India's Children in the spotlight at Synergos' University for a Night

CRY CEO, Ingrid Srinath shares platform with Ted Turner, E Neville Isdell, Charles Minor, Kofi Annan and David Rockefeller.

Ingrid Srinath, CEO, CRY, Child Rights and You, India's premier non-profit organisation working to restore the rights of underprivileged Indian children, was one of the four plenary discussion speakers at the Synergos University for a Night event on October 12, 2006 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York.

University for a Night brings global leaders together to discuss the world's most pressing problems and to share ideas that help to address poverty, inequity, environmental degradation and conflict.

This year, Ingrid shared the platform with E Neville Isdell, Chairman and CEO of the Coca Cola Company, Ted Turner, media baron and Founder and Chairman of the United Nations Foundation and Charles A. Minor, Ambassador of Liberia to the United States. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, and David Rockefeller presented the David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Awards to Mr. Turner and to Ms. Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson, the first woman head of State in Africa, on the occasion.
 
The event provided CRY an opportunity to remind some of the world's wealthiest and most influential individuals of the dark underside of India's much-touted economic boom. Ms. Srinath spoke of the 200 million Indian children who are chronically malnourished and the need for all sections of society - State, Market and Civil Society to take responsibility if problems of this scale and severity are to be tackled with any success. She pointed out that the policies of corporate giants like Coca-Cola had a far greater impact on children and communities than the combined efforts of NGOs.

Ms. Srinath highlighted the remarkable vision of Rippan Kapur, CRY's founder, in building a publicly funded, indigenous, third-world foundation rooted in partnerships without the financial, knowledge or social assets that typically mark grant-making organisations globally.

In response to a question on barriers to partnership, Ms. Srinath singled out the myopic vision of donors and grant makers that fail to actively involve underprivileged communities they work with in developing and implementing solutions. "What we've learned", she said, "is that the only sustainable change is the one that comes bottom up; where our role, whether we're government, civil society or market, is really to actively listen to and amplify the voices of the poorest of the poor."

Ingrid was selected as a Synergos Senior Fellow in 2003. As part of her fellowship, she consults with foundations across the world, sharing CRY's experience in social marketing and fundraising. 

Ingrid joined CRY in 1998, after working extensively in the advertising industry. Among the positions she held was that of Associate Vice President, Grey Worldwide. Retaining an abiding passion for brands, Ingrid is a member of the Consumer Complaints Council of the Advertising Standards Council of India.

After a period as Regional Director, West, Ingrid was appointed CRY's Director Resource Mobilization in 2000. During this tenure, CRY's fundraising operations were completely re-engineered resulting in several new revenue streams including online marketing, fundraising and advocacy. As a result CRY has grown at a compounded annual growth rate of 35% over this period and has one of the most robust resource mobilization models in the sector. 

A founding board member of CRY America, Ingrid currently spearheads CRY's expansion to the UK and the Middle East. 

About CRY
CRY - Child Rights and You is India's leading advocate for child rights. Over 27 years, CRY has partnered NGOs, communities, government and the media to eliminate the root causes of deprivation, exclusion, exploitation and abuse that keep over 100 million Indian children hungry, unschooled and vulnerable to the worst forms of abuse and exploitation imaginable.

CRY - Child Relief and You America Inc., a 501c3 registered non-profit organization in the USA, believes that every child is entitled to basic rights of survival, protection, development and participation. In partnership with CRY, a leading advocate for child rights in India, CRY America works with NGOs, communities, the media and is dedicated to mobilizing all sections of society to eliminate the root causes of deprivation, discrimination, poverty, exploitation, abuse and alike, to ensure justice for children.

CRY America, commenced operations in November 2002. Today, it partners 16 child development projects across India and USA, restoring to more than 35000 children their right to a childhood.  On-site planning, monitoring and evaluation are provided by CRY and its 27 years of experience of working with and for children.

CRY America is founded on the premise that everyone - an individual or an organization, can make a difference. In over three years, it has a 500-strong volunteer base spread across 23 US cities comprising students, executives, professionals and homemakers. CRY America seeks to provide American donors new levels of accountability and transparency in measuring the impact their contributions make in ensuring children their rights.

For more information about CRY America and its work with child rights, please log onto our website www.america.cry.org  or write to support@cryamerica.org