Dear Friends,

At the outset, I express my heartiest gratitude to the organizers for having given me an opportunity to make this presentation before you all.

United Nations has emerged as a powerful means for establishing universal peace and human solidarity. My organization Golden India Foundation always supports United Nations’ initiatives for peace. Our non-profit organization is working with the sole aim of improving the quality of life in all spheres and making the people truly happy and prosperous.

Today, I wish to share my views about the significant "role that NGOs can play in overcoming poverty through education".

We all know that poverty is the greatest challenge being encountered by celebrated economists, governments, social and political leaders. Out of the six and a half billion people who inhabit this planet three billion people i.e. more than 47 percent of the world population live below the poverty line. Appalled by the magnitude of this problem United Nations organized the First Social Summit (1995) to consider this problem and evolved a joint strategy to wipe out poverty from the face of this beautiful earth. This Summit deliberated over three questions, which are directly or indirectly related to poverty. One of the questions considered important for social development was elimination of poverty. The two supporting questions debated along with the first question were integration of society and generation of employment. The Summit failed because the rich countries rejected the proposal to share a part of their excess resources with the poor nations.

I consider employment generation as the most effective method to deal with the problem of poverty. Unfortunately, globalization, which to my mind is one way of eliminating poverty, is being maligned by various NGOs across the world and is being portrayed as a stumbling block in the path of the solution of this problem. But, in my opinion, education comes even before employment and only through education poverty can be eliminated in real sense.

It is said that only 20% of the total money spent through Government agencies on social upliftment projects reaches the beneficiary. Even the Prime Minister of India late Mr. Rajeev Gandhi himself acknowledged this fact. On the contrary, NGOs with their voluntary motive undoubtedly work with less-formalities and more result-oriented approach as compared to bureaucratic setup. For the same reason, NGOs may be entrusted with the job of better and speedy implementation of the project of eradicating poverty through education.

The almighty God has created all of us with equal capabilities. Every one has two hands and an active mind, still some are very poor while others are rich. This has lot to do with what type of education a person acquires and later how he uses that education in his life.

There is an old saying that "Instead of giving a fish to eat, teach someone how to fish". Hence a program should be devised where millions of people can learn skills of their choices, which can help them in earning their livelihood and getting relieved from the vicious circle of poverty.

Now with the advent of modern technology, it is possible to educate and train millions of people in latest job skills without huge investments.

I wish to take this opportunity to submit my suggestion to UNO to take following initiatives for poverty elimination through education and to further encourage participation of NGOs in this noble mission.

Free Virtual University:

Setting up of a Free Virtual University will go a long way in providing education and technical learning to millions of people all over the world. College education is getting expensive every day so it is imperative to establish a Virtual University sponsored by UNO to provide free of charge education in some 500 different avenues. This University should be entitled to confer regular degrees to its students enrolled in the courses of their choice. Numerous studies have conclusively proven a connection between college education and prosperity therefore the proposed virtual university would be instrumental in alleviating the unemployment and poverty.

The project would need an investment of $ 200 million.

Skill Training Program:

Today, the biggest problem is that the people are ready to work but they have no idea about the type of work and the method of doing it. The first step is to identify various jobs, which need technical knowledge. These jobs might relate to repairing and maintenance of TV’s, radio’s, tractors, cars, scooter, electrical equipment and hundreds of other things of daily use. The second step is to create national and global channels wherein live demonstrations of how to do these things can be shown. This will generate unprecedented opportunities of self-employment.

1. 1000 interactive DVDs should be developed on different trade, skills and jobs with the assistance and guidance of best experts of their respective fields. The DVDs should be made in such a way that even an uneducated person of Asia and Africa could learn from it.

2. These DVDs should be translated in 20 major languages of the world and its copyright should remain with UNO. A special international TV channel called "Skill" may be launched to telecast these educational DVDs all around the world.

NGOs should be encouraged to promote this TV channel and use of DVDs for enhancement of job skills to the needy and poor people. The Government should also provide full support to NGOs to help millions of people to learn these skills free of charge and leading a better life.

Estimated Investment on skill training program

 

Making of these 1000 different interactive DVDs on each of these skills and jobs	$ 500 Million
Running of 24-hour international TV channel	$ 200 Million
Making and running of vast interactive internet portal	$ 100 Million
Other expenses	$ 50 Million
Total	$ 750 Million

Program For Farmers:

More than 50% of the population in Asia and Africa depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Moreover farmers all across the globe suffer from seasonal unemployment. Therefore to help them educate and enhance their earning, I suggest the following program

1. A research should be instigated to identify the best quality of 800 different fruits, vegetables, legumes and herbal plants and the seeds of these best quality products should be distributed to the farmers all over the world through NGOs. This will enable the poor farmers to choose from these best quality products and grow suitable cash crops, which would seek double earnings than the traditional crops.

An interactive DVD on each of these crops should be developed with comprehensive details about procuring the seeds, harvesting and selling these alternate crops. The same knowledge should also be provided on a web portal. This program can be implemented on an international level with the help of local NGOs to raise the farmers’ income. People at large will also be benefited with the availability of the best quality fruits, vegetables, legumes and herbal products.

For instance, there are so many fruits and vegetables, which are grown only in Thailand and India and are not available today in Africa, Latin America, Europe and even in America. This scheme will enable people throughout the world to buy these best quality products at affordable prices.

2. An international TV channel for farmers should also be launched by a consortium of NGOs under the aegis of UNO, to impart knowledge on these 800 products to farmers and to simultaneously popularize the use of fruits, vegetables and legumes in the diet, indirectly promoting vegetarianism.

Estimated Investment Program For Farmers

Research and finding these 800 different Fruits, Vegetables, Legumes and Herbal plants and product	$ 100 Million
Making of 800 different interactive DVDs on each of these crops	$ 400 Million
Running of international TV channel	$ 200 Million
Vast interactive internet portal	$ 100 Million
Other expenses	$ 50 Million
Total	$ 850 Million

Training for Meditation and Happiness:

We all long for happiness throughout our lives. But in today’s modern life we are so busy that we tend to forget the ways and means to enhance real happiness and peace for ourselves. There is an immediate need to launch an international TV channel called "Happiness" to disseminate the knowledge and secrets of great thinkers to the people of world in such a way that they can easily assimilate and use this knowledge for improving their day-to-day life. This channel should also promote meditation and its benefits to the society. It should also aim to help instill moral spiritual values in the human society.

Investment for Happiness TV channel

It will run in 10 major languages on 10 separate channels, which will cost $ 200 million per year.

UNO can assume a leading role in implementation of the aforesaid schemes with the help of NGOs. I am sure that with the intervention and involvement of UNO, these programs would solicit necessary funds for execution from various Government and Non-Government agencies.

Summary

S. No.	Particular	In Dollars
1.	Skill Training Program	$ 750 Million
2.	Program for the benefit of the farmers	$ 850 Million
3.	Happiness TV Channel	$ 200 Million
4.	Free Virtual University	$ 200 Million
	Total	$ 2 Billion

This investment of 2 Billion dollars is less the .005% of over 40 trillion dollars in other words it is $1 investment per $200,000 (GWP) Grand World Product. This will substantially improve the well being of people throughout the world.

Before concluding my presentation, I wish to humbly submit that we are ready to take on any responsibility under the auspices of United Nations Organization for eliminating poverty.

I apologize for any inconveniences that my views may have inadvertently caused to you.

Thanks a lot.

With Best Regards,

Dr. P.C. Lunia