Ramon Magsaysay Award 2009 for Deep Joshi
Deep Joshi, co-founder of PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action), has been selected for the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award 2009. 
for his vision and leadership in bringing professionalism to the NGO movement in India, by effectively combining ‘head’ and ‘heart’ in the transformative development of rural communities.
I think recognizing Deep’s efforts and more importantly, the exceptional approach adopted by PRADAN to “development” is simply wonderful. I have had the privilege of working with Deep when I was working for the IWMI-Tata Water Policy Program (ITP) in India and I have always admired him not just for his intellectual and professional qualities but also for his humility and approachability.
Climate Change: Mumbo Jumbo or The Real Thing?
If you have always wondered about Climate Change and if you should be doing something about it, this is an interesting video, rather an interesting approach… even though I do not feel like jumping to the same conclusions. Worth a watch anyway…
Image Courtesy: http://ksjtracker.mit.edu/?p=2997
The Unfriendly Greeting…
Are you an Indian (or South Asian, or for that matter, ANY Asian) living outside Asia? If yes, then I am sure you will connect with the post below.
Although this blog comes from CricInfo – a website about cricket, the post has got nothing to do with cricket. The author is a cricket journalist, currently in South Africa covering a popular cricket tournament. He is disturbed by the fact that he is greeted by "strangers" everywhere and is having a tough time reconciling with this custom. I absolutely enjoyed reading it and I hope you will too. Read the full article here: Enough with the Friendliness 
March of the Metaphorical Footprints…
Recently, I posted about the carbon footprint of Spam and it seems Carbon as a currency is gaining currency! What exactly is Carbon Footprint? Here’s how the UK Carbon Trust defines it:
the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product
Image Courtesy: British Recycled Products
Google for Non-Profits…
Another Google innovation, a toolkit for Non-Profits with a simple yet catchy punch line, “You’re changing the world. We want to help.”
Google for Non-Profits is a bundle of Google products and services that non-profit organizations around the world can use to enhance their “business” of development. The bundle includes: Google Grants (a non-profit version of Google Ad Words); Google Checkout (to collect online donations); Google Analytics (to understand how users interact with your website); Google Maps & Earth; YouTube; and Google Apps (GMail, Docs, Sites and Calendar). Click on the image links below for tutorials for non-profits.
Luck: Probability taken personally!
14-year-old hit by 30,000 mph space meteorite
The Telegraph recently reported about Gerrit Blank, 14, who was struck by a meteorite on his way to school. A red hot, pea-sized piece of rock hit his hand before bouncing off and causing a foot wide crater in the ground. Gerrit survived the strike – the chances of which are just 1 in a million – but with a 3-inch scar on his hand.
The Carbon Footprint of Spam…
We all know how irritating Spam can be. No matter what filters you use, there will always be some new spammer who find its way into your inbox. Have you ever wondered how much time and resources the world spends on creating and sending Spam and on preventing Spam from entering our mailboxes?
Image Courtesy: ICF/McAfee
Googling into the future…
Yes, I admit… I am a Google fan! But then, who isn’t? Here’s a preview of their latest innovation – Google Voice.
I like to keep informed about how Google is going to (pleasantly) surprise me next and this new service is no exception. I haven’t tried it, yet… but the concept seems brilliant. Incidentally, Google sent me an invite to sign up the beta for Google Voice but since I am not in the U.S., I was unable to do so.
The Petabyte Age: Making science obsolete…??
1 Terabyte = 1,000 Gigabytes; 1 Petabyte = 1000 Terabytes
Did you know that Google’s servers process 1 Petabyte of data every 72 minutes?
The latest issue of WIRED magazine carries a series of articles on how the Petabyte Age is changing the world. While all of them make a good read, one in particular seems rather bold, to say the least…and has created a controversy of some sort…
Privately Smart, Publicly Dumb?
Recently read an interview of V. Raghunathan about his book "Games Indians Play". I was planning on reading the book since the title sounded interesting…but after reading the interview (available at Knowledge@Wharton website; Requires ‘free’ user registration), I must say I’m put-off.
I think the author (unfortunately, bragging his ex-IIMA fame, and imho, brining bad name to it) has taken a very narrow and unconvincing view on Indian psyche. It is absolutely naive to say, for example, that the tendency to defect in a Prisoners Dilemma (PD) situation is greater in India than elsewhere. Or, that Indians cannot work well in teams.
