April 22 World Earth Day

Bottled water err waste!!

Now to some serious thoughts

Did you know?

1. That the plastic bottles can leach harmful chemicals like bisphenol in to the water especially due to heat in cars etc?

2. Behind each bottle is oil (fossil fuel) which otherwise could have been used up for cars?

3. That 90% of the bottles end up as garbage? In spite of all those tall claims of recycle?

4. That the ones that end up in landfills will be there as a mark of our irresponsibility for millions of years!

5. That tonnes of PET bottles from California travelled all the way to Madras as waste (in the guise of recycle) and got illicitly dumped!

6. That 1500 bottles get trashed every second!

7. That in a test conducted by an NGO in the US, almost all leading brands of bottled water failed the basic health standards?

What can we do??
Carry your own stainless steel container.

It’s so easy..

It’s just a mindset tricked by the advertisements that the bottled ones are safer

We look forward to have a most productive and rewarding year

From the President Naina Shah..........

I recognize that I have the privilege of leading a unique all women’s organization Soroptimist Int’l of Chennai Downtown and this is a platform that is committed to providing best for women.

I am ready to accept this responsibility that you have given me. I am excited and eager to lead. I am ready and prepared to lead because of the opportunities that I have been given with this esteemed platform.

Being president allows one to provide vision and leadership that can help address the critical challenges facing our society today.

As a SICD president, it is also my role to pose global questions – to stimulate an environment where the most creative ideas can be unleashed.

Besides continuing to support the ongoing project of the club,

We will also take on some new ones.

Breast Cancer has been on the rise, Today cancer can be treated, only if it is nipped at the bud. And we have in the news Martina, who in spite of being one of the fittest women; she missed taking a mammogram for 4 years and was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. It was her personal 9/11. She says and She chooses to talk about it so that, Women get aware about getting a mammogram. We will focus on Breast Cancer Awareness, in association with Canstop.

We will try to reach out to at least a million Women this year. I know it is very challenging task but it is not an impossible one. With the support from you members we will achieve it

I would like to speak briefly of my own intentions.

I am committed to establishing a positive, regenerative service culture to make this club a preferred platform.

I was taught to work hard, to be independent, and to take responsibility for myself, to continuously improve and to care about others, and that I could succeed at anything if I set my mind to it.

Over the years, I learned – and taught myself – other lessons.

I needed to recognize my boundaries, that things are not black and white and there are many different points of view, perhaps most important, and as a result of extensive travel and cross-cultural exposure, I learned that everyone has a purpose and a value in this world.

This is your opportunity to pledge your wholehearted support to the incoming officers. The real success of our club lies in cooperating with your leaders and in fully participating and assuming your share of responsibility for constituent activities.

Can we do it???

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

World Environment Day - 5 June 2009

UN World Environment Day (WED), commemorated each year on June 5th, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. Each year, a different country hosts the international celebration.

The theme for 2009 is

“Is climate change and the broader consequences of environmental change, and what societies can do in response.”

Campaign Launch- "Say No to Plastic and Say Yes to Style"

Ms Tanvi Shah singer "Jai Ho " from Oscar winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" winner of the Golden Globe and The Oscar Launched the campaign and released the poster....

"Say No to Plastic and Say Yes to Style"

at the installation function of Soroptimist Internationalof Chennai Downtown on 8th April'08.

Cloth Bags folded into a small pouch as small as a Cell phone were gifted to all.

This project is financed through donations and run by volunteers and the bags are distributed as gifts.
The Bags are gifted to all, and people can contribute whatever amount they like towards this movement which isIn association with "Small Steps" an intiative by Upasana - Auroville

What can a little bag do?

• Every single bag can effectively prevent dumping of 200 throw-away plastic bags.
• Every single bag can provide a meaningful job to women who are empowering themselves.
• Every single bag can educate a whole family about environmental issues
• We are making 10 million bags
• Yes, by hand!
• Creating 1000 jobs for 1000 people for 1000 days.

It is not only about making a better world, It is also about changing ourselves, Learning new values, Taking responsibility, Loving our mother earth. It is our love in action.

How much should I pay for a Small Steps bag?

When you purchase a small steps bag, you are not buying a product – you are joining a movement. When you carry our little bags, you are demonstrating your conviction that, when we are conscientious of how we use resources, we make a collective difference in the condition of the planet and the quality of our lives .Upasana does not sell these bags, in the conventional sense. Instead, they are distributed within what has come to be known as the “gift economy.” This does not mean that the bags are free, though you may take one without payment if you cannot afford to purchase one or you are not inclined to contribute. It means that you are asked to assess the value of sustaining this program, and to pay as you wish so that others may enjoy that which you have been given.If you believe that the bag has value – as a utilitarian item, as a symbol of environmental responsibility, or as tool of community awareness – you have the opportunity to support this initiative and help it grow. For example, you can cover not only the cost of the bag you receive, but also the cost of producing and distributing one or more other bags, which will wind up in the hands of those who cannot otherwise afford them. Those bags will be a gift – your gift! – and will keep the movement going and growing.