The Patiala Foundation, an India-based NGO, showcased it’s mechanisms of road safety, at the annual forum of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) this week at the UN headquarters. Some of the initiatives that the NGO shared were reflective stickers for bicycles to avoid accidents, a 'Helmet Bank', and a 'Children Challan Book' to spread awareness among children and their parents regarding responsible driving.
NGOs accredited with the UN body, drew attention to the need for concerted efforts to address issues arising from the pandemic, and other crises as well such as the Russia-Ukraine War.
Ravee Singh Ahluwalia, CEO of Patiala Foundation took part in the Economic and Social Council Annual Partnership Forum 2023. He said that it was a matter of privilege for the foundation to be able to participate at prestigious International forum.
"The forum opens up new opportunities and ideas to work towards our principles of achieving a better social environment for our people and bringing a positive change in society," Ahluwalia stated.
In order to protect the rights of pedestrians and non-motorised transportation, he said that the Patiala Foundation has worked with the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh and Smart City Chandigarh to explore next-generation road safety measures utilising artificial intelligence.
According to Ahluwalia, 25,000 people under this project have been sensitised towards road safety directly through 137 speeches made at organisations, schools, colleges, and universities.
500 helmets have been distributed in Patiala and Chandigarh, 500 people have received training about fundamental road safety measures, and nearly 100 reflective sticker camps have been held in Punjab and Chandigarh. Additionally, more than 2,000 Children Challan books have been given out to schoolchildren.
The UN said that the speakers at the ECOSOC forum highlighted the need for renewed broad-based engagement, reinvigorated political commitment, and revitalised partnerships across all sectors of society to recover from the COVID pandemic stronger than ever. The need to accomplish the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is now more than ever, the UN stated.
Emphasising on the role of organisations and individuals in realising the sustainable future, ECOSOC President Lachezara Stoeva said, “My earnest hope is to open the doors of all ECOSOC meetings to welcome and engage all institutions and people from all walks of life, including not only the most prominent but also the least visible.”
The Punjab-based Patiala Foundation, which works in the field of protection and regeneration of livelihood, preservation of cultural heritage, road safety, and conservation of environment, was granted ECOSOC Special Consultative Status in 2018.
Although the organisation mostly operates in the state of Punjab, it also has initiatives running in other Indian cities.
The foundation also doubled its focus on creating digital platforms for essential service providers under the livelihood project ‘iSEWA’. Under another project named iHERITAGE, Patiala Foundation conducts events and heritage walks among school children and the local population to create awareness about the local culture and heritage. Not just this, the organization also provides dry leaf composters to locals as part of the "Prithvi" environmental conservation initiative so they may manage and recycle their yard waste.