Editor-in-Chief of India-Africa Today (IAT) Rao Narender Yadav has been conferred with the coveted Karmaveer Puraskar 2019. The award has been instituted by the International Confederation of NGOs (iCONGO) along with the United Nations (UN).
Rao has been a relentless crusader towards minimizing the communication deficit and information gap among people. During the last two-decades, as a media professional, academician, media trainer, and child rights expert, he has been exploring and experimenting with myriad forms of communication to facilitate sustained dialogue amongst various stakeholders and thereby bridging the information gap, particularly in the far flung areas of India
As a storyteller, he took a pioneering initiative in 2013 to popularise issue-based cinema in the country through Woodpecker International Film Festival (WIFF). Today, it is counted among the most respected and credible film festivals across the globe. To further explore the power of communication, in improving India-Africa relations, he established India-Africa Today (IAT) in 2017, as a diverse platform to promote shared history and culture of India and Africa through cinema, art, food and theatre. India-Africa Today (IAT) is an attempt to bridge the gap of mutual distrust and develop better understanding and appreciation of each other’s culture and tradition among Indians and Africans.
The award includes Karamveer Chakra and the REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship (RKGF). REX is regarded as an egalitarian, inclusive and one of its kind fellowships, where people are chosen based on their integrity and capability to create a positive attitudinal transformation in the society as champions of change. REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship is the only Fellowship in the world that is led by fellows themselves, towards helping and enabling life-changing innovators, champions of change and people striving to fulfill their passions and dreams, to network and collaborate with like-minded, ethical and socially conscious/responsible global citizens.
Over the past 15 years, iCONGO has created and founded The Joy of Giving, Right every Wrong, Swachh Bharat Mission, Karmaveer Awards, One Billion Rising andREX – Not just TALKS and Ideas for ACTION knowledge -sharing and wisdom-transfer CONCLiVE.
According to Jeroninio Almeida, founder of the awards, “The Rex CONCLive was launched in 2006 and has been driving change with simple ideas for action ever since. A number of these ideas which were popularized at the Rex CONCLives have become huge movements today. Over the past few years, we have created a powerful momentum to address issues of pressing importance for the society at large. Ideas discussed at the REX forum over the years, have led to action for educational reforms, climate change, humane capitalism, dignity for people living with HIV etc.”