Mumbai: Freddy Mendonca Honoured with Global Karmaveer Puraskar

Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
With Inputs from Media Release

Mumbai, Dec 5: Entrepreneur Freddy Mendonca has been conferred the CtrlS - iCONGO 'Karmaveer Puraskar' Global Award for Social Justice and Citizen Action for his 'I Can Do' attitude and for his citizen action for social justice, through which he has become and led the change with his relentless efforts.

As an entrepreneur and founder-chairman of 'Dimensions', he has formed a unique movement of Christian entrepreneurs and professionals with a dream to create wealth for its members and the community by pooling and harnessing resources as well as nurturing each other’s growth in a spirit of transparency, commitment, excellence and trust.

The International Confederation of NGOs (iCONGO - www.icoNGO.in) is a citizen movement towards creating an egalitarian, just, humane and responsible society. iCONGO passionately works with people, for encouraging social justice through citizen action.

The CtrlS - iCONGO-promoted “Karmaveer Puraskar (KVP)” is a Global Award for Social Justice and Citizen Action instituted by the people sector and civil society with various partner organisations, citizens at large and media supporters. Be the change you want to see in this world is what every Karmaveer inherently believes and practices.

Past awardees include the likes of the late Dr Varghese Kurien, Dr David Dror, Dr Kalyan Banerjee, Princess Francoise and many more.

These awards were instituted with a simple passion mantra - to recognize real life unsung heroes who believe ‘It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness’.  The awards are a part of the Right Every Wrong movement (www.RighteveryWrong.com) and are accompanied by the Right Every Wrong Conclave, re-christened as REX ConclIve from this year 2012 (www.rexideas.com), a forum where various eminent and concerned people have shared and discussed views on socio-political issues, be it about poverty alleviation, marginalization, communal issues, HIV, disability, climate change, electoral reforms or humane capitalism.

The awards are given every year on November 26, the National Social Justice and Citizen Action Day, the day India adopted constitutional pledge as a republic and Indian citizens in 1949. It is the first award of its kind from India, and probably around the globe, an event of honour that has been held every year for the past 6 years, at a very austere, simple and dignified program in New Delhi.

Over the years the Karmaveer has become a highly coveted civil society and people’s award. This year is the 7th year celebration of “Karmaveer”, to encourage, celebrate and inspire citizen’s action for social justice.

The “Karmaveer Puraskar” awards ceremony has over the years become a “melting pot” where people from India and global citizens, comprising individuals ranging from princes and princesses to global bestselling authors, young politicians, statesmen, bureaucrats, ambassadors, actors, singers, captains of industry, media professionals, development workers, young adults, students, school children, homemakers, academicians, slum workers and others come “together as one to Right Every Wrong”.  

These awards recognize and applaud the social commitment of concerned individuals, who have proactively and voluntarily worked for bringing a positive transformation in the society and the world we live in. In today’s world where there is huge apathy and indifference, we feel a paramount need for being not just a good person but also a good citizen who exercises her/ his rights, duties and responsibilities as a concerned, just and humane citizen.

Karmaveer awards are given only to individuals and not to any organisation or company.

Today, Karmaveer awardees are dubbed by the people as Noble Laureates and citizen heroes. Various past awardees have been featured in documentaries and articles on Discovery Channel, National Geographic, BBC, TIME,  gone on to win global fellowships, awards and also have  become ambassadors/ advisors of national committees, international and UN organisations. In a nutshell, Karmaveer showcases and mainstreams real heroes and unsung citizens who have become and lead the change to address social justice related issues with proactive citizen action.  'I can be and lead the change' is the common attitude of all Karmaveer awardees.