Vol 8 Issue 5 ●
Regn. no. MAHENG/2004/15104
www.ngoconnect.org
A ‘SHAKTI’ PROJECT
““Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country.”
I n d i a ’ s Fi r s t N G O N e w s ta b l o i d CONNECTiNG A Larger definition of Corruption
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number of secular-progressive social organizations and people’s movements struggling for the basic rights of common people in India prefer to give a larger definition of corruption. Corruption is defined as violation of accepted natural human values. Honesty is an accepted human value. Nobody in their right senses would support dishonesty. Hence illegal transaction of money is corruption. That society doesn’t approve of it can be seen from the response generated during Anna Hazare’s movement. Honesty is not just limited to money matters. In a larger definition of honesty violation of trust in any relationship is a form of corruption. A word given to a friend and not kept, is an example. Not fulfilling one’s expected duty – whether formal or informal – is corruption. Communalism is a kind of corruption. Accepted human value is living in harmony with nature. Hence all activity which pollutes the environment, puts human beings and their health to risk will fall under the definition of corruption, especially, if it is being done knowingly. Accepted natural human value is equality. But if we discriminate with people on the basis of caste, class, gender, nationality, race or any other artificial categories of division which have been the creation of human mind, then this is corruption. Accepted human value in a democracy is equity. But if a policy maker makes policies which help only the rich classes and continuously keeps out the less privileged poor then it is a form of corruption. (Compare the facilities at a modern airport and a railway station. The railway users would be lucky even if they get a clean toilet at the railway station or in their coach). Accepted human value is sharing of resources. The idea of making a profit on a natural resource like land, water, forest or mineral by a private company is corruption. Accepted human value is peace. Hence use of violence either in relationships or in organized form by non-State groups or the State is corruption. Accepted natural human value is cooperation. But the government andthe market have glorified competition. This has given rise to corruption. Competition promotes corruption whereas cooperation eliminates it. It is also interesting to note that all natural accepted values are compatible with each other. E.g. peace, cooperation, sharing, equity, equality, communal harmony, transparency in transactions and relationships all go along with each other. However, corruption will always result in conflict.--By Dr Sandeep Pandey (Magsaysay Awardee and senior social activist) Email: ashaashram@ yahoo.com Phone: 0522-2347365, 9415022772 (full article: Rediff News, Sept. 22 2011)
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Sept-Oct. 2011
- Karl Kraus
Bill to protect children against sexual abuse
ndia is finally ready with a comprehensive Bill that will protect children from sexual abuse. But the Bill, says authoractivist Pinki Virani, has a major flaw regarding sexual consent that needs to be immediately addressed and the stakeholders consulted before it becomes law.
part of this Bill, Child prostitution has become pervasive. Children form a sickening chunk of the Rs. 40,000 crore commercial sex industry. Of this, 25 per cent of child prostitutes are between 15 and 18 years of age; this is bound to increase should the “consent” age be decreased.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011 is India’s first legislation, ever, to protect children sexually from predatory adults. Children here refer to minors, i.e. ranging from newly-born to 17 years, 11 months and 29 days. At 18, the child becomes a major. To date, there is no law in India to protect those under 18 from paedophiles. The few cases being reported have been tried in adult courts under adult laws and timeframes. The Bill, when it becomes law, will change this.
Given that 53 per cent of Indian children are subjected to sexual abuse, prevention is better than cure. The HRD ministry must formulate a graded module on sex education – (schools/colleges can call it whatever they want if they don’t want to use the word “sex” - ). The education-modules should include child sexual abuse and provide holistic information on the body, its rights and its responsibilities.
There are some points that need urgent attention. The Bill, bizarrely, introduces a clause that almost legalises child sexual abuse. The clause, paraphrased, says that should an adult sexually abuse a child between 16 and 18 years, it will be examined if the child “consented”. Stakeholders—parents, teachers and educationists. young adults above 18 and those in 16-18 age group right now must first be consulted before lowering the age. Here is how consent can be misconstrued if this clause is passed. A 16-year-old girl is being taught dance by an adult instructor. Like all perpetrators, he grooms her so that there will be no ongoing objection; slowly he moves in to perform several sexual acts with her. The onus to prove that she did not want “it” will be upon her. As it will on a 17-year-old-boy sodomised by an adult male known to him. The age of consent -16 yearsdiffers from country to country. In countries where it is 16, it is understood to mean “informed consent”. These nations also try to ensure that safeguards are in place for their young to fall back upon should they need immediate and sensitive legal assistance, starting with the police moving in to immediately stop the adult forcing himself/herself sexually upon the minor the moment there is a call for help, even if the minor falls in the consent-band. More so since child sex abusers rarely stop at one child/instance. Research indicates that adults can sexually abuse up to 35 children before being identified as paedophiles. There is also a very real concern about the appalling side-effects of child sexual abuse, which tend to criminalise the child and also carry over to future generations. Boys can become wife-beaters, girls indifferent mothers. Some grow to become child sexual abusers themselves. The consent-age should be decided by the stakeholders. Lowering of age requires a differentlyworded and independent law; it cannot be a
If government reduces the consent age from 18 to 16 without consulting stakeholders, the most vulnerable will be street children, young labour, and college freshers. Fifty per cent of the children are sexually assaulted in their own homes. Perpetrators frequently “groom” the child to ensure that it will be compliant. To reduce the age of consent from 18 to 16 is to increase the risk. College-going girls and boys would be seen as legally “consenting” when they give sex in exchange for money/drugs/ better report cards et al, thereby legalising the use of a young body as barter. This is the only Bill that, when it becomes law, will protect not only our current generation of children but every generation hereafter. Readers can send their letters to the Rajya Sabha’s committee currently examining the Bill, addressed to: Mr. Oscar Fernandes, Rajya Sabha MP, Head, Parliamentary Standing Committee, Human Resource Development, Rm 515, 5th floor, Parliament House Annexe, Delhi 110001.
India Philanthropy report 2011 Based on a survey of 300 HighNet individuals and meetings with philanthropists, and NGOs to discuss the evolution of Indian philanthropy in the context of the country’s “booming” economy, Bain & Company (Mumbai and Delhi) released its India Philanthropy Report-2011. The highlights of the report: Wealthy individuals are giving more and intend to give even more as major obstacles are addressed. As a percentage of the gross domestic product, private charitable giving has increased 50 percent since 2006; India is recognized as a nation of givers, but “quiet givers” compared to their US counterparts. Today private giving totals between 0.3-0.4 % of GDP. India is one of the leaders in charitable giving compared with China and Brazil-but still lags far behind US (private giving including bequests accounted for 2.2% of GDP in 2009) and UK (1.3% in 2010).
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The Indian diaspora abroad Over USD 2.3 bn was received by some 12,400 NGOs from overseas sources in 2008-9- an increase of nearly 12%. Of this nearly USD 740 million came from the USA. Diaspora remittances to India are the highest in the world –an estimated USD49.3bn in 2009. Individual donations in India constitute only 26% of all private contributions (compared to 75% in USA and 60% in UK.) Individual donations still constitute only 26% of all private charitable donations. (compared to 75% in USA and 60% in UK). However overall annual private charitable giving is estimated to b e between USD 5-6 bn. Popular causes are education, housing, shelter and food. The wealthy are now giving away between 1.5-3% . The top 10 philantrophic commitments added to $US 2.5 bn- corporate giving totalled $US 1.5 bn (a fivefold increase since 2006). The no. of NGOs grew at an average of 10% between 2006and 2009. We now have 3.3mn NGOs. About 700 NGOs opened every day!!!! Give2Asia since its inception in 2001 has received over USD 150 mn for Asia with grants for 1000 organisations: Nearly 30% of these grants have gone to India with education being the most important issue- 58% of funds allocated to this sector.The problems faced in promoting philanthropy in India are considered to be: Lack of information about good organization to support, lack of trust in intermediaries as well as grantee organisations. So people prefer to give money to people they know rather than to organizations; (Excerpts from “Philanthropy JulyAug.2011)
Training citizen candidates for polls Mumbai: In a bid to push for independent citizen candidates for the forthcoming civic elections, a group of concerned Mumbaikars launched a new platform, Mumbai 227. ”The two basic traits Mumbai 227 looks for in independent candidates who want to contest the civic elections are integrity and a desire to serve the public. A corporator stands as the gatekeeper of the ward. But very few corporators have
included public within the framework of their governance. There comes the disconnect. We feel that the independent candidate is answerable to the ward and to Mumbai and not to higher authorities. Over the years, The name Mumbai 227 was coined after the 227 corporators who govern the workings of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The platform aims at getting maximum independent candidates who are not affiliated to any political party. If there is a reservation of seats in a ward, we will see to it that it conforms to the electoral requirements,” said Avatramani. Mumbai 227 panelists, include Julio Rebeiro, Anandini Thakoor, Bhagvanji Rayani of Janhit Manch, advocate Jamshed Mistry, Citispace co-convenor Nayana Kathpalia, Jayant Jain, Kishanbhai Goradia, V Ranganathan. The platform will provide the candidates intensive training to become a corporator and provide standardized campaign material. ”Training will be imparted in communication, code of conduct and the language of governance, Marathi. It will teach them to form a committee within the ward and bring out leadership skills. We know they require some material and will help them keep campaign costs down,”
Chattisgarh’s acts of harassment “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the arbitrary raid on Oct. 3 in Jaipur, on the house of Kavita Srivastava, General Secretary of PUCL and convenor of the Right to Food Campaign’s steering group, and the arrest and custodial torture of Soni Sori arrested in Delhi on Oct. 5. These are more instances of harassment of human rights workers under the cover of fighting Naxalism.The raids conducted at the behest of the Chhattisgarh police. Both the women had been harassed earlier for their fearless opposition to the criminal activities of the Chhattisgarh government .”(arbitrary detentions, encounter killings, false cases etc.) --Adv. Kamayani Bali Mahabal,+919820749204, and Members of the Steering Group, Right to Food Campaign and 25 orgs.