This is a fascinating, insightful article on the complexity and power of Bombay. As the world becomes more interconnected and the gap between rich and poor widens, how we make decisions and how we treat our cities will become even more important, reflecting the future, and the world, we wish to create. Building real opportunities for the poor – legal ones that enable access and choice – is fundamental to the survival of all of us, urban and rural.
Archive for June, 2006
Bombay’s boom
Friday, June 30th, 2006Convert the Charity Mindset
Monday, June 26th, 2006Following on from her previous blog post, Alexandra Christy expresses her thoughts on our growing Acumen Fund community.
As you may have read above, Acumen investor and Woodcock Board Member Lindsay Shea and I traveled to India to see Acumen on the ground, and one of the highlights of the trip was going to the Indian School of Business (ISB) and meeting four of the students who had volunteered to work with Acumen while students. This was quite a group, and indicative of the kind of talent Acumen is drawing as its reputation accrues. (more…)
Introducing our 2006 Fellows (part 4)
Wednesday, June 21st, 2006Two more of our inaugural Fellows cohort…
Ayeleen Ajanee
“The desire to work as a social entrepreneur was instilled in me since I joined the girl scouts at the age of six. My passion to help others grew as I became curious about new ideas and was stimulated by the possibilities of contributing to others…social stability at the grass roots level is a must for economic growth. Unless basic survival needs are met, it is difficult for people to concentrate elsewhere… I see Acumen as the perfect vehicle for me to contribute to the social change taking place in Pakistan.”
Eric Berkowitz
“My experiences in India have given me two important insights. First, the conditions of the poor are not hopeless but in fact there are many ways to improve their lives through health, education and microfinance initiatives. Second, only sustainable solutions to poverty can bring long term improvement – this is the motivation for my interest in Acumen Fund and its mission.” (more…)
An important force in the debate around Islam
Tuesday, June 20th, 2006GEO TV is an independent media channel in Pakistan, run by an incredibly exciting team of young people with vision and real passion for change in the world. Below is a note from the CEO of GEO, Mir Ibrahim Rahman, to announce the station’s Zara Sochieye campaign which is focused on re-evaluating the country’s Hudood Ordinances.
Pakistan’s Hudood Ordinances, instituted under General Zia in 1979, are a set of laws intended “to bring in conformity with the injunctions of Islam” certain aspects of the criminal justice system and make certain offences punishable by “Hadd”, which is defined as “punishment ordained by the Holy Quran or Sunnah.” (more…)
Introducing our 2006 Fellows (part 3)
Wednesday, June 14th, 2006Introducing another two 2006 Acumen Fund Fellows.
Adrien Couton
“My long term objective is to build my profession life around the transfer of knowledge and skills between the business world and the social sector in order to tackle poverty. The exchange of ideas and people between these sectors is scarce, and this divide is a barrier to addressing global challenges, from fighting pandemics to providing basic services for all.”
David Lehr
“I understand the value of building partnerships and working collaboratively. To be most effective in meeting the challenges of sustainable development, I need precisely the type of hands on preparation and in-country challenges offered by the Acumen Fund Fellowship.” (more…)