Paul V Mathew with Community Radio

We are living in an era of knowledge revolution. Knowledge bridges gaps and breaches boundaries. It is true that knowledge only multiplies not reduces while sharing. Community Radio strives to achieve the same - knowledge, technology and wisdom for all. Amid tensions and increased regional rivalries community radio combines people and planet. It's a platform to unite, move and achieve unity in diversity. While encapsulating, Community Radio emerged as the voice of voiceless in a limited span of time.

I have been working with community radio for the last two years. As a person involving with a Community Radio and has relevant experience in community development initiatives, I realize the importance of grass root level intervention and capacity building for rural development. Our country needs to grow further and it requires quality manpower and empowered people. We need a faster, sustainable and inclusive growth. A combined effort and a multidimensional approach can help us to move out from ignorance and corruption. This is a need of this hour which can be implemented only through continuous, intensive, creative and innovative awareness and education programs. When people get access to knowledge democracy will be strengthened and governance will be transparent. Being a responsible citizen I love to facilitate a program which enshrined my dream. I engage with similar initiatives for all these years and find satisfaction through serving my people.

I was working as the project officer of Radio MACFAST 90.4 Thiruvalla and associated with the formation of CR Media Village and DePaul Radio. I have done sessions on the sustainability, social interaction of community Radio in various places. Recently our district collector held a meeting to facilitate CR.  After came across the procedures of CR application, I realized its easiness to apply. The documentation on application procedure is comprehensively and clearly explained in the website. At the same time, it needs expert advices and technical support to complete the procedure. In another side, many of us are not aware about the role of Community Radio in social development and its procedure for application. Along with registration more focus should be given to training and quality support. This may help the institutions to run and mange it properly. While many stations strive to sustain, this efforts can do a large role. Hence I can act as a catalyst/facilitator for Community Radio which shall be capable to spread a little light for those who seek for community development. At last I hope this endeavor will make me to fulfill my mission for my village through a new community radio.  

Big and Sudden Fall

It is sad to hear that you have been elevated to the position of The Director Shantinilayam - back to your resting place.

I called up you many times, but there was no response from your part. I was very optimistic about your charming performance in PGI and was longing to witness more brain children from Fr. Mulamoottil. While stepping down from a promising designation, you are really in a half way to your goals. I think, no one in your church yet equipped to take up your giant missions with such a vigorous momentum.

Even though the sword of enemies (in the ship) was hanging as a Damocles’ Sword, I never thought this will fall as a blitz. It is evident that rather than valuing missions, authorities became submissive to the inner politico crony nexus. Bishop should have to consider the revival of this institution from an abysmal position. He took a bad decision by ignoring the achievements you have made during a short span of time.

As a faculty of the church, I think you will not support these arguments; but I should say.

Anyhow, it should not be an end of the career of a luminary. I don't like to see you as an idle man,  that will deteriorate your health, enthusiasm and energy. If this is a full stop to your career, I will be tempted to re write the entire story amid depression and fiasco. I have adapted and followed many of your strategies and concepts and I don't like to prove it to be wrong.  I suggest, you should think for a fresh project like MACFAST (don't return to macfast please), community college, sustainability ventures, Elders Asy and this will be an opportunity to revitalize your plans, correct the future from the past learning while strategizing.   You have to run miles.

I believe and hope you will never give up.  I ensure any kind of support within my level.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
US poet (1874 - 1963)

Only @ a touching distance

With Love and Prayers

Paul V Mathew

Very First Aim

Dear Father,
It happened to notice the prosaic advertisement likely to impair the indomitable brand of MACFAST,  that witter should have precluded to publish.  Instead of proclaiming the erudition, this trumpery promulgates a lackluster aim molly wood, that hardly entice or enthuse any potential candidate who aspires for at least a minimum credentials. To a beset to MACFAST, the core populous has already started to lambast the very first aim of MACFAST, create adept professionals or mere populous molly woddians.  Now the time has come to introspect, the rudiments enshrined by our forefathers for its excellence.  As an ex-Macfastian and a family member, I vehemently request you to reconsider the track, to shun an impending crisis - 'a paragon to a pandemonium'. 

Hope You will consider it very positively.

Always for a good and noble cause

Paul

Psychologists Psyche

Think.Eat.Save

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day celebrations is Think.Eat.Save. Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your foodprint. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.

Given this enormous imbalance in lifestyles and the resultant devastating effects on the environment, this year’s theme – Think.Eat.Save – encourages you to become more aware of the environmental impact of the food choices you make and empowers you to make informed decisions. 

While the planet is struggling to provide us with enough resources to sustain its 7 billion people (growing to 9 billion by 2050), FAO estimates that a third of global food production is either wasted or lost. Food waste is an enormous drain on natural resources and a contributor to negative environmental impacts.

This year’s campaign rallies you to take action from your home and then witness the power of collective decisions you and others have made to reduce food waste, save money, minimise the environmental impact of food production and force food production processes to become more efficient.

If food is wasted, it means that all the resources and inputs used in the production of all the food are also lost. For example, it takes about 1,000 litres of water to produce 1 litre of milk and about 16,000 litres goes into a cow’s food to make a hamburger. The resulting greenhouse gas emissions from the cows themselves, and throughout the food supply chain, all end up in vain when we waste food.

In fact, the global food production occupies 25% of all habitable land and is responsible for 70% of fresh water consumption, 80% of deforestation, and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. It is the largest single driver of biodiversity loss and land-use change.

Making informed decision therefore means, for example, that you purposefully select foods that have less of an environmental impact, such as organic foods that do not use chemicals in the production process. Choosing to buy locally can also mean that foods are not flown halfway across the world and therefore limit emissions.    

So think before you eat and help save our environment!

http://www.unep.org/wed/theme/

To a Parliamentarian

Your lost post is June 1 2012, It takes around one year after last article. I would like to bring your attention to certain matters , as a policy maker, thinker and a media figure you can do a lot for socio economic enhancement.

The country is saddled with a yawning current account deficit (CAD), CAD touched an eye-popping $33bn (£22bn) in the quarter ending December 2012, reaching a historical record level of 6.7% of gross domestic product (GDP).

Oil accounts for 30% of India's import bill, but the country produces only 25% of its domestic requirement.

Demand for oil continues to rise in a growing economy with annual imports rising by 10% but domestic production up by only 2% over the last seven years.

India consumes a quarter of the global gold demand of 4,000 tonnes, and spends about 12% of its import bill on the metal.

Despite a doubling of import duty on the metal recently, the purchase of gold continues unabated: India imported a whopping 850 tonnes of the yellow metal in 2012.

Limit their Fredom

Sir,

While clamoring on rape and punishment, the article  'Freedom that must have limits' dated 28th April rightly pointed out the core issue and root causes which was left out by all the main panels. We need precautions rather than post support. Ban porn, super tax 'X' sites, banning of mobile phones in educational institutions, sex education in school curricula, and curbing of lascivious advertisements should be our immediate priority. Let's start a root cause analysis and problem solving deliberations to stop an imminent and impending rape culture of India. 

Paul V Mathew

Research Scholar

Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT)

Ernakulam, Kerala, 682311

Mob: 9745482028

Paulvmathew.hr@gmail.com