Why CHANGE for BETTER....?

One might wonder why, in this age of overdose of information and growing cynicism about the media, we are coming out with one more publication. In what way would it be different from the many that already exist? Change for Better will strive to be different in three specific ways. First, it will highlight hope-giving initiatives. True, our problems are complex; but continuous diet of negative news makes one cynical. We believe that even today there are many inspiring stories of change which seldom reach us. Such initiatives - whether by a teacher or a banker, a doctor or an engineer- are important; because while being rooted in India that exists, they also inspire a vision of what India can become. Without such initiatives on a significant scale, we cannot really expect any government to change this vast country.

Second, it will encourage dialogue on values and on creating the systems that encourage practice of such values so that personal ethics become social ethos. Irrespective of one's political views, these values are crucial for anyone wanting to improve our institutions - be it a bank or a factory, a school or a hospital. Values like honesty and discipline, respect for law and care for fellow-beings guide our actions, which eventually form our individual and national character. Without the commitment to these values most well-intentioned laws could be bent; grand development plans could falter. Moreover, attention to ethical values also nudges us to turn the searchlights inwards', to look within us, which could be a door to discovering inner riches.

Third, it will search for innovative solutions which can help us take a telescopic leap - vital if we have to clear the backlog of many decades. As part of this search it will carry unbiased articles that deepen the understanding of our real needs. For instance, our need for bridging the digital divide without which in this age of knowledge we will not be able to realize the full potential of our masses, our need for faster economic growth which is also inclusive and which cares for the environment, for NGOs that stress one's duties as well as one's rights, for education that nurtures the spirit of enterprise and excellence, for building a sense of national unity and, generally, for our material as well as emotional and cultural well-being. We are conscious that impacting a nation of India's size is a gigantic task and there are obvious limitations to the role a small journal like this can play. But we believe that if enough of us, however small, give our very best, then we can look forward to a cleaner, calmer, fairer India.

In this inaugural issue, our cover story Faces of Hope has highlighted the initiatives of eight not-so-famous individuals who inspire in us a hope for a better India. There is no one overarching theory or ism or organization that can cure all our ills - the future depends on what millions like these eight persons, people like you and me, choose to do or not do in our own lives. Apart from this, writers like N. Vittal, Rajmohan Gandhi, Kalpana Sharma and Firoze Hirjikaka have offered unusual perspectives. In Making a Difference you will read how Trilochan Sastry, Dean, IIM Bangalore, used the weapon of RTI to ensure that the candidates contesting elections declare their assets, education level and criminal background, if any. The short story Nargis brings alive the interplay of man, nature and social circumstances against the tragic background of Myanmar and reiterates why sometimes fiction goes much deeper in understanding human experience than many studies.

This issue also has some contributors from overseas such as Vijitha Yapa (Sri Lanka), Jean Brown (Australia) and Marta Dabrowska (Poland). Change for Better is published by Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL). Established in 2000, MKCL is the largest provider in India of basic computer education with a chain of over 5000 franchises. We are happy to present this issue and would be delighted to have your feedback. We would like to see Change for Better evolve as a platform for all who long to see a better India and a better world.