Landmark Group Takes A Step To Reduce Carbon Emissions

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October 15, 2018

Splash, a prominent fashion retailer in India and Middle East, and a brand owned by the Landmark Group, has partnered with Natur-Tec, a business unit of Northern Technologies International Corporation (“NTIC”) (Nasdaq: NTIC), to pioneer a new sustainable biopolymer-based packaging solution in India, South Asia and Middle East.

The brand’s 80 million poly bags a year have been replaced with “bioplastics” – a bio based and compostable plastic alternative to conventional plastics. The bio based carbon is helping reduce 298 Tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year. At the end of useful life, these eco-friendly bags are safely and completely digested (biodegraded) by macro- and micro-organisms in natural composting and soil disposal. This approach reduces the carbon footprint of the company’s packaging and provides for an environmentally responsible end-of-life through composting. The company’s new approach is in line with the Circular Economy model and eliminates leakage into the ocean environment and landfills.

Use of conventional plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene are facing harsh societal and political criticism due to environmental and waste-disposal concerns. As widely reported in print, electronic, and social media, these non-degradable plastics find their way into the oceans and negatively affect marine eco system and habitats. As a result, demand for certified biodegradable and compostable packaging is expected to become the norm.

“This alliance promises to bring significant benefits to both parties,” said Mr. Vineet Dalal, Vice President for NTIC. “Natur-Tec has internationally recognized expertise and patented technologies in the bioplastics space, while Landmark Group is a global leader in the Retail and Hospitality segments with a dominant position globally. The combination of these unique and complementary capabilities, has allowed us to develop an innovative biopolymer-based packaging solution.”

India elected to Human Rights Council at UN with highest number of votes

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The CSR Journal

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October 15, 2018

India, has won a seat at Human Rights Council at United Nations (UN) with the highest votes among all candidates. India was elected with the highest number of votes by the General Assembly to the influential Human Rights Council on Friday with a pledge to combat intolerance. India received 188 votes, the highest polled by any of the 18 countries elected in the voting.

This is the fifth time India has been elected to the Geneva-based Council, the main body of the UN charged with promoting and monitoring human rights. India’s presence on the Council will be important because the previous UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein asked the body to facilitate an international commission of enquiry into allegations of human rights violation in Kashmir.

His successor Michelle Bachelet and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have backed Zeid’s recommendation, which Pakistan — a member of the Council — is campaigning for.
So far, no other country has backed Zeid’s call for the investigation.

Bangladesh, which is at the frontlines of dealing with the Rohingya crisis, was also elected with 178 votes to the Council to fill one of the five vacancies for three year terms from the Asia-Pacific region.

The regional group endorsed five countries, which matched the number of seats open for election this year, and they were the only countries on the ballot. The other regional candidates were Bahrain, Fiji and the Philippines. Thirteen other countries representing the other four regions were also elected to the Council.

India and the Council

In January India will join China and Nepal, besides Pakistan, which were elected to the 47-member Council in previous years to serve three-year terms. When it nominated itself for the Council, India showcased its position as “the world’s largest democracy (and) India’s secular polity.”

It pledged that it will continue to support international efforts to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. In the nomination pledge, India also presented a broader approach to human rights, emphasising climate justice, health and poverty alleviation.

India was among the first batch of 47 countries elected to the Council in 2006 soon after it was set up and received an initial one-year term instead of three to facilitate a rotating roster of vacancies each year. It was again elected in 2007, 2011 and 2014 to three-year-terms.

Countries can be elected for only two consecutive terms and India took a year’s break when its term ended in 2017.

Elections

Elections were held by secret ballot in the 193-member General Assembly on Friday, although the number of candidates for all the five regions matched the vacancies making it a formality. On the 47-member Council the seats are allocated based on “equitable regional distribution” giving the Asia-Pacific region a total of 13 seats, with some coming up for election every year.

The African region also has 13 seats, while East European region has six, West European and others seven, and Latin American and Caribbean eight.

Source: IANS

Global Handwashing Day: Schools and colleges come together to spread awareness

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The CSR Journal

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October 15, 2018

Global Handwashing Day is marked on October 15, to increase awareness and understanding the importance of maintaining hygiene. With the support of UNICEF, India is celebrating the Global Handwashing Day for the first time this year.

The Department of Drinking Water supply and Department of School Education and Literacy have planned some creative events in various states of India. About 100 million children in a hundred thousand school and 250 thousand Gram Panchayats came up and took part in the celebration.

In Chhattisgarh, about 2000 school children washed their hands after a special meal of puri and kheer. Also, the children of Dornapal relief camp performed a skit ‘Water and Soap’ to spread awareness on hygiene. The education department in Nandurbar, Maharastra organised a training workshop for teachers, to further carry a hand washing drill for eight days. In Madhya Pradesh, about 2,700 students from seven schools washed their hands with soap to promote awareness on the lack of sanitation and poor hygiene practices in the locality.

In West Bengal, about 2,000 national cadet corps youth from five colleges and 14 schools conducted rallies and demonstrations to show five steps for handwashing in Raghunathpur, Jhalda and Balarampur blocks of Purulia district.

Huntsman launches Mobile Medical Ambulance in Navi Mumbai

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The CSR Journal

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October 15, 2018

Huntsman, the global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals, launched its Mobile Medical Ambulance in association with Freedom for You Foundation at Yadav Nagar in Navi Mumbai. The ambulance will also serve as an Emergency Response Centre with an intent of providing free on-site primary health care facility to the area and improving the reach of basic medical facilities.

The Mobile Medical Ambulance will have a doctor and a nurse on board to check for sugar levels, ECG and blood pressure. It will also conduct immediate blood tests and other simple diagnosis on the spot with the aim to treat more than 60 patients a day. Furthermore, it plans to create awareness about the various Government health schemes, educate people about medical insurance, conduct health & wellness camps and sessions on disease prevention and living a better life. The ambulance will also run SHEP (School Health/Hygiene Education Project) which will include deworming of underprivileged school children by targeting two schools a month.

Said Harshad Naik, Managing Director, India Subcontinent, Huntsman, “With a 360 degree vision for the program, we aim to consistently reach out to people at their doorsteps with a series of solutions. We are happy to partner with Freedom for You Foundation and look forward to continually serve the community in the best of our capacity.”

The inaugural program was graced by N. Ramaswamy, Municipal Commisioner Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Jayawant Dattatray Sutar, Mayor of Navi Mumbai, Ramesh Chavan, Medical Officer Health – Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Harshad Naik, Managing Director, India Subcontinent, Huntsman.

Govt. Moves To Standardise Skill Programmes

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Kasmin Fernandes

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October 15, 2018

About 2.5 crore individuals have been trained under various skill programmes of the government.

Out of this, more than 50 lakh have been trained under the ministry’s flagship scheme – Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). The scheme has been criticised in the past for its poor track record in placing candidates. The PMKVY dashboard, a centrally managed, live indicator of statistics on the scheme says that 8,48,871 people have been placed so far. The revamped PMKVY, also known as PMKVY-2 started on October 2, 2016 with an outlay of INR 12,000 crores to impart skilling to one crore people over four years (2016-20). According to the PMKVY dashboard, a little over 30 lakh people have been trained, which leaves a huge target to be completed in the next two years.

Dharmendra Pradhan, minister for skill development & entrepreneurship and petroleum & natural gas said at a press conference that the government has been working actively on building more PMKKs (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras) and so far more than 8,464 such centres are operational.

“By the end of 2018, country’s 700 districts will have a PMKK each, with the help of industry and our training partner ecosystem. We are also looking at creating progression pathways for the youth who are in our skill ecosystem by ensuring that they are not only skilled; but are hand-held and are also then further linked to entrepreneurship opportunities through Government of India’s MUDRA Yojana,” said Pradhan.

Another achievement that the minister enumerated was on 32% increase in ITI count and 54% increase in seating capacity since 2014. One of the aims of the ministry is to have an ITI in every block and transform central institutions into National Skill Trainers’ Institute to focus on capacity-building of trainers. Under its National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), more than 3.95 lakh apprentices have been trained and more than 48,000 companies have registered themselves.

Recognising the involvement of multiple stakeholders in skill development, spanning central ministries and state governments, the ministry has been working to standardise various skill programmes with respect to intended outcomes. It has developed common norms on skill outcomes expected of similar training programmes, irrespective of who is running it. All skill programmes will now be aligned to a common framework approved by the government and the industry.

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FICCI FLO and Smriti Irani discuss Economic Empowerment for Women

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The CSR Journal

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October 15, 2018

FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), the women business wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) conducted a session with Smriti Irani, Minister of Textiles, moderated by Shefali Vasudeva, Editor, The Voice of Fashion, a digital magazine on fashion and design published by IMG-Reliance.

In this face to face rendezvous, the textile minister shared her personal experience describing her journey from television to Parliament. This was followed by a discussion on the handloom industry and the potential it offers for women’s employment. Lastly, the gathering also saw a detailed deliberation on the Union Government policies for women and if women were actually benefitting from them.

On the occasion, the Chairperson of FICCI, Monica Chaturvedi, reiterated the prominence of accelerating women’s participation in the process of economic and social development in Mumbai and widen the scope for women empowerment.

Chaturvedi, Chairperson of FICCI, said, “FLO (FICCI Ladies Organisation) is a facilitator for economic and social empowerment of women. Our Skilling programme focuses on employability of women while Swayam is a platform that helps women entrepreneurs to set up and scale up business. We have also initiated an education programme for young girls and their mothers on menstrual health and hygiene, this is a four-month programme certified by UNICEF.”

“This year, our aim is to bring Government, industry, NGOs and FLO to work together to create a larger impact through our current and upcoming initiatives. We are asking for a cell to be set up for women entrepreneurs along with Ministry of Industry, Maharashtra, and with FICCI, whereby women are made aware of the schemes available for them. We are working with dynamic women from Self Help Groups under MAVIM and expanding the scope of their activities by seeking partnership from corporates. We are aware that only if government bodies, corporates, NGOs and industry bodies like ours work together we can create a larger and long lasting impact on the society and economy.”

Chief Guest Smriti Irani discussed the significance of women in the textile industry and how there are campuses and factories dedicated only to women employees. She emphasised on women friendly policies such as Suraksha Bima Yojana where you can avail life insurance worth INR 2 lakhs by just investing 1 rupee a month for 10 years, the Pension Scheme requires an investment of INR 330 per year for a cover of 2 lakhs, while the Ayushman Bharat scheme provides protection from 1,300 diseases. Irani also called out the success of Mudra Yojna, where 70-80% loans have gone to women and whenever the Govt lends to women, 99% of women pay back.

FLO headquartered in New Delhi, has 15 chapters set up across India, representing over 6,000 women entrepreneurs and professionals. FICCI FLO’s Mumbai Chapter focused on finding solutions to further economic empowerment and equal opportunity for women.

Feminists Speak Out In Solidarity With #MeToo

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The CSR Journal

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October 13, 2018

It’s almost a year now since the #metoo hashtag broke through whisper networks on sexual harassment and initiated a worldwide movement. While the initial exposés were instances of assault and misogyny by men in high places in Hollywood, subsequent revelations have come in waves from women across the world in various kinds of workplaces – from academia to activism to film and media.

These are narratives of women speaking truth to power about the violence and transgressions they have been subjected to by male colleagues and seniors, as well the complicit actions/inactions of institutions and individuals. The power of this moment lies not just in the individual narratives that are being shared, but in the public discourse that is being created. An open challenge to the pervasiveness of a culture that allows men to harass women, intimidate and exploit them, with impunity.

As feminist groups and individuals, we stand in support of the numerous women in India who have spoken out with courage and candour. Over the decades, these battles have taken many forms within workplaces, on the streets, in the courts, etc., as well as #LoSHA (List of Sexual Harassers in Academia) almost a year ago. Today, we also stand in solidarity with women in media and the film industry, who have been exposing the systematic abuse of power by well established editors, reporters, co-actors, colleagues, and their political partners, as well as the deeply normalised misogyny of the newsroom and studios.

It is disturbing, though not surprising, that many among these women who tried to raise these issues within the organisation, were neither believed nor supported, and some even brazenly dismissed. Despite women’s movements’ campaigns and subsequent legal reforms to put redressal mechanisms in place at workplaces, many institutions of ‘repute’ today stand exposed for not even having functional complaint mechanisms. It is not sufficient for them to only now ‘take action’ or ‘sideline’ the accused. It is imperative that sexism and misogyny at the workplace be brought to an end.

While there is an urgent need to put the redressal mechanisms in place at every workplace, it is equally important that survivors and complainants are actively supported in their quest for justice. Institutions cannot continue to stand in the way of the law, until survivors are compelled to go public. Time and time again. Industry by industry. Institution by institution.

We need to consider at what emotional, personal, professional cost each survivor speaks out. Is this the only way in which workspaces can be made safe for women? Is the fight for justice only women’s burden to bear? How much more work must we all do before workplaces begin to implement the law, in letter and in spirit, and the powers-that-be finally acknowledge this epidemic of sexual harassment?

We believe that these difficult questions also offer an opportunity for all of us, survivors and activists (and many, too many of us are both) to get together and forge new alliances. To create safe spaces for the sharing of such experiences, the reviewing of older strategies and the evolution of newer ones. To take our shared struggles forward so that women may speak out and be believed. To collectively evolve codes of behaviour for interpersonal interactions between genders, both within the workplace and outside. So we can all begin to live and work in an environment where such male entitlement can no longer flourish.

Because for every woman who has spoken out about such violence, there are likely tens of thousands of others, especially in the unorganised sector and semi-formal workspaces, who are yet to find an avenue to speak out. And despite the rhetoric of ‘Beti Bachao’, we still live in a world where just a few days ago, 34 minor girls were beaten up by a mob when they opposed sexual advances of the men from a nearby village in Supaul district, Bihar.

There is much to be done. And the only way for us to do it, is together.

Statement from over 125 feminist individuals and organisations across the country expressing our unequivocal support to all women, especially those in the media and film industries, who are speaking out fearlessly against the violence and misogyny they have experienced at their workplaces. The groups include Saheli, LABIA, NAZARIYA, HAQ, All India Progressive Women’s Association, SEWA, YWCA and many others.

Views of the authors are personal and do not necessarily represent the website’s views.

Thank you for reading the column until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

Regards,
The CSR Journal Team

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CSR: Citizens Participate In Eliminating Plastic Waste In Mumbai

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Hency Thacker

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October 12, 2018

Government of Maharashtra recently placed a ban on single use plastic bags in lieu of uncontrollable plastic pollution in the state. With the dumping grounds completely saturated, the government decided to take drastic measures to manage the waste produced by the city. With not many alternatives available for those bags, there could have been a lot of protest. However, the spirit of Mumbaikars made it easy for the ban to be executed quite smoothly.

Amplifying the government’s move, Ecosac, a brand of utility shopping bags in India involved citizens of Mumbai in its #37forecosac campaign. As part of the campaign, in the month of June from World Environment day 05/06/18 till World Population Day 11/07/18 the organisation has called upon citizens to exchange 37 or more medium & large sized plastic bags and in exchange rewarded them an eco-friendly high utility Reusable Bag. With a startling response received from Mumbaikars, the bag brand collected 850 kilos of plastic from over 7000 households and societies, which resulted in reduction of 5100 kilos of carbon dioxide through a zero emission process. The brand tied up with Rudra Environmental Services, a nonprofit based out of Pune, involved in to recycling of plastic into industrial pollyfuel.

Citizens from households, housing societies, schools and even corporates participated in this campaign against the pollution monster. Plastic bags was collected from their doorstep through a well-structured logistical method. Edelweiss, Nalanda Public School, Shree Bhuvendra CHS – Dahisar, Paradise Society – Raheja Vihar – Powai are some names that took part in this campaign.

An elated Anil Chowta, CEO, Ecosac said, ‘Citizens enthusiastically participated in the campaign, which was way beyond our expectation! Initially, Plastic bag collection was a herculean task and logistically a challenge. However, despite the initial hiccups, we managed to reach out to maximum number of responsible citizens who contacted us. People now, are more responsible and aware, and it has been our endeavour as a company to do our small bit to save the environment. Rudra Environment Solution has been phenomenal in converting waste plastic into industrial fuel through TCD i.e. Thermo Catalytic Depolymerisation Process. Their partnership and the supportive policies of the government have together given an impetus to the success of our campaign’.

If the concept of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ has to be defined, then ECOSAC bags are the perfect example, also the perfect solution for consumers and retailers towards the government’s ban on plastic. The world is expected to consume around 5 trillion plastic bags a year – i.e., about 1 million bags a minute. With this innovative product, the ratio of consumption can be reduced down to 1 ECOSAC bag: 1000 plastic bags, considering the amount of plastic bags consumed over 3 years (which is the average lifespan of an ECOSAC bag).

The company has also recently made news with its #EcofriendlyMumbaikar Campaign where it called upon Ganesh devotees performing eco-friendly practices to participate and win, thereby encouraging the eco-friendly sentiment amongst the citizens.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

Regards,
The CSR Journal Team

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Shalimar Paints revamped the look of a slum with vibrant colours

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The CSR Journal

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October 12, 2018

An urban slum community comprising over 10,000 people situated in the heart of Chanakyapuri, amongst the poshest areas in the Delhi/NCR region, the Sanjay Camp was in dire need of beautification and a dash of colour. This need was met on the morning of October 6, 2018, as a 1000 student volunteers entered the locality with buckets of paint and brushes in tow. This past Saturday morning, 1500+ walls of the previously drab Sanjay Camp was transformed into a vivid canvas that showcased graffiti of Indian culture and tradition to further enable child friendly communities.

This vibrant transformation was heralded by youth, who enthusiastically joined in to ‘Paint the Change’ at the long-standing slum that has been home to numerous families for several generations. Hundreds of young and energetic volunteers, artists, writers, and photographers turned up to paint, beautify, photograph, and tell stories about the Sanjay Camp slum community as part of a two-part social initiative, ‘Rang Badlav Ke – Paint the Change’, by Shalimar Paints. The first part of the social change campaign was held on October 6-7, 2018, and featured paints by Shalimar Paints that helped beautify the area in the most vibrant of hues.

Commenting on the event, Minal Srivastava, Vice President, Marketing, Shalimar Paints Limited, said, “The initiative is our underlined commitment to drive positive transformation and better the quality of people’s live. The Sanjay Camp has been home to numerous families for generations. It was time to brighten their lives with colours and give them a chance to tell their stories. We are thrilled to see the massive participation of the youth in this initiative. Their drive to bring about a change and uplift the lives of those less fortunate than them was palpable, while their energy was a testament to the fact that benevolence is and remains an inherently human trait.”

The second part of the event is scheduled for October 13-14, 2018. It will yet again call upon the city’s youth in order to transform more parts of the Sanjay Camp into lively, vivacious places to live in. ‘Rang Badlav Ke – Paint the Change!’ not only added some much-needed artistic splendour to the slum area, but also helped preserve a neighbourhood which is a sanctuary to thousands of people.

Welspun India partners with UN Women to advocate Gender Equality

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The CSR Journal

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October 12, 2018

Partnership between Welspun and UN Women

Welspun India has partnered with UN Women, subsidiary organ of the United Nations mandated to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women. The home textile conglomerate currently has 23% women workforce and aims to achieve the target of 30% women employees by 2020.

The association aims to empower women with skill building initiatives in technical and entrepreneurial sectors for sustainable livelihoods, thus promoting gender diversity. Welspun India’s partnership with UN Women will advocate gender equality at workplace thus bridging the gaps and opportunities for women workforce, drive the agenda on equal pay for equal work, representing and leveraging the role of women in leadership and attain a work environment with zero harassment.

Dipali Goenka, CEO & Jt. MD, Welspun India said, “This strategic partnership with UN Women will help Welspun India to enhance the quality of workforce and skill development for women. Also, this will strengthen the capabilities of 500 women entrepreneurs and embed them within organized value chains ensuring enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that will empower women.”

Nishtha Satyam, Deputy Representative, UN Women, Office for India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka said, “Evidence acknowledges that bringing more women into the labour force would unlock trillions of dollars for developing economies. Investing in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment is a key step towards human rights and equality, it’s also simple, sound business and social logic. We see this partnership as a very important step to empower women at boardrooms, factory floors as well as at all levels of value chain.”

The collaboration will ensure a direct measurement and reporting of progress to achieve gender equality in Welspun India and related sectors in India.

Women empowerment being one of the core principles of the company, they recently launched Welspun 2, an entire cut and sew unit run by only women employees. The unit, currently employees more than 800 women from across the country. Welspun Group has set up various initiatives for women at their facility in Anjar and Vapi, Gujarat. The company has set up a hostel for women at its plant to ensure safety outside the workspace.