RAMBHAU Mhalgi Prabodhini, a Mumbai-based voluntary organisation, is conducting a two-day national convention of voluntary organisations at Vishwa Yuvak Kendra in New Delhi. The convention will begin on December 21 and will conclude on December 22.
BJP national president Shri Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the convention on December 21. Shri Rajendra Singh will be the special guest while Prof Bal Apte will preside over the inaugural session. Shri Anil Dave, MP, will deliver a key note address. Shri Gopinath Munde, chairman of the Prabodhini, will deliver the valedictory address on December 22.
Named as ‘Prakriti 2010’, the convention is dedicated to the theme of ‘Ecology for Development’. The theme will be discussed in the context of one of the principal Millennium Development goals i.e. sustainable development. The convention will primarily try to bring about a greater understanding about how ecological considerations ultimately add to the process of socio-economic development when a comprehensive view is taken. In the process, the convention will have issues like environment friendly lifestyle, livelihood and energy sources high on its agenda. Besides policy issues, innovative ideas and experiments for sustainable development will also be discussed at the convention.
Talking about the convention, Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, director general of the Prabodhini, said over the years, an impression has gathered that any development project bring incalculable environmental damage with it. On the other hand, there are many who are convinced that the very objective behind environmental activism is putting spokes in the wheels of progress, development and modernity. As a result an element of suspicion and grave doubts about intentions has adversely affected the relationship between pro-development and pro-environment groups. “We, through the deliberations at the convention, desire to bring about a meeting of minds resulting in synergizing the two distinct schools of thought,” added Dr Sahasrabuddhe.
Dedicated to the cause of capacity building of voluntary social activists as well as the constitutional representatives of the people, the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini has been functioning relentlessly for the last 28 years. The fundamental and the most significant work of the Prabodhini is to contribute significantly to the qualitative development of the voluntary organisations as well as all those people’s representatives who shoulder a responsibility mainly because of their elective merit. Through this the Prabodhini is contributing its mite to the cause of empowering the voluntary sector in order to strengthening the fundamentals of democracy. The Prabodhini is the recipient of the status of Special Consultative NGO by the United Nations. It is an ECOSOC member and gets an opportunity to participate in UN – ECOSOC High Level Segment meetings.
It organises national convention of voluntary organisations named as ‘Swaichchhik Karya Sangam’ every year. The 2008 convention was dedicated to the theme of ‘Challenges Confronting the Voluntary Organisations. The convention held last year deliberated on the vexed issue of Making of a Voluntary Activist or Karyakarta Nirman. Over 150 voluntary social workers participated in each of these two past conventions. A Charter of Commitments for consolidating the spirit of voluntarism is normally adopted at the end of these conventions.
(FOC)
