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India has 1,155,347,678<br>
(population) ------------- => 3.76 X the challenge for volunteer
organizations that we have here(?)<br>
U.S. has 307,006,550<br>
<br>
I'm thinking about the cultural factors which bind or drive the
respective countries.<br>
For one, India's culture is at least 4,000 years old -- among the
oldest in the world.<br>
(The city of Jericho in Palestine, just celebrated its 10,000-year
anniversary on 10.10.2010<br>
It is the oldest, continuously inhabited city on Earth.)<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
<br>
-Stewart,
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/10/vedic_math_machines_and_3d_zoetrope.html">http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/10/vedic_math_machines_and_3d_zoetrope.html</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.longnow.org/clock/prototype1">http://www.longnow.org/clock/prototype1</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://emsh.calarts.edu/~mathart/Clock_Cam.html">http://emsh.calarts.edu/~mathart/Clock_Cam.html</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/VariationOfTheEquationOfTimeWithThePrecessionOfTheEquinoxes">http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/VariationOfTheEquationOfTimeWithThePrecessionOfTheEquinoxes</a><br>
<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
<table class="moz-email-headers-table" border="0" cellpadding="0"
cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Subject: </th>
<td>How to strengthen civil society - suggestions needed</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Wed, 8 Dec 2010 16:40:55 +0530</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:info@karmayog.org"><info@karmayog.org></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:mathart@emsh.calarts.edu"><mathart@emsh.calarts.edu></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<br>
<p>In May 2009, the Planning Commission, Govt. of India, set up "a
Task Force <br>
to examine the issues related to the evolution of an independent,
national <br>
level, self-regulatory agency for the voluntary sector and to
develop <br>
accreditation methodologies for voluntary organisations".<br>
<br>
The 132 page Report of the Task Force is available at is available
at <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.karmayog.org/redirect/strred.asp?docId=31670">http://www.karmayog.org/redirect/strred.asp?docId=31670</a><br>
<br>
Pushpendra Kumar from the <b>National Institute of Rural
Development</b> <br>
(NIRD), who has also contributed suggestions to the Task Force
says about <br>
the Task Force and this report that:<br>
<br>
"I find the entire exercise directed to <b>corporatising the
voluntary sector</b>.<br>
<b>This is against the spirit of the National Policy for the
Voluntary Sector <br>
and will have disastrous impact on the sector.</b></p>
<p>The composition of the participants of the Task Force also bears
the <br>
testimony to my point. The voluntary sector needs a different kind
of <br>
professionalism, one that is largely different from the
professionalism <br>
required in the corporate sector (or corporate NGOs).<br>
<br>
<b>The significance of the voluntary sector lies in its
creativity, diversity, <br>
strong links with the community, its localised nature, voluntary
spirit, its <br>
capacity and courage to question, to challenge the dominant
paradigms of <br>
development.</b><br>
<br>
I also find this an effort to further encroach upon the autonomy
of the <br>
voluntary sector. The proposed composition of the National
Accreditation <br>
Council includes representatives of government bodies, corporate
bodies <br>
(CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, ICAI, other chambers of commerce and
industry) and <br>
grant making government and international organisations.One would
expect <br>
that this would be a body comprising either exclusively or
predominantly <br>
representatives from the voluntary sector.<br>
<br>
There is a need to recognise the diversity and wisdom of the
voluntary <br>
sector. The sector itself can find ways of enhancing
accountability and <br>
transparency in its practices. No one size can fit all and no <br>
superimposition of norms (read corporate norms) is going to help.
Let the <br>
debate on such important issues as accountability and transparency
be taken <br>
to the vast expanse of the civil society."<br>
<br>
The Planning Commission and CAPART invites comments and
suggestions from <br>
voluntary organisations, social activists, donor agencies and
citizens.<br>
<br>
Send your responses to: Mrs. Rupa Dutta, Director, Voluntary
Action Cell, <br>
Planning Commission, Yojana Bhawan, New Delhi 110003<br>
Tel: 23353437, Fax No. 23096764 and Email: <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:rupa-pc@nic.in">rupa-pc@nic.in</a><br>
<br>
You may also send your responses to CAPART at <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:dg@caparthq.delhi.nic.in">dg@caparthq.delhi.nic.in</a>
and <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:helpdesk@caparthq.delhi.nic.in">helpdesk@caparthq.delhi.nic.in</a>
and a cc to <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:info@karmayog.org">info@karmayog.org</a> for
follow-up.</p>
<p>Regards,<br>
<br>
Vinay<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.karmayog.org">www.karmayog.org</a>
</p>
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