iVolunteer Awards celebrates volunteering by recognizing volunteers in India
by EVENTFAQS Bureau | Marketing | April 11, 2013 | News
The iVolunteer Awards show was held in Mumbai at Blue Sea Banquets on April 8. To commemorate the contribution of volunteers and organisations who engage them, the occasion was graced by the presence of eminent personalities from corporate and development sector.
The awards were divided in two categories: Volunteer Hero and Leader in Volunteer Engagement, with 10 finalists in each. C. Kartheeban, a CSR Consultant based in Chennai has won the title of 'Volunteer Hero 2012'. He will attend the 'Points of Light Conference' in Washington D.C. on Volunteering and Service, one of the world's largest conferences on volunteering. Make a Difference, a Bangalore based NGO; was awarded a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh in the Leader in the Volunteer Engagement category in recognition of its efforts to strategically involve volunteers for community development. It was an emotionally charged evening packed with memories for guests, dignitaries and awardees alike.
A thought provoking panel discussion titled 'Volunteer Shy India' was also held to explore the various reasons that would deter and motivate citizens of India to take up volunteering. Nandita Das accompanied Lynn de Souza and Safeena Husain in the panel discussion and was moderated by Rahul Nainwal, Co-Founder & Director, iVolunteer. Towards the end of the evening, an introspective video titled 'You are a Hero' encouraged people to volunteer.
Congratulating iVolunteer for its efforts to honour individuals and organisations who are silently contributing and creating a society worth living in, Nandita Das said it gave her special pleasure to hand over the prize to the finalists and suggested that more people should participate in volunteering for social causes.
Speaking on the occasion, Rahul Nainwal, Co-Founder and Director, iVolunteer said: "The saying we grew up with was 'Neki kar darya mein daal', but I say the new way ahead should be, 'Neki kar Facebook pe dal, tweet kar' and get many, many others to volunteer."
The iVolunteer Awards aim to celebrate, reward and promote volunteerism and volunteers in India. To 'Inspire by example', the iVolunteer Awards rewarded leading volunteers and organisations engaging volunteers, in a bid to inspire more people to volunteer and establish benchmarks on volunteering practices across India.
Guest of Honour Nandita Das felicitated individual volunteers and organisations for their volunteering achievements.