Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable Tourism by The Blue Yonder in Sikkim

Employing 260 million people and generating 10.7% of world’s GDP, Tourism is the largest as well as the fastest industry of the world. Within this industry a growing number of people – both travelers, travel agents as well as travel companies – are pushing a new brand: sustainable tourism that conserves natural resources, values the  local culture and traditions, opened up to visitors and contributes to the (local) economy. Sustainable tourism wants to make the development of tourism ecologically supportable in the long term. Moreover, sustainable tourism, also called responsible tourism, intends to generate employment and income in the villages exposed to tourists, without disrupting the social and ecological balance that existed before the tourist came. Next to this, there’s also an element of information exchange: except informing the tourists about the destination they are about to visit, it also aims at informing the locals about the foreign cultures of the tourists.Earlier – when aspects as livelihood and local economy were not involved in ‘green’ initiatives – what is now commonly know as sustainable tourism was then called ‘eco-tourism‘. As explained above, sustainable tourism is broader, deals with more than only environmental aspects of having tourist visit villages and thus encomprises eco-tourism in its concept.

There is a growing body of travel agencies involved in sustainable or responsible tourism. AMAIDI plans to get involved in this area by linking

Responsible Tourism by The Blue Yonder in Karnataka

with one of such organizations, called The Blue Yonder. This Bangalore based travel agency promotes tourism that is economically, ecologically and socially just. The Blue Yonder lets you explore India through river rafting or a country boat cruise, legend trails, rain forest trekking, camping, walking safari, vehicle safari, music trails, marital arts, folk expressions, culinary trails or just lazing. The Blue Yonder is set up to raise funds for the Nila Foundation, to revive and regenerate one of the longest and sadly neglected rivers in South India called Nila (Bharatapuzha). At present The Blue Yonder offers sustainable/responsible tourism destinations in Kerala, Karnataka, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Orissa, West-Bengal, Andaman Islands and Nepal, exploring new destinations in Tamil Nadu in partnership with AMAIDI Volunteering in India.

Filed under: Millennium Development Goals (MDG), Sustainable Tourism, Village life, volun-tourism, eco-tourism, Responsible tourism, The Blue Yonder

1%CLUB

Non polluting ecosan toilet

De 1%CLUB is a Dutch online marketplace for development projects. The projects are small and concrete.One asks only 1% of people’s time or money to invest in projects of one’s own choice from a list of ‘project owners’. So far only Dutch ‘owners’ could ask for support through the 1%CLUB’s website (see link attached). From January 1 foreign based organizations (NGOs and CBO’s) are invited to directly apply for 1% support.

AMAIDI is going to apply for funds for an ecosan toilet for its own project: AMAIDI Child Care Center in the slums of Cuddalore Old Town in Tamil Nadu. In addition to fundraise activities currently undertaken by Miriam and Lisanne van Zwol and Machteld Wit from the Netherlands, members of the Dutch Support Group of our CCC. The current toilet is not only insufficient for the 15 children and staff, it also pollutes the ground water close to the center. An ecosan toilet will keep the faeces not only separated from the soil (catching it in an above ground  container), it turns it into compost, usable for the (future) vegetable garden. The advantages for the children and staff from there on are obvious!

Join us by checking in the website of the 1%CLUB. After 1 Jan the international website will be operation. Be sure to come back by then and give as much as you can.

We hope for the best,

Regards,

Camille & Jansi

Filed under: charitable business, choice, control, Millennium Development Goals (MDG), new partner, projects, Uncategorized, 1%CLUB, direct sponsorship

Volunteerism & Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

“Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will require the ingenuity, solidarity and creativity of millions of ordinary people through voluntary action. Efforts on the part of national governments, supported by the international community, can only complement what ultimately will depend on the full involvement of people worldwide. Six billion people have something to contribute to these efforts.” (…)

“Whether expressed as volunteer service, mutual aid and self-help, campaigning or other forms of voluntary participation, the willingness and ability of citizens to give freely of their time out of a sense of solidarity will have a major influence on the extent to which the MDGs are attained and sustained.”

(courtesy http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/mdgs.html)

Question:
Do YOU think you could contribute to the MDGs as a volunteer?

Filed under: choice, international volunteers, Millennium Development Goals (MDG), needs, poverty, solidarity