An appreciation of Karmayog, a website for NGOs.
As a student of politics and economics, I knew participation in public affairs is not merely a right but a duty and an obligation. I have written many articles and letters on current affairs to various magazines and newspapers. After my retirement, I became a volunteer for a few years to an NGO, ASHI ( Association for Social Health of India) which seeks to serve distressed women. I found that NGOs have some dedicated people but they do not know how to raise resources and get permission from the authorities.If there is an institution which can train these NGOs to help themselves, it would go a long way in strengthening the NGO movement.
Karmayog is doing great service to NGO movement by giving them a voice as our newspapers and magazines have no space for these activities. Your compilation of CSR activities of companies, your MOU with BMC, your anit-corruption pact, etc are laudable.
Karmayog has promoted the cause of RTI and exposed the high electricity tariff.
I have benefited personally from the info in Karmayog and I have been able to express my views and share them with karmayogis. This is a great blessing of democracy - freedom of thought and expression. Discussion and debate are the essence of democracy. People forming associations to promote various causes has been rightly called " social capital" by Alexis de Tocqueville, the French writer in his book, Democracy in America, written in 1830s. He said that Americans were 'joiners' - they joined all manner of local organizations and this was the strength of the American democracy. How true ! New ideas and new vision comes not from the bureaucrats and politicians but from concerned citizens who have no axe to grind.
As a student of politics and economics, I knew participation in public affairs is not merely a right but a duty and an obligation. I have written many articles and letters on current affairs to various magazines and newspapers. After my retirement, I became a volunteer for a few years to an NGO, ASHI ( Association for Social Health of India) which seeks to serve distressed women. I found that NGOs have some dedicated people but they do not know how to raise resources and get permission from the authorities.If there is an institution which can train these NGOs to help themselves, it would go a long way in strengthening the NGO movement.
Karmayog is doing great service to NGO movement by giving them a voice as our newspapers and magazines have no space for these activities. Your compilation of CSR activities of companies, your MOU with BMC, your anit-corruption pact, etc are laudable.
Karmayog has promoted the cause of RTI and exposed the high electricity tariff.
I have benefited personally from the info in Karmayog and I have been able to express my views and share them with karmayogis. This is a great blessing of democracy - freedom of thought and expression. Discussion and debate are the essence of democracy. People forming associations to promote various causes has been rightly called " social capital" by Alexis de Tocqueville, the French writer in his book, Democracy in America, written in 1830s. He said that Americans were 'joiners' - they joined all manner of local organizations and this was the strength of the American democracy. How true ! New ideas and new vision comes not from the bureaucrats and politicians but from concerned citizens who have no axe to grind.
January 10,2010.
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