Audio Visual Films

Help Delhi Breathe Presentation

Based on the environment journal, this is an audio visual presentation on Delhi’s air, water and soil pollution. The presentation emphasises the importance of taking personal responsibility of the environment through direct action and was shown at events, meetings, workshops and cultural programmes.

Outreach -20,000

20 second animated films on Volunteerism

Youthreach produced 4 animated films on Civil Society participation. The films are creatively done to provoke social action. The audience was directed to log on to the Youthreach website which provides easy to understand information on social issues, volunteer opportunities and links to other websites. The films in English are of 10 sec each. They were screened in leading theatres of Delhi to begin with and were later shown on all Star TV channels in order to reach an all India audience.

Outreach -3 lakh

Film Screenings

On the eve of World Environment Day, June 2005, a film entitled ‘Jijivisha’, on the river Yamuna was screened in partnership with an environment NGO Sweccha. Later that year in November 2005, ‘Spring Summer Fall Winter’ directed by Kim Ki Duk was screened at the habit centre. It is a mystical primer on Buddhist spirituality and an immensely absorbing story about lessons that we all must grapple with, regardless of faith and culture.

Outreach 500 people

Music Performance

An evening of soul stirring Baul music at India Habitat Centre in October 2005.The evening was dedicated to those who were affected by the earthquake in Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan.

Outreach 100 people

Discussions

In November 2005, Devi Dutt Patnaik spoke on the various aspects of the Mahabharata and the relevance of Dharma and its place in the world today. Outreach 80 people.

Awareness and Fund Raising Campaign

To celebrate the spirit of Children’s Day in November 2005, Youthreach partnered with leading restaurants in Delhi to raise funds for disadvantaged children in the earthquake affected areas of J&K and Pakistan, and for health posts that Youthreach have implemented in Delhi.

The campaign named ‘A la Heart’ was to motivate restaurants to donate a certain percentage of the billed amount to the cause that they chose to support. Leading restaurants like Chor Bizarre, Shalom Bar and Lounge, Laidback Waters, Olive Bar and Kitchen, Oriental Octopus donated a percentage of their sales for the cause of disadvantaged children.

Outreach 200 people approximately

Theatre performance

As part of our awareness initiative, Youthreach collaborated with the Young Entrepreneurs Organisation for a musical play “Panchatantra” directed by Feizal Alkazi in December 2005. The YEO provided Youthreach with a high impact platform of leading businessmen in Delhi.

Outreach 200 people

Photo exhibitions

In August 2005, an exhibition called ‘Nobody’s Children? Myth, Reality’ of black and white photographs was presented by Youthreach in collaboration with the Habitat Centre and the Visual Arts Gallery. The images of children projecting their daily lives were captured by Tarun Chabra and curated by Gauri Gill. Later in November 2005 to celebrate the spirit of childhood and issues around children living in difficult circumstances another photo exhibition of black and white pictures by leading photographers from the book ‘If I were rain’ was held at Dilli O Dilli. Habitat Centre. The photo exhibition was a fundraising initiative to support Youthreach’s ongoing programmes for disadvantaged children in the city.

In March 2007, Youthreach was approached by Bain and Company to display 20 black and white pictures in their office foyer for five months.(3rd March to 3rd August 2007.) The money raised from the lease of these photographs would be used to further children’s projects. The display of photographs also resulted in sale of books

Another photo exhibition in collaboration with Ravi Agrawal of Toxic Links, was organised at the IIC in October 2007. The exhibition called “Alien Waters’ was a collection of photographs that capture the beautiful yet complex relationship between the self, the city and the Yamuna.

Outreach 120 people

Dastakar Nature Bazaar

This was the biggest awareness campaign held in November 2005 that Youthreach participated in, as part of a larger environment event which was held at Dilli Haat. The stall was named ‘being in nature’ and echoed our efforts to sensitise people in Delhi to issues on nature, ecology and environment.

There were creative workshops, music recitals, multimedia presentations, film screenings interspersed with meditations and listening lounge. Outreach 1500 people

Outreach 120 people

Environment Initiatives

Environment is one of the focus areas of Youthreach and we have consistently worked on several environment initiatives. The awareness programme primarily works towards building awareness and sensitising the people on issues related to environment.

As part of our initiative to protect the environment and save trees in cities, Youthreach undertook the task of sensitising the community through several activities, such as tree painting workshops, musical performances, films; wilderness walks and poetry readings – all of which explored the deep and delicate connection between man and nature.

Events

A. Youthreach in collaboration with Red Earth organised ‘Monsoon’ a festival of art and musical performances in August 2007. The highlight of the event was a contemporary jazz dance performed by 15 children from seven NGOs. More than 300 people tapped their feet and clapped their hands to this exciting performance.

B. In October 2007, Veda Lounge and Elite models joined hands with Youthreach to celebrate Delhi’s environment, nature and trees. Veda Lounge and Elite models joined hands with Youthreach in an endeavor to celebrate Delhi’s environment and explore the relationship between man and nature. Four leading fashion designers of India, Rohit Bal, JJ Valaya, Puja Nayyar and Varun Behl designed T shirts on the theme of nature, trees and ecology. The T shirts were sold at Veda Lounge and the proceeds of the sale will go towards supporting environment projects in the city. The event was was attended by more than 200 people.

C. ‘Trees For Delhi’ Campaign – In April 2007, concerned about the rampant felling of thousands of roadside trees in Delhi, Youthreach became part of this campaign. Trees for Delhi is an action group formed by a group of concerned citizens and environment NGOs, who have come forward to launch a campaign against the mass destruction of trees taking place in the city. As part of various actions plans of Trees for Delhi, Youthreach organised a candle light vigil against this extensive tree felling, at Chirag Delhi and Greater Kailash crossing. The event spread mass awareness about the issue and gave the issue extensive media coverage. TV Channels like Aaj Tak, NDTV, and CNN IBN gave it round the clock coverage and the campaign was covered in all the major newspapers of Delhi. As a result of the media coverage Chief Minister Shiela Dixit called the Trees for Delhi Group for a meeting to discuss future plans for the campaign.

Discussion

Save Delhi’s Ridge Forest’ – A talk by Vikram Soni

Youthreach organised an evening on ‘Save Delhi’s Ridge Forest’ in January 2007. This awareness event was a part of a series of ridge events that Youthreach is planning to hold every month. Eminent environmentalist Vikram Soni delivered an informative speech on the problems that the ridge is currently facing, which was then followed by a film titled ‘On the Brink.’ The film in detail showed past and the present situation of the Vasant Kunj Ridge forest belt.

Tree Painting Workshops

In December 2007, Youthreach organised a beautiful art and meditation workshop in an effort to celebrate the beauty of trees at the Lodhi Gardens and subsequently at the Rose Garden in the Deer Park and amidst lush green trees and flowering beds of roses, petunias and carnations. The idea behind organising such a workshop was to sensitise people towards the environment and appreciate the existing beauty.

Another similar workshop was held at the Global Arts village on the in January 2008.