Dimension Trade And Commerce Ltd. Commences Activities by Vianney D'Gama (Edit 3 Sep-Oct 2007)

Dimensions is a movement which is aimed at harnessing the resources of the community and channelling it for the benefit of the community again aimed at creating wealth and using the same for community development. The members of Dimensions consist of businessmen and professionals from various walks of life like legal, medicine, investment, education etc to name a few. Apart from social objectives, the members of Dimension were of the view that floating a commercial venture by pooling the resources of the members would appear as an excellent vehicle for generation of wealth. The idea was mooted by driving force behind the movement – Freddy Mendonca- After a brain storming session the idea resulted in the birth of Dimension Trade and Commerce Ltd. a corporate where the objective is to maximise wealth for its stake holders Dimension Trade and Commerce boasts of an excellent Board, consisting of personalities, who have excelled in their respective fields and are burning with a passion to make this venture a roaring success. Dimension Trade and Commerce commenced operations recently and to finance its business activities it issued shares to its members at the rate of Rs. 10/- per share and the response was overwhelming. In the first phase, the company decided to focus on two growth areas for deployment of funds- the stock market and the real estate markets and what is gratifying is that the funds deployed in these two segments have generated excellent returns. Going forward the company is planning to increase the outlay in these two growth segments. The management is now in the process of expanding its activities in these two high growth areas. To increase its fund base to undertake the expansion plans the company is planning to issue shares to its members who could not be accommodated in the initial phase. The Directors are now seized with the thought of further diversifying the income streams of the company so as to not only enhance the income streams, but to have a stable and diversified income portfolio. With the Indian economy poised for accelerated growth in the years ahead, Dimension Trade and Commerce is all set to bask in the glory of a growing economy.

Vianney D'Gama is a Freelance Writer

The Time Has Come Part 2 By Veronica Paul (Edit 3 Oct 2007)

In the last part (part 1), Ms. Paul referred to the three Power factors, i.e. Economic Power, Intellectual Power and the Power of Conviction, In that issue she focused on Economic Power. In this issue, she elaborates on Intellectual Power Intellectual Power: Intellectual Power is important because it influences thought and action. If you observe a group of people in conversation, you will often find that the person who appears the most knowledgeable, and can quote facts and statistics to substantiate his statements, automatically leads the conversation, holds everyone's attention and exerts a certain power over others. This power comes from Knowledge, and Knowledge comes from education and experience. For our youth, both male and female, education is the cornerstone of intellectual power, leading to economic wellbeing. Unfortunately, very few of us reach the level where we can make a real difference in the political, corporate and business world. A vast majority of our Christians have little education, hold low-end jobs and seem to be satisfied with the crumbs that fall off the table of India's economy. This is a pitiable state of affairs especially considering that we have had access to superior education in Christian schools and colleges. We have failed to capitalize on this asset and to grow intellectually. We call ourselves an educated community but this merely means that we have a basic education, which has limited use in today's scenario. Someone recently spoke of a classmate who was a consistent topper in school and college, yet did not pursue further studies and today holds a mediocre job in a BPO. What a waste of brainpower. Many of our youth today have taken the line of least resistance and have fallen prey to dead-end jobs in BPO's and Call Centers because of short-term returns. Even parents, dazzled by the handsome salaries, are encouraging this trend. This is sad because we are slowing down our own progress. As a community, we have several vertical skills such as knowledge of written and spoken English, interpersonal skills, culture, team playing abilities, integrity, basic values, etc. Instead of capitalizing on these advantages for our own long-term benefit, we happily allow these assets to be exploited by others, but to our own detriment. BPO's and Call Centers, being a 24/7 industry (i.e. 24 hours a day, seven days a week), involve shift timings and monotonous work. The burnout rate, thus, is very high, and many young men and women quickly learn that there is no future in these jobs. By then, however, they not only find it difficult to get mainstream jobs due to lack of qualifications, but also find it impossible to continue their college education. Thus, they find themselves between a rock and a hard place, and frustration sets in. What is more alarming is the fact that even undergraduates are being targeted because of the ever-increasing demand. Christian Career Counselors should be aware of this trend and advise our youth accordingly. In some cases, BPO'S may be a good starting point for a person who has completed his/her full education and needs an initial break. But not for a student who would have otherwise gone in for higher studies and branched out into a more meaningful profession. We need to raise the bar in terms of academic achievement. How many of our youth aspire to the IAS, IPS, Chartered Accountancy, or to B-schools like the IIM's, XLRI, TISS, etc., or to the top engineering schools such as the IITs? How many have entered top medical schools? Today, we have a wide choice of professions like Media, Entertainment, IT, Fashion Designing, etc. to choose from. However, even these are very competitive and we need to set our goals much higher to qualify for admission into the best professional institutions in the respective fields. A good education necessitates the investment of time, energy and finance. While students should endeavor to excel in their chosen streams and not take for granted the facilities offered by Christian schools, colleges, and professional colleges, these Christian institutions too can help by focusing on our youth and encouraging them to excel. Giving them a head start by way of preferential admission would also help. In this context, it may be useful to remember that charity begins at home, and we need to ensure that our Christian youth get access to these facilities first. Since superior education is expensive, Christian corporate houses could sponsor the coaching of high-potential students for further studies at the best institutes both in India and abroad. Coaching that is strategic and goal-oriented has to start early. This is not to imply that only a spectacular academic background guarantees success. Many have achieved significant success without fancy qualifications. Indeed, some have reached dizzy heights with very little formal education. However, few of us have the genius or business acumen of a Bill Gates or a Dhirubhai Ambani. For the rest, a top-notch education is the gateway to success and aspiration. Intellectual power also means using our native intelligence to the optimum. We need to be on the cutting edge of developments and knowledge in our areas of interest. We need to be aware of our rights, privileges, opportunities and threats, and think laterally. The antithesis of intellectual power is ignorance. In property matters particularly, many of our Catholics, through fear and ignorance, are intimidated by unscrupulous builders and other elements. Here, dedicated Legal Cells can be of great help. Christian lawyers and builders should access areas like Gaothans which have a large Christian population and offer services and guidance to those who need them. Christian housing societies should also spread awareness among their members in this regard. Having the requisite intellectual skills will empower us immeasurably. No longer then, will we be considered an ignorant, easy-going and naive community that is virtually begging to be exploited. Veronica Paul is a Placement Consultant and Proprietor of C. S. Paul & Associates.

PASSING THE BATON by Marshal Sequeira (Edit 1 May 2007)

Organizations, whatever may the character and purpose, are essentially formed as a means to primarily serve others never for self. It is not necessary that the beneficiaries have to be the whole wide world but a group of people, community, business entities or whatever. The aim is always noble and more often than not, the purpose is well served in line with the aims and objects. Some people take the lead and give the requisite dimension to the organization or association. They have a philanthropic bent of mind and this single attribute ensures that the members or the community stands to benefit. Such people believe that a fulfilling and meaningful life is created through service to others. They are busy individuals and not idle but their inner call makes them devote their time so that others can benefit. Undoubtedly, this is a thankless job because people who devote their time, energy and even money to advance the objectives, find themselves at the receiving end when it comes to criticism. Adverse comments and unwanted criticism are more pronounced during the teething period which is generally lengthy. Founder members / Conveners who are generally committed take such remarks in their stride and continue with their mission because they want to ensure that what they have conceived and started is placed on a sound footing for the benefit of the future generations. A man who plants a peepal sapling does not live to enjoy its shade but does it all the same for posterity. We have inherited a good many organizations / associations which were established by men of vision and dedication. They are not longer on the scene but their contribution is always felt. We are enjoying the fruits today. Similarly those organizations, formed now, will impact the future generations. Contributions by the well meaning founders will be appreciated by those who benefit from them in the long run even if they are no longer at the helm of affairs. Therefore keeping long term perspective in mind and in the larger interests of the beneficiaries and the organizations, they prefer to step aside and withdraw from the forefront, making way for the younger members to hold the reins. They sincerely believe that others can do a better job of it with modern and innovative ideas. Narayan Murthy, the man behind the success of Infosys, voluntarily stepped aside to give others a chance to show their caliber and take it on a higher plane. He stepped aside when people asked “why” instead of waiting for “when”. That is the stuff great men are made of. Every leader must be able to build a new set of leaders to take over in the long run as he honestly believes that his place is transitory. This attitude shows his magnanimity and selflessness because he has the larger interest of the organization dear to his heart. This process ensures continuity and there is no scope for sudden vacuum at the helm. We have many associations and groups and it may be nice thing to have a look at the state of affairs. No doubt most of them are operating on very sound and healthy lines but all the same a little self appraisal is not a bad thing after all. Some people may unwittingly, not realize how important it is to look at the succession plan in the interest of the organization, industry or Government. British PM is being literally forced out and the same thing would have happened in the USA if their constitution did not insulate the President. Leaders of substance must read the writing on the wall. “Only I can do it” is a very dangerous attitude. Transparency is the key word for any organization. Once this is ensured, democratic functioning follows. Members and others hold such association in high esteem. They like to be associated with it but if they have any reservations people prefer to stay aloof and indifferent. The organization then does not grow and remains stagnant. This is not a healthy situation and the people at the helm must sit up and take notice unless of course they feel it does not really matter so long as they continue to rule the roost.

Marshall Sequeira is a “ Free lance writer”