International Women’s Day 2014: Rit Foundation organises Rit Nari Vimarsh Conclave in Delhi

The Rit foundation organised ‘Rit Nari Vimarsh’ a conclave to celebrate the International Women’s Day on March 9, 2014 at Indian International Centre, Lodhi Road.

From (L-R): Dr Asha L Pandy, Chitra Awasthi, Bimla Mishra and Miss India Princess Chandni Sharma.

The event was segregated in a series of discussions to ponder over the numerous issues revolving qua the status of the feminist movement and the status of women’s rights in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and other South Asian nations by those who have been closely associated with the movement. The conclave brought together some eminent people from various fields such as politics, governance, law, media and performing arts those who have always stood against all odds and have been in the forefront of the movement to assert equal rights for women.

Dr Chitra Awasthi, Gyan Sudha Mishra, Bulbul Das, Nasira Sharma and Amod K Kanth.
What they realised in the course of both research and casual interaction was that there is a huge disconnect between feminist theory and law on the one hand and general perception and media representations on the other. So things that have become almost commonsensical in academia are not even part of much of the public discourse. Rit foundation felt that such programmes, which would bring together people from different fields and eventually help bridge this gap. The elite panel talked about the present social structure that continuously hampers a women’s position in our society and had a discussion on the measures to counter them.
The speakers shared some important aspects of Hindu Succession Act with the audience. Taking a cue from the Nirbhaya Case, the panel also highlighted some key points of Justice Verma Commission and their drawbacks. With the concluding note Dr Chitra Awasthi, Founder of Rit Foundation announced two schemes for the free legal aid for the women who cannot afford it and Vocational training for needy women.

While speaking on the occasion, Chitra said: “Rit Foundation is dedicated to level the proverbial playing ground. We are aiming at providing everybody the same kind of opportunities and a shot at a good life, regardless of their financial condition or their challenges, whether mental or physical. The point of Rit Foundation is to recognise the underlying unity of mankind and helping each individual realise their inherent potential to the greatest extent possible. What is more, women should keep their lives as their careers and children, parents and other family ties as their projects. This will certainly help them to gain their much deserved social and emotional independence”.

 
The Guests at the conclave included Amod K Kanth, General Secretary, Prayas Juvenile Aid Centre (JAC); Dr Malini Srivastava, HIHT University, Jolly Grant Dehradun; Sabu M Goerge, Priya Hingorani,  Vimla Mehra, Dr  Asha L PandeySociologist Dr Pro Pawan Mishra (UPTECH), Roma Debabrat President of the STOP and Gyan Sudha Mishra, Sitting Judge – Supreme Court of India.
 

Rit Foundation was started by Dr Chitra in 2009 with a vision of providing free education to under privileged and disabled children, vocational training to unemployed young women, providing legal and medical help to needy women and for promotion of ancient Indian Culture

International Women’s Day 2014: HARMAN India and Habitat for Humanity join hands for ‘Women Build’ project

HARMAN International (India) joined hands with renowned nonprofit organisation Habitat for Humanity, for its ‘Women Build’ project leading up to International Women’s Day, according to a statement issued by HARMAN. Over 40 HARMAN India women employees came together in solidarity in an effort that is aimed at the elimination of poverty housing.

One of the objectives of Women’s Day being celebrated all over the world is to provide support for vulnerable women living in urban slums and empowering them with safe, decent and affordable homes. This ‘Women Build’ project initiated by Habitat for Humanity aims to achieve this in one of Bangalore’s peripheral slum resettlement colonies in Hegde Nagar, providing shelter and dignity to vulnerable women along with their families.
Vinita Srivastava – Director HR, HARMAN India said: “HARMAN India is delighted to partner with Habitat for Humanity for their ‘Women Build’ project. There is an overwhelming requirement to pay attention to women’s concerns in our country and this volunteering event addresses the primary issue of housing. I am happy that we are able to come together as strong, capable women of today, to do our bit to re-instill hope in our community”.
“Women Build is a project wherein we create a bridge between those with the means to support with them that are in need. Habitat for Humanity looks beyond shelter to pave the way for the development of a community. We believe in transformation of communities through volunteering and this is one such initiative. When people come together to help each other, it always has an immensely positive effect.  HARMAN has supported our efforts in rehabilitating victims of Uttarakhand and now, we have all women coming forward playing their part in construction of homes for the underserved.  Our communities are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to see the commitment of HARMAN to the society”, Nirmala A, Regional Head for partnership development, South India, Habitat for Humanity said.
Habitat for Humanity builds, rehabilitates and repairs simple, decent, affordable homes in sustainable communities with support from homeowner families, volunteers, donors and partner organizations in more than 20 countries across the Asia-Pacific region. For more information visit : habitatindia.in.
HARMAN (harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognised world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia and reported sales of $ 4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

Rahul Bajaj receives Rotary Life Time Achievement Award in Leadership Excellence

Leading industrialist, Rahul Bajaj, Chairman of Bajaj Auto Limited is the proud winner of Lifetime Achievement Award, conferred by Rotary International at the Rotary District 3131 Conference 2014. According to the statement issued by Rotary International, the ‘Rotary Life-Time Achievement Award in Leadership Excellence’ is a coveted recognition from Rotary International, which is given to extra-ordinary achievers from across the globe.

(L-R) PDG Rotarian Mukesh Arneja, Rotary International President’s Representative, Padma Vibhushan Dr Ragunath Mashelkar, DG Dr Deepak Shikarpur, District Governor.
Rahul was presented with the award by Padmavibhushan Dr RA Mashelkar in the presence of District Governor, Dr Deepak Shikarpur and Rotary International President Representative, Mukesh Arneja from Delhi. On accepting the honour, Rahul said: ‘It is indeed a great honour to be bestowed with this prestigious award by the Rotary International’. On the occasion, Rahul addressed the Rotarians on ‘The Way Forward for the Indian economy’ and presented many of his insights on the subject.
Rahul was the only person felicitated with the Life-time Achievement Award in the year 2013-14 Conference, in recognition of his distinguished business, philanthropic and academic contributions in India over the years, noted the statement. Rahul is recognised as one of the most successful business leaders of India. He heads the Bajaj Group of companies, which is a leader in a variety of manufactured products and financial services in India and abroad.
CSR efforts
The industrialist has also  been  instrumental  in spear-heading  the CSR initiatives  of the Bajaj  Group which include the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation, Shiksha Mandal and a number of social organisations including the Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust and Ruby Hall Clinic, a large hospital in Pune as their Chairman.
What is more, Rahul has received many prestigious awards and recognitions, notable being the award of ‘Padma Bhushan’ by the Government of India in 2001, Alumni Achievement Award by the Harvard Business School and Life Time Achievement Awards from Economic Times, Ernst & Young and CNBC TV18. In fact, Rahul was appointed Knight in the Order of the Legion of Honour by the President of the French Republic. Rotary International is a world-wide organisation of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world.   An estimated 1.2 million  Rotarians  belonging  to more  than  31,000  Rotary  clubs are  located  in over  167  countries.  Rotary International District 3131 is spread over two revenue districts of Maharashtra, Pune and Raigad. There are 100 Rotary Clubs in this region with a membership of more than 4,000 Rotarians.

‘Tangled’, hair donation drive to make wigs for cancer patients inaugurated by RC-WCC and Green Trends Unisex Hair and Style Saloon

‘Tangled’, an awareness campaign and hair donation drive by The Rotaract Club of Women’s Christian College (RC-WCC) along with Green Trends unisex Hair and Style Salon, to make wigs for cancer patients, kicked off today at Women’s Christian College, Chennai on the account of World Cancer day, according to a statement issued by Trends in Vogue.

From (L-R): Actor Shiva, Director Shiva, Rennee Saradha, Dr Ridling Margaret Waller, Principal, Women’s Christian College, Dr Shantha, Chairman of Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai, Gopalakrishnan, Business Head, Trends in Vogue and Producer Shiva graced the inauguration.
Dr Shanta, Chairman, Adyar Cancer Institute inaugurated the event in the presence of Dr Ridling Margaret Waller, Principal, Women’s Christian College, Chennai, Gopalakrishnan, Business Head, Trends in Vogue Private Ltd and Dr Surendran and his team from Adyar Cancer Institute. The event witnessed a huge gathering of young and willing women donors of Women’s Christian College.
Side effects
Hair loss is one of the most difficult side effects of cancer treatments to deal with, as appearance is closely linked to one’s self esteem. More than the pain undergone, hair loss is the hardest part in having cancer treatment; this may even cause deep depression in some of the patients. The ten day hair donation drive is aimed at supporting cancer patients with customised wigs to hold up their self-esteem and to help them recover at a faster pace. The drive will be hosted at various points in the state including 15 colleges, 15 corporates and at all the branches of Green Trends unisex Hair and Style Salons.

Rennee Saradha, President, RC-WCC, tonsured her hair in support of the donation drive.
Rennee Saradha, a final year student and Club president opined: “We are overwhelmed by the support extended by the College and the students in making this a successful pilot initiative. We would like to reassure self-confidence through this donation drive. We aim at donating 200 hair wigs to Adyar Cancer Institute by March 2014″.
Commenting about the event, Gopalakrishnan, Business Head, Trends in Vogue said: “We are extremely glad to be part of a noble initiative of this kind. Since donating hair is possible by anyone, we invite everyone to participate. To ensure one’s current hair style is not affected we have trained more than 500 of our stylists to cut hair from areas that would not tamper with the hairstyle.  A small lock of hair is sufficient from each donor, of course if someone is willing to donate more we are more than happy. Minimum eight inches hair length is required”. For queries and more information about the campaign, donors can walk into the nearest Green Trends unisex Hair and Style Salon or contact 18004202020.

Padma Prema, Chennai region- Hair trainer Green Trends unisex Hair and Style Salon- tonsured her hair to show her support towards the donation drive.
Trends In Vogue, a group Company of CavinKare came into being in July 2002 with a clear-cut focus on providing personal styling and beauty solutions to everyone in the family. The Company is the leader in the organized salon retail chain with its flagship brands Limelite Salon and Spa, Green Trends Salon and Spa.

Backed by a team of professionals ,strong technical team, training academy and CavinKare’s R&D strength Trends in Vogue has launched a wide range of innovative services delighting over 100,000 customers every month through its 150 plus salons across India. The company pioneered the concept of family salons and has many firsts to its credit. Every salon is operated under stringent SOP’s and by using best in class products and delivering services through professionally trained stylists ensures quality service consistently. Trends has established its presence in the market with two brands in its portfolio, Limelite Salon and Spa caters to the premium segment with its best in class infrastructure ,international ambience and best in class service. Green trends Hair & Style salon promises you to look stylish and be with the times, the brand a wide range of beauty and styling services at an affordable price. The brand is popular for its regular grooming services, fashion styling and bridal make up.

CavinKare is a diversified FMCG major with brands in personal care, foods, dairy and beverages. The brand portfolio consists of Shampoos (Chik, Meera, and Nyle), Fairness creams (Fairever), Deodorant and Talc (Spinz), Pickles & Snacks (Ruchi, Chinni’s & Garden), Hair Colours (Indica), Beverages (Maa), Dairy (Cavin’s), and Beauty Salons (Limelite & Green Trends). Most of the brands are clear winners in their respective product categories. A dedicated R&D centre equipped with latest equipment and technologies constantly supports the divisions in their endeavour. Today with a turnover of over 1200 crore, CavinKare has achieved significant milestones and a competitive edge with sound understanding of mass marketing dynamics and has established a firm foothold in the national market. CavinKare’s success is based on it being firmly grounded to its corporate mission- ‘we shall achieve growth by continuously offering unique products and services that would give customers utmost satisfaction and thereby be a role model’.

Mallika Srinivasan honoured with Padma Shri for her efforts in improving the lot of farming community in India

Mallika Srinivasan, the Chairperson of the Chennai-based Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE), part of the Amalgamation Group, has been conferred with one of the prestigious awards, Padma Shri by the the Government of India.

A thought leader and strategist, Mallika is known for high calibre entrepreneurship, persistencce on excellence and yeoman service rendered to the Indian agriculture machinery business. She is also being recognised by the academia.
Currently, the Chairperson and CEO of TAFE, Mallika took up the mantle after finishing her studies in the US. TAFE was earlier part of the Eicher group. The $ 1.6 billion tractor firm was set up way back in 1960 by the Eicher group and later on acquired by the Amalgamation Group, founded by Mallika’s father Sivasailam. TAFE is today the third largest tractor maker in the world and second largest in India by volumes. The company is present in excess of 82 countries that includes developed nations in Europe and the Americas. After she took over, TAFE has made giant strides and redefined the agriculture machinery business. Besides heading TAFE, Mallika is also on the Board of AGCO Corporation of the US, Tata Steel Limited and Tata Global Beverages. She is also the governing member of the Governing Board at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and the Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Trichy.
Career
In a career spanning a quarter century, Mallika transformed TAFE as a quality mass producer of tractors, besides making it a lean and resilient entity that could easily weather the cyclicality of the tractor business. She laid major fillip on product and process development as the mantras. Mallika develped the core engineering prowess and made good use of the design and development into manfuacturing a slew of products for the overseas markets. In tandem with this, she had also strengthened alliance with AGCO for mutual growth, both in terms of compoents and in terms of tractor business. In fact, she led from the front in the acquisition of Eicher’s tractor and engines business through a separate arm and nurtured it sgrowth in terms of operations and profits.
Mallika has credited with ensuring  lofty positioning of the Massey Ferguson and Eicher products in the market and inspiring in developing the Eicher product range by increasing the horse powers that suited the exacting standards of the changing market scenario.  From a mediocre player, Mallika metamorphosed TAFE into its current status of $ 1.6 billion behemoth. Thecompany ow has wide spectrum of products including tractors, farm machinery, diesel engines, engineering plastics, hydraulic pumps and cylinders, batteries, automobile franchises and plantations.
Under her stewardship, TAFE was not only transformed itself to a profit making venture, but also one of the most financially viable tractor firms globally. She had assummed various positions in industry bodies including CII, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and more.
CSR
Mallika’s corporate social responsibility efforts are laudable, the latest being TAFE’s cooperation with the Chennai Traffic Police in bringing in awareness against honking by vehicles in Chennai. She has an avowed passion for making sure that development of education and healthcare in the country should be there in place. In fact, she has been instumental in backing entities like Sanakara Nethralaya, renowned eye care organisation, Adyar Cancer Hospital in Chennai and a slew of educational and healtchare facilities in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. What is more, Mallika has been a patron of arts through her support of one of the country’s leading musical tradition of Carnatic music through the Indira Sivasailam Endowment Fund.
Education
Mallika was always a brilliant student. She is a university gold medalist in Econometrics from the University of Madras. Mallika graduated as a member of the Dean’s Honour List and the Alpha Beta Gama Socity from the Wharton School of Business, Univesity of Pennsylvania, the US. She was ranked as one of its top 125 most successful alumni.
Laurels
Mallika has won several recognitions both in her career as well as for her philantropical pursuits. In 2011, Mallika won the Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ernst and Young. Several accolades came calling Mallika such as Woman Leader of the Year Award from Forbes India, another recognition from Forbes Asia as one of the top 50 Asian Power Businesswomen, ranking second among India’s Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune Asia. She has also been named among the six Most Powerful Women of India Inc by Business Today magazine. The Asian Business Leadership Forum conferred her with ABLF Woman of Power Award. And that is not all, NDTV Profit, one of the leading business television channel conferred her special honour of Business Thought Leader of the Year 2012 Award.

Shanu SP Hinduja meets Ban Ki Moon in Davos and strengthens Hinduja Foundation’s ties with UN

This week Shanu SP Hinduja, Board Director of Hinduja Bank Switzerland   is attending this year’s World Economic Forum Annual Forum in Davos.

Shanu, eldest daughter of Srichand P Hinduja, Chairman of the Hinduja Group, is a leading member of the Family involved in the Group’s business and philanthropic activities, according to a media statement.  Shanu attended a number of high level meetings, notably one held on January 23, looking to further the empowerment of women in the hope to accelerate the achievement of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.
In a two-hour gathering, Shanu met with the UN’s Secretary General Ban Ki Moon,  Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau of the Netherlands, leading Broadcaster and journalist,  Tina Brown.  Also attending the meeting were  Norway’s Prime Minister, the President of Rwanda, the UK’s former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and the Chairmen of three multinational corporations, British Petroleum plc, Unilever plc and Erickson. In her discussions with the Secretary General, Ms. Hinduja repeated her earlier offer of the Hinduja Foundation’s support for the United Nations
The Davos meeting with Ban Ki Moon follows Ms. Hinduja’s attendance at the United National General Assembly in September last year. In her role as Chairperson of the Hinduja Foundation US, she spoke at a meeting on Disability Inclusion with leaders from over 130 countries present. This was part of a series of contacts Shanu has forged with the United Nations, including discussions with the Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon to bring the Hinduja Foundation closer to the workings of the UN and play a role for India in putting forward proposals for the UN’s post-2015 Development Agenda.

Rotaract Club Women’s Christian College, Green Trends Salon organises hair donation drive ‘Tangled’ for cancer patients

The Rotaract Club of Women’s Christian College (RC-WCC), has initiated ‘Tangled’, an awareness campaign and hair donation drive to make wigs for cancer patients who lose hair due to chemotherapy. Green Trends unisex Hair & Style Salon has extended support to help in the collection of hair locks from donors, according to a statement issued by Green Trends.

A team of rotractors from RC-WCC have been specially trained by the Psycho oncologists of Adyar Cancer Institute to spread the awareness on the issue to various schools, colleges and rotaract clubs. The hair donation drive will be inaugurated on World Cancer Day, February 4 2014, at Women’s Christian College, Chennai, by Dr. Ridling Margaret Waller, Principal, Women’s Christian College, Chennai in the presence of the Business Head of Green Trends Salon, experts from Cancer Institute and philanthropists. The hair donation drive will span for ten days across all Green Trends salon, drawing to a close on February 14th.  During this period, willing donors can visit any Green Trends salon and donate hair. The collected hair locks across salons will be safely handed over to representatives of Rotaract Club of WCC, as per hygiene standards.
Gopalakrishnan, Business Head, Trends In Vogue Pvt Ltd said: “We are extremely delighted to be associated with this noble cause. This gives us a good platform to lend our help to those in need. In this regard, we have trained our stylists to cut eight to ten inch locks which is the minimum length required to make a wig. Special training has been initiated to ensure hair is cut from areas which will not affect the existing hair style of the donor thereby ensuring that their hairstyle is not altered. Our motive is to bridge the gap between compassionate donors and people in need. We would be more than glad to see our efforts go into bringing smiles to thousands”.
Rennee Saradha, a final year student and Club president said: “We were looking up for initiatives that will directly reach cancer affected patients especially children and women. We firmed up our idea after visiting the Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai.  In our interactions with the doctors at the Cancer Institute we realised that there are requirements for at least 100 wigs per months. . “We have tied up Green Trends Salon, one of the leading salons in the city for collecting hair locks from donors. We aim to make about 200 wigs from the hair locks and donate them to patients at Adyar Cancer Institute”. For queries and more information about the campaign, donors can contact 18004202020.

Shrujan Hand Embroidery Exhibition from February 7-11, 2014 at Aga Khan Hall New Delhi

Exhibiting 16 different styles of Hand Embroidery from Kutch, visitors to the Shrujan Hand Embroidery Echibition will find many new varieties of an eclectic mix of traditional embroidery on contemporary apparels, accessories and home furnishing, using traditional as well as contemporary fabrics. Shrujan is a 44 year old organization recognized for the finest quality of hand embroidery, garments, accessories and lifestyle products, according to a company statement.

The Exhibition will be held at the Aga Khan Hall, New Delhi on February 7-14, 2014 between 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.The exhibition will showcase original hand embroidered fabrics that 3,500 craftswomen living in 100 remote villages of Kutch have fashioned into high quality products which include sarees, garments, bags and home furnishing and many more.
Today Shrujan enables nine communities that practice 16 styles of kutchi hand embroidery to earn a dignified livelihood. Craftswomen who are part of the Shrujan family work from home. Their rural way of life is not disturbed. Shrujan’s production team reaches the threads and fabrics to the craftswomen even in the remotest villages. The women do not have to pay for these materials. But they are paid for their skill and their time and that too right at their doorstep, as soon as they have completed the embroidery.
Shrujan began modestly as a small project during the severe drought in Kutch in 1969. With the help of local women its founder Chandaben Shroff developed a unique, sustainable means of income generation for village women. She got the local women to produce saris with exclusive embroideries. The first exhibition of saris was held in October 1969 in Mumbai with considerable success. The profits were re-invested into building the organization called Shrujan. For further details please visit shrujan.org.

R2R, CAP organise ‘Exchange for Change: India – Pakistan 2013 – 2015’ in Karachi

Routes2Roots (R2R), an Indian non-profit organisation in collaboration with The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP), working for peace and dialogue between India and Pakistan, has launched Exchange for Change 2013 – 2015 in Karachi. According to a media statement, 5,000 students aged 10 to 14 from schools across Delhi, Dehradun, Mumbai Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore are taking part in this programme.
The project aims to help students in both countries realise that a sustained dialogue is the only way forward to encourage them to form their opinions. During the life of this project, a sustained exchange of written, visual and oral histories will take place between the students. Exchange for Change was launched in September 2010 between 2,400 students from ten schools in Delhi, Mumbai, Karachi and Lahore. After its spectacular success, the project was expanded in 2012 to 3,500 students from 17 schools in Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. During the 14 month of the project, a persistant exchange of written, visual and oral histories linked school children aged 10-14 years across the six cities.
Exchange for Change is an exciting initiative by Routs 2 Roots and The Citizens Archive of Pakistan that aims at improving relationships between school students in different countries. The programme seeks to help students across borders realise that dialogue is possible and sustainable. Through cross-culture communication we have realised that students can have a clearer understanding of their history, culture and lifestyles. Routs 2 Roots believe that such interaction will in turn lead to a positive change and eliminate cultural misconceptions and inter-generational conflict.

Tina Vachani, Founder of R2R addressing media at the launch of Exchange for Change 2013-15 in Karachi.
Tina Vachani, Founder of Routes 2 Roots said: “EFC is not an ordinary program or just an extra curricular activity for the children, it is the value we see in the connect between India and Pakistan, which we want to grow with in terms of culture, festivities, lifestyle and sustaining togetherness. The leaders of tomorrow, our children from both the countries share the realities for their glorious future”.
Swaleha Alam Shahzada, Executive Director and Governing Board Member of CAP said: “The growth of the project from 2400 students in 2010 to 5000 students in 2013 has created a bridge that can no longer be ignored. These students from across Pakistan and India have taught us a very important lesson – a lesson of tolerance and appreciation of each other. Now it is up to the society to support this bridge and these students in their mission to sustain and strengthen the relationships created through EFC”.

Singer Atif Aslam at the launch of Exchange for Change 2013-15 in Karachi.
Routes2Roots is a registered non-profit charitable organisation, which endeavours to bring together people, cultures and values across the SAARC countries, in particular India and Pakistan. Routes2Roots has organized numerous programs across the country from artists from Pakistan and other SAARC countries and have sent Indian Artists to these countries in a move to enhance people to people understanding and make this region a peaceful place. Routes2Roots has been actively engaged with ICCR, Delhi Tourism, Rajasthan Tourism, J&K Tourism and other government and non-government organizations. Routes2Roots are also a member of World Association of NGO’s New York, the US.
The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to cultural and historic preservation, operating in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. We seek to educate the community, foster an awareness of our nations history and instil pride in Pakistani citizens about their heritage. Our organisation has three main goals; to preserve and provide access to the archive, to build and support educational programmes and to develop educational products based on the testimonies collected. Our vision is to develop CAP as the foremost museum and heritage centre of Pakistani history, photography, culture, literature and historical documentation demonstrating the strength and spirit of Pakistan from the perspective of a citizen.

DHL and Blue Dart Disaster Response Team organises first emergency training in India

DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, along with Blue Dart, South Asia’s premier courier and integrated express package Distribution Company, part of the DHL Group,  has conducted a four-day emergency relief simulation course in Bangalore, India with close to 40 volunteers from DHL’s Disaster Response Team (DRT).

According to a statement issued by the company, this training is part of the company’s Corporate Responsibility programme ‘GoHelp’, which covers disaster relief and disaster prevention issues. The DRT will manage the logistics of the inbound relief goods sent via air or sea by the international community and help ensure the quick and constant flow of goods to the people in need.
Carl Schelfhaut, Head of International Relations and Disaster Management Asia Pacific for Deutsche Post DHL, said: “Our DRT trainings regularly take place in disaster-prone regions worldwide, including various exercises like warehouse management, appropriate treatment of sensitive goods like medicine and food, as well as teambuilding and physical tasks to ensure our volunteers are able to support relief efforts in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Our recent deployment in Cebu to manage the logistics of relief goods following the devastation caused by super typhoon ‘Haiyan’ is testament to the effectiveness of our trainings to ensure smooth processes under difficult environmental conditions during a deployment”.
“The newly trained team in India comprises about 40 employees who have volunteered from across the country. This DRT training can now provide effective airport logistics support to humanitarian relief operations in India and are now on call 24 hours a day, ready to quickly create a logistics infrastructure at airports. Given the vast number of incoming relief supplies which arrive at airports following a natural disaster, the expertise of the DHL and Blue Dart employees will play an extremely important role in setting up a functioning logistics operation at the airport,” Schelfhaut added. The team is also trained to pack and dispatch the DHL speedballs, an innovative disaster relief solution designed to deliver aid to inaccessible areas for example in flooded areas. The speedballs contain basic supplies like food, water and hygiene items. These supplies are packed into DHL courier bags, robust enough to be dropped by aircraft and capable of holding up to 25 kg of relief supplies.
As part of the strategic partnership with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), DHL has established a global network DRTs, which support airports in case of a disaster. The DRTs provide logistical support free of charge for the speedy movement of relief supplies, including unloading cargo planes, conducting professional warehousing and inventory management, as well as loading the relief goods for onward transportation. The DRT network consists of over 400 trained DHL volunteers, who can be deployed within 72 hours. DRT teams deploy for up to three weeks at a time, with up to 10 employees making up a single DRT. Since 2005, the DRTs have been deployed more than 20 times worldwide, most recently to the Philippines in the wake of the devastation wrought by super typhoon ‘Haiyan’. DHL has signed MOUs with several countries in disaster-prone regions to provide the services of DRTs, allowing governments to request support directly and accelerating DRT deployments.
As part of its GoHelp programme, DHL also runs a disaster preparedness program called ‘Get Airports Ready for Disaster’ (GARD) with partner United Nations Development Program. GARD trains airport personnel and staff from disaster management agencies for the logistics challenges posed by natural disasters and their aftermath. It was launched in 2009 and piloted successfully in disaster-prone Indonesia. It has since been rolled out in Nepal, Bangladesh, Lebanon, the Philippines and Turkey.
DHL is the global market leader in the logistics industry and ‘The Logistics Company for the world’. DHL commits its expertise in international express, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services to its customers. A global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and about 285,000 employees’ worldwide offers customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their supply chain requirements. DHL accepts its social responsibility by supporting environmental protection, disaster management and education. DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL. The Group generated revenue of more than 55 billion euros in 2012.