DEAR AND SISTERS
Do you find any connection between environmental sustainability and livelihoods of the poor and marginalized people?
Here is one revealing recent incident. In Srikakumal District of Andhra Pradesh State (India), permission was allegedly granted by the Govt. of AP for East Coast Thermal Power station at Kakarapalli (v), although environmental clearances were not issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, GoI.
The company for which the licence was given has begun preparations for commencing the construction of the Power plant.
Meanwhile, the local villagers (mostly farmers) and fishermen along the coast have mobilized themselves and protested through relay hunger strike for 128 days against commencement of the work much against the wishes of the district administration, powerful politicians and the company.
On the day of entry of machinery for commencing construction by the company, the striking villagers and fishermen were disturbed from their hunger strike by the police and a scuffle took place between them.
Subsequently, at Vadlatandra, a nearby village, there was altercation between the agitators and the police and the police resorted to lathicharge, teargas shells and ultimately to rubber bullets. This ultimately resulted in the death of two innocent villagers.
The reason for the protests by the villagers was that the farmers will be suffering huge losses to their crops due to deposition of fly ash and the consequent drop in fertility of the field. Similarly, the fishermen were fearing for the drop in fish catch due to pollution from the proposed thermal power plant, which will lead to death of fish and other aquatic organisms.
Thus, there is a direct connection between thermal power stations and environmental sustainability by way of increased green house gas emission, and more so, adverse effect on crop yields and death of marine organisms, leading to lack of livelihoods for the surrounding population.
See how a pathetic the situation would be when thousands of villagers will be deprived of their livelihoods through establishing a thermal power plant (which is not environment friendly like a wind or solar power plant).
Thus friends, the human right of the villagers to life and to livelihood is denied by the policy of the Government.
The Union Minister of Environment and Forests, Mr Jairam Ramesh has instructed to stop construction, saying that environmental clearances were not issued to the proposed thermal power plant.
It is time we civil society exert enough pressure on the Govt. to protect the rights of the poor, vulnerable and marginalized communities to their right to life, property and livelihoods by reviewing the license given to the company and to allow the rule of law to prevail as per the Constitution of India.
GK Rao
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A Resounding Victory for Bt Brinjal Protestors
Ultimately the People of India have won the battle, although for the time being. It is the question of choices for the consumers to choose their food of choice, and the farmers to choose their choice of type of seed.
It is also the fight for biological safety of human beings, bio-diversity preservation, seed independence for the country, soil health, protection against cross pollination, fight against pests developing immunity against Bt toxin itself in course of time.
It is a fight against monopoly by MNCs/private companies.
And the fight must continue until independent research by Indian Govt. Research Institutions establish the biosafety of the Bt Brinjal and whether biodiversity can be preserved. It is an exhibition of people's might and will for their own wellbeing.
There are still many people and organized companies working against people's interests and for making them guinea pigs for MNCs to test their Bt gene on innocent Indian consumers and farmers. We must exercise constant vigilance against them and counter them with uptodate information.
This fight has given the people tremendous confidence to face the might of MNCs.
G. Kondala Rao
HEARTS Trust
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
We recognize that, in addition to our separate responsibilities to our individual societies, we have a collective responsibility to uphold the principles of human dignity, equality and equity at the global level.
The Millennium Development Goals are intended to ease the constraints on people’s ability to make choices.
The Goals—building blocks for Human Development…
Human development is about people, about expanding their choices to live full, creative lives with freedom and dignity. Economic growth, increased trade and investment, technological advance—all are very important. But they are means, not ends.
Fundamental to expanding human choices is building human capabilities: the range of things that people can be. The most basic capabilities for human development are living a long and healthy life, being educated, having a decent standard of living and enjoying political and civil freedoms to participate in the life of one’s community.
The leaders have a duty to the entire world’s people, especially the most vulnerable and in particular, the children of the world, to whom the future belongs.
UN Millennium Declaration
In September 2000 the world’s leaders gathered at the UN Millennium Summit to commit their nations to strengthening global efforts for peace, human rights, democracy, strong governance, environmental sustainability and poverty eradication, and to promoting principles of human dignity, equality and equity.
The resulting Millennium Declaration, adopted by 189 countries, includes urgent, collective commitments to overcome the poverty that still grips most of the world’s people. Global leaders did not settle for business as usual—because they knew that business as usual was not enough. Instead they committed themselves to ambitious targets with clearly defined deadlines.
At the 2000 summit the UN General Assembly also asked the UN Secretary-General to prepare a road map for achieving the Declaration’s commitments—resulting in the Millennium Development Goals, made up of 8 Goals, 18 targets and 48 indicators.
The Goals and the promotion of human development share a common motivation and reflect a vital commitment to promoting human well-being that entails dignity, freedom and equality for all people.
The Goals are benchmarks of progress towards the vision of the Millennium Declaration—guided by basic values of freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for nature and shared responsibilities. They also mirror the fundamental motivation for human rights. Thus the Goals, human development and human rights share the same motivation.
The Goals are unique in their ambition, concreteness and scope. They are also unique in their explicit recognition that the Goals for eradicating poverty can be achieved only through stronger partnerships among development actors and through increased pro poor actions by rich countries. The Goals are a major step towards building a true partnership for development, and in defining what is meant by partnership.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Goal 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Target 1. Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day
Target 2. Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger
Goal 2 Achieve universal primary education
Target 3. Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling
Goal 3 Promote gender equality and empower women
Target 4. Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015
Goal 4 Reduce child mortality
Target 5. Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate
Goal 5 Improve maternal health
Target 6. Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio
Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
Target 7. Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
Target 8. Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases
Goal 7 Ensure environmental sustainability
Target 9. Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources
Target 10. Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation
Target 11. Have achieved by 2020 a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers
Goal 8 Develop a global partnership for development
Target 12. Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, nondiscriminatory trading and financial system (includes a commitment to good governance, development, and poverty reduction (both nationally and internationally)
Target 13. Address the special needs of the Least Developed Countries (includes tariff- and quota-free access for Least Developed Countries' exports, enhanced program of debt relief for heavily indebted poor countries [HIPCs] and cancellation of official bilateral debt, and more generous official development assistance for countries committed to poverty reduction)
Target 14. Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing states (through the Program of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and 22nd General Assembly provisions)
Target 15. Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term
Some of the indicators listed below are monitored separately for the least developed countries, Africa, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states
Target 16. In cooperation with developing countries, develop and implement strategies for decent and productive work for youth
Target 17. In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries
Target 18. In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications technologies
The Millennium Development Goals are intended to ease the constraints on people’s ability to make choices.
The Goals—building blocks for Human Development…
Human development is about people, about expanding their choices to live full, creative lives with freedom and dignity. Economic growth, increased trade and investment, technological advance—all are very important. But they are means, not ends.
Fundamental to expanding human choices is building human capabilities: the range of things that people can be. The most basic capabilities for human development are living a long and healthy life, being educated, having a decent standard of living and enjoying political and civil freedoms to participate in the life of one’s community.
The leaders have a duty to the entire world’s people, especially the most vulnerable and in particular, the children of the world, to whom the future belongs.
UN Millennium Declaration
In September 2000 the world’s leaders gathered at the UN Millennium Summit to commit their nations to strengthening global efforts for peace, human rights, democracy, strong governance, environmental sustainability and poverty eradication, and to promoting principles of human dignity, equality and equity.
The resulting Millennium Declaration, adopted by 189 countries, includes urgent, collective commitments to overcome the poverty that still grips most of the world’s people. Global leaders did not settle for business as usual—because they knew that business as usual was not enough. Instead they committed themselves to ambitious targets with clearly defined deadlines.
At the 2000 summit the UN General Assembly also asked the UN Secretary-General to prepare a road map for achieving the Declaration’s commitments—resulting in the Millennium Development Goals, made up of 8 Goals, 18 targets and 48 indicators.
The Goals and the promotion of human development share a common motivation and reflect a vital commitment to promoting human well-being that entails dignity, freedom and equality for all people.
The Goals are benchmarks of progress towards the vision of the Millennium Declaration—guided by basic values of freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for nature and shared responsibilities. They also mirror the fundamental motivation for human rights. Thus the Goals, human development and human rights share the same motivation.
The Goals are unique in their ambition, concreteness and scope. They are also unique in their explicit recognition that the Goals for eradicating poverty can be achieved only through stronger partnerships among development actors and through increased pro poor actions by rich countries. The Goals are a major step towards building a true partnership for development, and in defining what is meant by partnership.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Goal 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Target 1. Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day
Target 2. Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger
Goal 2 Achieve universal primary education
Target 3. Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling
Goal 3 Promote gender equality and empower women
Target 4. Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015
Goal 4 Reduce child mortality
Target 5. Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate
Goal 5 Improve maternal health
Target 6. Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio
Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
Target 7. Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
Target 8. Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases
Goal 7 Ensure environmental sustainability
Target 9. Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources
Target 10. Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation
Target 11. Have achieved by 2020 a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers
Goal 8 Develop a global partnership for development
Target 12. Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, nondiscriminatory trading and financial system (includes a commitment to good governance, development, and poverty reduction (both nationally and internationally)
Target 13. Address the special needs of the Least Developed Countries (includes tariff- and quota-free access for Least Developed Countries' exports, enhanced program of debt relief for heavily indebted poor countries [HIPCs] and cancellation of official bilateral debt, and more generous official development assistance for countries committed to poverty reduction)
Target 14. Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing states (through the Program of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and 22nd General Assembly provisions)
Target 15. Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term
Some of the indicators listed below are monitored separately for the least developed countries, Africa, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states
Target 16. In cooperation with developing countries, develop and implement strategies for decent and productive work for youth
Target 17. In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries
Target 18. In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications technologies
HEARTS Trust
The HEARTS Trust (Human and Environment Advancement Research, Training and Service Trust) essentially endeavours to work incessantly towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations, adopted by India in 2000.
Its objectives in brief are:
i. To work towards attainment of the MDGs involving all stakeholders and organizations; to bring these issues onto the political agenda;
ii. To establish an Institute of Public Health and Environment to build human capacities
iii. To conduct/assist people-oriented research, training, extension, advocacy and enhance awareness on the above issues and in their Governance for serving the poor and vulnerable irrespective of gender, caste, creed, religion, race and nationality and build human and institutional capacities;
iv. To conceptualize and implement demonstration projects in the above fields;
v. To support students working/doing research on projects in any of the above issues;
vi. To run/assist a School or Home for poor;
vii. To run /assist a Home for poor and vulnerable senior citizens.
Its initial focus would be on education, health and environmental interventions and pilot projects in poor settlements and backward villages for evaluation and learning for possible up scaling.
It has facilitated through house-to-house campaign (by groups of students of JNTUH, Vidya Jyothi Engg. College, Moinabad and HEARTS members) the total coverage of the entire children by the Pulse Polio Immunization Programme of the Govt. of AP on 10.01.2010 at Banjara Colony, Hayatnagar, RR District.
It would invite students, youth and common citizens to involve themselves in the initiatives of HEARTS Trust and offer their suggestions for its improved functioning and extend a helping hand in its endeavours towards meeting the MDGs for India.
(Flat No.405 TNR Castle, Telephone Colony, Kothapet, Hyderabad-35; Ph: 04024043661)
Its objectives in brief are:
i. To work towards attainment of the MDGs involving all stakeholders and organizations; to bring these issues onto the political agenda;
ii. To establish an Institute of Public Health and Environment to build human capacities
iii. To conduct/assist people-oriented research, training, extension, advocacy and enhance awareness on the above issues and in their Governance for serving the poor and vulnerable irrespective of gender, caste, creed, religion, race and nationality and build human and institutional capacities;
iv. To conceptualize and implement demonstration projects in the above fields;
v. To support students working/doing research on projects in any of the above issues;
vi. To run/assist a School or Home for poor;
vii. To run /assist a Home for poor and vulnerable senior citizens.
Its initial focus would be on education, health and environmental interventions and pilot projects in poor settlements and backward villages for evaluation and learning for possible up scaling.
It has facilitated through house-to-house campaign (by groups of students of JNTUH, Vidya Jyothi Engg. College, Moinabad and HEARTS members) the total coverage of the entire children by the Pulse Polio Immunization Programme of the Govt. of AP on 10.01.2010 at Banjara Colony, Hayatnagar, RR District.
It would invite students, youth and common citizens to involve themselves in the initiatives of HEARTS Trust and offer their suggestions for its improved functioning and extend a helping hand in its endeavours towards meeting the MDGs for India.
(Flat No.405 TNR Castle, Telephone Colony, Kothapet, Hyderabad-35; Ph: 04024043661)
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