French councillor wants global law against food waste

Arash Derambarsh, who kick-started fight against food waste in Paris suburb, wants to convince more countries to follow France’s example

A councillor whose campaign against food waste led to a law forcing French supermarkets to donate unwanted food to charity has set his sights on getting similar legislation passed globally.

Arash Derambarsh said it was “scandalous and absurd” that food is wasted and in some cases deliberately spoiled while the homeless, poor and unemployed go hungry.

Derambarsh — a municipal councillor for the “Divers Droit” (diverse right) in the suburb of Courbevoie, north-west of Paris — persuaded French MPs to adopt the regulation after a petition gained more than 200,000 signatures and celebrity support in just four months.

The amendment was approved as part of a wider law — the Loi Macron — that covers economic activity and equality in France and is expected to be passed by the national assembly on Tuesday, entering the statute books shortly afterwards.

It will bar supermarkets from throwing away food approaching best-before dates and deliberately poisoning products with bleach to stop them being retrieved by people foraging through bins.

Now Derambarsh wants to convince European countries and the wider world to adopt similar bans. “Food is the basis of life, it is an elementary factor in our existence,” he told The Guardian.

“I have been insulted and attacked and accused of being naive and idealistic, but I became a local councillor because I wanted to help people. Perhaps it is naive to be concerned about other human beings, but I know what it is like to be hungry.

“When I was a law student living on about 400 euros a month after I’d paid my rent, I used to have one proper meal a day around 5pm. I’d eat pasta, or potatoes, but it’s hard to study or work if you are hungry and always thinking about where the next meal will come from.” “Every day we’d help around 100 people. Half would be single mothers with several children, pensioners or public workers on low salaries, the other half would be those living on the streets or in shelters,” he said.

Derambarsh is planning to table the issue — via the campaign group One, founded by U2 singer Bono — when the U.N. discusses its Millennium development goals to end poverty in September as well as at the G20 economic summit in Turkey in November and the COP21 environment conference in Paris in December. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2015

Keywords: French Councillor, global law, food waste, COP21 environment conference

10 THINGS THAT SUPER SUCCESSFUL LEADERS DO

10 things that super successful leaders do Leaders are best measured by the productivity of theirteams Why is it that some leaders stand out--performing better than their peers while achieving better results?
Is it because they are genetically predisposed to be better leaders, or perhaps because they have better training? I personally believe that today's very best and most successful leaders got that way by applying some very simple, but powerful habits on the job.
Unfortunately,there are a lot of leaders in business today who need to do a better job.According to the Gallup Organisation, a staggering 87% of employees world wide are not engaged in their jobs or their work. This is a huge problem that creates massive losses for businesses large and small, in every industry. When employees are not engaged in their jobs, then they are not being productive.And when employees are not being productive, then their companies lose money--and customers and market share. The solution? Good leadership practices.
Here,then, are the top-10 habits of today's most successful leaders. 
 
1. Acknowledge 
 
When things are going well in your organisation, let people know--early and often.Publicly recognise productive employees for their contributions. Make a big deal about it. Encourage outstanding, sustained performance by showing your employees how much their efforts are appreciated. Studies show thatacknowledging the great things your employees do can be more motivational than bonuses. 
 
2. Motivate 
 
Set high standards for communication, productiv ity, and professionalism throughout you rorganisation. During periods when these standards are not met, avoid assigning blame and singling out poor performance, as these responses only call attention to the problems.Find ways to get back on track as an organisation. Don't lower your standards, instead, partner with your employees and take on challenges as a team. Enlist your employees' input to identify blocking issues, focus attention on possible solutions, and strive to meet and exceed expectations. 
 
3. Be Decisive 
 
Allleaders must make tough decisions It goes with the job. They understand that incertain situations, difficult and timely decisions must be made in the bestinterests of the entire organisation, decisions that require a firmness,authority, and finality that will not please everyone.Extraordinary leadersdon't hesitate in such situations. They also know when not to act unilaterallybut instead foster collaborative decision-making. 
 
4. Communicate 
 
Communicate clearly, professionally, and often. Employees expect their manager's honest assessment of their performance. In order to credibly provide this feedback,excellent managers must thoroughly understand their organisations and accurately assess progress. When things are running smoothly, highlight what is working and communicate success throughout the organisation. When problems arise, consider the potential impact you can have by constructively communicating your concerns.Remember that communication is a tool that can (andshould) inspire and motivate as well as identify and resolve problems. 
 
5. Trust 
 
Learn totrust your employees. Bosses who believe employees are capable and responsibleencourage autonomy while also creating a strong sense of community throughoutthe organisation. To establish trust, create a safe, positive workingenvironment with open, honest, two-way communication. Trust that your employeeswill meet or exceed organisational goals when working in a productive, safe,and supportive environment. 
 
6. Be Confident 
 
Not only are the best leaders confident, but their confidence is contagious.Employee sare naturally drawn to them, seek their advice, and feel more confident as a re sult. When challenged, they don't give in too easily, because they know their ideas, opinions and strategies are well-informed and the result of much hard work. But when proven wrong they take responsibility and quickly act to improve the situations within their authority. 
 
7. Develop 
 
Set upyour employees for success, not failure. Provide them with the tools and trainingthey need to reach their full potential, and to meet and exceed the standardsyou have set. Encourage them to identify their strengths and what motivatesthem. When possible, incorporate what drives them into their daily tasks. 
 
8. Direct 
 
Ensure that your employees feel challenged with their jobs, but not over whelmed. Create a clean, well maintained, and organized working environment where they can do their work and feel comfortable. Delegate tasks appropriately and look for opportunities to maximize each employee's strengths. 
 
9. Partner
Make your employees feel like they are a part of something special and that their efforts are truly appreciated. Involve them directly in the success of the organisation. Create and cultivate a sense of camaraderie, where people feel itis fun to come to work, because it is a positive and productive environment and they feel they are part of an efficient, skilled, and highly successful community. 
 
10. Be Honest and Transparent 
 
Strong leaders treat people how they want to be treated. They are extremely ethical and believe that honesty, effort, and reliability form the foundation of success. They embody these values so overtly that no employee doubts their integrity for a minute. They share information openly and avoid spin control.These practices and behaviors will have a major impact on the effectiveness of your employees. Be the very best boss you can be and your employees will step up. When you get the very best from your people, your business will be tough to beat. 
 
Source | Economic Times | 22 May 2015

Economic & Political Weekly: Table of Contents

Adrift and Alone

Vol - L No. 21, May 23, 2015 

• Editorials

The plight of the Rohingya is a test for Asia's humanitarian instinct.

• Read more
• 0 Comments

Editorials India's Attitude towards Sports The suicide of a teenage sportswoman recently showcases all that is wrong with Indian sports. Read more	Commentary Growth in Gross Value Added of Indian Manufacturing 2011–12 Series vs 2004–05 Series Bishwanath Goldar There has been criticism of the 2 percentage point hike in the 2013-14 real gross domestic product growth in the new National Accounts Statistics series and some observers have therefore been sceptical about the new series. There is, however,... Read more
Commentary Can Traditional Bat Hunts Cause Disease Outbreaks in India? Pilot Dovih Natural hosts of some of the most deadly emerging viruses such as Ebola, bats are harvested in an annual ritual by one tribe in Nagaland. This practice, endangering both public health and biodiversity, can lead to the emergence of novel... Read more	Commentary Agricultural Oddities T C A Ranganathan Low input-use efficiency and insuffi cient productivity increases are key challenges to Indian agriculture. But are ever-rising minimum support prices and sops such as free power and farm loan waivers appropriate solutions Read more
Commentary Immunisation Coverage in India An Urban Conundrum Purnamita Dasgupta, Rajib Dasgupta This article examines the decline in coverage levels of the Routine Immunisation Programme in the better-governed states across three rounds of the District Level Household and Facility Survey. The analysis points to an urban conundrum where... Read more	Commentary Remembering Chris Bayly Ajay Skaria Chris Bayly--who passed away recently--began as a historian in the classical Cambridge School mould but moved away from the school's understanding of the locality in his second work where he stressed on locality as a place shaped both by... Read more
Fourteenth Finance Commission Fourteenth Finance Commission Continuity, Change and Way Forward Y Venugopal Reddy In preparation of its report, the Fourteenth Finance Commission was guided by the terms of reference; the approach of the previous finance commissions; the prevailing macroeconomic situation in the country; and the evolving circumstances relevant... Read more	Fourteenth Finance Commission Stance on Devolution and Grants V Bhaskar The Fourteenth Finance Commission is to be commended for bringing states to the forefront of the development paradigm. The award is transformational but the fall in progressivity is of concern. There is a divergence in the growth projections... Read more
Fourteenth Finance Commission Some Hits and Misses Archana R Dholakia The Fourteenth Finance Commission has come up with some bold and game-changing recommendations such as an increase in the tax share going to states from 32% to 42%, setting up of the Fiscal Council to make the centre accountable, and doing away... Read more	Fourteenth Finance Commission Implications for Local Governments M A Oommen The subject of local governments has not been comprehensively treated by the Fourteenth Finance Commission. The implications of the new inter se distribution formula of the commission's award for local governments have not been thought... Read more
Book Review Learning to See an Early Indian History of Regions Uzma Z Rizvi The Changing Gaze: Regions and the Constructions of Early India by Bhairabi Prasad, Sahu Oxford University Press, New Delhi, India, 2013; pp 344, Rs 850. Read more	Book Review In Spite of Stigma Shalini Rudra Birth in the Age of AIDS: Women, Reproduction and HIV/AIDS in India by Cecilia Van Hollen (California: Stanford University Press), 2013; pp 288, $24.95. Read more
Book Review A Participant Takes Stock Bala Raju Nikku Nepal Votes for Peace by Bhojraj Pokharel and Shrishti Rana, New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 2013; pp xiii + 266, Rs 450, paperback. Read more	Insight Public Health Facilities in North India An Exploratory Study in Four States Kritika Goel, Reetika Khera Following the introduction of universal access to free medicines and diagnostics at public health facilities in Rajasthan during 2011-13, we revisited the facilities surveyed by Banerjee et al (2004), and present the changes over the last decade... Read more
Special Articles Cast(e) on the Hill ‘Divine’ Power, Social Cohesion and Hierarchy in Himachal Pradesh Surinder S Jodhka Caste has often been viewed as a system of hierarchy based on the religious ideology of the Hindus with a common structure across the subcontinent. Based on an extensive empirical study of Himachal Pradesh, this paper shows how caste actively... Read more	Special Articles When Planning Becomes a Ritual Shirish B Patel The debate over Mumbai's Development Plan 2034 has exposed the fault lines in the urban planning process. Apart from the problems posed by multiple autonomous agencies and a state government that has virtual veto powers, the development plan... Read more
Special Articles Grandparental Childcare and Labour Market Participation of Mothers in India Zakir Husain, Mousumi Dutta This paper examines whether the presence of grandparents increases the probability of mothers going out to work in India. Analysis of data from the Demographic Health Survey (2005-06), supplemented by a primary survey covering 750 graduate women... Read more	Discussion Caste in Indian English Fiction Footnotes to a Post-Mandal Debate Merin Simi Raj Taking off from Kalyan Das's article "Subaltern Historiography to Dalit Historiography" (EPW, 14 February 2015), this discussion digs up an old debate in the pages of EPW on the presence of caste and its denial in Indian English...

Groom For Groom

There is need for mutual understanding between anti-caste and queer groups.

The Mother of a gay activist places a matrimonial advertisement in her local newspaper in Mumbai. She is searching for a groom for her son. This is extraordinary because all other ads are searching for brides for grooms, and grooms for brides. Apart from the same-sex requirement, this advertiser has other expectations of the groom. He should be well placed, animal loving and vegetarian. And caste is no bar but he should preferably be an Iyer, a Hindu Brahmin.
This ad is a welcome new disruption to the popular imagination of heterosexual marriage in India. It portends the possibility of a matrimonial alliance between two men or, in other words, of same-sex marriage. It was so threatening to some newspapers that they refused to publish it.

Newspapers routinely carry matrimonial ads. Most are for heterosexual marriages and they disclose information like age, occupation, height, religion and caste. Often, these ads are clustered under caste categories, which implies that matrimonial alliances are sought within those categories only. Some ads mention their caste preference explicitly. Others declare caste and their openness to matrimonial alliances from any caste.

The mother has to be lauded for her openness, courage and conviction in placing this ad. Yet this disruption is narrow, and limited to same-sex matrimonials. It does not disrupt the caste characteristic of matrimony. On the contrary, it explicitly declares a preference for Brahmin Iyers. In defence, the activist son has clarified that his mother is only trying to find somebody similar to their own culture and there is nothing discriminatory about it. But the language of discrimination can be coded with words like culture and preference for The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of caste, among other grounds. Matrimonial ads are common tools of caste discrimination, yet they are ubiquitous and unchallenged. There is something new and old about this same-sex matrimonial. It is a bold new step towards the advancement of gay rights in India, but it is also an old and well-known form of caste discrimination. It is telling of the caste composition of gay rights and it is saying that caste Hindus are preferred, Dalits keep away.

Dalit translates in English as broken, downtrodden or crushed. It is a figurative usage that calls out centuries of injustice based on caste and stares that subordination in the face. Dalits were considered to be polluted and unclean, and deemed “untouchable”. Some of these sentiments of untouchability and discrimination still flourish. Cleaning tasks are typically assigned to Dalits. “Manual scavenging”is a euphemism for cleaning sewers and dry latrines by hand. Residential areas in rural India are segregated on caste lines. Although urban India allows for greater anonymity, it is easily compromised by caste-oriented surnames like Iyer, Sharma, Menon, Dixit, Ghosh, …vegetarians.

What makes a good leader?

Leadership demands progressive learning, and does not have set rules.

‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going.’

Over the years, the definition of leadership has changed. From being a ceremonious position, leadership has come down to the grass-root level. Today, the image of a leader is one who can be a common man. Then what is special about leadership? What is special is the journey of becoming a leader.

Nobody is a born leader; it is hard-earned experience that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Radhika Roy, the media baron, co-founder and managing director, NDTV, has consistently demonstrated how empires can be built by vision and self-belief. Easy as it may sound, the journey to becoming a good leader is tough. Leadership is all about collective growth and success.

A leader is a self-starter, a person around whom reolves the entire team. It is from the leader that the team draws energy, courage and the spirit to go ahead. He or she is the torch-bearer, the guide who leads the team to success. So what makes a good leader? Is there a set formula that can ensure making of great leaders? Unfortunately, leadership is not mathematics. It is the science of progressive learning and does not have set rules. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates followed different styles, but both remain classic examples of great leaders. Having said so, great leaders of the past and present reflect some common traits. Here are some qualities that aspiring leaders should imbibe:

Vision

Leadership requires farsightedness. The ability to see ahead and lead the team on the correct path is a skill which comes with experience. It is the intuition of the leader, the ability to learn from past mistakes and move accordingly that sets apart from the rest.

Integrity

The characteristic features of a leader define the establishment he drives. The employees and the organisation are a reflection of him. His innate values and learnings form the life-sap of the business. A leader with integrity builds an efficient team and a successful business, as well.

Commitment

A leader leads by example. What better way to do this than to shoulder the responsibility with the team? There is no greater motivation for the team than to see the boss working along, sharing the burden. A committed leader builds a committed team in the long run.

Creativity

It is the quality of the leader to do something beyond the ordinary that sets him apart. To take something of average quality and build something new out of it is a quality that leaders possess. After all, leadership is all about breaking the regular and moving out of the box.

Crisis Management

The true mettle of a leader is tested during crises. It is the way he handles challenges and turns them into opportunities that proves his worth as a leader. It is in trying times that the team looks up to its leader for guidance and support. Thus successful leadership calls for the ability to cruise through such difficult times and ensure success.

Team Player

A leader not only leads the team from the front, but also stands along with it. Only when a leader is a good team player can he become a successful leader. Understanding the team, bonding with them and sharing the work are some of the significant qualities of a leader that not only make him successful but an idol to his team. While it is true that time and experiences make a seasoned leader, it is always good to start early.

You don’t need a designation or authority to be a leader, all you need is courage to take up the responsibility and reach your goal. It is the faith in oneself and in one’s team that plays a key role in the long run. It is the charisma, the acumen and fine intellect that helps a leader build the road ahead.

So muster the courage and embark on your journey, for success awaits the bravehearts!

The author is business development lead, Hellointern.com.

Keywords: leadership, education, Success

Vedanta - Beyond Pain & Pleasure

S H VENKATRAMANI





Indic tradition exhorts us to cultivate a temperament of equanimity , a state of equipoise in which one is unmoved, equally , by pleasure and by pain.We are told that we should not be driven to a state of delirious ecstasy by a pleasurable experience; neither should we sink into the slough of despondency after experiencing pain.He who can regard both pleasure and pain alike is described by the Bhagwad Gita as a stithaprajnya. Can we cultivate this state of equanimity by using our faculties of creativity and imagination to mentally transport ourselves away from the impact of an immediate experience?
If the creative mind is capable of doing so, the same mind is also equally capable of taking us closer to the experience! If we forcibly silence our agitated mind and anxious heart, that would only create a dichotomy between what one naturally feels like being and doing, and what one thinks one should be and do. How does one cultivate that detached perspective? How does one attain a state of equanimity?
To do that would mean to transcend the dimension of the mind itself, to transcend all opposites. To achieve the equanimity of the stithaprajnya, one would have to first transcend the dichotomies of the mindscape, the stimuli towards exultation or lamentation that the world offers in plenty .
This transcendence also involves the renunciation of every device that promotes unhealthy differences, dispute and conflict. It is the direct perception of the indivisible unity of all that is around and within one, according to Advaita, which gives one equanimity .

the speaking tree - Is It All Right For Me To Eat Eggs?

Interaction: J Krishnamurti





Do you advocate vegetarianism?
Would you object to the in clusion of an egg in your diet?
JK:Is that really a very great problem, whether we should have an egg or not? Perhaps most of you are concerned with non-killing. That is really the crux of the matter, is it not?
Perhaps most of you eat meat or fish.You avoid killing by going to a butcher ... that is only dodging the problem. If you like to eat eggs, you may get infertile eggs to avoid killing. But this is a very superficial question ­ the problem is much deeper. You don't want to kill animals for your stomach, but you do not mind supporting governments that are organised to kill.
All sovereign governments are based on violence; they must have armies, navies and air forces. You don't mind supporting them, but you object to the terrible calamity of eating an egg! (Laughter) See how ridiculous the whole thing is; investigate the mentality of the gentleman who is nationalistic, who does not mind the exploitation and the ruthless destruction of people, to whom wholesale massacre is nothing ­ but who has scruples as to what goes into his mouth ... You may refrain from using animals and degrading them, you may be compassionate about killing them, but what is important in this question is the whole problem of exploitation and killing ­ not only the slaughter of human beings in wartime, but the way you exploit people, the way you treat your servants and look down on them as inferiors. Probably you are not paying attention to this because it is near home. You would rather discuss God, reincarnation ­ but nothing requiring immediate action and responsibility .
So, if you are really concerned with not killing, you should not be a nationalist; you should not call yourself Sinhalese, German or Russian. Also you must have right employment ...Obviously , the army, the navy, are wrong professions; so is the profession of law which encourages litigation; and the police, especially the secret police. So, right employment must be found and exercised by each one, and only then can there be the cessation of killing, which will bring about peace among men. But the economic pressure is so great in the modern world that very few can withstand it ... Unfortunately , most of us are concerned with immediate pleasures, with everyday living; and if we can get them, atisfied. We do not want to look we are satisfied. We do not want to look into the deeper and wider problems; though we know they exist, we want to avoid them ... But you will tell me that I have not answered the question about the egg, whether to eat an egg or not. Surely , intelligence is the important thing ­ not what goes into your mouth, but what comes out of it; and most of us have filled our hearts with the things of the mind, and our minds are very small, shallow. Our problem is to find out how to bring about a transformation in that which is shallow and small, and this transformation can come about only through understanding the shallow.
Those of you who want to go into the question more deeply will have to find out whether you are contributing to war and how to avoid it, whether indirectly you are the cause of destruction. If you can really solve that question, then you can easily settle the superficial matter of whether you should be a vegetarian or not. Tackle the problem at a much deeper level, and you will find the answer.