We give flowers to others to make them feel special on important occassions. And yes, selling flowers is also a source of livelihood. But lets give plants instead; they stay alive longer, spread greenery and contribute (even if in a small way) to the healthy environment! Let us spread the culture of "Give a plant as a gift!"

Go to http://commit.tigweb.org/1101
and join the commitment. and Lets fill up the photo gallery with photos that reflect our vision for the greener world!

Cadeau une usine pour un monde plus vert
Automatically translated into French thanks to WorldLingo
Laisse remplir la galerie de photo de photos qui reflètent notre vision pour le monde plus vert !

Regalo una planta para un mundo más verde
Automatically translated into Spanish thanks to WorldLingo
¡Deja para llenar para arriba la galería de la foto de las fotos que reflejan nuestra visión para el mundo más verde!

Regalo una pianta per un mondo più verde
Automatically translated into Italian thanks to WorldLingo
Lascia per riempire in su la galleria della foto di foto che riflettono la nostra visione per il mondo più verde!

Geschenk ein Betrieb für eine grünere Welt
Automatically translated into German thanks to WorldLingo
Läßt die Fotogalerie mit Fotos oben füllen, die unseren Anblick für die grünere Welt reflektieren!

Presente uma planta para um mundo mais verde
Automatically translated into Portuguese thanks to WorldLingo
Deixa para encher acima a galeria da foto com as fotos que refletem nossa visão para o mundo mais verde!

Gåva en växt för en mer grön värld
Automatically translated into Swedish thanks to WorldLingo
Låter för att fylla upp fotogallerit med foto som reflekterar vår vision för den mer gröna världen!

Подарок завод для более зеленого мира
Automatically translated into Russian thanks to WorldLingo
Препятствует для того чтобы заполнить вверх штольн фотоего с фотоими отражают наше зрение для более зеленого мира!

Gift een Installatie voor een groenere wereld
Automatically translated into Dutch thanks to WorldLingo
Laat omhoog vulling de fotogalerij met foto's die op onze visie voor de groenere wereld wijzen!

هبة معمل لعالم خضراء
Automatically translated into Arabic thanks to WorldLingo
يترك ملأت فوق الصورة رواق مع صور أنّ يعكس رؤيتنا للعالم خضراء!

Dear Friends,

We all have the right to life. However, the harsh winter of Delhi creates challenges for many of our fellow citizens. Join us in making this winter a safe and a pleasant winter!

DOR is launching a campaign to collect resources which can help in making the winter warm for the homeless people and children. Let us work together for the rights of people who are homeless.

Any contributions in cash or kind for the following will help with the following resources.

 Blankets
 Woollen clothes- Sweaters, Shawls, Coats
 Warm inners
 Woollen Socks, Caps, Gloves
 Shoes for children and adults
 Candles/Emergency Lights for shelter homes

All contributions in kind will be forwarded to homeless people in a dignified manner. The clothes will be washed, ironed, mended and packed.

All donations in Cash will be spent to buy the above resources and bills for the same will be posted to the people who donate.

We will like to visit you to collect your contribution. When we meet you we will also like to share what else we do.

DOR is a group of people whose lives are touched by disability. The winter campaign initiative is our contribution to the community that we live in. It is our way saying that people living with disability are aware citizens.

DOR is collaborating in its winter campaign with two other voluntary organisations:

# Ashray Adhikar Abhiyan- which works towards ensuring rights of the homeless people in Delhi. It runs 7 shelters for all age groups, and manages more than 50 temporary shelters in winters.
# Aman Biradari- is a people’s campaign for a secular, peaceful, just and humane world. It also runs shelter homes for children.

Contact: Tasneem, Salman, Indraneel, Minakshi, Shweta dor.library@gmail.com or 011 26537012; AADI, 2 BALBIR SAXENA MARG, NEW DELHI, 110016

The campaign is based only in Delhi and ends on 3rd December 2007, which is also the World Disability Day.

DOR is facilitated by AADI and Saarthak. DOR runs a Café, a Book Club, a Movie Club and a Music Club.
Know more about DOR at: 011 26537012 or e mail us at dor.library@gmail.com
Contact- Ratna/Minakshi

In centuries of patriarchal society in India, boys/men grow up believing that they have the ultimate responsibility to protect and generate resources for their family. There is always a pressure to live up to this expectation for which they also often recieve special care. A mother would want to ensure that the son does not have to be hassled about the household work because he has to be busy earning. And what is the product in the end? - A man who may not be able to cook,clean, stitch clothes, etc at home. He is only trained to use physical power (because thats the only thing that they have more than women at times!) and deal with the outside world because there are always women to deal with the world at home! The most common reason men can give for this is, " We were not asked to do such things. So we do not know how to. Of course! we can learn if we want to!" But how many men actually get into the practical part of this thought?

What needs to happen in present times? Women in urban cities are progressively learning to deal with the outside world as well as manage the world at home. Her efficiency and skills are increasing and becoming far better than men. Men are lagging far behind but they may not want to accept this fact. Most of the men are still stuck in the way of thinking from 19th century while women in urban areas are well settling in the 21st century way of being. The excuse of "my mother made me so" cannot work all the time. It is the reponsibility of everyone to take actions for change in thier life. Men are yet to prove that they can change and consider women as equal. Men have to get used to the fact that women will speak thier mind without fearing "what will the man think" of thinking "of course, he must be right!" Women are right too. Men have to learn to listen to them. Of course, this journey is not too easy. But men have to take the responsibility to take this journey. Otherwise, they probably will have to get used to being rejected by women who might be far more efficient then them.

Today is International Woman's Day!

Lets Celebrate each day by treating each other as equals,
respecting one another without the other having to prove her worth each time,
remembering that small things that make each other happy are also important!

And Do take care of your kidneys! its the World Kidney Day as well!!

Affirmative action is a policy or a program of taking positive steps [1] to increase the representation of certain designated groups allegedly seeking to redress discrimination or bias through active measures, as in education and employment. It is usually achieved through the use of preferential treatment for those groups. Proponents of affirmative action generally advocate it either as a means to address past or present discrimination or to enhance racial, ethnic, gender, or other diversity.

However, opponents of affirmative action contend that affirmative action programs create their own discrimination because they result in preferences given to individuals on the basis of race, sex, and national origin. (From Wikipedia)

My Views:
It is obvious that the circumstances or vulnerabilites need to be kept in mind before deciding what kind of support to be given to an individual or to a family. But then how do we justify those who "seem to be taking advantage" of the schemes/policies put in place specially for them? Whether its about Reservation for people from minority community or a person from so called "scheduled castes/tribes", many of us suggest that we need to keep the economic stability as one crieteria to decide whether resources need to be allocated to a family or not.

However, I think the difficulty lies in "qyantifying" the vulnerabilities. It has been such a complex thing, especially in the developing world. Vulnerabilites can range from -belonging to lower social strata to having disability to being a woman to being a child without parents.

So, how does one decide what support needs to be given to a family where there are many children? Yes, the parents probably had choice and information to have few children , instead of many. But whats the fault of the child in this? Will stopping the support to family imapct this child? How do we manage that impact so that rights of the child are not violated?

Everyday, Govt. and voluntary sector faces these questions and work towards solutions. Probably there is no one right solution. And probably there are many soultions which need to be tried.

Yes, Govt. may at times decide on the basis of "vote bank". But is that reason enough to disgree with the measures that might reduce vulnerabilites in the long run?