Impact to date
The Prize for Sustainability is now in its fifth year. Prize monies are paid out over a three year period, agreed in consultation with the winner. India’s Barefoot College was recently announced as the third winner of the Prize for Sustainability. The impact of the Prize on its winners is summarised below.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – 2004 Alcan Prize Winner
The FSC Board of Directors decided to invest the bulk of the Prize into a flexible operating and investment reserve. The reserve is intended to better facilitate the organization’s financial performance and stability, and support capital investments in new business areas and systems.
The FSC reports that its entire Global Network was boosted forward by the Prize for Sustainability, above and beyond its financial implications, the worldwide publicity and recognition received, and the credibility gained. The Prize has been an impetus for enhanced financial performance and operational development within the organization.
Currently 24 national and sub-national forest management standards are accredited in 12 countries. To have another eight standards applying for international accreditation is a major achievement and proof of FSC’s increasingly rapid development. The area of forests certified under FSC increased over the first ten months of 2005 by 40 per cent. FSC now has over 67 million hectares of forest certified, representing close to 10 per cent of the world’s commercially managed forests.
A contribution of Alcan Prize money to FSC Canada in August 2005 allowed FSC Canada to step up its work with Canadian forest industries and market partners in the U.S.A., promoting the work of Alberta Pacific Forest Industries Inc. to certify the management of 5.4 million hectares of boreal forest. It is expected that many other forest companies will follow suit, not only in North America but also in Russia. FSC believes the true magnitude of the impact of the Alcan Prize for Sustainability will continue to be seen over the coming years.
Read more about the 2004 Prize winner
Aga Khan Planning and Building Services Pakistan (AKPBSP) – 2005 Prize Winner
In addition to the US$1 million Alcan Prize, AKPBSP managed to leverage US$1 million from Aga Khan Foundation Canada. His Highness the Aga Khan will also make available, over time, a further US$1 million to match these contributions to the fund.
The amount will be set aside as a Fund for Sustainable Built Environment (FSBE) as an endowment to be used to promote and support AKPBSP’s mandate regionally and nationally, and to augment its organisational and human resource capacities for long term institutional sustainability. The key purpose of the FSBE is to create a predictable and reliable annual income stream in perpetuity.
The FSBE will help AKPBSP leverage funds from a variety of sources to:
- Support its work to improve infrastructure and living conditions for disadvantaged and vulnerable populations
- Reduce the vulnerability of built environments, with a focus on reducing seismic vulnerability and improving housing, water, and sanitation in Pakistan and other countries in the region
- Ensure the availability of core funding for critical programming needs
- Support AKPBSP and AKDN in disseminating the importance and mechanics of disaster-preparedness as a key poverty reduction strategy, particularly in regions prone to natural calamities.
Apart from setting up the FSBE, AKPBSP has shared news of winning the Prize for Sustainability with communities, government agencies, bilateral and multilateral donors, and the corporate sector, both nationally and internationally, increasing the likelihood of further or future collaboration.
Read more about the 2005 Prize winner
The Barefoot College, India – 2006 Prize Winner
EDUCATION
Social Work and Research Centre, (SWRC) Tilonia also known as Barefoot College (BC) runs night schools in Ajmer, Jaipur, Barmer, Baran and Chithodgarh Districts of Rajasthan. The night schools are attended regularly every month by 3,500 children including 1,000 boys and 2,500 girls of the age group 6-14 years. A team of 250 trained barefoot teachers including 40 women are involved in an educational process at the night schools after undergoing an initial 25 day training.
PRE – SCHOOL EDUCATION
There are 80 Pre-School Education Centres (PECs) being presently co-ordinated by BC and attended by more than 2750 children including 1500 girls through 130 trained women barefoot teachers in 3 districts of Ajmer, Jaipur and Barmer in Rajasthan, India.
Regular training of teachers enable them to update their information and get familiarised with innovative and low cost learning material for children and prepare them as well as initiate creative play activities.
IMMUNISATION AND HEALTH CHECK-UPS
In collaboration with existing government health infrastructure (nearest Primary Health Centre- PHC) BC mobilised rural working mothers to understand the significance of Immunisation and Health Checkups of their very young children. Vaccination (BCG, Polio-I, II & III, D.P.T. & Measles) were undertaken. Health Checkups were conducted regularly by BC at the Centres through its medical team of barefoot doctors and village level health workers.
CAPACITY BUILDING OF 2nd LINE LEADERSHIP
Night School Alumni including women are emerging as 2nd line leadership and have already undergone practical training for a period of 12 months. As a collective they are involved at the Solar Workshop, Mechanical Fabrication Workshop and constructing Rain Water Harvesting tanks in rural schools as well as participate in organising all events of mass mobilisation by BC such as Childrens’ Fair, Medical camps, Night School Evaluation process, Rallies and Exhibitions.
DOCUMENTATION / DISSEMINATION
21 illiterate rural women have been trained as women barefoot solar engineers (WBSEs) in Afghanistan. Barefoot videographers have documented solar electrification efforts of the WBSEs. The barefoot approach has fundamentally influenced the policy and government of Afghanistan.
COMPUTER TRAINING
An Internet Dhaba (Cafe) and Computer Training facilities have been established in BC’s old campus. The Computer Training Centre has 5 PCs and 2 printers. More than 20-30 children including 10 girls access these facilities on a daily basis paying a nominal sum as fees.
ONLINE MARKETING
BC has established an online marketing of its handcrafted items as well as evolving new design and items through FOT. (Friends of Tilonia)
Read more about the 2006 Prize winner
Utthan Centre for Sustainable Development & Poverty Alleviation (Utthan), India – 2007 Prize Winner
Utthan believe that sustainability is not an option but imperative. For achieving inclusive sustainability, greater attention was paid to the plight of disadvantaged; the people, the environment and the natural resources. In the period since the first Prize funds were received, the following programmes/schemes were completed:
- Reclamation of degraded lands and surface soil mined areas by raising and planting one million saplings of Jatropha curcas covering 400 hectares of area, for producing biodiesel which will provide sustainable energy and economy to the people and mitigate climate change.
- For imparting quality education to the younger generation (boys and girls) Vishnu Bhagwan Public School, added 08 rooms and admitted 1,000 new students and imparted quality education to them. Obtained sanction of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and started Intermediate Classes (XI & XII) for students passing high school.
- A book on 'Sustainability Crisis' is under finalisation which is likely to be published by June 2009.
- For providing continued backstopping Utthan have purchased land, finalised the management committee and submitted an application to the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh and Govt. of India for a sanction to start an "Institute of Sustainability".
