What Happens When an NGO Admits Failure

We all face failures, big or small, throughout our lives. Does admitting your failure give you a chance to learn from it and grow further. Have a look at this wonderful talk by David Damberger.

(Video Link)

David is the founder of Engineers Without Borders Calgary (EWB). After building the organization in Calgary and working with them in India, David spent four years building EWB's overseas programs as the Director of Southern African Programs.

David will be drawing on his work experience in Africa to speak about the transformative power of publicly admitting failure in the development aid sector which currently lacks accountability, creativity and transparency.

Who do you listen to ..

That's impossible, said Pride,

That's risky, said Experience.

That's pointless, said Reason,

Give it a try, whispered the Heart ...

A Day in the Life of Swaraj University

A wonderful university in India that focuses on self-directed learning - Swaraj University - check out the video below.

As a part of our creative art initiative - Art Pitara, we've also worked with another similar school in Ladakh area known as SECMOL. Off late the school has become famous since the character of Aamir Khan in the Bollywood movie 3-Idiots was inspired by the people and innovations in this school.

(Video Link)

Sustainability: Doing Well by Doing Good: by Chris Laszlo

Philanthropy/Charity is about WHAT you do with your money once you've earned it.
Sustainability is about HOW you earn your money.

A good talk by Chris Laszlo on Sustainability in Business and how small innovations in business processes can bring about huge social and environmental change.

Do Trust in the Things You Love

Beautiful talk by Mickey Smith (Photographer, Filmmaker, Surfer) at DO Lectures.

You have to watch the full video to get the message + don't miss the amazing film he created while surfing.

“If I can only scrape a living, at least it will be a living worth scraping” - Mickey Smith

Watch the video here - http://www.dolectures.com/lectures/do-trust-in-the-things-you-love/

When the World's Poorest People Volunteer ...

A must read article for all changemakers, at Huffington Post, by Uma Vishwanathan.

Here is an excerpt:

"How do feel when you come to a country and interact with people who have so much?" I ask him later that evening. We are walking around the pool at the Hotel del Prado, a beautiful sprawling 18th century colonial hotel.

Lesly pauses thoughtfully. "Every country has its strengths. Some are material. Some are not. I don't worry about it. What I do know is that my real strength lies in my own mind. There are people all over the world who are unhappy and who feel powerless to do something about it. But I know that if my mind is on what I don't have, I am powerless. When I volunteer, when I think about what I can give to others, I realize how much I do have." 

Volunteering or selfless service is a frame of mind. It is an attitude of continually working to improve lives and the environment around you, without demanding or expecting reward.

Read the full article at Huffington Post

WalMart: The High Cost Of Low Price - Documentary

As Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Retail sector is currently a hot topic in India, I thought of sharing a documentary that I watched a few years ago.

This documentary showcases some of the things that we as consumers oversee when buying low-price goods in the market and how our actions affect the local economy. It also showcases how empowering the local economy is the way to achieve long-term sustainability.

I guess we have a lot to learn from this documentary. Have a look and do share what you think.

Watch directly on Youtube.