Dnote Xpress,Issue #7,October 2014

Issue: #7 | October 2014 6th Anniversary Special Edition

In this issue: The Journey of Fiinova on

The Socrates Award Winner

Tech Mahindra – Rising for Good

Global Alliance For Climate Smart Agriculture – The Ac on Plan

Fiinobserva on of Interna onal Days

To subscribe visit : www.fiinovation.co.in

8th International Conference on CSR

2014

Best Innovation-Product or Service at Social Innovation Award Fiinovation & Institute of Directors path breaking partnership Fiinovation & FKCCI at the Face of the Companies Act 2013 Fiinovation at 24th World Congress on Total Quality and Leadership Fiinovation & IOD conference on Environment Management Socrates Award for the Best Enterprise – Oxford, UK Fiinovation & IOD London Global Convention, UK

Celebrating 6 years of Excellence

2013

Knowledge partners for NGOBOX Mobile site launched for instant update

Over the past six years Innovative Financial Advisors Pvt. Ltd. (Fiinovation) has emerged as multidisciplinary research consultancy that operates in the domain of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability. It has grown from the time when people used to consider CSR & Sustainability to be the auxiliary components of

Integrated solution enabler in the CSR Domain

functionality to the times now when both of these verticals are the stage setter for Corporations & Society at large. Today, it is considered by its partners as a resource

2012

Web portal for instant project updates

for all solutions related to CSR and Sustainability.

It works with a motive to promote and create awareness, inspire innovative thinking and action that leads to sustainable development to business houses and the communities, which are interlinked. Fiinovation has been conferred with “Best

2011

Innovation: Product or Service” Award at the Social Innovation Awards 2014 at the

Asia's first proposal research lab Sector specific innovation in the development sector

World CSR Day Mumbai, India & “The Socrates Award for the Best Enterprise in the field of health, education, environment and livelihood with a focus on CSR & Sustainability at the Leaders Summit in Oxford, U.K. 2014.

On the occasion of 6th Foundation Day, Fiinovation organized its 2nd Annual Blood Donation camp in association with Lions Blood Bank. The event drew 143

Whistle blower for CSR in India

2010

participants from various offices in Okhla and 83 donations were done making it a successful one.

“This journey won't have been possible without the great

2009

1st research consultancy specialized in CSR

substantial support that each member of this organization has provided both organically & otherwise.”

Founded Started with a team of 4 members

2008

03

The Socrates Award Winner The Europe Business Assembly has honored Fiinovation with the Best Enterprise Award in the field of Health, Education, Environment and Livelihood with a focus on CSR & Sustainability. The Leaders Summit & the Socrates Award Ceremony is an ongoing promotion of the world elite, who through their hard work and exceptional business sense support an exchange of ideas and experiences amongst the international community in the areas of economics, politics, education and culture. The selection process is thorough which honours the most deserving nominees.

What the Influencers Said…

“India is not a poor country. It is poorly managed.

India does not need to look for funding outside for its internal affairs…. Policies can be put in place to pay for climate resilience.” ‐ Kar keya Singh, Founder, Indian Youth Climate Network

The Socrates Award Ceremony was held in the Main Hall of the Oxford Town Hall, UK on 14th October, 2014.

"There is no Plan B, because we do not have a Planet B" ‐ Ban Ki‐moon,

The grand international event is an annual forum for investors, scientists and university chancellors from over 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. This year’s summit theme was, Innovative Models of Development which highlighted the latest trends in higher education and the promotion of modern educational programmes and methodologies.

Secretary‐General, United Na ons

Mr Soumitro Chakraborty with his interesting professional history which started from being an aviator to a social entrepreneur has also been nominated as the ‘Leader of the Week’. His diverse work which includes project management, investment management, finance and commerce, client advisory services, donor mapping and development has ensured him of a place as a board member for several organizations. His leadership has enabled Fiinovation to establish itself for the partners as a resource for all solutions related to CSR and sustainability.

“Emerging economies are likely to produce more and more carbon emissions in years to come. So nobody can stand on the sidelines of this issue, we have to set aside the old divides” ‐ Barack Obama, President , United States of America

“A doctor should feel if he saves a poor man's life he will serve the na on and in turn the doctors is doing the act of Desh Bhak , same way a cleaner should feel proud that he is making his country clean, a teacher should feel proud he/she is educa ng the na on….I am confident that I can mo vate this ins nct of Desh Bhak in every job” ‐Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, India

Food For Thought...  7 3 N a o n a l G ove r n m e nt s , 1 1 Re g i o n a l

Governments and more than 1,000 business houses and investors have showed their support for pricing of carbon.  Food produc on will need to increase by at least

60% over the next 35 years to provide food security for the 9 billion people expected to be living on the planet by 2050.  Out of the 1.3 billion people now living without

electricity, approximately 40% of them are Indians.  Approximately 13 million hectares of forests

con nue to be lost each year, contribu ng up to 20% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.  Kerosene and diesel lamps generate air pollu on,

which kills 4.3 million people each year, almost twice the figures of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV AIDS combined.

04

Tech Mahindra – Rising for Good The Indian IT-enabled service provider Tech Mahindra which is part of the Mahindra Group has been working for the upliftment of society through its initiatives in Skill development and Education. They aspire to see youth that is constructively employed, children who are purposefully engaged and a society that provides equal opportunities to people with different abilities.

 The distinguishing features of the Tech Mahindra SMART Programme are:  Complete focus on skills and attitude required for a

successful career in a new economy  Strong set of well-defined processes for each component

of the program In 2007, Tech Mahindra Limited set up Tech Mahindra Foundation (TMF), a Section 25 company of dedicated professionals to carry out its CSR activities. The Foundation works with more than 100 partners across ten locations in India - Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi & National Capital Region (NCR), Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, and Vishakhapatnam helping more than 200,00 lives. For the FY 2014-15, Tech Mahindra has allocated Rs. 50 crores to be spent on CSR initiatives, of which Rs. 35 crores will be spent through programmes undertaken by TMF and Rs. 15 crores through Mahindra Educational Institutions (MEI) that focuses on higher technical education.

The Foundation runs to flagship vocational training programmes SMART and YUVA. SMART, a model vocational training program for socio-economically disadvantaged youth, enabling them to actualize their potential in a career of their choice. The youth undergo the training programmes at SMART Centers where they have to follow the mentioned below curriculum:

Foundational Soft Skills (Any one of these) 30 HRS. Customer Relationship & Sales

Enabled Services

Hospitality

Foundational Soft Skills (270 HRS.) YUVA English (120 HRS.*)

Work Readiness

Basic IT & Typing Skills

(60 HRS.)

(90 HRS.)

 Up to date and thorough Curriculum prepared by experts  Network of centers across all major cities of India

TTech Mahindra understands the efforts that is put in at individual level whether from a child who has improved her grades at school or the NGO partner who labours in the night school with a small class of five young men or the women who want to learn or a single mother who sends her girl to school against all odds or a blind student who wants to have the title of a doctor before his name.

The road to development is not that easy, however, Tech Mahindra Foundation has been making a phenomenal impact on the ground. They want to travel the last mile and help India overcome its challenges. All they need is everyone's support.

“Manisha worked on a computer for the first time when she came to the ANK- Tech Mahindra SMART centre at Hasanpur, Delhi. She went on to learn the basic softwares, and after her training got selected to work at the Max Healthcare Hospital in Patparganj, earning a salary of Rs 7500 per month. Her parents are now proud of her, realising that even a girl can shoulder the responsibilities of the family so well. And Manisha wants to excel in her career, and is looking forward to a promotion within the department.”

‐ Rahul Choudhury

05

GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE – THE ACTION PLAN Food security for all is one of most widely discussed issues of the recent times, despite the world having enough food to feed its people. One person in every eight suffers from chronic hunger and the world population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050 furthered by the current consumptions patterns which ensure the road ahead is challenging. India has been fighting their case with the WTO regarding subsidies to counter its food security challenge. Despite significant increase in productivity through the green revolution, hunger deaths are quite common in India. India has all the potential of not only being a food secure nation but also a major exporter of essential grains.

The Indo-Gangetic Plains are the grain bowl of India, occupying 40% of the area and contributing more than 50% to cereal productions. It also accommodates nearly one billion people thereby making it one of the most populous areas on earth. It is challenging yet continues to have potential. This actually means that India need to be at par with global agricultural practices to be able to restore the food balance. Productivity of Indian agriculture is low. Estimates of yield of rice as of April 2011 in India was 3.2 tonnes per hectare as against 7.5 tonnes per hectare in the United States, 6.7 tonnes per hectare in China and an average of 4.3 tonnes per hectare for the world. Similar contrast in yields have also been observed in case of wheat and coarse cereals though yield gaps as regard oilseeds were lesser i.e., 1.0 tonne per hectare, 2.7 tonnes per hectare and 2.1 tonnes per hectare for India, United States and China respectively. Even the most productive States in the country fall short of world standards in terms of yields of major crops. Agriculture in India contributes 17% of the total green house emissions. The way forward must develop, adopt and implement a climate smart agriculture action plan.

Indian farmers are more vulnerable to climate change since the country depends on rain-fed subsistence agriculture. I believe, climate smart agriculture is the need of the hour for sustainable increase in agricultural productivity; for reducing food losses and waste; for all food systems to be more resilient and able to adapt to climate change; and for enabling agriculture to contribute to the reduction and removal of greenhouse gas emissions, where ever feasible.

India needs to manage its resources, reduce emissions and land and forest degradations.

Roadmaps should be laid out for policy reforms, especially rural development schemes which will be aligned to India's priorities based on social, economic and environmental conditions, including the diversity in type and scale of agricultural activity, as well as evaluating the potential synergies and tradeoffs and net benefits.

There is a need to use of methods for measuring the impact of its participants' collective actions, particularly in terms of improved food security, nutrition, and resilience that are relevant to farmers. The agenda is of incorporating climate smart agriculture within the policy frameworks, and the focus should shift towards development of enabling environments that encourage people to adopt climate-smart agriculture approaches.

(a) Appropriate national or international expertise, (b) Taking lessons from pilot studies (c) Resources needed to establish the necessary operating principles, extension services and farmer support schemes.

I understand it is a huge task which cannot be completed with one man's efforts. It requires engagement from all shareholders especially business houses, foundations, civil society organizations among others. I strongly believe that these partnerships will assist in development and dissemination of innovative, evidence-based options for climate-smart agriculture. There should be voluntary sharing of information and experience, technologies, knowledge and practices, pursuing actions to transform agriculture and empower farmers, particularly women and youth, by involving a broad range of stakeholders. India need to ensure it takes into account the synergies and trade-offs relating to agriculture, climate change and food security. ‐ Rahul Choudhury

04

Fiinobservation of International Days The International Day of the Girl Child

World Food Day 16 October

International Day for Eradication of Poverty 17 October

11 October The observance of the international day of the girl child started after Plan International's campaign 'Because I am a girl'. The campaign was designed to raise awareness on the importance of nurturing girls well. Global observance of the day started from 11th October, 2012 and has continued since. The obser vation of the day supports opportunities for girls and increases awareness on gender inequality. This inequality which is manifested through access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, violence and unfree child marriages. Although, there has been significant improvement towards education for girls, still many, especially in the developing countries are deprived of this basic right.

This year, the theme is "Empowering adolescent girls: Ending the cycle of violence". Girl's education is a powerful tool for transforming the society and improves quality of living on the whole.

Redefining gender norms are crucial towards ending violence against girls across the world.

Food insecurity has been a threat to human civilization. Despite significant effor ts in increasing agricultural productivity, we have still not become a food secure world. FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October. The theme for this year is Family Farming: “Feeding the world, caring for the earth” . It focuses world attention on the significant role of family farming in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable development, especially in rural areas. The UNGA has designated 2014 as the “International Year of Family Farming.” This is a strong signal that the international community recognizes the significant contribution of family farmers to world food security.

The importance of family farming and the role Corporate Social Responsibility in creating awareness and skill development for sustainable development through improved agricultural practices should be focused upon.

The International Day for Eradication of Poverty is being observed since 17th October, 1993. The day is designed to raise awareness on the need to eradicate global poverty and destitution. However, the first event took place in Paris, France in 1987 when 100,000 gathered on the Human Rights and Liberties Plaza at the Trocadéro to honour victims of poverty, hunger, violence and fear.

Eradication of poverty was the first objective of the Millennium Development Goals and it should also be part of the post 2015 development agenda. This year the theme is 'leave no one behind: think, decide and act together against extreme poverty.' It explains the need to recognize and underscore the demanding challenges that hinder the progress of eradication of extreme hunger and poverty. It also points to leaving no one behind, aiming to eliminate discrimination of anyone on the basis of poverty, ethnic origin, gender, age, disability, economic and social status. There is an urgent need to bring together ever yone for a better understanding of more sustainable models of development.

About Fiinovation Fiinovation, a research based organization, is an integrated solution enabler in the CSR and sustainability domain. It is focused towards enhancing quality across organizational value chain through meaningful innovation thereby ensuring sustainability. It is Asia's first proposal research laboratory wherein research is focused primarily on four sectors, which include health, education, livelihood and environment. The practices: CSR-CSO Partnership, CSR Policy Design & Development, Programme Management, Impact Assessment and Sustainability Reporting help provide simple solutions to their partners.

Fiinovation 24/30, Ground Floor, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III New Delhi - 110020 Phone: 011-42332200 | Fax : 011-42332205 To know more please visit our website: www.fiinovation.co.in | Email: media@fiinovation.co.in

The Journey is 6 years old, However we all feel it’s just getting started...