Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Development Labs at a Glance
We specialize in helping individuals and organizations drive change that is sustainable, holistic and benefits all....
About Us
Development Labs aims to promote and develop new ideas from the youth of the nation. We are a bunch of young enthusiasts who want to bring about a change and make this world a better one for generations to come.
We are sure our next generations would be afraid to play in the Sun because there would be no ozone to protect them, afraid to drink water because it is poisoned with arsenic, afraid to eat food because it is now carcinogenic, and adulterated, and probably afraid to even breathe because of the high pollution.
India employs 60 million child labourers, homes over 400 million people below poverty line, 150 million malnourished children- a problem which has only grown in the past five years, and more than 300 illiterate adults. Millions affected by Asthama, 1.5 million TB patients, and another 1.5 million HIV /AIDS affected people.
An old Kashmiri proverb states, “We have not inherited the earth from our forefathers, but only borrowed it from our children”. We are sure this is not the heritage we intend to leave for them.
We are looking for innovative solutions to solve these problems so come be a part of this change. Write to us at info@developmentlabs.in if you want to volunteer with us or have any idea that you want to explore which can transform the way the world functions.
We have just one life to live and one planet to protect, so let the change begin!!
Ideology
In the last couple of decades India has proved its economic prowess not only at the regional level but has emerged as a strong pillar of global economy. Even in times of recession, when the world was under huge pressure, India registered a growth of 6.4%. India is still expected to grow at a rate of over 8% for times to come.
However, at this juncture it must also be noted that “All is not well”. If we continue to grow at 10%, India would finish all its resources by 2030. This calls for deep rethinking in the models of growth we have been following uptil now. Thus, natural resource conservation and valuing our resources forms the key to sustainable development of India
India is also challenged by another list of challenges. These include- poverty, regional disparity, healthcare infrastructure & services, sustainable livelihoods, sanitation & hygiene, illiteracy, child labor, gender disparity…... and the list goes on.
It is obvious that solutions to all these issues have to come not only from government agencies but from all spheres of the society. These would include civil society, non-governmental organizations, individuals at large and most importantly businesses.
With this background, Development Labs was born. At Development Labs, we have developed a bi-directional model to merge these sections of the society to bring about sustainable growth.
What We Do
Development Labs intends to sensitize citizens at large and involve them in creating a greater impact. With an innovative approach to developing a better India, Development Labs has imbibed continuous change as the only constant in our approach.
Development Labs, will empower, educate, and enlighten not only the citizens who want to do their bit to create a better society, but also the NGOs working at the grassroots and equip them with new tools and methodologies for carrying out their work more effectively and efficiently. We also aim to create a new breed of responsible consumers.
Involving and connecting with citizens on various social and environmental issues prevalent in the society is the core of Development Labs. Through new and innovative ways of engaging people, we want to use their ideas and evolve them into workable pragmatic solutions. (Please check Labs section of the website).
We work on a simple participatory model, bridging the gap between India and Bharat. The model is oriented towards increasing the flow of resources and information through the entire structure. This bi-directional approach is a hybrid model of both top-down and bottom-up approach.
We, presently, offer a small range of products to serve the growing environmentally and socially sensitive consumers who want to bring about a change.
Apparel Range
We are presently offering T-Shirts with a social orientation. These T-Shirts are based exclusively on Eight Millennium Development Goals namely-
a. poverty and extreme hunger,
b. Universal Primary Education,
c. Promote Gender Equality,
d. Reduce Child Mortality,
e. Improve Maternal Health,
f. Combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases,
g. Ensure Environmental Sustainability, and
h. Global Partnership for Development.
Every T-Shirt you buy not only speaks your mind but also contributes to a cause. The profit earned from these apparels is diverted to bringing about a change you intend to create. A newsletter is sent to you every six months indicating the scale of impact that has been created.
CSR Courses
We are also offering a Certificate Course in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for students who intend to pursue a career in CSR, development sector, and as social entrepreneurs. This course is intended to lay a firm foundation about business ethics, stakeholder engagement & management, best practices, systemizing & structuring CSR, CSR as a strategic approach.
We prefer students with background in Social Work, Volunteering, Psychology and Home Science; however, others are also encouraged to join the course and learn more.
Documentaries
Development Labs is in process of developing a series of documentaries to create awareness on various issues like Indian Indigenous Tribes, BPOs in Rural India, Dying Indian Art, Social security for Indian jawans who sacrificed their lives, Female Feticides, Soil conservation, Water conservation, Floods, check dams, Plastics- as a necessary Evil, Homeless Children, Traditional Crafts, Modern Agricultural Techniques, Organic farming, Child Labour, Tuberculosis, Old Age- homelessness & loneliness, Cancer & diabetes in children, Thalessiemia, Encephalitis, Sanitation-squatting with dignity, and HIV/AIDS.
Volunteer Labs
At Development Labs, we aim to create a participatory model and involve more and more volunteers and agents of change with us.
Send us your ideas, comments, opinions or anything else you want to share with the rest of the world or you want to explore!!
Typically these ideas should aim to create environmental & social impact in India. The approach should consider typically four basic things, we call as the new 4Ps:-
1. Processes: Process would typically mean giving a structured approach to your idea. A systematic approach is any day more effective as compared to the one lacking a basic framework. Through Development Labs we intend to develop new skeleton which would act as foundations for developing new models in India. These successful models can then be replicated throughout the world.
2. Profitability: Relating a social approach to profitability is not considered as a good sign by many critics. However, we believe, that profitability of a model is very important for its sustainability. Self sustenance of any model is key to its success as such models cannot be fueled by grants forever.
3. Planet: Natural resources have acted as a limiting factor for civilizations at large, making it an essential component for managing sustainability of the organization. India is already the third largest emitter of GHGs and there has been growing pressure on India to reduce emissions. Land and water resources in India have also been under high pressure due to growing population and increased exploitation of resources. It has already been predicted by many that the Third World War will be sparked by water scarcity. This makes it essential for us to develop new models which would conserve such natural resources.
4. People: Of late, role of citizens in the society has increased many folds and so has the impact. India’s youth not only has the talent but also the intent to transform the country. Representative bodies like CSOs & NGOs also have an increased footprint in the society. Aligning these two sections of the society in order to achieve greater progress is extremely significant. We are presently working on different stakeholder models and choosing the best fit for Indian set-up.
Volunteer with Us
If you think you have the passion to bring about a change, you can surely with to us at info@developmentlabs.in.
We are open to volunteers from all walks of life, so your qualification or background is not a constrain for us!!
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