Global Initiatives for Sustainable Development & Humanitarian Action (GI)

Movement Millennium is a call from the Global Initiatives for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Action (GI). Some of the frequently-asked questions about GI are:

What is Global Initiatives (GI) ?

Global Initiatives for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Action is a conscious, collective, organized and not-for-profit universal Movement, toiling for the promotion of human, environmental, economic, emotional and spiritual health. GI facilitates needy people worldwide with the help of local GI volunteers and by upholding and exploiting local resources. Operational at micro, macro and meso levels, the Movement currently has a network of some 3,200 social institutions and more than 16,000 volunteers. GI is founded by Sichendra Bista.

In a nutshell, GI is:

• an independent platform to put your beliefs in action,
• a loving commitment to share, serve, learn and lead,
• a voluntary international Movement to prove yourself useful to the people,
• a global Mission aiming at the holistic human development by empowering women (present) through children (future), and
• the modern incarnation of guthi tradition where volunteers dedicate themselves to human progress without any pre-meditated agenda.

GI has been granted memberships by the Global Water Partnership, Sweden; International Peace Bureau, Switzerland; Society for International Development, Rome; and Mountain Forum, Switzerland. GI has a policy of membership exchange.

What are the objectives of GI?

• To dedicate to the human progress in every possible way—spiritual, physical, psychological, emotional and financial;
• To revive spiritual and ethical culture;
• To consolidate people-centered democracy, free enterprise and pluralism;
• To shift the development paradigm by exploring development alternatives,reviving the indigenous models, and encouraging economic autonomy versus aid addiction;
• To replace punitive social system with the one based on civic obligations and social responsibilities; and
• To usher a god-fearing generation for selfless service in the face of the growing exposure to materialism.

What is the significance of the logo?

An open hand stands for human endeavor, freedom, transparency and self-reliance.

Five fingers represent five basic elements of life (earth, water, fire, wind and ether), signifying GI's mission towards holistic human development.

Smaller hands, coming out of every finger, connote a tree with infinite branches and infinity of life in the universe. Also, it represents the multilayer activism of our voluntary movement.

The ears of wheat represent GI's commitment towards prosperity and world peace.

How does it work?

Through volunteers and tax-deductible contributions (money and materials), GI carries out its multi-pronged activities among the poorest of the poor segment of world population. GI has successfully used drinking water (demand-driven domestic disinfection) as an entry point to promote social, economical, gender-related, cultural, environmental and spiritual changes in the Third World communities despite adept poverty, uncontrolled population and low literacy. GI, however, does not run give-away programs. GI carries out its activities and raise funds through GI Trustees, Volunteers, Chapters and Partners worldwide. It does not accept donations, except for specific projects. However, it accepts grants and funds from governments and donor agencies so long as the funds have no condition that violates GI principles.

How does GI operate at the grassroots?

GI operates with IMAEL approach:

• Influence by making people realize their rights, civic obligations and potentials
• Motivate by inducing a newer sense of self-esteem and social responsibility - Activate by integrating them into the mainstream of sustainable development through public dialogue, market-oriented solutions and grassroots activism rather than coercive centralized regulations
• Empower by making people acquainted with pluralism, free enterprise and participatory power of people
• Love by imparting knowledge about human values, humility and tolerance so as to witness a peaceful and egalitarian human society amidst the growth of a new form of violent ethno-regionalism in the post-cold war era which is emerging stronger than politics.

What are Global Affiliates?

GI invites people from all walks of life to associate with the movement to eliminate human sufferings. Global Affiliates could be an individual as a GI Volunteer, a group of like-minded people as a GI Chapter, and any social organization, complying with GI principles, as a GI Partner. Fund raising, family selection and other key decision are carried out by the Global Affiliates themselves. GI International Secretariat (GIIS) provides information, training, and a variety of other support services to the Global Affiliates—duly recognized by local/national governments.

Who controls and manages GI?

An international board of trustees, headed by GI Founder, determines policy and guides the Movement. Trustees are committed global citizens who are deeply concerned about the human sufferings and deterioration of spiritual and ethical values worldwide. The GIIS operates with an administrator, supported by a core group of professional and support staffs and supplemented by Volunteers. Each local Global Affiliate is managed by a local volunteer board.

How can you help?

Get involved! Pray for GI’s work. Contribute financially, and/or participate in fund raising events. GI needs people to serve in communities and to spread the word about the Movement. A wide variety of literature and novelties are available to share GI’s vision with others. Materials may be ordered from GIIS.

Fundamental Principles*

The fundamental principles (*drawn from the speeches, discourses and lectures by GI Founder Sichendra Bista on various occasions) of the Global Initiatives for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Action are:

Spirituality

The Movement considers development a spiritual process. Without spirituality, it firmly believes, the process of human progress lacks sincerity, loyalty and human-centered approach, and could be detrimental to human dignity, universal peace and the balance of nature. GI, therefore, is a holistic, multisectorial and multidisciplinary movement for development and social change.

Humanity

The Movement aims at the holistic human development in every possible way—spiritual, emotional, physical, psychological and financial. It helps to prevent and alleviate human sufferings worldwide. It promotes humility, tolerance, love and understanding among all peoples. It doesn't claim it can change people, but endeavors at its best to help people in a way the governments and other social institutions cannot.

Selflessness

It is a voluntary Movement where people come together neither to mill money nor to be successful, but to be useful to the people in need. Volunteers of this Movement should be so selfless and without any pre-meditated agenda that they should not be prompted in any manner by desire of gain.

Self Reliance

The Movement is independent and promotes aid de-addiction and self-reliance in the Third World countries. It encourages its chapters, partners and volunteers worldwide to maintain autonomy so that they may be able to discharge their responsibilities and duties in conformity with the GI principles.

Impartiality

It is a non-denominational and secular Movement, and therefore, makes no discrimination on the basis of nationality, race, religion, political opinion or ideology. It helps relieve the human problems at the grassroots on the basis of their needs and urgency as the Movement realized that human problems worldwide had inspired abundance of writings, analyses and conferences rather than action.

Neutrality and Equality

The Movement has no biases and does not engage in hostilities and conflicts of politics, race, religion and ideology. It recognizes that all institutions and individuals have equal status and share equal responsibilities and civic obligations.

Indigenous and Innovative

Its institutional structure rises from the norms and values that were key in driving of the guthi tradition—the indigenous and selfless community management and development model—since 247 BC. Its fields of operation are also non-stereotype, and does not carry replicating activities in an area. While selecting its areas of operation, it keeps in mind how GI volunteers could put their belief into action, lead and learn, help and heal, and serve and share.

Universality and Unity

It is a global Movement to help, serve, learn and lead. It appeals all concerned citizens worldwide to have the cannon of humility, load that with the power of love and fire with the inertia of selfless service. GI unites people from all walks of life and social institutions, having futuristic vision and dedication to work in unison for building a better tomorrow.

Activities and Accomplishments

Below are the widely-acclaimed GI activities (besides Movement Millennium) which comply with the ten hallmarks of New Environmentalism, set forth by the World Bank in the post-UNCED scenario.

Safe Water for the Poor (SWFP)

SWFP has a broad vision of making access to safe water : as a basic human right and a transformation tool; as the entry point to alleviating poverty, empowering women, safeguarding public health, conserving the natural resources, uplifting economically through savings. And a path towards demolishing untouchability, and promoting equality, equity and peace. Its mission—Safe Water for All.

The movement has, so far, helped more than 325,000 people ensure safe water.

SWFP has, in addition to significantly reduce public health expenditures, indirectly helped save resources (in the forms of imported fossil fuels and locally available firewood) equivalent to US$8.5 million and 2.7 million days of (wo)man-hours annually which, otherwise, would have been wasted on boiling water for disinfection purpose alone in 50,000 SWFP-families.

The movement is also popularly heralded as One Rupee Revolution (in South Asia) or One Dollar Revolution (in the developed world).

Active Childhood Philosophy (ACP)

Active Childhood Philosophy (ACP) is a breakthrough in literacy and numeracy sector which has already changed the way some 16,000 kids think, create, act and work as well as the conventional attitudes their elders perceive their proteges by means of several sub-programs like Multi-media in Education (ME), Chharchhimek, Adopt A Heritage (AHA), Students Against Pollution (SAP) and so on.

Among them, 110 are street children and girls rescued from brothels of Bombay, India, 237 deaf children, 6,890 kids from the public schools and the rest from the private boarding schools.

Dhikichyaun

The world’s first publication, genuinely and independently produced by the kids, for the kids and to the kids which carries the outcomes of the impromptu ME workshops in toto.

Atelier for Peace (AfP)

Atelier for Peace is an annual camp, organized for fine, performing and indigenous artists, craftsmen and writers in the sacred garden of Lumbini—the birthplace of the apostle of peace, Gautama the Buddha and a World Heritage Site.

Its objectives are:

• to reinvigorate people's commitment to universal peace through art and craft forms, and literature;
• to help create a composite cultural ethos for the whole humankind, based on the world peace, compassion, and understanding among peoples and nations;
• to work together towards achieving a global order, based on moral and spiritual values as enshrined in the UN Charter; and
• to help develop Lumbini as an international center for world peace so that it can provide a common platform for people of all religions, faiths, and beliefs.

International Forum for Lumbini (IFL)

A high-level consultative, watchdog, facilitating and networking body for promoting Lumbini as an international center for peace.

Human Development Institute (HDI)

A not-for-profit research, consultancy and training unit which conducts short-term, real-time training programs in applied management to impart operational strategies and skills in the face of the new realities of structural adjustment and glocalization.

HDI is an exclusive and economical Center for Excellence in Management Training for GI volunteers, members of GI partner institutions and general public. Download the HDI prospectus and application by clicking here : Prospectus and Application Form (Acrobat Reader required. Or, go to for free download of the latest version.

Other Allied Activities

Corporate Alliance for Rehabilitation and Empowerment (CARE) is a GI initiative for instilling corporate accountability for social responsiveness among corporate and business leaders. Intercultural Volunteer Service (IVS) is a unique cross-cultural way to experience life in developing countries; Elite Club for Child Relief (ECCR) is a monthly sponsorship scheme for orphans and the poor; and Pyanggaon Project (PP) rehabilitates an ancient craft and minority tribal community whom the art belongs—both in the verge of extinction.