNICEF official she illustrated the aims and objectives of Meena communication initiative radio programme in her presentation.
"Meena has a strong presence in Uttar Pradesh. She is a popular and necessary part of not just girls’ education but is also the perfect vehicle for carrying out health and social behavior change messages" said Vinobajee Gautam, UNICEF education specialist.
He said the framework for the content has been broadly divided into three themes – Child Rights, Gender equity and child friendly schools.
Mr. Suresh K Soni who heads girls’ education in the state was of the view that Meena radio episodes must incorporate information on adolescent issues and on environmental protection. Children he stressed needs sensitization on these issues.
"We are aiming at broadcasting the first episode on 24th January 2010, to coincide with Girl child day," Mr Atul Gupta, consultant, UNICEF, said.
Ms Sarita Singh, gender co-ordinator, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan spoke on the Meena communication Activities in Uttar Pradesh. She said Meena is engraved in the hearts of every school going child and many girls look upto Meena as role model.
Ms Sharmila Dass from Purple Audacity made a presentation based on the findings from the formative research done on the content in three blocks of Lalitpur district. She said the children as well as parents are delighted that Meena will be now on radio. However she sounded a word of caution and said the community was not very keen on Meena, who is just nine years old speaking on sex issues.
The content writers team realize the great responsibility they have taken. Reading and seeing Meena is very different from portraying Meena on radio but they said they are all geared up to face the challenge.
"We will base our messages on entertainment. There will be a song, a game and a story in each of the episode," informed Saumya Sen, director, Meena radio project creative team.
Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)
Published in:
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Bihar and Jharkhand News (BJNS)
Uttar Pradesh vies with Delhi, Maharashtra for Indian Green Oscar
Uttar Pradesh vies with Delhi, Maharashtra for Indian Green Oscar
Alka Pande
The North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh this year vies with national capital Delhi along with economic capital of India - Maharashtra – for winning the bi-annual CMS (Centre for Media Studies) Vatavaran Award – popular as Indian Green Oscar – for 2009.
Out of total 366 entries, 106 films – both national and international – which have been nominated for the CMS Vatavaran Award-2009, Uttar Pradesh has got six nominations. Delhi tops the list of contenders for the award with its 28 nominations while Maharashtra stands second chance with 14 nominations.
The nominated films will be screened at the CMS Academy’s Environment and Wildlife Film Festival, which is all set to start at India Habitat Centre at New Delhi from October 27.
All six films from the state of Uttar Pradesh raise the issues that have been bothering the nature and wildlife lovers for long – be it the story of an intervention to save the elephants of Rajaji National Park in the hill state of Uttarakhand, who occasionally get run over by speeding trains as the rail tracks pass through the park, or the alternative livelihood arrangement for Shahtoosh craftsmen of Kashmir, who weave soft Pashmina shawls by fleecing the endangered variety of antelope.
"It is quite a prestigious event where professionals, involved in the making of films on nature and wildlife, get together in India from all across the world and share their experiences and knowledge," says Gurmeet Sapal.
Gurmeet has been winning the award for last two times when his films 'Chasing Butterflies' and 'Leopards in the lurch' won the awards. This time also Gurmeet’s two films - have got nominations. These films – 'Himalayan Voices' raises the issue of impact of climate change on Himalayas and the 'Silk Route' which talks about the livelihood issue.
Along with giving a platform to film makers to learn and share their views, the event also proposes an opportunity for media-persons interested in reporting on issues relating to environment and wildlife.
During the five-day event, a day-long workshop is dedicated to journalists, which would be conducted jointly by the faculties of CMS Academy and the experts of Norwegian Institute of Journalism. The workshop to be supported by Royal Norwegian Embassy, will train the journalists in efficient use of internet and search engines for environment reporting.
Besides, there would be a brain storming session for journalists for 'Bridging North South Difference in Reporting Climate Change: Journalists' role in Reaching an Agreement at Cop15 in Copenhagen'.
The session will see an assembly of delegates representing International Federation of Environmental Journalists along with Federation of Environment Journalists of India and CMS Academy.
Along with screening of national and international films, CMS Academy has lined up a plethora of workshops, seminars, open forums and experience sharing deliberations on climate change, sustainable transport, green wardrobe, animation for conservation, eco-tourism and so on. Variety of environment related exhibitions, games and eco-trips to green buildings and natural heritage sites will mark the event.
Detailing about the overwhelming response of participants, the Manager Communications Centre for Media Studies (CMS) Narendra Yadav said that there were 366 entries this year of which 106 (73 national 33 international) have been nominated for the CMS Vatavaran Award. Of this six are from the state of Uttar Pradesh.
"The technique of film making has improved in the Uttar Pradesh. Take the example of my film 'Tillu', which is an animation film. This is the first time an animation film from Uttar Pradesh has got an entry into this festival", says Arvind Pandey. This is Arvind’s first film as a director which has been nominated for the award.
"The number of nominations is very encouraging, especially from the state of Uttar Pradesh which has got six films in the list," Narendra added. He admitted that the standards of film making have improved considerably in Uttar Pradesh and therefore so many nominations.
Alka Pande
(The author is a senior journalist)
Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Bihar and Jharkhand News (BJNS)
Alka Pande
The North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh this year vies with national capital Delhi along with economic capital of India - Maharashtra – for winning the bi-annual CMS (Centre for Media Studies) Vatavaran Award – popular as Indian Green Oscar – for 2009.
Out of total 366 entries, 106 films – both national and international – which have been nominated for the CMS Vatavaran Award-2009, Uttar Pradesh has got six nominations. Delhi tops the list of contenders for the award with its 28 nominations while Maharashtra stands second chance with 14 nominations.
The nominated films will be screened at the CMS Academy’s Environment and Wildlife Film Festival, which is all set to start at India Habitat Centre at New Delhi from October 27.
All six films from the state of Uttar Pradesh raise the issues that have been bothering the nature and wildlife lovers for long – be it the story of an intervention to save the elephants of Rajaji National Park in the hill state of Uttarakhand, who occasionally get run over by speeding trains as the rail tracks pass through the park, or the alternative livelihood arrangement for Shahtoosh craftsmen of Kashmir, who weave soft Pashmina shawls by fleecing the endangered variety of antelope.
"It is quite a prestigious event where professionals, involved in the making of films on nature and wildlife, get together in India from all across the world and share their experiences and knowledge," says Gurmeet Sapal.
Gurmeet has been winning the award for last two times when his films 'Chasing Butterflies' and 'Leopards in the lurch' won the awards. This time also Gurmeet’s two films - have got nominations. These films – 'Himalayan Voices' raises the issue of impact of climate change on Himalayas and the 'Silk Route' which talks about the livelihood issue.
Along with giving a platform to film makers to learn and share their views, the event also proposes an opportunity for media-persons interested in reporting on issues relating to environment and wildlife.
During the five-day event, a day-long workshop is dedicated to journalists, which would be conducted jointly by the faculties of CMS Academy and the experts of Norwegian Institute of Journalism. The workshop to be supported by Royal Norwegian Embassy, will train the journalists in efficient use of internet and search engines for environment reporting.
Besides, there would be a brain storming session for journalists for 'Bridging North South Difference in Reporting Climate Change: Journalists' role in Reaching an Agreement at Cop15 in Copenhagen'.
The session will see an assembly of delegates representing International Federation of Environmental Journalists along with Federation of Environment Journalists of India and CMS Academy.
Along with screening of national and international films, CMS Academy has lined up a plethora of workshops, seminars, open forums and experience sharing deliberations on climate change, sustainable transport, green wardrobe, animation for conservation, eco-tourism and so on. Variety of environment related exhibitions, games and eco-trips to green buildings and natural heritage sites will mark the event.
Detailing about the overwhelming response of participants, the Manager Communications Centre for Media Studies (CMS) Narendra Yadav said that there were 366 entries this year of which 106 (73 national 33 international) have been nominated for the CMS Vatavaran Award. Of this six are from the state of Uttar Pradesh.
"The technique of film making has improved in the Uttar Pradesh. Take the example of my film 'Tillu', which is an animation film. This is the first time an animation film from Uttar Pradesh has got an entry into this festival", says Arvind Pandey. This is Arvind’s first film as a director which has been nominated for the award.
"The number of nominations is very encouraging, especially from the state of Uttar Pradesh which has got six films in the list," Narendra added. He admitted that the standards of film making have improved considerably in Uttar Pradesh and therefore so many nominations.
Alka Pande
(The author is a senior journalist)
Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Bihar and Jharkhand News (BJNS)
Diabetes in Africa: The Silent Killer That's Everyone's Business
Diabetes in Africa: The Silent Killer That's Everyone's Business
Chief K Masimba Biriwasha
Diabetes is a silent killer in Africa. In comparison to other diseases such as AIDS or malaria among others, diabetes rarely makes any news headlines. Neither does it attract funding. Yet, the statistics of people affected by the disease in the continent are quite shocking and merit public health and policy-making and funding attention.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 10 million people in Africa have diabetes. The disease is also ranked as the fourth leading cause of death in developing countries, and the number of people suffering from diabetes is expected to rise to almost 20 million by 2025.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) contends that diabetes is already a major public health problem in Africa and its impact is bound to increase significantly if nothing is done to curb the rising rate of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), which now exceeds 16% in some countries.
In addition, IDF projects that the prevalence rate will shoot up by 95 percent by 2010 from the current 0.5 to 3 percent range across the continent.
"Many people, including children, die from lack of insulin, and it is likely that many die of diabetes before even being diagnosed, let alone treated," states the IDF. "Still more suffer debilitating consequences of diabetes such as amputation and blindness."
For many people in Africa, diabetes is not a major concern. Compounded with little public health information about diabetes, many people wait until it's too late to seek medical attention for diabetes.
And, to make matters worse, diabetes-related drugs are in scant supply in many parts of Africa.
In view of this, the escalating threat that diabetes poses to the region requires urgent attention on the part of government, donors, public health systems, policy-makers and the local community.
Government in the region need to invest in low-cost strategies to prevent the onset of the disease. According to IDF, low cost strategies that alter diet, increase physical activity and modify lifestyle that can reduce the impact of diabetes while simultaneously addressing risks of other disease areas.
As it is today, many governments are doing little to nothing to fight the problem of diabetes and the long-terms costs of non-action will be huge. Public health systems need to ensure the continuum of care from pre-diabetes through diagnosis, routine monitoring and care, to the onset of complications and palliation. Furthermore, there should be a provision of adequate, appropriate and affordable medications and supplies for people with diabetes.
Political will is definitely a critical element to ensuring that the disease gets the attention that it deserves. The media (particularly radio which is prevalent in most remote and rural parts of the continent) also has a key part to play in ensuring that the message of diabetes prevention, diagnosis and care reaches a wider audience.
After all, diabetes is everyone's business, and individuals, communities, non-governmental organizations, private business, funders and governments in Africa need to up the ante in fighting the disease.
Chief K Masimba Biriwasha
(The author, born in Zimbabwe, is a children's writer, poet, playwright, journalist, social
activitist and publisher. He has extensively written on health and is presently based in France. His first published book, The Dream Of Stones, was awarded the Zimbabwe National Award for Outstanding Children's Book for 2004)
Published in:
Elites TV News, USA
World News Report, USA
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Twitter.com
Farticle.net
Diabetes News.com
Squidoo.com
Chief K Masimba Biriwasha
Diabetes is a silent killer in Africa. In comparison to other diseases such as AIDS or malaria among others, diabetes rarely makes any news headlines. Neither does it attract funding. Yet, the statistics of people affected by the disease in the continent are quite shocking and merit public health and policy-making and funding attention.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 10 million people in Africa have diabetes. The disease is also ranked as the fourth leading cause of death in developing countries, and the number of people suffering from diabetes is expected to rise to almost 20 million by 2025.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) contends that diabetes is already a major public health problem in Africa and its impact is bound to increase significantly if nothing is done to curb the rising rate of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), which now exceeds 16% in some countries.
In addition, IDF projects that the prevalence rate will shoot up by 95 percent by 2010 from the current 0.5 to 3 percent range across the continent.
"Many people, including children, die from lack of insulin, and it is likely that many die of diabetes before even being diagnosed, let alone treated," states the IDF. "Still more suffer debilitating consequences of diabetes such as amputation and blindness."
For many people in Africa, diabetes is not a major concern. Compounded with little public health information about diabetes, many people wait until it's too late to seek medical attention for diabetes.
And, to make matters worse, diabetes-related drugs are in scant supply in many parts of Africa.
In view of this, the escalating threat that diabetes poses to the region requires urgent attention on the part of government, donors, public health systems, policy-makers and the local community.
Government in the region need to invest in low-cost strategies to prevent the onset of the disease. According to IDF, low cost strategies that alter diet, increase physical activity and modify lifestyle that can reduce the impact of diabetes while simultaneously addressing risks of other disease areas.
As it is today, many governments are doing little to nothing to fight the problem of diabetes and the long-terms costs of non-action will be huge. Public health systems need to ensure the continuum of care from pre-diabetes through diagnosis, routine monitoring and care, to the onset of complications and palliation. Furthermore, there should be a provision of adequate, appropriate and affordable medications and supplies for people with diabetes.
Political will is definitely a critical element to ensuring that the disease gets the attention that it deserves. The media (particularly radio which is prevalent in most remote and rural parts of the continent) also has a key part to play in ensuring that the message of diabetes prevention, diagnosis and care reaches a wider audience.
After all, diabetes is everyone's business, and individuals, communities, non-governmental organizations, private business, funders and governments in Africa need to up the ante in fighting the disease.
Chief K Masimba Biriwasha
(The author, born in Zimbabwe, is a children's writer, poet, playwright, journalist, social
activitist and publisher. He has extensively written on health and is presently based in France. His first published book, The Dream Of Stones, was awarded the Zimbabwe National Award for Outstanding Children's Book for 2004)Published in:
Elites TV News, USA
World News Report, USA
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Twitter.com
Farticle.net
Diabetes News.com
Squidoo.com
Activists condemn victimization of Muslim youth in Nasik
Activists condemn victimization of Muslim youth in Nasik
Authorities are once again unashamedly attempting to victimize a Muslim youth with the allegation that he is "Pakistani." Rahman Nawaz Khan, brother of noted social activist Faisal Khan, underwent humiliating and agonizing experience in Nasik at about 5:30pm on 9th of October 2009, when crime branch officials slapped him with the allegation that he is a "Pakistani" and tried their best to wrongly implicate him. It was only after the intervention of local residents and police that Rahman took a sigh of relief and crime branch people retracted.
Rahman is an aspiring actor, holding an Indian passport (passport no. F6745744) and other valid Indian identities (driving license, college certificates, and others) who was living in Nasik with his aunt. There is no police complaint against him of any nature. His brother, Faisal Khan, is a noted peace activist of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) and has been contributing to strengthening of people's struggles across the country. When authorities can attempt to fabricate false charges against a citizen of India who thankfully has documents to prove his identity, it is left to one's imagination how serious the situation can get with millions of those residents of India who don't have any identity card to prove their nationality in their own country!
On the evening of 9th October 2009, Rahman was sitting in the lawns of the bungalow of his aunt in Nasik, when approximately 15 people came and called him at the gate of the Bungalow in very rude and inappropriate manner. "He immediately responded to their call, but was shocked to hear from them that he is Pakistani and in being watched for the last one year. Those people asked him to sit in the jeep and come along with them. My brother asked them in humble manner what exactly is the matter, and who has actually given this information. Those people become more rude and said "chal tu jeep mein baith." He was extremely tense and called his aunty, she came with the local police who did talk to my brother in a very polite manner and asked him to cooperate. He showed him all the relevant documents (his identity proof, college certificates, his driving license), and informed them that right now he did not have his passport. So the person from crime branch Kiran Kabadia started using foul language. Immediately my brother called our father and those people were convinced after talking to him. His aunty who is a Maharashtrian, tried to convince them but they said "nahi nahi yeh sab nahi chalega, every Pakistani says the same thing, tum muslim ne to badi gandh phaila rakhi hai, tum saloon ko train mein bhar ke Pakistan bhagana chahiye". After so much of threatening they asked him to come to the office on 10/10/2009 with his passport" narrated Faisal Khan, Rahman's brother.
"I would like to make it a point that the mental torture my brother has undergone is very humiliating and is shame on the democratic fabric in the society which we live. These incidents are on rise against muslims in India. These incidents should not be repeated and no Indian should undergo this mental humiliation which my brother has undergone" said Faisal Khan, NAPM activist.
It is yet another blot on Indian social fabric and democracy. By upping the victimization of Muslim youth on baseless charges, the state is jeopardizing the communal harmony and causing irreparable damage to the secularism India boasts of.
Activists from Asha Parivar have strongly condemned this nefarious act of victimizing the Muslim youth. "It is reprehensible on behalf of authorities in India to falsely accuse Indian Muslim youth as nationals of other nations, in particular, Pakistan - because it attempts to nullify the peace process between two nations and wrongly reinforces the misconception that all nationals of Pakistan are anti-social" said the statement from Asha Parivar.
The question is what constitutes to be anti-national - being an Indian Muslim youth is that anti-national in India or the act of authorities labeling Indian Muslim youth as nationals of other countries is anti-national? Is this act of authorities not against the secular and democratic values we Indians recognize ourselves with?
Asha Parivar activists believe that the act of authorities is anti-national because it marginalizes Indian Muslims, it increases the feeling of alienation in communities that are lawful residents of this nation, it is against our own Indian constitution that upholds secularism as one of the key virtues, and it propels misconceptions against another nation that all residents of that nation are anti-social.
The Asha Parivar activists have demanded an enquiry against the authorities who are perpetrating such acerbic activities in the name of law!
Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV News, USA
Tweetmeme.com
Authorities are once again unashamedly attempting to victimize a Muslim youth with the allegation that he is "Pakistani." Rahman Nawaz Khan, brother of noted social activist Faisal Khan, underwent humiliating and agonizing experience in Nasik at about 5:30pm on 9th of October 2009, when crime branch officials slapped him with the allegation that he is a "Pakistani" and tried their best to wrongly implicate him. It was only after the intervention of local residents and police that Rahman took a sigh of relief and crime branch people retracted.
Rahman is an aspiring actor, holding an Indian passport (passport no. F6745744) and other valid Indian identities (driving license, college certificates, and others) who was living in Nasik with his aunt. There is no police complaint against him of any nature. His brother, Faisal Khan, is a noted peace activist of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) and has been contributing to strengthening of people's struggles across the country. When authorities can attempt to fabricate false charges against a citizen of India who thankfully has documents to prove his identity, it is left to one's imagination how serious the situation can get with millions of those residents of India who don't have any identity card to prove their nationality in their own country!
On the evening of 9th October 2009, Rahman was sitting in the lawns of the bungalow of his aunt in Nasik, when approximately 15 people came and called him at the gate of the Bungalow in very rude and inappropriate manner. "He immediately responded to their call, but was shocked to hear from them that he is Pakistani and in being watched for the last one year. Those people asked him to sit in the jeep and come along with them. My brother asked them in humble manner what exactly is the matter, and who has actually given this information. Those people become more rude and said "chal tu jeep mein baith." He was extremely tense and called his aunty, she came with the local police who did talk to my brother in a very polite manner and asked him to cooperate. He showed him all the relevant documents (his identity proof, college certificates, his driving license), and informed them that right now he did not have his passport. So the person from crime branch Kiran Kabadia started using foul language. Immediately my brother called our father and those people were convinced after talking to him. His aunty who is a Maharashtrian, tried to convince them but they said "nahi nahi yeh sab nahi chalega, every Pakistani says the same thing, tum muslim ne to badi gandh phaila rakhi hai, tum saloon ko train mein bhar ke Pakistan bhagana chahiye". After so much of threatening they asked him to come to the office on 10/10/2009 with his passport" narrated Faisal Khan, Rahman's brother.
"I would like to make it a point that the mental torture my brother has undergone is very humiliating and is shame on the democratic fabric in the society which we live. These incidents are on rise against muslims in India. These incidents should not be repeated and no Indian should undergo this mental humiliation which my brother has undergone" said Faisal Khan, NAPM activist.
It is yet another blot on Indian social fabric and democracy. By upping the victimization of Muslim youth on baseless charges, the state is jeopardizing the communal harmony and causing irreparable damage to the secularism India boasts of.
Activists from Asha Parivar have strongly condemned this nefarious act of victimizing the Muslim youth. "It is reprehensible on behalf of authorities in India to falsely accuse Indian Muslim youth as nationals of other nations, in particular, Pakistan - because it attempts to nullify the peace process between two nations and wrongly reinforces the misconception that all nationals of Pakistan are anti-social" said the statement from Asha Parivar.
The question is what constitutes to be anti-national - being an Indian Muslim youth is that anti-national in India or the act of authorities labeling Indian Muslim youth as nationals of other countries is anti-national? Is this act of authorities not against the secular and democratic values we Indians recognize ourselves with?
Asha Parivar activists believe that the act of authorities is anti-national because it marginalizes Indian Muslims, it increases the feeling of alienation in communities that are lawful residents of this nation, it is against our own Indian constitution that upholds secularism as one of the key virtues, and it propels misconceptions against another nation that all residents of that nation are anti-social.
The Asha Parivar activists have demanded an enquiry against the authorities who are perpetrating such acerbic activities in the name of law!
Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV News, USA
Tweetmeme.com
Submissions to the 3rd Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2010-11 (India) open
Population First and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have invited entries for the third UNFPA – Laadli Media awards for Gender Sensitivity (ULMAGS) across various regions in India for 2010-2011.
The award has been instituted to acknowledge, highlight and celebrate the commendable efforts undertaken by various media to support gender-just perspectives. The media pieces include advertising, print media, television, radio, documentary, internet and blog, that challenge dominant social stereotypes, analyse social, economic and political development from the viewpoint of gender.
Entries are accepted from journalists contributing news features, investigative stories, editorials, op-eds and columns in individual category and media houses on gender issues in English and many Indian languages. Articles/reports should have been published / displayed / broadcast or televised between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. The deadline for receipt of submissions is 1st November, 2010 for southern and western regions and 1st January, 2011 for northern and eastern regions.
For the e-brochure, entry form and contacts, click here.
The award has been instituted to acknowledge, highlight and celebrate the commendable efforts undertaken by various media to support gender-just perspectives. The media pieces include advertising, print media, television, radio, documentary, internet and blog, that challenge dominant social stereotypes, analyse social, economic and political development from the viewpoint of gender.
Entries are accepted from journalists contributing news features, investigative stories, editorials, op-eds and columns in individual category and media houses on gender issues in English and many Indian languages. Articles/reports should have been published / displayed / broadcast or televised between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. The deadline for receipt of submissions is 1st November, 2010 for southern and western regions and 1st January, 2011 for northern and eastern regions.
For the e-brochure, entry form and contacts, click here.
Mental health related stigma reduces access to existing services
World Mental Health Day - 10th October
Mental health related stigma reduces access to existing services
Alka Pande
The studies reveal that more than 80 percent people with mental health problems face stigma as one of the main barriers to recovery. "It is sad because most of the mental health problems are manageable through simple psychological interventions," said Prof Manju Agarwal, the psychologist and a faculty in the Amity University.
The fortunate part is that most mental illnesses can be successfully treated, according to Dr PK Khattri, the Clinical Psychologist, who runs a Drug de-addiction centre and psychiatric hospital in Lucknow – the capital of Uttar Pradesh in India. He says that the people affected by mental illnesses can recover and continue to lead normal productive lives. However, fewer than 20 percent people with mental health problems manage to work in a normal fashion because they are so stigmatised. Stigma is one of the major difficulties faced by people with mental illness, due to which they hesitate in seeking help. Even the families most of the times keep such ailments hidden.
* One in four people experience a period of mental illness at some stage in their lives – World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH)
* By 2020 depression alone will be the second biggest ailment in the world after heart disease – World Health Organisation (WHO)
These are a few facts and statistics, which the educationists and medical experts discussed threadbare for the benefit of the students of Amity University on World Mental Health day, on October 10. The World Mental Health Day was first observed by the World Federation of Mental Health in 1992.
The status of mental health is not very encouraging in India –primarily because of stigma attached to the problem. The National Human Rights Commission estimates that there are 20 million people in the country who suffer from serious mental health ailments and then there are about 50 million people who have some or the other type of mental problem.
"After accidents, suicide is the major cause for the death of people in the age group of 10 and 24," Urvashi Sahni, the founder of Study Hall quoted the World Health Organisation statistics. An educationist by profession, Sahni zeroed in on three primary mental states "deep sense of alienation," "identity crisis," and "inability to handle the unable expectations," which cause stress in youngsters. "When they are unable to handle the stress, these students resort to the drastic step of committing suicide," she said.
Relationships are the major cause of stress because they often go undercover. The parents do not take the matters relating to their children's relationships seriously. The children do not find a confidante in their parents to discuss their issues. The end result is that children deal with their stress alone and when they fail to take it anymore, they sometimes go to the extent of committing suicides, Sahni explained.
What causes suicide is mostly depression, stress, personality disorder alcohol or drug dependence, or other serious ailments like schizophrenia.
Detailing on what stress actually is, she said most of the stresses are emitting from ego, low self esteem and fear of rejection. "Accepting oneself and others as one is or others are, is the fundamental behavioural change which can train youngsters to handle stress," she explained.
The students can also turn their negative stress into positive stress, said Maj Gen KK Ohri, the Director General of Amity University. When stress is led to a positive direction it can help a person produce the best results, which happens with people who perform the best in a crisis situation, said Ohri.
The fact remains that any sort of mental illness including continuous stress, causes digestive problems, which gradually leads to other physical problems.
In July 2009, at a second regional review meeting on Mental Health a representative of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had elaborated upon medical services in the field of mental health. He had said that there are only forty mental health centres all across the country with less than 3,500 psychiatrists and less than 1,500 nurses to take care of them. These numbers are insignificant compared to growing incidences of mental health problems occurring due to modern life style, which is full of stress.
Citing shortage of medical professionals in mental health care, The NHRC representative had recommended that the subject should be made compulsory component of the medical curriculum in the country. However, in India Mental health stream remains the last in the list of priority of the medical students.
Alka Pande
(The author is a senior Journalist)
Published in:
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Bihar And Jharkhand News, (BJNS)
Mental health related stigma reduces access to existing services
Alka Pande
The studies reveal that more than 80 percent people with mental health problems face stigma as one of the main barriers to recovery. "It is sad because most of the mental health problems are manageable through simple psychological interventions," said Prof Manju Agarwal, the psychologist and a faculty in the Amity University.
The fortunate part is that most mental illnesses can be successfully treated, according to Dr PK Khattri, the Clinical Psychologist, who runs a Drug de-addiction centre and psychiatric hospital in Lucknow – the capital of Uttar Pradesh in India. He says that the people affected by mental illnesses can recover and continue to lead normal productive lives. However, fewer than 20 percent people with mental health problems manage to work in a normal fashion because they are so stigmatised. Stigma is one of the major difficulties faced by people with mental illness, due to which they hesitate in seeking help. Even the families most of the times keep such ailments hidden.
* One in four people experience a period of mental illness at some stage in their lives – World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH)
* By 2020 depression alone will be the second biggest ailment in the world after heart disease – World Health Organisation (WHO)
These are a few facts and statistics, which the educationists and medical experts discussed threadbare for the benefit of the students of Amity University on World Mental Health day, on October 10. The World Mental Health Day was first observed by the World Federation of Mental Health in 1992.
The status of mental health is not very encouraging in India –primarily because of stigma attached to the problem. The National Human Rights Commission estimates that there are 20 million people in the country who suffer from serious mental health ailments and then there are about 50 million people who have some or the other type of mental problem.
"After accidents, suicide is the major cause for the death of people in the age group of 10 and 24," Urvashi Sahni, the founder of Study Hall quoted the World Health Organisation statistics. An educationist by profession, Sahni zeroed in on three primary mental states "deep sense of alienation," "identity crisis," and "inability to handle the unable expectations," which cause stress in youngsters. "When they are unable to handle the stress, these students resort to the drastic step of committing suicide," she said.
Relationships are the major cause of stress because they often go undercover. The parents do not take the matters relating to their children's relationships seriously. The children do not find a confidante in their parents to discuss their issues. The end result is that children deal with their stress alone and when they fail to take it anymore, they sometimes go to the extent of committing suicides, Sahni explained.
What causes suicide is mostly depression, stress, personality disorder alcohol or drug dependence, or other serious ailments like schizophrenia.
Detailing on what stress actually is, she said most of the stresses are emitting from ego, low self esteem and fear of rejection. "Accepting oneself and others as one is or others are, is the fundamental behavioural change which can train youngsters to handle stress," she explained.
The students can also turn their negative stress into positive stress, said Maj Gen KK Ohri, the Director General of Amity University. When stress is led to a positive direction it can help a person produce the best results, which happens with people who perform the best in a crisis situation, said Ohri.
The fact remains that any sort of mental illness including continuous stress, causes digestive problems, which gradually leads to other physical problems.
In July 2009, at a second regional review meeting on Mental Health a representative of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had elaborated upon medical services in the field of mental health. He had said that there are only forty mental health centres all across the country with less than 3,500 psychiatrists and less than 1,500 nurses to take care of them. These numbers are insignificant compared to growing incidences of mental health problems occurring due to modern life style, which is full of stress.
Citing shortage of medical professionals in mental health care, The NHRC representative had recommended that the subject should be made compulsory component of the medical curriculum in the country. However, in India Mental health stream remains the last in the list of priority of the medical students.
Alka Pande
(The author is a senior Journalist)
Published in:
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Bihar And Jharkhand News, (BJNS)
Thousands attend the Mental Health Week in Kashmir
World Mental Health Day: 10th October
Thousands attend the Mental Health Week in Kashmir
Integrating mental health in basic healthcare reduces stigma
SRINAGAR: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders) in collaboration with the Directorate of Health, J&K government, concluded its week long celebrations of the World Mental Health Day (10 October) in Kupwara and Srinagar. Thousands of people attended the Mental Health Week celebrations in Kashmir Valley.
Renowned Physician Dr. Allaqaband was the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony organized at the SKICC in Srinagar on the World Mental Health Day. Mr. Martin Sloot, Head of Mission of MSF in India, Dr. G.A. Wani, Nodal Officer of National Mental Health Programme, Additional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr. Margoob, Psychiatrist, Govt Psychiatric Diseases Hospital, Mr. Sasha Matthews, Project Coordinator, MSF-Kashmir, Mr. Zareef Ahmad Zareef, Kashmiri poet and Mr. Masood Hussain, noted artist, were among the dignitaries marking the closing ceremony of Mental Health Week at the SKICC.
From 5th to 10th October, Kupwara and Srinagar were the settings of a mental health camp, an art and poetry exhibition, live theatre based on MSF’s successful radio programme ‘Alaw Baya Alaw’ and screening of MSF videos in Kashmiri and English. Pupils from schools in Kupwara and Srinagar as well as students from the University of Kashmir entered an art and poetry contest on the theme of ‘dealing with challenges on one’s life’. Their work was showcased throughout Mental Health Week, with an award ceremony which took place at SKICC in Srinagar on the World Mental Health Day (10 October).
Mental health is an integral component of basic healthcare services MSF has been providing to people in Kashmir since 2002. There is a growing body of evidence showing the benefits of an integrated healthcare approach combining both mental and physical care. The multi-faceted mental health-related stigma and discrimination impedes access to existing mental health services for people in need. Therefore integrating mental health services into basic healthcare is also one of the most pragmatic ways to make mental health services accessible to those who need it most and reduce stigma and discrimination.
"I think that with this mental health camp in Kashmir, we contributed to an increased awareness of psychosocial problems in Kashmir. That was the most important aim. MSF has many more ideas to increase this awareness. The first one is that such a camp will now be organized yearly - where hopefully - more partners will be able to join. Another one is to facilitate the further implementation of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) by organizing a round table discussion with all relevant key stakeholders" says Mr. Sasha Matthews, MSF’s project coordinator in Kashmir.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders is an international humanitarian medical aid organization working in more than 60 countries worldwide. In 1996, MSF received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development and in 1999 MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Published in
Pakistan Christian Post, Karachi, Pakistan
Citizen News Service (CNS) India/ Thailand
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Thousands attend the Mental Health Week in Kashmir
Integrating mental health in basic healthcare reduces stigma
SRINAGAR: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders) in collaboration with the Directorate of Health, J&K government, concluded its week long celebrations of the World Mental Health Day (10 October) in Kupwara and Srinagar. Thousands of people attended the Mental Health Week celebrations in Kashmir Valley.
Renowned Physician Dr. Allaqaband was the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony organized at the SKICC in Srinagar on the World Mental Health Day. Mr. Martin Sloot, Head of Mission of MSF in India, Dr. G.A. Wani, Nodal Officer of National Mental Health Programme, Additional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr. Margoob, Psychiatrist, Govt Psychiatric Diseases Hospital, Mr. Sasha Matthews, Project Coordinator, MSF-Kashmir, Mr. Zareef Ahmad Zareef, Kashmiri poet and Mr. Masood Hussain, noted artist, were among the dignitaries marking the closing ceremony of Mental Health Week at the SKICC.
From 5th to 10th October, Kupwara and Srinagar were the settings of a mental health camp, an art and poetry exhibition, live theatre based on MSF’s successful radio programme ‘Alaw Baya Alaw’ and screening of MSF videos in Kashmiri and English. Pupils from schools in Kupwara and Srinagar as well as students from the University of Kashmir entered an art and poetry contest on the theme of ‘dealing with challenges on one’s life’. Their work was showcased throughout Mental Health Week, with an award ceremony which took place at SKICC in Srinagar on the World Mental Health Day (10 October).
Mental health is an integral component of basic healthcare services MSF has been providing to people in Kashmir since 2002. There is a growing body of evidence showing the benefits of an integrated healthcare approach combining both mental and physical care. The multi-faceted mental health-related stigma and discrimination impedes access to existing mental health services for people in need. Therefore integrating mental health services into basic healthcare is also one of the most pragmatic ways to make mental health services accessible to those who need it most and reduce stigma and discrimination.
"I think that with this mental health camp in Kashmir, we contributed to an increased awareness of psychosocial problems in Kashmir. That was the most important aim. MSF has many more ideas to increase this awareness. The first one is that such a camp will now be organized yearly - where hopefully - more partners will be able to join. Another one is to facilitate the further implementation of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) by organizing a round table discussion with all relevant key stakeholders" says Mr. Sasha Matthews, MSF’s project coordinator in Kashmir.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders is an international humanitarian medical aid organization working in more than 60 countries worldwide. In 1996, MSF received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development and in 1999 MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Published in
Pakistan Christian Post, Karachi, Pakistan
Citizen News Service (CNS) India/ Thailand
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Stop using different yardsticks for measuring up boys and girls
Stop using different yardsticks for measuring up boys and girls
Kulsum Mustafa
For teenager Nazia, domestic violence does not just amount to physical torture, but also means the continuous denial of the basic right to be oneself. Treasurer of the children’s wing of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), Nazia is totally against early marriage of girls. She demands equal treatment and opportunity for both the sons and daughters.
Nazia was part of the panel that addressed media persons on the rights due to children and how they have been trampled upon. She was speaking at the bi-monthly Media for Children event, jointly organized by Media Nest and UNICEF on second and fourth Friday afternoon. at Uttar Pradesh Press Club.
She stressed in her presentation that girls should be given all those Rights which are enjoyed by their brothers. This should include the Right to education and the right to chose when to marry.
“A highly prejudiced society has made some rules for girls which it wants to force down the throat of the girl child- this must be stopped at all cost. Different yard sticks should not be used for sons and daughters,” Nazia said.
BMMA is holding its third National Convention in Lucknow on October 11, and through its children committee it will raise the vital issue‘ HAQ MILEGA KAB ?” ANYAY KE KHILAF BAAL COMMITTEE (When will we get our rights? Children committee raises voice against injustice).
Speaking on the occasion, one of the founder members of BMMA, Ms Zakiya Soman said that BMMA is not a registered body but an upsurge of people working towards empowerment of community through women and girls. She said while the membership of the BMMA is 70 per cent Muslim women, the rest 30 per cent comprise all those who are sensitive to the issue and wish to empower Muslim women. She urged Muslim women to fight fear and inequality in their own life before taking up cudgels for others.
Another senior Panellist Ms Khatoon Sheikh, convenor Maharashtara wing of BMMA who has worked very closely with Muslim women and children for the past several years said that unless women are made aware of their rights and learn to fight their battles no lasting change can be brought in. She recalled as how at one of the training and sensitization session in Maharashtra one girl picked up a photo book page which was totally dark. When asked why she did so the girl said with tears in her eyes. “Because that is what my life appears.”
“If this is the mindset of a teenager how it will become when she grows older and has to share the burden of household responsibilities, “ asked Ms Sheikh. Naish Hasan, founder member said “BMMA demands social, economic, political, civil, legal and religious rights for all Muslims.”
Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)
Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV, USA
Wikio.com
Surchur.com
Kulsum Mustafa
For teenager Nazia, domestic violence does not just amount to physical torture, but also means the continuous denial of the basic right to be oneself. Treasurer of the children’s wing of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), Nazia is totally against early marriage of girls. She demands equal treatment and opportunity for both the sons and daughters.
Nazia was part of the panel that addressed media persons on the rights due to children and how they have been trampled upon. She was speaking at the bi-monthly Media for Children event, jointly organized by Media Nest and UNICEF on second and fourth Friday afternoon. at Uttar Pradesh Press Club.
She stressed in her presentation that girls should be given all those Rights which are enjoyed by their brothers. This should include the Right to education and the right to chose when to marry.
“A highly prejudiced society has made some rules for girls which it wants to force down the throat of the girl child- this must be stopped at all cost. Different yard sticks should not be used for sons and daughters,” Nazia said.
BMMA is holding its third National Convention in Lucknow on October 11, and through its children committee it will raise the vital issue‘ HAQ MILEGA KAB ?” ANYAY KE KHILAF BAAL COMMITTEE (When will we get our rights? Children committee raises voice against injustice).
Speaking on the occasion, one of the founder members of BMMA, Ms Zakiya Soman said that BMMA is not a registered body but an upsurge of people working towards empowerment of community through women and girls. She said while the membership of the BMMA is 70 per cent Muslim women, the rest 30 per cent comprise all those who are sensitive to the issue and wish to empower Muslim women. She urged Muslim women to fight fear and inequality in their own life before taking up cudgels for others.
Another senior Panellist Ms Khatoon Sheikh, convenor Maharashtara wing of BMMA who has worked very closely with Muslim women and children for the past several years said that unless women are made aware of their rights and learn to fight their battles no lasting change can be brought in. She recalled as how at one of the training and sensitization session in Maharashtra one girl picked up a photo book page which was totally dark. When asked why she did so the girl said with tears in her eyes. “Because that is what my life appears.”
“If this is the mindset of a teenager how it will become when she grows older and has to share the burden of household responsibilities, “ asked Ms Sheikh. Naish Hasan, founder member said “BMMA demands social, economic, political, civil, legal and religious rights for all Muslims.”
Kulsum Mustafa
(The author is a senior journalist and Secretary-General of Media Nest)
Published in:
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/Thailand
Elites TV, USA
Wikio.com
Surchur.com
Mental Health camp opens in Srinagar
Mental Health camp opens in Srinagar
SRINAGAR: Mental health is crucial to one’s general wellbeing. Mr Javaid Ahmad Dar, Minister of State for Health and Medical Education, J&K Government opened the mental health camp today at the Municipal Park, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar. This mental health camp has been organized by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders) in collaboration with the Directorate of Health, J&K government as part of the week long celebrations of th.jpg)
e World Mental Health Day (5-10 October 2009) in Kupwara and Srinagar. Dr Mohammad Amin Wani, Director of Health Services, J&K Government, and Dr. GA Wani, Nodal Officer, National Mental Health Programme, were also present at the camp.
From the 8th – 10th October, Municipal Park, Jawahar Nagar is the setting of a mental health camp, an art and poetry exhibition, live theatre based on MSF’s successful radio programme ‘Alaw Baya Alaw’ and screening of MSF videos in Kashmiri and English.
Pupils from schools in Kupwara and Srinagar as well as students from the University of Kashmir entered an art and poetry contest on the theme of ‘dealing with challenges on one’s life’. Their work is being showcased throughout Mental Health Week, with an award ceremony taking place in Srinagar on 10th of October.
Mental health is an integral component of basic healthcare services MSF has been providing to people in Kashmir since 2002. There is a growing body of evidence showing the benefits of an integrated healthcare approach combining both mental and physical care. Integrating mental health services into basic healthcare is also one of the most pragmatic ways to make mental health services accessible to those who need it most. The multi-faceted mental health-related stigma and discrimination impedes access to existing mental health services for people in need.
“What we have been witnessing with our presence in Kashmir for the past seven years is that mental health needs to be an integral component of the overall health system and therefore access should be guaranteed to such a service. That is why we offer such integrated health-related services in Kupwara, northern Kashmir, where mental healthcare is part of the basic healthcare programmes” says MSF’s project coordinator Sasha Matthews.
“More and more people are realizing the need of mental health in order to go through a difficult and stressful period of their lives. We often suggest coping mechanisms to our clients in our counseling sessions such as spending time with their family and friends in order to overcome such situations. The stigma that is attached to the word “mental health” - where someone is considered crazy - is still present but slowly reducing. We welcomed the introduction of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) last year in Kashmir, where we saw it as a first step towards the breaking of such stigma. Unfortunately, the NMHP does not include a counseling component like ours, but we hope that in the near future counseling will be introduced so that this stigma will be completely eroded and the people will benefit of a total mental well being. This is why there is no health without mental health” added Matthews.
Published in:
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Med India News, India
Citizen News Service, India/Thailand
World News Network, USA
Khabar Express News, India
Northern Voice Online,
Bihar and Jharkhand News, Bihar and Jharkhand, India
India Education Diary, Orissa, India
24dunia.com
SRINAGAR: Mental health is crucial to one’s general wellbeing. Mr Javaid Ahmad Dar, Minister of State for Health and Medical Education, J&K Government opened the mental health camp today at the Municipal Park, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar. This mental health camp has been organized by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders) in collaboration with the Directorate of Health, J&K government as part of the week long celebrations of th
.jpg)
e World Mental Health Day (5-10 October 2009) in Kupwara and Srinagar. Dr Mohammad Amin Wani, Director of Health Services, J&K Government, and Dr. GA Wani, Nodal Officer, National Mental Health Programme, were also present at the camp.From the 8th – 10th October, Municipal Park, Jawahar Nagar is the setting of a mental health camp, an art and poetry exhibition, live theatre based on MSF’s successful radio programme ‘Alaw Baya Alaw’ and screening of MSF videos in Kashmiri and English.
Pupils from schools in Kupwara and Srinagar as well as students from the University of Kashmir entered an art and poetry contest on the theme of ‘dealing with challenges on one’s life’. Their work is being showcased throughout Mental Health Week, with an award ceremony taking place in Srinagar on 10th of October.
Mental health is an integral component of basic healthcare services MSF has been providing to people in Kashmir since 2002. There is a growing body of evidence showing the benefits of an integrated healthcare approach combining both mental and physical care. Integrating mental health services into basic healthcare is also one of the most pragmatic ways to make mental health services accessible to those who need it most. The multi-faceted mental health-related stigma and discrimination impedes access to existing mental health services for people in need.
“What we have been witnessing with our presence in Kashmir for the past seven years is that mental health needs to be an integral component of the overall health system and therefore access should be guaranteed to such a service. That is why we offer such integrated health-related services in Kupwara, northern Kashmir, where mental healthcare is part of the basic healthcare programmes” says MSF’s project coordinator Sasha Matthews.
“More and more people are realizing the need of mental health in order to go through a difficult and stressful period of their lives. We often suggest coping mechanisms to our clients in our counseling sessions such as spending time with their family and friends in order to overcome such situations. The stigma that is attached to the word “mental health” - where someone is considered crazy - is still present but slowly reducing. We welcomed the introduction of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) last year in Kashmir, where we saw it as a first step towards the breaking of such stigma. Unfortunately, the NMHP does not include a counseling component like ours, but we hope that in the near future counseling will be introduced so that this stigma will be completely eroded and the people will benefit of a total mental well being. This is why there is no health without mental health” added Matthews.
Published in:
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Med India News, India
Citizen News Service, India/Thailand
World News Network, USA
Khabar Express News, India
Northern Voice Online,
Bihar and Jharkhand News, Bihar and Jharkhand, India
India Education Diary, Orissa, India
24dunia.com
Indian Prevention Advocates Publish India Microbicide Monitor
Indian Prevention Advocates Publish India Microbicide Monitor
Microbicides advocacy in India has come a long way over the past decade and a new publication, the MSI Microbicide Monitor, is the latest fruit of this progress. Providing a weekly snapshot of major microbicides-related news from around the world, the Monitor includes news highlights from countries where clinical trials are taking place, links to major microbicides-related events and advocacy opportunities and documents India-specific developments on microbicides research and advocacy. Produced and distributed by the Microbicides Society of India (MSI), the publication goes out to about 1,000 Indian microbicides advocates using a listserv (http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/microbicide/) created in 2005 at a South Indian advocacy workshop convened by the Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM) and Indian Network of NGOs on HIV/AIDS (INN).
Collaborations initiated years ago and well nurtured by determined advocates, and have grown into what is now the Microbicides Society of India. "GCM's history of working with advocates, policy-makers and researchers in India makes the formation of the Microbicides Society of India and publication of its Monitor especially momentous to us," said GCM Director Yasmin Halima. "We began working in India in 2000 and co-hosted the 2003 National Policy Meeting on Microbicides and HIV Prevention Options for Women in New Delhi. That led to the formation of a multi-sectoral Microbicides [National] Working Group, coordinated for several years by GCM and PATH India. The Campaign has worked closely over the years with MSI President Dr [Badri N] Saxena and several MSI officers and Executive Committee members including Drs Sanjay Mehendale, Suniti Solomon, Nomita Chandhiok, SK Gupta [among others]," she continued, "and we congratulate them on their decision to establish this initiative," she concluded.
She added that GCM looks forward to ongoing synergies, including information sharing between the Monitor and F-SPOT (Female STI/HIV Prevention Options Today), an e-forum moderated by GCM. Created in 2007, F-SPOT provides a forum for Indian advocates and researchers to exchange information, ideas, strategies, and lessons learned on female initiated prevention. GCM looks forward to promoting the MSI Microbicides Monitor to its participants and is confident that this new resource will further inform and stimulate discussion across advocacy, research and policy sectors.
The MSI Microbicides Monitor is available at http://microbicide.blogspot.com
Published in:
Modern Ghana, Accra, Ghana
Citizen News Service, India/Thailand
Bihar And Jharkhand News, Bihar And Jharkhand, India
Microbicides advocacy in India has come a long way over the past decade and a new publication, the MSI Microbicide Monitor, is the latest fruit of this progress. Providing a weekly snapshot of major microbicides-related news from around the world, the Monitor includes news highlights from countries where clinical trials are taking place, links to major microbicides-related events and advocacy opportunities and documents India-specific developments on microbicides research and advocacy. Produced and distributed by the Microbicides Society of India (MSI), the publication goes out to about 1,000 Indian microbicides advocates using a listserv (http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/microbicide/) created in 2005 at a South Indian advocacy workshop convened by the Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM) and Indian Network of NGOs on HIV/AIDS (INN).
Collaborations initiated years ago and well nurtured by determined advocates, and have grown into what is now the Microbicides Society of India. "GCM's history of working with advocates, policy-makers and researchers in India makes the formation of the Microbicides Society of India and publication of its Monitor especially momentous to us," said GCM Director Yasmin Halima. "We began working in India in 2000 and co-hosted the 2003 National Policy Meeting on Microbicides and HIV Prevention Options for Women in New Delhi. That led to the formation of a multi-sectoral Microbicides [National] Working Group, coordinated for several years by GCM and PATH India. The Campaign has worked closely over the years with MSI President Dr [Badri N] Saxena and several MSI officers and Executive Committee members including Drs Sanjay Mehendale, Suniti Solomon, Nomita Chandhiok, SK Gupta [among others]," she continued, "and we congratulate them on their decision to establish this initiative," she concluded.
She added that GCM looks forward to ongoing synergies, including information sharing between the Monitor and F-SPOT (Female STI/HIV Prevention Options Today), an e-forum moderated by GCM. Created in 2007, F-SPOT provides a forum for Indian advocates and researchers to exchange information, ideas, strategies, and lessons learned on female initiated prevention. GCM looks forward to promoting the MSI Microbicides Monitor to its participants and is confident that this new resource will further inform and stimulate discussion across advocacy, research and policy sectors.
The MSI Microbicides Monitor is available at http://microbicide.blogspot.com
Published in:
Modern Ghana, Accra, Ghana
Citizen News Service, India/Thailand
Bihar And Jharkhand News, Bihar And Jharkhand, India
"No Health without Mental Health": MSF
"No Health without Mental Health": MSF
Mental Health Week in Kashmir Valley: 5th – 10th October SRINAGAR: Mental health is crucial to one’s general wellbeing. To mark World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October 2009, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders) is hosting a large number of events in Kupwara and Srinagar as part of Mental Health Week. MSF is celebrating Mental Health Week in collaboration with the Directorate of Health, J&K government.
From the 5th – 10th October, Kupwara and Srinagar will be the setting of a mental health camp, an art and poetry exhibition, live theatre based on MSF’s successful radio programme ‘Alaw Baya Alaw’ and screening of MSF videos in Kashmiri and English. Pupils from schools in Kupwara and Srinagar as well as students from the University of Kashmir entered an art and poetry contest on the theme of ‘dealing with challenges on one’s life’. Their work will be showcased throughout Mental Health Week, with an award ceremony taking place in Srinagar on 10th of October. Mental health is an integral component of basic healthcare services MSF has been providing to people in Kashmir since 2002. There is a growing body of evidence showing the benefits of an integrated healthcare approach combining both mental and physical care. Integrating mental health services into basic healthcare is also one of the most pragmatic ways to make mental health services accessible to those who need it most. The multi-faceted mental health-related stigma and discrimination impedes access to existing mental health services for people in need. “What we have been witnessing with our presence in Kashmir for the past seven years is that mental health needs to be an integral component of the overall health system and therefore access should be guaranteed to such a service. That is why we offer such integrated health-related services in Kupwara, northern Kashmir, where mental healthcare is part of the basic healthcare programmes” says MSF’s project coordinator Sasha Matthews. “More and more people are realizing the need of mental health in order to go through a difficult and stressful period of their lives. We often suggest coping mechanisms to our clients in our counseling sessions such as spending time with their family and friends in order to overcome such situations. The stigma that is attached to the word “mental health” - where someone is considered crazy - is still present but slowly reducing. We welcomed the introduction of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) last year in Kashmir, where we saw it as a first step towards the breaking of such stigma. Unfortunately, the NMHP does not include a counseling component like ours, but we hope that in the near future counseling will be introduced so that this stigma will be completely eroded and the people will benefit of a total mental well being. This is why there is no health without mental health” added Matthews.
Published in
Greater Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K
The Kashmir Times, J&K
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/ Thailand
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Pakistan Christian Post, Karachi, Pakistan
Mental Health Week in Kashmir Valley: 5th – 10th October SRINAGAR: Mental health is crucial to one’s general wellbeing. To mark World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October 2009, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders) is hosting a large number of events in Kupwara and Srinagar as part of Mental Health Week. MSF is celebrating Mental Health Week in collaboration with the Directorate of Health, J&K government.
From the 5th – 10th October, Kupwara and Srinagar will be the setting of a mental health camp, an art and poetry exhibition, live theatre based on MSF’s successful radio programme ‘Alaw Baya Alaw’ and screening of MSF videos in Kashmiri and English. Pupils from schools in Kupwara and Srinagar as well as students from the University of Kashmir entered an art and poetry contest on the theme of ‘dealing with challenges on one’s life’. Their work will be showcased throughout Mental Health Week, with an award ceremony taking place in Srinagar on 10th of October. Mental health is an integral component of basic healthcare services MSF has been providing to people in Kashmir since 2002. There is a growing body of evidence showing the benefits of an integrated healthcare approach combining both mental and physical care. Integrating mental health services into basic healthcare is also one of the most pragmatic ways to make mental health services accessible to those who need it most. The multi-faceted mental health-related stigma and discrimination impedes access to existing mental health services for people in need. “What we have been witnessing with our presence in Kashmir for the past seven years is that mental health needs to be an integral component of the overall health system and therefore access should be guaranteed to such a service. That is why we offer such integrated health-related services in Kupwara, northern Kashmir, where mental healthcare is part of the basic healthcare programmes” says MSF’s project coordinator Sasha Matthews. “More and more people are realizing the need of mental health in order to go through a difficult and stressful period of their lives. We often suggest coping mechanisms to our clients in our counseling sessions such as spending time with their family and friends in order to overcome such situations. The stigma that is attached to the word “mental health” - where someone is considered crazy - is still present but slowly reducing. We welcomed the introduction of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) last year in Kashmir, where we saw it as a first step towards the breaking of such stigma. Unfortunately, the NMHP does not include a counseling component like ours, but we hope that in the near future counseling will be introduced so that this stigma will be completely eroded and the people will benefit of a total mental well being. This is why there is no health without mental health” added Matthews.Published in
Greater Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K
The Kashmir Times, J&K
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
Citizen News Service (CNS), India/ Thailand
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Pakistan Christian Post, Karachi, Pakistan
Let Your Giving Be Gentle As Silence! ! !
Let Your Giving Be Gentle As Silence!!!
'All you have shall someday be given, therefore give now that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors' - Kahlil Gibran
Somebody has come up with this beautiful idea of celebrating the ‘JOY of Giving Week’ from 27th September to 3rd October. The theme of this week is to give anything you have (in abundance) to someone who does not. Till now we have had Valentine’s Day, Friendship Day, Mother’s Day, etc. But now comes a whole week of giving. The fanciful idea has caught the attention of the entire nation, especially the celebrities and the corporate world, by its novelty. So there seems to be a mad rush and fervent appeals to donate anything and everything. Laudable efforts, but why confine them to a measly period of seven days ?Why not make it a way of life?
Generally, most of our daily actions follow the principle of ‘more is better’, whereas giving means that ‘less is beautiful’. This is a special kind of joy for each one of us to reach out to someone less privileged by, not just donating money (which is the easiest act of charity), but by bequeathing the simple pleasures of life. Gift your time to your family, your attention and love to someone who is craving desperately for it, your services and talents (as a doctor, lawyer, teacher, builder, artist ) free of cost to someone in need of them. Or simply lend your ears to distraught souls, or put the balm of soothing words on hurting wounds. And do not forget to give thanks to the Almighty in gratitude for having been given eyes to see, ears to hear, limbs to move and a mind to think--- for life would be miserable without anyone of these ‘taken for granted faculties’. So stop cribbing about what you have not. Rather celebrate what you have, by sharing it with others.
The ultimate bliss would be to donate your body parts to be used after your death to give life to others --- by way of organ/eye transplant or simply as study material by medical students. This would be the best way to be remembered even when we are no more; in fact we will continue to live in the bodies of others.
Just do something nice for somebody else.
Buddhism talks of three levels of generosity.
The first one is ‘Beggarly Giving’ – we give the worst of what we have- the leftovers- and even then we have doubts – should I give it? Next year I might use it.
How many of us are readily willing to part with the trunk loads of clothes (and other redundant items) we have not worn /used for years and will never use in future? We never seem to find a suitable (?) benefactor for them. Such is our inflated ego.
The second one is ‘Friendly Giving’ – we give what we could use for ourselves, and we give it with more spontaneity and with more joy in the mind.
The third one is ‘Queenly Giving’ – we delight in offering the best of what we have, giving what we value most. This is perfect generosity.
It all fits together. Generosity gives rise to joy, joy makes us calm, a calm mind is filled with ease, and settles readily into meditation. From meditation comes wisdom and deep understanding.
In Buddhism the joy of giving is called ‘Mudita’—joy at the good fortune of others.
An act of generosity is a blessing for the giver, more than for the recipient. I saw this in Chiang Mai in Thailand. It was not uncommon to see the Buddhist monks, with the begging bowl in hand, doing a round of the houses in the early hours of morning. The householder would bow down at the feet of the monk, while making an offering (of fruits, food grains or anything else). The bhikshu would remain standing and bless the giver. I always found this to be such a humbling experience, where the giver was at the feet of the receiver. Thai Buddhists believe that by giving, they improve their own karma and so need to thank the receiver for accepting their offerings. This signifies a complete surrender of the self and the ego.
Are you that poor that you have nothing to give?
Celebrate the festival of giving throughout the year. Donate a smile and see a stranger’s face light up. Lend a helping hand to liven up some life. Gift words of kindness, appreciation, forgiveness to kindle hope. Give, and experience the thrill of receiving manifold what you give away. It has a boomerang effect. So give peace, joy, love, tolerance and comfort to others.
Give with humility so that it may be received with dignity, for ‘blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.’
In the true spirit of celebration of the Mahatma's birthday, let us sing to ourselves his favourite bhajan ‘ vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je peer paraayi jaane re; par dukhe upkaar kare, koi mann abhimaan na aane re’ (a true human being is one who understands the pain of others and does a good deed without any arrogance).
May your fortunes multiply many times in proportion to what you give.
Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS), has worked earlier with State Planning Institute, UP, and teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)
Published in:
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Northern Voice Online
News From Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Thai-Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand
Citizen News Service (CNS)
Elites TV News, USA
Sajalkayan.com
Thailand Radio, Thailand
Bihar and Jharkhand News, Bihar And Jharkhand, India
India Education Diary, India
Silobreaker.com
Zimnewsroom.org
'All you have shall someday be given, therefore give now that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors' - Kahlil Gibran
Somebody has come up with this beautiful idea of celebrating the ‘JOY of Giving Week’ from 27th September to 3rd October. The theme of this week is to give anything you have (in abundance) to someone who does not. Till now we have had Valentine’s Day, Friendship Day, Mother’s Day, etc. But now comes a whole week of giving. The fanciful idea has caught the attention of the entire nation, especially the celebrities and the corporate world, by its novelty. So there seems to be a mad rush and fervent appeals to donate anything and everything. Laudable efforts, but why confine them to a measly period of seven days ?Why not make it a way of life?
Generally, most of our daily actions follow the principle of ‘more is better’, whereas giving means that ‘less is beautiful’. This is a special kind of joy for each one of us to reach out to someone less privileged by, not just donating money (which is the easiest act of charity), but by bequeathing the simple pleasures of life. Gift your time to your family, your attention and love to someone who is craving desperately for it, your services and talents (as a doctor, lawyer, teacher, builder, artist ) free of cost to someone in need of them. Or simply lend your ears to distraught souls, or put the balm of soothing words on hurting wounds. And do not forget to give thanks to the Almighty in gratitude for having been given eyes to see, ears to hear, limbs to move and a mind to think--- for life would be miserable without anyone of these ‘taken for granted faculties’. So stop cribbing about what you have not. Rather celebrate what you have, by sharing it with others.
The ultimate bliss would be to donate your body parts to be used after your death to give life to others --- by way of organ/eye transplant or simply as study material by medical students. This would be the best way to be remembered even when we are no more; in fact we will continue to live in the bodies of others.
Just do something nice for somebody else.
Buddhism talks of three levels of generosity.
The first one is ‘Beggarly Giving’ – we give the worst of what we have- the leftovers- and even then we have doubts – should I give it? Next year I might use it.
How many of us are readily willing to part with the trunk loads of clothes (and other redundant items) we have not worn /used for years and will never use in future? We never seem to find a suitable (?) benefactor for them. Such is our inflated ego.
The second one is ‘Friendly Giving’ – we give what we could use for ourselves, and we give it with more spontaneity and with more joy in the mind.
The third one is ‘Queenly Giving’ – we delight in offering the best of what we have, giving what we value most. This is perfect generosity.
It all fits together. Generosity gives rise to joy, joy makes us calm, a calm mind is filled with ease, and settles readily into meditation. From meditation comes wisdom and deep understanding.
In Buddhism the joy of giving is called ‘Mudita’—joy at the good fortune of others.
An act of generosity is a blessing for the giver, more than for the recipient. I saw this in Chiang Mai in Thailand. It was not uncommon to see the Buddhist monks, with the begging bowl in hand, doing a round of the houses in the early hours of morning. The householder would bow down at the feet of the monk, while making an offering (of fruits, food grains or anything else). The bhikshu would remain standing and bless the giver. I always found this to be such a humbling experience, where the giver was at the feet of the receiver. Thai Buddhists believe that by giving, they improve their own karma and so need to thank the receiver for accepting their offerings. This signifies a complete surrender of the self and the ego.
Are you that poor that you have nothing to give?
Celebrate the festival of giving throughout the year. Donate a smile and see a stranger’s face light up. Lend a helping hand to liven up some life. Gift words of kindness, appreciation, forgiveness to kindle hope. Give, and experience the thrill of receiving manifold what you give away. It has a boomerang effect. So give peace, joy, love, tolerance and comfort to others.
Give with humility so that it may be received with dignity, for ‘blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.’
In the true spirit of celebration of the Mahatma's birthday, let us sing to ourselves his favourite bhajan ‘ vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je peer paraayi jaane re; par dukhe upkaar kare, koi mann abhimaan na aane re’ (a true human being is one who understands the pain of others and does a good deed without any arrogance).
May your fortunes multiply many times in proportion to what you give.
Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS), has worked earlier with State Planning Institute, UP, and teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)
Published in:
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Northern Voice Online
News From Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Thai-Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand
Citizen News Service (CNS)
Elites TV News, USA
Sajalkayan.com
Thailand Radio, Thailand
Bihar and Jharkhand News, Bihar And Jharkhand, India
India Education Diary, India
Silobreaker.com
Zimnewsroom.org
Improved relationship between farmers and mill-owners can boost sugar output
Improved relationship between farmers and mill-owners can boost sugar output
Alka Pande
THE crisis of sugarcane in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, in the current season, has forced the sugar mills as well as the government authorities to contemplate on ways and measures for enhancing the production of sugarcane crop as well as sugar, in the state.
All stake holders including the farmers, sugar mill owners and the government are united on two major issues - improving the relationship between the farmers and the sugar mills besides timely announcement and payment of sugarcane price by government and sugar mills, respectively.
The discussions had been on for long in the state that the government should announce the State Advisory Price (SAP) before the sowing of the crop so that to encourage the farmers to take to sugarcane cultivation. However, the state – which is known to have the largest sugarcane growing area in India - has the tradition of announcing the SAP just before the crushing season.
"Now the government needs to review how this tradition can be changed," admits the Uttar Pradesh Cane Commissioner Sudhir M Bobde. Highlighting the need for correct pricing by the government and timely payment by the mills, Bobde also points out the need for the government to strike a balance between the sugarcane farmers and mills. He even mentions the shortcomings in the slip system being followed by the sugar mills for payment to farmers and also raises the issue of inappropriate weighing of the farmers’ produce by the sugar mills, besides unnecessary waiting caused to farmers, which reduces the sugar recovery from the sugarcane.
This was perhaps for the first time any government official raised such sensitive issues on a public platform. Bobde was speaking at a seminar "Sugar Tech 2009: Shorter Seasons in Sugar Industry – Opportunities & Challenges." The event was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) UP State Council in association with National Sugar Institute, Kanpur and Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. The seminar aimed at reviewing the substantial fall in the production of sugar in the state, besides assessing the challenges and opportunities in order to arrive at a meaningful solution to benefit the farmers, industry and the Government alike.
The Cane Commissioner was of the opinion that the government is required to make a long-term roadmap for sugar industry in the state as it is not sugar production alone which gets affected due to lack of proper policies, the industry also affects alcohol industry, which is a major revenue generation sector for the state government.
Bobde pointed out that increase of sugar price leads to a price hike for molasses that is used for making alcohol, which consequently increases the duty on alcohol and thereby reduces its price competency in the alcohol market of the country.
For records, the area for sugarcane has decreased by 16.48 percent in last one year and this year the availability of sugarcane is expected to be around 98 million tonnes of which 40 to 42 percent is feared to go to Khandsari and Jaggery units. The drawl for the sugar mills is estimated to be around 45 percent. The challenge before the government is to increase this drawl. Besides, the stake holders are also united on the issue of shrinking crushing season in the state. Crushing season – which used to be of 150 to 180 days – is now reduced to merely 90 – 120 days for two consecutive years.
On the occasion the government and the sugar mill owners raised their concern over sugarcane diversion to Khandsari and jaggery units. Director, National Sugar Institute, Government of India, SK Mitra advocated that the diversion of cane for jaggery and khandsari units should be discouraged. He said that recovery was another factor, which can increase the sugar production by at least 0.5% at all India level.
The Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Atul Kumar Gupta who was also present at the seminar said that the installed capacity of sugar had though gone up this year, the production had gone down by nearly 11 percent. He cited various reasons for the same which included higher prices of competing crop, non-payment or delayed payment, litigation cases and better prices of ‘gur’ and ‘khandsari’. He advised that the mills should have a long-term relationship with the farmers whose interest was of primary importance, hence a loyalty bonus system or fixed cane price for two years could be introduced.
On the occasion, Jayant Krishna,the Vice Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) UP State Council presented a UP Sugar Vision 2015, which was based on the day-long deliberations. The salient features of this Sugar Vision 2015 included --:
* Sugarcane farmers and sugar mills should pursue a long-term win-win partnership and operate on a platform of mutual trust by 2015.
* The farmers of Uttar Pradesh should adopt better seed varieties and farm practices while the sugar units should embrace technological innovations to ensure a 10-15 percent increase in recovery by 2015.
* All major producers should become integrated players with at least 10,000 tonnes of daily crushing units along with alcohol production and co-generation of electricity by 2015
* Uttar Pradesh should become a significant player in global sugar market by 2015.
* Uttar Pradesh should account for two-thirds of the national sugar production by 2015.
Alka Pande
(The author is a senior journalist)
Published in:
Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh, India
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Word News Network, USA
Bihar and Jharkhand News, Bihar And Jharkhand, India
Alka Pande
THE crisis of sugarcane in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, in the current season, has forced the sugar mills as well as the government authorities to contemplate on ways and measures for enhancing the production of sugarcane crop as well as sugar, in the state.
All stake holders including the farmers, sugar mill owners and the government are united on two major issues - improving the relationship between the farmers and the sugar mills besides timely announcement and payment of sugarcane price by government and sugar mills, respectively.
The discussions had been on for long in the state that the government should announce the State Advisory Price (SAP) before the sowing of the crop so that to encourage the farmers to take to sugarcane cultivation. However, the state – which is known to have the largest sugarcane growing area in India - has the tradition of announcing the SAP just before the crushing season.
"Now the government needs to review how this tradition can be changed," admits the Uttar Pradesh Cane Commissioner Sudhir M Bobde. Highlighting the need for correct pricing by the government and timely payment by the mills, Bobde also points out the need for the government to strike a balance between the sugarcane farmers and mills. He even mentions the shortcomings in the slip system being followed by the sugar mills for payment to farmers and also raises the issue of inappropriate weighing of the farmers’ produce by the sugar mills, besides unnecessary waiting caused to farmers, which reduces the sugar recovery from the sugarcane.
This was perhaps for the first time any government official raised such sensitive issues on a public platform. Bobde was speaking at a seminar "Sugar Tech 2009: Shorter Seasons in Sugar Industry – Opportunities & Challenges." The event was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) UP State Council in association with National Sugar Institute, Kanpur and Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. The seminar aimed at reviewing the substantial fall in the production of sugar in the state, besides assessing the challenges and opportunities in order to arrive at a meaningful solution to benefit the farmers, industry and the Government alike.
The Cane Commissioner was of the opinion that the government is required to make a long-term roadmap for sugar industry in the state as it is not sugar production alone which gets affected due to lack of proper policies, the industry also affects alcohol industry, which is a major revenue generation sector for the state government.
Bobde pointed out that increase of sugar price leads to a price hike for molasses that is used for making alcohol, which consequently increases the duty on alcohol and thereby reduces its price competency in the alcohol market of the country.
For records, the area for sugarcane has decreased by 16.48 percent in last one year and this year the availability of sugarcane is expected to be around 98 million tonnes of which 40 to 42 percent is feared to go to Khandsari and Jaggery units. The drawl for the sugar mills is estimated to be around 45 percent. The challenge before the government is to increase this drawl. Besides, the stake holders are also united on the issue of shrinking crushing season in the state. Crushing season – which used to be of 150 to 180 days – is now reduced to merely 90 – 120 days for two consecutive years.
On the occasion the government and the sugar mill owners raised their concern over sugarcane diversion to Khandsari and jaggery units. Director, National Sugar Institute, Government of India, SK Mitra advocated that the diversion of cane for jaggery and khandsari units should be discouraged. He said that recovery was another factor, which can increase the sugar production by at least 0.5% at all India level.
The Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Atul Kumar Gupta who was also present at the seminar said that the installed capacity of sugar had though gone up this year, the production had gone down by nearly 11 percent. He cited various reasons for the same which included higher prices of competing crop, non-payment or delayed payment, litigation cases and better prices of ‘gur’ and ‘khandsari’. He advised that the mills should have a long-term relationship with the farmers whose interest was of primary importance, hence a loyalty bonus system or fixed cane price for two years could be introduced.
On the occasion, Jayant Krishna,the Vice Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) UP State Council presented a UP Sugar Vision 2015, which was based on the day-long deliberations. The salient features of this Sugar Vision 2015 included --:
* Sugarcane farmers and sugar mills should pursue a long-term win-win partnership and operate on a platform of mutual trust by 2015.
* The farmers of Uttar Pradesh should adopt better seed varieties and farm practices while the sugar units should embrace technological innovations to ensure a 10-15 percent increase in recovery by 2015.
* All major producers should become integrated players with at least 10,000 tonnes of daily crushing units along with alcohol production and co-generation of electricity by 2015
* Uttar Pradesh should become a significant player in global sugar market by 2015.
* Uttar Pradesh should account for two-thirds of the national sugar production by 2015.
Alka Pande
(The author is a senior journalist)
Published in:
Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh, India
Modern Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Word News Network, USA
Bihar and Jharkhand News, Bihar And Jharkhand, India
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