Potential Fellows – Rex Ideas

To know more about Karmaveer Awards visit www.karmaveerawards.com

Our fellows comprise of people from all walks of life and are not just social workers, activists, crusaders or people working for social causes. For us at REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship, each and every citizen of the world is a potential Change Champion. If you have the character to make a difference with your small yet significant ideas for action or create a mindset alteration by pursuing your passion to achieve the extraordinary , rather than settling for ordinary, then you are our fellow.

You as our fellow, are a teacher enlightener, awakener and transformer, in the society and world we live in, because you have the power to see, touch and change the world with your small but significant breakthroughs to make people think differently and inspire them to become Change Champions with a proactive, positive paradigm shift. Our Fellows have a simple mindset “I cannot do everything to make a difference, but I can do something and I choose to do those small deeds and with great love, empathy and commitment.

You may be a Corporate CEO who devotes time on weekends once or twice a month or quarter, to play the guitar and sing songs for children at the orphanage or the elderly at the Old Age home!

We have several such CEOs and Captains of Industry who are our chosen fellows over the years. They tell us they would rather give of them- selves with time, involvement and effort rather than just give

You may be a Corporate Executive from any discipline (be it finance, marketing, sales, administration, brand management, corporate communications, R&D, etc) at any level of management, who chooses to run and raise awareness for a cause dear to your heart or make time to teach your child’s class team soccer or basketball with lessons on teamwork and interdependence.

Several such Executives are today making the time to go beyond their jobs and do something that benefits the community at large. They say this helps them to get immense gratification and also gives them a sense of purpose and fulfillment for making a difference in their own small way. money to charitable organizations.

You may be a HR / Sales/ Marketing/ Administration/ Finance Director, VP, Manager or Executive who sincerely looks at unleashing potential of people who work with you!

We have many HR professionals, Directors, Managers, Executives who are our fellows. One such HR head has regular conversations with people who work in blue collared, grey collared jobs in her workplace and discovered that many of the workforce are well educated and even have Bachelors/ Masters degrees and PHDS. However, since they studied in a vernacular medium their growth is stunted due to not knowing to speak/ write the English language. Many people with whom she has spoken have today learned English and have white collar jobs and better life and livelihood opportunities.

You may be a CSR head who regularly writes blogs and inspires other CSR heads not to indulge in lip service CSR activities.

We have several CSR Directors, Managers, Executives who are our fellows.

You may be a journalist/ editor, news reporter, news anchor, who believes in protecting the power of the pen and practices/advocates ethical news reporting. You may also invest time in teaching journalism ethics to other fellow journalists while on the job.

We have many such individuals as our fellows and they tell us how each of them has the esponsibility to uphold ethical values to ensure that the fourth estate does not lose its trust.

You may be a stock broker/ Investment banker/ Private Equity Professional who has dedicated time and efforts to scout and bring together your school batchmates and do something to uphold the values and traditions of your school by becoming role models and great examples for current students.

We have many such professionals who have dedicated time to bring people together for creating a community of people who can do some good in their own small way.

You may be a serving or veteran retired soldier from the armed forces who has been taking time out to mentor young students, entrepreneurs or giving talks at schools and colleges about the need of every person to serve humanity or authored a book about heroes from the armed forces to inspire action!

We have many such soldiers who have dedicated time to inspire and mentor the youth and citizens at large.

You may be an educated youth who decided not to take up a corporate job, but to follow your heart and become a hair stylist/ barber or a bartender or a chef in a small eatery where you choose to offer alternative dishes or a DJ or an entrepreneur who starts a food stall.

Our founder and fellows meet several such people who decided to follow their heart and are creating a mindset change and dignity of labour for work that is belittled in our society, nation and world.

You may be an Engineer by training who decided to start writing romantic books and have thus influenced your family, neighbours and relatives that Literary education also has a space in the sun besides just career based education.

Our founder who is also an author has met many such young authors who specialize in romantic novels and have made that a career and also influenced huge mindset change in their circle of influence

You may be a service captain, steward or waiter in a restaurant who adheres to strict standards of cleanliness while serving and also influence other colleagues to be clean.

Our founder Jerry once encountered a Steward at the Delhi Airport lounge who offered to throw a tissue he used into the waste basket. When Jerry hesitated in giving him the tissue and asked to be told where the waste basket was, he took a couple of tissues on his palm and asked our founder to keep the tissue on the tissue in his palm. Jerry was fascinated about his adherence to cleanliness and safety standards and offered him a fellowship since he also taught these standards to other colleagues

You may be a cab driver or auto driver who gives free rides to elderly people or encourages reading with passengers.

An auto rickshaw driver from Hyderabad, Mr. Saddam Basha was one of the people who inspired us to start the Karmaveer awards. Saddam used to give up his livelihood on weekends and volunteer with Jerry’s group of volunteers in the camps created in the graveyards of Gujarat where the riot affected lived in 2002. Saddam’s story helped Jerry to mobilise several fellows from the corporate sector. Subsequently or fellows have shared with us stories of several other auto and cab drivers like Sandeep Bachche of Bombay who runs the Sandeep Bachche Foundation and gives 50% of his earnings to orphanages and elderly homes. Another cab driver Murali in Bangalore takes his passengers to public restrooms and refuses to stop on the road when passengers want to urinate. He even gives them money to pay for the public convenience fee. This is our REXKarmaveer Global Fellow and a hero who makes a big difference with his idea for action. Another auto driver in Ahmedabad, Uday Bhai gives customers the best ride and experience of a lifetime and Jerry uses his example to teah customer centricity to corporate executives, since he makes his customers feel happy and even tells them to pay whatever they feel like paying and does not ask them for the meter tariff

Shweta Katti is the daughter of a sex worker and the first girl from the Kamathipura sex work district to get a full scholarship to pursue her Masters in Liberal Arts at the Bard University in Boston. She is now learning Entrepreneurship in London. At a press conference, she spoke about how her mother is her hero and inspired her to be more, do more and learn more. Her mum also inspired other women to educate their daughters and sons. Shweta has now inspired several other girls to become entrepreneurs. We have also discovered and nominated several other sex workers who run health care projects or health education programs in their respective areas of work and for us they are all worthy fellows

You may be Finance Expert or Chartered Accountant who invests time for conducting financialinclusion education programs for poor communities or investing time to give pro bono advice to Non-Profits or do something else that makes a difference or does something that alters mindsets.

We have many such experts who are our fellows. They invest the time to conduct weekend classes for communities living in slums and other places where there is migrant labour. Some also provide pro bono service for several causes and organisations

You may be Lesbian/Gay, a Bisexual, a Transgender or a Eunuch who does work for LGBT rights or aspires to take up a full-time job without any hesitation or fear.

We have several people from the LGBT community who are our fellows. They do work for LGBT rights, some are theatre artistes, some are script writers and actors in Hindi Movies, some are animal activists, some are educators in schools and colleges and some are working in mainstream organisations. They are all contributing in creating a much-needed positive mindset change in our society

You may be a filmmaker who makes movies, short films, ad commercials and documentaries as a career and yet create a mindset change with compelling messages and by influencing other filmmakers to also include mind altering content in their films.

We have many such filmmakers and movie directors who are our fellows. Imitiaz Ali made a commercial movie called Tamasha, which created a mindset change to understand great parenting. Or a commercial documentary filmmaker who made a short film that speaks about equality in marriages or the need for a cleaner India or highlights the story of the rat catchers of Bombay

You may be a musician, singer, actor or band who makes a difference for a cause or influences change through your music or acting.

We have many such artistes as our fellows and award recipients. Farhan Akthar for example included the scene in their movie “Dil Dhadakne Do”, (where Rahul Bose claims he allowed his wife to work), to sensitize the public to understand inherent gender equity and equality. Or Uday Benegal of Indus Creed fame, who includes a message to support the Robin Hood army in between his songs in places where sings be it a concert or a nightclub performance

You may be an odd job entrepreneur or a regular who chooses to do something to promote and mainstream your local culture.

We have many such individuals who are doing alternative things besides fending for their livelihood in their day jobs. For example one of our fellows Mr. Rex Fernandes has made it his mission to mainstream and promote the local language of Konkani (which is a dying language) with people around the world. Another fellow Roshni Shenazz who is an angel healer, not only heals people with her angel therapy but also educates slum kids and send s them to mainstream schools

You may be a NGO founder or worker who is working on creating effective campaigns, projects, initiatives that capture people’s imagination and encourage them to align with your cause.

We have many such individuals who have dedicated their lives for a cause

You may be an IAS/ IPS/ IFS Officer or any Government Employee who finds time to plant a tree every month and conduct cleanliness drive in their regions.

We have a number of government servants who are doing this for making their city cleaner and greener. We also have many bureaucrats who run their own social initiatives and also actively advocate against corruption and promote best practices in Government offices

You may be a Principal/ Director/ Founder/ Education Consultant of a school who manages to run an evening batch for underprivileged kids free of cost in your school premises.

We have many such individuals who are doing this to encourage kids who cannot afford the fees of a school

You may be a lawyer who takes one case at per month for those who cannot afford the fee of a lawyer.

We have many such lawyers who have been doing this. They say this helps them to get immense satisfaction and also gives them a sense of purpose and accomplishment for making a difference in their own small way

You could be a fashion designer, jewelry designer, beauty advisor/ beautician or an interior designer who does a fashion show once a year to raise funds for underprivileged or teaches the craft to others to enable them to earn a livelihood.

We have many such designers who have been contributing part of their income to raise funds for those who are deprived and broke

You may be a school/ college student who is able to find time to conduct research on social issues, visits orphanages or takes free weekend classes for poor kids.

We have many such students from class 1 onwards to post graduates who dedicate their time to the society instead of spending time with friends

You could be a homemaker who teaches the kids of their house help or finds time on weekends to teach the residents of her complex on waste segregation, saving electricity, etc.

We have many homemakers who dedicate their weekends for the community at large

You may be a beggar or begging street kid who makes time to feed/ sterilize stray dogs and/ or have also returned wallets or other precious items you found while walking the streets.

Our fellowship council has identified many such unserved and underserved street kids who beg or sell books on the streets, but also do their bit to make a difference. Jerry has met many beggars who serve as police- informers to report criminals who actively rob homes or indulge in other criminal activities

You may be an educator/ teacher who believes that you are not just teachers, but awakeners, enlighteners and transformers who can influence students you work with the be the change by integrating human values and kindness into your teaching sessions.

We have many educators and teachers who have been nominated and chosen for the fellowship over the years

You may be a serving or retired bureaucrat who has always done what is right for the integrity of our country and served with humility.

We have many bureaucrats who have been nominated by the fellows for their conduct and being and doing right