7,552 research outputs found

    The Power of Now: Making the Case for Giving to India

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    The last decade for India has been one defined by remarkable growth; it has moved from being the twelfth largest economy in the world in 2007 to the seventh-largest today. In social development as well, India has made significant strides over the last decade. The incidence of multidimensional poverty has almost halved between 2006 and 2016; the maternal mortality rate has reduced by 21%, between 2007 and 2013; and infant deaths have reduced by 26% between 2012 and 2018.2,3,4 Much of this progress has been achieved by the collective effort of state and central government bodies, an engaged civil society, and a vibrant nonprofit ecosystem.Unfortunately, this growth story has not been all-encompassing or entirely inclusive. It has left behind critically vulnerable populations that lack access to education, employment, and healthcare and remain disproportionately disadvantaged with regards to basic human needs.* Around 16 million girls between age 15-19 become mothers every year* 54% of girls aged 18-19 years have not completed Grade 10* More than 50% of all maternal deaths in the country occur within tribal communities* Millions of people still lack access to basic sanitation facilitiesThe seriousness, scale and complexity of these challenges are quickly outpacing the ability of our government to singlehandedly address them and are directly hindering our ability to accelerate human development at the required pace. With an annual gap of at least USD 60 billion for India to achieve just five of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the need for the private sector to supplement the government's effort in accelerating India's development, both financially and non-financially, is more pronounced than ever before.The good news is that now more than ever, the Indian social sector is well equipped and positioned to receive such support and address critical gaps on an unprecedented scale. With large-scale collaboration among multiple stakeholders, an increasingly transparent and professional philanthropy ecosystem, and disruptive models that are re-engineering the way we design and deliver societal solutions at scale, the opportunity to drive on-ground impact in India through collaborative, trustworthy, and innovative means is greater than ever before

    A revenue generation model for adoption of voice telephony applications

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    Amongst various Voice Telephony Applications discovered, IBM India has developed the Spoken Web which enables voice commerce capabilities that are ideally suitable for underprivileged rural communities. Admittedly, these communities are barred from fully utilising ICT enabled electronic commerce services such as the Internet for business marketing processes as a consequence of poor literacy and financial constraints. The advent of Voice Telephony Applications aids accessibility and participation of the underprivileged rural communities to the ICT world. It should be noted that users are not compelled to be computer savvy to make voice calls, but high voice call costs are the deterrent. Therefore, devising an appropriate Revenue Generation Model would enhance the accessibility and participation of the underprivileged rural communities to the ICT world. As guided by the Design Science Approach, and the Diffusion of Innovations and Social Exchange theories, this research project has discovered and applied five models such as the Freemium, Affiliation, Advertising, Incentives-driven and Subsidy within each development stage of Spoken Web. This research project is of the idea that reimbursing content providers through supporting the proposed Revenue Generation Model as a de facto solution will help in reducing voice call costs to the users of Voice Telephony Applications in future.Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 201

    A revenue generation model for adoption of voice telephony applications

    Get PDF
    Amongst various Voice Telephony Applications discovered, IBM India has developed the Spoken Web which enables voice commerce capabilities that are ideally suitable for underprivileged rural communities. Admittedly, these communities are barred from fully utilising ICT enabled electronic commerce services such as the Internet for business marketing processes as a consequence of poor literacy and financial constraints. The advent of Voice Telephony Applications aids accessibility and participation of the underprivileged rural communities to the ICT world. It should be noted that users are not compelled to be computer savvy to make voice calls, but high voice call costs are the deterrent. Therefore, devising an appropriate Revenue Generation Model would enhance the accessibility and participation of the underprivileged rural communities to the ICT world. As guided by the Design Science Approach, and the Diffusion of Innovations and Social Exchange theories, this research project has discovered and applied five models such as the Freemium, Affiliation, Advertising, Incentives-driven and Subsidy within each development stage of Spoken Web. This research project is of the idea that reimbursing content providers through supporting the proposed Revenue Generation Model as a de facto solution will help in reducing voice call costs to the users of Voice Telephony Applications in future.Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 201

    Governance in the gullies : democratic responsiveness and leadership in Delhi's slums

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    The authors use detailed ethnographic evidence to design and interpret a broad representative survey of 800 households in Delhi's slums, examining the processes by which residents gain access to formal government and develop their own informal modes of leadership. While ethnically homogeneous slums transplant rural institutions to the city, newer and ethnically diverse slums depend on informal leaders who gain their authority through political connections, education, and network entrepreneurship. Education and political affiliation are more important than seniority in determining a leader's influence. Informal leaders are accessible to all slum dwellers, but formal government figures are most accessed by the wealthy and the well-connected.City Development Strategies,National Governance,Housing&Human Habitats,Urban Environment,Urban Services to the Poor

    Supporting decentralised urban governance : training women municipal councillors in Mumbai, India

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    India;urban areas;local government;training programmes;women's participation

    Intersectional politics and citizen activism: An Israeli Mizrahi feminist lens

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    This article aims to rethink intersectional sites of solidarity carried out by coalitions of heterogeneous groups coming up from the margins of society. From this standpoint, I analyse intersectional politics through practices and processes led by feminist and other social justice grassroots activists together with citizen activists, that have helped give rise to political visibility of marginalised communities inside Israel. To address this issue, I critically discuss the interconnection of political intersectionality, coalition building, citizen activism, and its implications not only at the grassroots level, but also in local politics and institutions. This research is based on extensive fieldwork that took place in 2016 and 2018 in the most peripheral neighbourhoods of south Tel Aviv. In detail, I explore the role of one of the most well-known Israeli Mizrahi feminist movements called Ahoti (Sister) — for Women in Israel, in creating intersectional coalitions with other marginalised groups that mainly include long-term Mizrahi residents, non-Jewish African refugees and migrant workers. This cooperation between feminist activists historically engaged in grassroots movements together with citizen activists involved in new local struggles represents an original intersectional approach to multidisciplinary feminist research.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Youth Solutions Report - First Edition

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    This first edition of the Youth Solutions Report bears the fruits of a year-long process in which the Sustainable Development Solutions Network - Youth (SDSN Youth) and its partners sourced youthled solutions across all countries and regions to showcase the innovative approach that young people are taking in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Report builds upon one of three key pillars of the activity of SDSN Youth, which mandates an operational focus on "supporting young people in the creation and scaling of innovative solutions for the SDGs".The yearly Youth Solutions Report is envisaged as the first step in a long-term process through which SDSN Youth, in collaboration with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) at large, will aim at directly supporting youth-led projects through funding, expertise, and visibility. In this context, the dissemination and exploitation strategies which will characterize the follow-up to its release will be as important as the Report itself, and will be carried out at the international, national, and local level through a series of online and offline activities including conferences and events, webinars, a dedicated investment readiness programme, and a platform for investors and supporters.SDSN Youth remains committed to working with partners at all relevant levels, including UN agencies, governments, universities, NGOs and the private sector to overcome the challenges that youth are facing in developing their solutions, establishing young people not only as a key demographics in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but also as a main contributor to its success
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