GOA SUDHAROP ANNUAL AWARDS PRESENTATION( 29-12-2007)

PRESS RELEASE FROM GOA SUDHAROP
---------------------------------------------------------
 
Goa Sudharop Community Development Inc. a Goans Diaspora, non-profit, volunteer NGO working for betterment of Goa and Goans worldwide, will have  their Annual Awards  Presentation at Kala Academy (Black Box Hall), Panjim, on Saturday, 29th December, 2007 from 4 p.m.  to 6.30 p.m. Mr. George Pinto, Goa Sudharop’s USA-based co-founder and Director will be the Chief Guest.

Goa Sudharop observed 2007 as “Year of the Environment” and conducted  throughout the year, at the very grassroots level in Goa, several activities like power point environmental awareness presentations for many school groups, inter-school environmental competitions,  a rain water harvesting workshop for high school teachers, sponsorship of cartoonist Alexis website on the environmental theme, preparation of Goa-specific environmental standards for the building industry, and several other promotional activities with a view to create environmental awareness and stress the paramount need of protecting  and conserving nature.  Evidently, Goa Sudharop notes with satisfaction that with these humble volunteer efforts it was possible to involve over a thousand students,  200 school teachers and hundreds of individuals in Goa to participate in this environmental awareness and conservation programme!

Cash prizes will be presented to the winners of the Inter-school Eco-clubs competition, as also to winners of the VIII and X Std. students for an essay competition on environmental themes:  “Clean Goa – Green Goa” and “Living in harmony with nature”. Awards will also be given to NGOs and individuals working in the environmental field for conducting environmental awareness, waste management and conservation activities. Additionally, as part of our continuing effort to support our past themes like “2005 – Year of the Child”,and “2006 – Year of the seniors” cash awards will be given at this function to 14 needy orphanages sheltering abandoned and destitute children coming from different communities to the tune of Rs. 2,50,000/-.  And by way of support to old-age homes an amount of Rs. 1,00.000/- approximately.

As a part of this function, Goa Sudharop will also hold a seminar on the topic “Goa Vision 2020”. The panel of speakers are Architect Ritu Prasad of GBA (with inputs from Patricia Pinto of GBA), Fr. Maverick Fernandes of GBA and SVM, and Soter D’Souza of GMAS, with Minguel Braganza, President, Botanical Society of Goa, being the moderator. 
Since its inception, Goa Sudharop has partnered with various NGOs in Goa as Goa Desc, Green Cross, Bailancho Saad, Goa Foundation, Peoples’ Movement for Civic Action and other groups working at Goa’s grassroots level. This premier Goans Diaspora organisation provides the vehicle that enables all Goans – resident and non-resident to give back to Goa in the form of time, money and skills.

Besides organisation-based projects, Goa Sudharop supports and funds individuals who have done outstanding work in Goa, through the Annual Goa Sudharop Fellowship Awards instituted from the year 2000. These Fellowships not only reflect Goa Sudharop’s continuing commitment to certain key issues like childrens’ and woemens’rights, civil rights and the environment, but also allows Goa Sudharop to build living partnerships with outstanding individuals and groups in Goa, all working with a common mission – the betterment of Goa and Goans worldwide. For more information, visit our website: www. goasudarop.org or contact Ibonio M.B.D’Souza at 2751002 or melicio@hotmail.com.