On 10th May 2010 , ‘1298 Senior Citizen Helpline for Mumbai’ was launched by Chief Guest Ms. Asha Parekh in presence of Guest of Honour Shri D. Shivnandan, Mrs. Priya Dutt, Honorable Member of Parliament and Ms. Sweta Mangal, CEO of Dial 1298 for Ambulance service.
India is gradually undergoing a demographic change. With decline in fertility and mortality rates accompanied by an improvement in child survival and increased life expectancy, a significant feature of demographic change is the progressive increase in the number of elderly persons. As on 2009 an estimated 8% population i.e. 91 million people of the total population of India are Senior Citizens above age group of 60 years, of which over 1.5 million resides in Mumbai. Presently India has the 2nd largest population of Senior Citizens in the globe. According to UN by 2050 the population of 60 plus in India would likely go up to 20%.
The now fading joint family system and the Indian cultural values that preached reverence and service towards the elders had served a protective and secure net for the elderly. The advent of nuclear families and other factors like children migrating to cities or abroad for better career opportunities have brought out a range of issues like insecurity, loneliness and lack of companionship leaving the elders more vulnerable in their twilight years. Coping with old age is becoming increasingly difficult, especially in cities like Mumbai. Sadly young people now see senior citizens as a burden. The respect they once enjoyed in the joint family is slowly disappearing. The changed scenario has given rise to three major needs: social, health and financial security of Elderly.
For the net savvy individuals there are many networking sites and online portals to connect to people across the globe. At the same time, for many senior citizens in the city just a phone call to someone to listen to them when they are in distressed or feeling lonely is sufficient.
Only government servants are entitled to pension. This means that literally 70 per cent of the Indian population gets no pension, not even those who have worked in the corporate sector for 30 to 40 years. Most senior citizens are in unorganized sector and are either on their children’s or dependent on their savings or their provident fund and gratuity, whose value is shrinking by the day.
Elder Abuse / Crimes against senior citizens where they have been specifically targeted due to their helplessness have been on the increase in Mumbai. In most cases, the crime is committed by relatives or their own children. There has been an increase in violence against senior citizens by domestic help also.
To address these issues and provide some relief to the senior citizens of Mumbai, The Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust along with Dial 1298 for Ambulance in association with Silver Inning Foundation, Help Age India, Harmony for Silvers Foundation & FESCOM launched a 24 x 7 Senior Citizen’s Helpline (Referral Service) at a function held on 10th May which was attended by Chief Guest Ms. Asha Parekh and Guest of Honour Shri D. Shivnandan, Mrs. Priya Dutt, Honorable Member of Parliament and Ms. Sweta Mangal, CEO of Dial 1298 for Ambulance service. Around 200 people attended the programme.
The 1298 Senior Citizen Helpline (Referral Service) will work closely with prominent NGOs working with senior citizens to act as a bridge between a senior citizen and these NGOs. Any senior citizen requiring assistance can dial 1298 from landline or mobile from Mumbai which will connect them to a counselor who will be available 24X7 to assist them.
Mrs. Priya Dutt was quoted “Iam grateful to 1298 and other NGO’s for providing be an opportunity to serve our Elderly. My parents have been very near to me and in this was I could continue god work of my family. I will continue to support the work done my organization to provide help to ou elderly. Our Elders are treasure and backbone of our society and we need to make this world elder friendly.
Mr. D. Sivnanandan emphasis the need to protect elderly from crime, especially by the strangers and domestic service providers. He said registration of Senior Citizens with local police is must to provide them security. All households should also register their domestic help and verify therir credentials
Ms. Sweta Mangal also added that her organization 1298 is grateful to work for elderly and make their life much better. It’s important that organization should join hands for such a noble cause. Capacity building for organization would be another step foraward.
Mr.Sailesh Mishra was happy that at last Silver Inning Foundation’s advocacy and networking for the Senior Citizens has taken some shape. It has been nearly one year work to bringing everyone on one common platform. He said a holistic approach and continuous effort to provide need base services will be important for the success of this Helpline.
About Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust (NDMCT): The Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust (NDMCT) was founded by the (Late) Padmashri Sunil Dutt in memory of his wife (Late) Smt. Nargis Dutt, with a prime objective of funding and helping patients suffering from cancer for whom good and timely medical treatment was a distant dream.Mr. Sunil Dutt worked tirelessly and selflessly to ensure that the Foundation undertook various fund raising drives, the proceeds of which were used to buy life saving diagnostic medical equipment, medicines, transfer of Technology and various other materials which were sent to specialized cancer hospitals across India for the benefit of patients being treated there.
In the area of health- care NDMCT arranges medical camps and provides medical aid to the poor and needy. For the victims of Bihar Flood (in 2008) NDMCT organized a month long medical camp which treated nearly 30,000 families. NDMCT’s recent activity has been the “Platelet Donation Drive “at Tata Memorial Hospital.
NDMCT has now diversified to the field of education as well, wherein we provide vocational training (like computer courses, adult literacy classes) and sponsorship fees to the students who are eager to study and learn. NDMCT has also partnered with FLY – Future Lies in iur Youth to prevent suicides among the student community.
About Dial 1298 for Ambulance:- “Dial 1298 for Ambulance” is an initiative to provide a network of Fully Equipped Advanced and Basic Life Support Ambulances 24 hours x 7 days a week. The service has been setup with technical and managerial assistance from London Ambulance Service and New York Presbyterian EMS, two of the world’s largest and best metropolitan Ambulance Services.
In case of a medical emergency, a person can dial 1298 from any phone for accessing a fully equipped Advanced Life Support (ALS) or Basic Life Support (BLS) Ambulance within the shortest possible time. In Mumbai, “DIAL 1298 FOR AMBULANCE” service covers the entire area of Greater Mumbai from Colaba to Kalyan / Panvel on the Central Line and Churchgate to Vasai on the Western Line with its 21 ALS Ambulances and 30 BLS Ambulances. 1298 Ambulance is available, on average, 15 – 20 minutes to reach the place of incidence whenever called for service. Dial 1298 for Ambulance works closely with Traffic Police Mumbai, Western Railways and Central Railways to assist them in reaching medical support to the victims in accidents on roads and railways in Mumbai with 2 dedicated Ambulances placed in Traffic Chowkis on Eastern and Western Expressways and 10 Ambulances placed in Railway Stations across Mumbai. Since the launch of the service, the service has transported over 120,000 patients / victims. For more information ctc: Rubina D’Souza 9923640870 / rubina.dsouza AT 1298.org.in
About our Associates: About Silver Inning Foundation: Silver Inning Foundation is regi
stered NGO dedicated for the cause of Senior Citizens. It is part of social enterprise Silver Innings which hosts one of the most comprehensive and dedicated website for elderly & their family www.silverinnigs.com . Silver Innings is working towards creating Elder Friendly World where Ageing becomes a Positive and Rewarding Experience.
About Help Age India: HelpAge India is a national level secular, non political, non-profit and non-government organization working for the cause and care of disadvantaged older persons. We endeavor to improve their quality of life and have been doing so for the last 31 years. The cause of the elderly needs attention because we are a society in transition with changing values, which has led to the breakdown of the joint family, resulting in lack of security for the elderly. We voice the needs of India’s 90 million (current estimate)“grey” population, and directly impact the lives of lakhs of elders through our services every year. Website: http://www.helpageindia.org/
About FESCOM: The Federation of Senior Citizens Organizations’ of Maharashtra, Unifying and strengthening the comprehensive welfare activities of senior citizen and their organizations under one banner and leadership, and utilizing their precious knowledge, wide experience, wisdom, energy and skill for welfare of the society in general and Senior Citizen in particular. Website: http://www.fescom-for-sr-citizens.org.in/
About The Harmony for Silvers Foundation: The Harmony for Silvers Foundation is a non-government organization working to improve quality of life for everyone as they age. Harmony for Silvers Foundation is a social initiative espouses the cause of promoting the interests of senior citizens in the country. The initiative has a three-tiered approach. We have set up our first Harmony Interactive Centre for Silvers Citizens in Girgaum, Thakurdwar. In addition we also run a magazine Harmony- Celebrate Age and a website-portal for Silver Citizens. Website: www.harmonyindia.org
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is a retired physician who practiced holistic, non-drug, mental health care for the last decade of his forty year family practice career. He is a contributor to and an endorser of the efforts of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights and was a member of MindFreedom International, the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
While running his independent clinic, he published over 400 issues of his Preventive Psychiatry E-Newsletter, which was emailed to a variety of subscribers. (They have not been archived at any website.) In the early 2000s, Dr Kohls taught a graduate level psychology course at the University of Minnesota Duluth. It was titled “The Science and Psychology of the Mind-Body Connection”.
Since his retirement, Dr Kohls has been writing a weekly column (titled “Duty to Warn”) for the Duluth Reader, an alternative newsweekly published in Duluth, Minnesota. He offers teaching seminars to the public and to healthcare professionals.
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">Gary G Kohls George Monbiot[/caption]
Studied in Oxford University, columnist with The Guardian newspaper, also the author of the bestselling books The Age of Consent: A Manifesto for a New World Order and Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain, as well as the investigative travel books Poisoned Arrows, Amazon Watershed, No Man’s Land, How Did We Get into This Mess? Politics, Equality, Nature and other.
Prof Johan Galtung was born in Oslo. He earned the PhD degree in mathematics at the University of Oslo in 1956, and in 1957 a year later completed the PhD degree in sociology at the same university.
Prof Johan Galtung received nine honorary doctorates in the fields of Peace studies, Future studies, Social sciences, Buddhism, Sociology of law, Philosophy, Sociology and Law.
State Councilor of St. Petersburg, Russia. Founding President, Global Harmony Association (GHA) since 2005. Honorary President, GHA since 2016. Director: Tetrasociology Public Institute, Russia. Philosopher, Sociologist and Peacemaker from Harmony. Author of more than 400 scientific publications, including 18 books in 1-12 languages. Author of Tetrism as the unity of Tetraphilosophy and Tetrasociology – science of social harmony, global peace and harmonious civilisation. Director, GHA Web portal “Peace from Harmony”. Initiator, Manager, Coauthor and Editor in Chief of the book project “Global Peace Science” (GPS).
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First published at :
">Leo M Semashko Robert C Koehler[/caption]
writes for the Huffington Post, Common Dreams, OpEd News and TruthOut. He considers himself a “peace journalist.” He has been an editor at Tribune Media Services and a reporter, columnist and copy desk chief at Lerner Newspapers, Chicago. Koehler launched his column in 1999. Robert Koehler has received numerous writing and journalism awards over a 30-year career in USA. He writes about values and meaning with reverence for life. He is praised as “blatantly relevant” and “a hero of democracy”.
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First published at :
">Robert C Koehler Robert J Burrowes PhD[/caption]
has a lifetime commitment to understanding and ending human violence. He has done extensive research since 1966 in an effort to understand why human beings are violent and has been a nonviolent activist since 1981. He is the author of ‘Why Violence?‘
He has been a radio producer (Earthstar Radio, San Francisco), organized and worked with the homeless, and is an advocate/activist in the nonviolent protest movement for safe energy, human rights, and peaceful solutions.
He is USA Vice President of the World Constitution and Parliament Association whose mission is to build a parallel world body to the United Nations, an emerging Earth Federation with a Provisional World Parliament under the Earth Constitution.
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">Roger Kotila PhD Prof Richard Falk[/caption]
an international relations scholar, professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University, author, co-author or editor of 40 books, and a speaker and activist on world affairs.
Since 2002 he has lived in Santa Barbara, California, and taught at the local campus of the University of California in Global and International Studies, and since 2005 chaired the Board of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. His most recent book is Achieving Human Rights (2009).
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First published at :
">Richard Falk Dr Gray Corseri, PhD[/caption]
is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment. He has published and posted articles, fiction and poems at hundreds of venues, including, TMS, The New York Times, Village Voice, Redbook Magazine and Counterpunch.
He has published 2 novels and 2 collections of poetry, and his dramas have been produced on PBS-Atlanta and elsewhere. He has performed his poems at the Carter Presidential Library and Museum and has taught in universities in the US and Japan, and in US public schools and prisons.
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First published at :
">Gary CorseriAntonio Carlos Silva Rosa, Editor, TMS[/caption]
born 1946, is the editor of the pioneering Peace Journalism website, TRANSCEND Media Service-TMS, an assistant to Prof. Johan Galtung, and Secretary of the International Board of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment.
He completed the required coursework for a Ph.D. in Political Science-Peace Studies (1994), has a Masters in Political Science-International Relations (1990), and a B.A. in Communication (1988) from the University of Hawai’i.
Originally from Brazil, he lives presently in Porto, Portugal. Antonio was educated in the USA where he lived for 20 years; in Europe/India since 1994.
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First published at :
">Antonio Carlos Silva Rosa
John Scales Avery is a theoretical chemist, Associate Professor Emeritus, at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is noted for his books and research publications in quantum chemistry, thermodynamics, evolution, and history of science. His 2003 book Information Theory and Evolution set forth the view that the phenomenon of life, including its origin, evolution, as well as human cultural evolution, has its background situated in the fields of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and information theory.
He is an Indian citizen & permanent resident of Australia and a scholar, an author, a social-policy critic, a frequent social wayfarer, a social entrepreneur and a journalist;He has been exploring, understanding and implementing the ideas of social-economy, participatory local governance, education, citizen-media, ground-journalism, rural-journalism, freedom of expression, bureaucratic accountability, tribal development, village development, reliefs & rehabilitation, village revival and other.
For Ground Report India editions, Vivek had been organising national or semi-national tours for exploring ground realities covering 5000 to 15000 kilometres in one or two months to establish Ground Report India, a constructive ground journalism platform with social accountability.
He has written a book “मानसिक, सामाजिक, आर्थिक स्वराज्य की ओर”on various social issues, development community practices, water, agriculture, his ground works & efforts and conditioning of thoughts & mind. Reviewers say it is a practical book which answers “What” “Why” “How” practically for the development and social solution in India.
worked as a mediator for the church in Belfast; as faculty at The School of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, and as Executive Director, the Right Livelihood Award Foundation. He has founded several Indian NGOs, is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment.
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">Vithal RajanRene Wadlow[/caption]
is the President of the Association of World Citizens, an international peace organization with consultative status with ECOSOC, the United Nations organ facilitating international cooperation on and problem-solving in economic and social issues.
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">Rene WadlowBaher Kamal[/caption]
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Baher Kamal
Egyptian-born, Spanish-national secular journalist. He is founder and publisher of Human Wrongs Watch. Kamal is a pro-peace, non-violence, human rights, coexistence defender, with more than 45 years of professional experience. With these issues in sight, he covered practically all professional posts, from correspondent to chief editor of dailies and international news agencies.
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Credits :
">Baher KamalRosa Dalmiglio with Lama Mongolia[/caption]
She is a member of the China Council Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe (special art, culture and humanity), which touches the hearts of all people and portrays the strong willpower so encouraging to 60 million Chinese disabled persons.
Ms. Dalmiglio is Intermediary Agent of CICE, Centre International Cultural Exchange, a direct subsidiary of the Ministry of Culture, People’s Republic of China. CICE is a comprehensive institution engaged in cultural exchange programs, professional publication and presentation of cultural art works such as exhibits, receiving foreign art troupes and artists, holding international cultural research programs, and producing intercultural and interreligious documentary films.
She is a member of China Disabled Person’s Federation, CDPF. She is also a member of the International Women Federation, which is concerned with the financial ethics of women s enterprises in underdeveloped areas.
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credits:
">Rosa Dalmiglio
Director, Guru Arjan Dev Institute of Development Studies.
A recipient of Cultural Doctorate of Philosophy of Economics from USA. He is an active member of various professional bodies, namely -
He participated and presented papers in various International/national/regional seminars, conferences etc.. He remained member of the Academic Council of Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar. An unwearied researcher has about 200 research papers published in various international and national journals of repute and 15 research monographs to his kitty. Besides, he has authored/co-authored /edited 15 books which have been well received and highly acclaimed during his three decades of professional career. He was honoured by various national and international awards, namely, Guru Draunacharya Samman, Vijay Rattan Award and so on.
Dr Ron Paul served in U.S. House of Representatives three different periods: first from 1976 to 1977, after he won a special election, then from 1979 to 1985, and finally from 1997 to 2013.
During his first term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Paul founded the Foundation for Rational Economics and Education (FREE), a non-profit think tank dedicated to promoting principles of limited government and free-market economics. In 1984, Paul became the first chairman of the Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), a conservative political group founded by Charles Koch and David Koch 'to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation.' CSE started a Tea Party protest against high taxes in 2002. In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy split into two new organizations, with Citizens for a Sound Economy being renamed as FreedomWorks, and Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation becoming Americans for Prosperity. The two organizations would become key players in the Tea Party movement from 2009 onward.
Dr Paul proposed term-limit legislation multiple times, while himself serving a few terms in the House of Representatives. In 1984, he decided to retire from the House in order to run for the U.S. Senate, complaining in his House farewell address that 'Special interests have replaced the concern that the Founders had for general welfare.... It's difficult for one who loves true liberty and utterly detests the power of the state to come to Washington for a period of time and not leave a true cynic.'
He is known nationally and internationally as a pioneer figure in the study of culture and psychopathology who challenged the ethnocentrism and racial biases of many assumptions, theories, and practices in psychology and psychiatry.
In more recent years, he has been writing and lecturing on peace and social justice. He has published 15 edited books, and more than 250 articles, chapters, book reviews, and popular pieces.
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Credits:
">Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D.Jason Hickel[/caption]
He is international consultant of the UN – FAO and international consultant for sustainable development and sustainable future of humankind of Universal State of the Earth - USE.
On 8th October 2016 he was appointed as The Chairman of the Humanity, Nature, Space and Environment protection Committee of the USE, the Supreme Council of Humanity - SCH from Athens, Greece and London, UK.
He is researcher working on: Nature; the Nature, Space and Environment protection; the Climate change system; System thinking; Globalization and global studies; Networking, Complexity and Swarm research: Sustainable Development and Sustainable Future of Humankind. He was among the pioneers researchers (1986 – 1994) to apply nature, space, and environment protection in a local community by activities we call today Local Agenda 21 Processes – a holistic program for survival of our civilization under new challenges of the third millennium.“Commencing from Local Community Sustainable Future and moving towards Sustainable Future of the Global Community of Humankind”.
He is independent researchers with many domestic and international publications and talks. Together with many researchers in co-operation worldwide within philosophy, operational research, global studies, case studies and complex problem solving research, system thinking, requisitely holism, networking and complexity, swarm research, integration and disintegration of matter and energy and universal upbringing, education and lifelong learning. He is contributing a systemic, requisitely holistic and a better understanding of the present. His latest research within the system theory, system thinking, networking, complexity and swarm research may provide a possible answer enabling people to better understand our world of humans.
During 2014 he completed 50 years of research work (1964 - 2014). This year he completed 50 years of been Dr. Vet. Med. Since 1986 he worked on the protection of Humanity, Nature, Space and Environment and completed 30 years of research.
For research on the climate change system and the book “System Thinking and Climate Change System (Against a big “Tragedy of Commons” of all of us), Ecimovic, Mayur, Mulej and co-authors, 2002, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize 2003. His work on “The Information Theory of Nature” was his second nomination for The Nobel Prize during 2007 in Physics. His third nomination for The Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 was for “The Environment Theory of the Nature”, published in the book “Three Applications of the System Thinking”, Ecimovic, 2010. Within last 10 years he has contributed trilogies: “The Nature”, “The Sustainable Future of Mankind” and “The Life 2017” – please see at: www.institut-climatechange.si
I grew up in Chile, got my medical degree there, began an academic career in 1970, and left for the USA due to the military coup in early 1974. My first job in the USA was working as a public nutrition professor in the international programme of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.
I started to travel to Africa in 1975, and worked a year in Cameroun in 1980 helping to prepare their five-year nutrition plan. I then moved to New Orleans, to Tulane University’s School of Public Health, and taught in the department of nutrition for ten years, before moving to Nairobi where I was an advisor in the Ministry of Health. Seven years there got me into extensive consulting in Africa, often on nutritional issues. In 1995 moved to Vietnam where I worked for two and a half years in the Ministry of Health as a senior primary health care advisor.
Many years of touching the reality on the ground, in Latin America, then the USA, then Africa and Asia, has made me understand that the real challenge is in the social and political determinants of malnutrition. I have devoted my writings and teaching to that. Over the years, I have found an important shift in my colleagues’ attitude and understanding towards acknowledging the basic causes of malnutrition. But yet I see little happening as a result. I submit that it is our guild’s lack of experience in the political arena that explains this dichotomy. I devote much of my energy to bridge this gap, and am a fervent advocate of empowering claim holders to demand needed changes from duty bearers. Nutrition is a perfect port of entry for that. Equity, social justice and people’s empowerment in a human rights sense is what really will make a difference.
There is no alternative but to deal with nutrition problems as indivisibly linked to social, political and environmental problems. We need to address them as such. The question is: are we all prepared to do that? The answer, in my view, decides whether we are part of the solution or part of the problem. Travelling and living in different parts of the world has reinforced my conviction that we need to get down from our academic ivory towers, and need to change the curricula of our young and upcoming colleagues, to give them the tools to act in such a context. To me, public health nutrition cannot be anything but that.
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">Claudio Schuftan Dr MDProf. Ram Puniyani[/caption]
