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Below are the good news archives from our weekly NGO Space newsletter. To receive these by email, subscribe here.

Ecology by A.K. Ramanujam  (Oct 8, 2021)
"We live in times of such great potency. The time of the sixth mass extinction that a vast majority of us are participating in and co-creating, just by how we live our lives, and the choices that we make. We human beings, need the tree beings, the kingdom of the plant people, for our very breath; and if we wish to steward our planetary home away from what appears to be an inevitable fate of climate and species collapse. But why is it so difficult to convince more and more people to plant and care for trees? Whenever I ask this question, I go back to the core of it -- how do people actually 'relate' to trees? Do they?! And then I'm reminded that being in relationship with any being is incredibly complex. There is beauty. There is also messiness and injury. Drama. Poignancy. Something that appears to keep relationships afloat in stormy seas is commitment. To a cause or a principle or a shared life perspective. Something larger than the beings involved in the relationship. It might serve us well to cultivate these complex, nuanced relationships with the trees in our lives too." More in this thought-provoking post that features A.K Ramanujam's poem, 'Ecology.'
Anil Gupta: India's Hidden Hotbeds of Invention  (Sep 3, 2021)
Where does creativity reside in today's world? Is it the monopoly of the educated elite or does it reside within the cracks of our 'well-ordered' systems? In this engaging TED talk, Anil Gupta asks this humbling, soul-searching question, and provides some responses. Read on to see and hear a stunning patchwork quilt of indigenous entrepreneurs and inventors whose ingenuity has changed lives for the better.
Returning to the Village  (Jul 8, 2021)
For those of us who live in urban areas, what does returning to a life in the village really mean? What is the impulse that moves folks to reverse the direction of migration of their recent ancestors to the city? What can living on the land, growing your own food, and using your hands to make clothing and shelter offer souls hungering for a real connection to the Earth? Here, Hang Mai, a Vietnamese natural farmer and social entrepreneur, who together with her partner Chau Duong mid-wifes those wanting to make this transition to the village, reflects on this question.
Speaking River, Speaking Rain  (Mar 7, 2021)
"Are languages then just a collection of words, syntax, and semantics? I'd like to sometimes see them as seeds and sometimes as fields - alive as the minds, tongues, throats, bodies and air they pass through; germinating, growing roots, bearing fruit, evolving like beings. But also holding space, expanding out like a unique land of perception. A non-physical geography hosting human and non-human drama. A living medium, a speech-scape." In this evocative piece, writer and teacher M. Yuvan layers anecdotes that shine a small, bright light on India's linguistic diversity and weaves in similar stories from around the world. What does it mean for the future of the human species to keep the richness of our multiple languages alive? How does language tether the soul to the wisdom of the Earth?
Sustainable Social Change and Philanthropy  (Dec 8, 2020)
As a professional grantmaker and manager with some of the world's leading foundations, David Bonbright sought innovative approaches to strengthening citizen self-organization in place of prevailing bureaucratic, top-down models. While with the Ford Foundation, David was declared persona non grata by the apartheid government in South Africa for helping fund the liberation struggle. In 1990, in the final years of that struggle, he entrepreneured the development of some key building-block organizations for civil society in the new South Africa. He then founded and now runs an international nonprofit dedicated to bringing constituent feedback to social change practice. He had an unexpected invitation to speak with Nelson Mandela, who reinforced that development aid and philanthropy run aground because those on the receiving end have no say in it, and that "in social change, as in our personal and social lives, it is relationships that determine outcomes. What follows are selected wisdom nuggets from an Awakin Call with David Bonbright.
IIT Builds Low Cost Braille Laptop  (Mar 13, 2019)
Researchers at IIT Delhi have developed a Braille laptop called DotBook, which can be useful for the visually impaired. The laptop has got important conventional applications such as email, calculator, and web browser. Third party apps can also be added in case needed.
Mud Home, Model Home  (Mar 5, 2019)
Twelve years ago, Chockalingam Muthiah, a Bengaluru based businessman, and his family, decided to make a significant shift in their lifestyle. They wanted to ensure that their carbon footprint and impact on ecology was as low as possible.
Climbing Classes Make Young Men Go Up  (Feb 20, 2019)
Karnataka is the highest producer of areca nuts in India with 800,000 acres under cultivation. The state requires at least 60,000 skilled harvesting workers. A thousand acres of an areca nut garden require about 70 workers for harvesting and spraying. Wages are between Rs 1,000 to 1,500 per day.
Bringing Dignity for the Sex workers of New Delhi  (Feb 13, 2019)
GB Road in New Delhi is the locality inhabited by the sex workers and their families. Tahir got a chance to participate in the orientation camp organized by the Delhi based organization Pravah as a part of their Smile In turnship programme and he got the opportunity to facilitate a session about the life of sex workers at GB road.
Turning Around a Government School  (Feb 6, 2019)
With 2 civil society groups joining hands to upgrade facilities and teaching, children from Meo and Dalit communities are back in classrooms in Alwar, Rajasthan
Delhi Buses to be Made Friendly for People with Disability  (Jan 22, 2019)
In a bid to address issues of accessibility in public spaces, the Delhi government is set to introduce disabled friendly buses.
SNEHA: Preventing Suicides by Not Hanging Up  (Dec 5, 2018)
Ever since a popular media posted crisis information on its web page, Chennai based SNEHA suicide prevention centre has been flooded with calls and emails from persons seeking help from all over India.
Green People: Pausing Migration in Uttarakhand  (Nov 26, 2018)
Under the guidance of Col. Ajay Kothiyal, Mr. Rupesh Rai founded the Green People, a group of volunteers are setting up examples of rural tourism and organic farms in Uttarakhand to inspire thousands of villagers to come back home.
In the Footsteps of Kabir  (Nov 19, 2018)
Possibly the most-quoted poet-saint of north India is Kabir, the illiterate, 15th century mystic who belonged to a class of weavers in the ancient city of Varanasi. Kabir was a 'nirguni', one who believes in a formless divinity that can be discovered both within and without. With whip-like wit, his poetry scorns outward rituals and displays of piety exhorting his listeners to seek the divine through self-interrogation, and to recognise the impermanence of manifest reality. Read on for an extract from 'The Bijak of Kabir', one of the most important anthologies of the Eastern tradition of Kabir's verses.
Maitri Meals: An Example of Alternative Livelihood for Trafficked Women  (Oct 10, 2018)
In 2016, Maitri Meals began its journey to provide alternate livelihood to the trafficked women living in brothels of GB Road, Delhi's largest red light area. Two women took the plunge and decided to live a new life with dignity and respect.
Bengaluru Oncologist Develops the Best Voice Prosthesis at Rs 50  (Oct 2, 2018)
Dr. U.S. Vishal Rao, 40, developed a voice prosthesis for throat cancer patients that costs less than a dollar and is the cheapest in the market
Innovating Against Poverty  (Sep 22, 2018)
Piyush (left) and Vinay started ONergy in 2010 with minimal investment. ONergy Solar received global recognition when, in 2013, the Swedish Government awarded ONergy an Award for Innovations against Poverty.
Schools of Excellence  (Sep 11, 2018)
The Delhi government has improved the infrastructure in government schools and made them on a par with private schools.Teachers and principals from over 1,000 Delhi government schools have so far been sent for training to Singapore and Finland, countries that are renowned for their pioneering teaching methods.
Guardians of Kanha  (Aug 29, 2018)
Tribal Women of Kanha Turn Protectors of the Forest and Guide Tourists
The Tea Stall that is a Tree Stall  (Jul 24, 2018)
Wherever Chhotu sets up his tea shop, he treats that place as his home, which means he sweeps the area to keep it clean, plants trees all around his shop, and nurtures them till they show significant growth. When he is sure that the trees he planted and the birds flocking to his chinkas will continue to flourish in the care of the other villagers, he moves his tea stall to a different place and starts working his magic all over again.

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