When I started TED in 1984, the idea was to create conversations, camaraderie and collaborations of Real People, who like sharing their ideas. I am glad to see that the founders of REX have created a conversation, not just of exclusive speakers, but an inclusive gathering of Real People and Ordinary Heroes, who stand for righteousness and doing right. I have observed that People can speak from their heart at REX and have the right of Free-Speech, without any censorship. REX has a grand vision and is become much bigger and better, than what I had intended TED to be originally. REX is the most unique knowledge forum globally, where one can go on a true journey from NOT KNOWING to WISDOM and AWARENESS. It is meaningful, mindful, engaging, energising, entertaining and most of all it is a great learning experience, with people from all walks of life sharing ideas for action. The original TED conference wasn’t rehearsed, planned, edited or scripted; there were no long introductions or a dress code. What you saw on videotape is exactly how it happened live, and the conference was magical. REX is everything I wanted TED to be and the founders of REX have truly created what my original idea of TED was. At TED When a speech was boring, or it went too long, I would get up and very quietly walk over and stand behind the person. At REX the founder Jerry Almeida does something even better. True to his nature, he literally blows the whistle and this adds to the fun and charm of the overall learning experience.
– Richard Saul Wurman- Original Founder of TED before he sold it in 2002. He is a REX enthusiast and mentor and has been supporting us to stay on the path for creating engaging, energising conversations and learning at REX.
Life is not just about creating and amassing wealth and materialistic gains for one’s own near and dear ones. Life is about creating a legacy of a better world for our future generations, because our own children also belong to the future generations. A better world benefits all and each of us can do something to create a better world. And if each and all of us 7 billion people does our little bit then the world will change for the better. The REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship and Karmaveer Chakra is not just an award and recognition, but the EMPOWERMENT OF TRUST and adding more strength to the shoulders of all our Fellows and Karmaveer award recipients, to bear more responsibility towards being more, creating more, doing more, growing more, accomplishing more and changing more, to make a positive difference in our world. I change to change our world.
– Jeroninio Almeida
We all want to be remembered for something, to be known as more than merely ordinary, to be seen as someone who truly made a difference. We all want to leave an imprint on this world and leave behind something that can make this world a little better and brighter.
From the very day we are born and from childhood, we are told that we are special and that we are destined for something wonderful. We learn to believe that if we choose to, we can accomplish whatever we set our minds to. And because it is our world, that we are capable of taking it by its horns and that what we choose to do to make a difference and be the change is up to us.
But what happens when you are presented with an opportunity that would change your life irreversibly and help you leave behind a dignified legacy that you would be proud of? Would you take that opportunity or would you hesitate?
We’ve all got roles to fulfill in the journey of our life, from being a good son, daughter, parent, friend, cousin, niece, partner to even being a good neighbour, good human being and good citizen. It is how we fulfill the responsibilities in each of these roles that makes all the difference. With a strong will, honesty of purpose and seriousness intent, if we take action we can indeed change the world; first our own, and then the world. Each of us as a human being has the responsibility of leaving behind a legacy of a better world for future generations than the one we were born in. All change in the world is possible when we change ourselves. That is the responsibility of a good human being because our children also will leave in the same world. What we leave behind for our children is our choice. The choices we make would manifest into positive or negative consequences for the future generations. We each have the ability to create and rewrite our own destinies and legacies and this in turn will impact the destiny of the world. I Change to Change our world.
Among us, live common people, who make the time and have the courage to give back to the world something of value- however small, but a legacy no less. They go out into the world everyday, unknown and unsung and give their best to make our world a little better, to make our lives a little better and to be the change we seek! These are people like you and me from all walks of life and of all ages, who don’t give a second thought to their own comforts and their own well-being before stepping out to touch our lives with their selfless and tireless efforts to contribute in whatever manner they can, to make a small but positive difference to this world.
They are not driven by fame or by motivations of material gain. They are common people with uncommon zeal and willingness to go the extra mile for their fellow citizens and the co-habitants of this planet. They are the quiet ambassadors of positive change that our planet needs so urgently and yet they are so unassuming and unsung. They bring small changes which add up to a substantial change which can transform positively, the way we live and exist in this world! These are heroes who take their responsibility as citizens of this world seriously and without any expectations, to make this world a better place and inspire us to bring out the hero within us.
We recognise these heroes amongst us and salute their vision, enterprise, journey and legacy they leave behind through a unique and most credible and globally coveted recognition and awards program
Every human being on earth will leave behind a unique footprint. We are looking for the hero in you too. Would you like to leave behind a unique legacy? If you do, what do you want your legacy to be? How do you want to be remembered? Do you hope to be remembered in a positive way? Most of us do. So then we must ask ourselves.
Every human being on earth will leave behind a unique footprint. We are looking for the hero in you too. Would you like to leave behind a unique legacy? If you do, what do you want your legacy to be? How do you want to be remembered? Do you hope to be remembered in a positive way? Most of us do. So then we must ask ourselves.
Are we living our lives to reflect the legacy we want to leave behind? Are we doing our bit to create a legacy of a better world as good human beings who fulfill their responsibility as human beings? We may be unable to change everything, but we can surely change something. Are we changing something? All change in the world starts by changing ourselves; Have we understood to practice the simple mantra “I Change to Change Our World?”
Some of us may live to be a 100 and most of us significantly less. But whatever our lifespan, each day brings forth plenty of opportunities to make our mark. Each of us is meant to shine, to manifest the goodness within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in each of us. Just as we inspire people, we are a product of the inspiration of people whose paths have crossed ours. How we live our lives is thus remarkably important.
Each human being is a masterpiece at work, unfolding our uniqueness and beauty with each passing day, and every single thing we do or say today will leave behind an imprint in the minds and hearts of people around us. People will remember the impact we had on them and the memories they created with us. We have the potential to redirect someone’s life with just a word or a simple action. Regardless of what we do, we most certainly are leaving a record of our time here, an impression of our life on earth.
It is incredibly important then for each of us to reflect on the uniqueness we will leave behind when we are gone.
What will my legacy be? This should be a question each of us should ask at some point in our lives. In fact, this is a question we should ask as often as we can.
The Karmaveer Awards
Life is a hard taskmaster and it barely gives us time to take a breather. Despite this, among us, live people from different walks of life who make the time and find it worthwhile to give back to the world something of value. Each day, they go out into the world, unknown and unsung, and give their best to make our world a little better, to leave a legacy for which they will be remembered! These are people just like you and I, but what sets them apart is their inability to get distracted by the comforts or ordeals of their own life. They step out to touch people’s lives with their selfless and tireless effort, to make a positive difference to this world.
They are not driven by hunger for fame or by motivation of material gain. They are common people with an uncommon zeal who have truly found purpose in life, and are willing to go the extra mile. They are the quiet ambassadors of positive change that our planet so urgently needs and yet, they are so unassuming. They bring small changes in society that adds up to substantial collective transformative change. These are real-heroes who recognize themselves as global citizens and have taken their responsibilities earnestly and trust themselves to be accountable for the future of this world. They inspire us to bring out the hero within us!
We believe that every human being has a hero within. Whether a business or UN leader, soldier, politician, bureaucrat, corporate executive, writer, volunteer, teacher, waiter, our house-help etc; everyone has a Champion of Change within, and only a few acknowledge and awaken this power to help inspire the change.
We recognize these heroes amongst us as Karmaveers, and salute their vision, enterprise and exemplary work through a unique recognition program, which is acknowledged more for its intangible significance than the obvious tangible value. The Karmaveer awards are not just a recognition and a reward but a trusteeship to shoulder more responsibility to learn more, be more, grow more, care more, love more and do more.
The REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship (RKGF)
The REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship (RKGF) brings together people from all walks of life, across age groups, who have demonstrated uncompromising commitment and relentless courage by walking the path less trodden and initiating a wave of change in society. The Fellowship is not limited to people involved in social work, but is also for people who in their own way are making a difference by showcasing a positive progressive mindset, as voices of conscience and voices of dissent, voices who challenge age-old negative dogmas that prevails in society.
RKGF is the only Fellowship in the world that is VOLUNTARILY led by the Fellows themselves. It has been created in partnership with iCONGO, VSO, REX and Karmaveer Chakra Award (Award Instituted by iCONGO in partnership with the United Nations (UN) to encourage proactive citizenship and voluntary action. RKGF helps life-changing innovators, and people striving to fulfil their passion and dreams, to network and collaborate with like-minded, ethical and socially conscious citizens from around the world. These citizens are diligently nominated and chosen by erstwhile Fellows, as future Fellows, through the REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship.
RKGF helps chosen Fellows to share their impactful ideas for action with a million audiences and transform lives through projects and ideas of hope. All Fellows must attribute value to learning and sharing of traditional wisdom and knowledge for mutual advantage, continuous improvement in the ecosystem for the common cause of creating a better, just and an egalitarian world. It is expected that our Fellows see their learning, knowledge and wisdom as their real wealth and award. The Fellowship is strictly by invitation only, but to keep it inclusive, it is also kept open for people to write to the curators online. However, people who apply are only invited if the Council of Fellows who curate the Fellowship nominations, find them worthy and deserving of the Fellowship.
RKGF Fellows
RKGF Fellows is a diverse and inclusive group. It comprises sportspersons, entertainers, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, social workers, sex workers, janitors, policemen, civil servants, slum dwellers, farmers, school/college students, homemakers, choreographers, stand-up comedians, bartenders, rape survivors, acid attack victims, differently-abled people or members of the LGBT community. Anyone who has a strong conviction to do something positively impactful with their lives and experiences can be a Fellow and be a part of a truly egalitarian and equal-opportunity platform bringing together people from all walks of life.
The aim is to bring together different energies from all around to create synergy for the greater good of society. Once chosen for the Fellowship, our Fellows get the opportunity to discover extraordinary potential to be more, learn more, lead more and do more through collaborations and shared learning with the very exceptional Karmaveer alumni and mentors from over the past few years. It takes a very special kind to make the cut and be chosen as a REX Karmaveer Global Fellow.
No matter who you are and what your stature in society may be, the REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship shall include you as long as you have extraordinary human potential and motivation. Like one of our veteran Fellow, Mr. Ravi Chaudhry (former chairman and CEO of several Tata Group companies) said at the REX CONCLiVE “REX Karmaveer Fellows are simply voices of conscience, who shall voice their dissent against any and all wrongs and social evils plaguing our society, nation and world.”
The REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship program and the most coveted Karmaveer Global Awards as stated by Dr. Verghese Kurien, mobilizes young innovators and champions of change from across the globe to bring their ideas and passion to the REX Fellowship, enabling shared learning. The REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship program has been established for recognizing budding champions of change in their respective fields, inspirational role models and architects of simple ideas for action.
REX Karmaveer Global Fellows are selected seeing that they are impassioned people who have proven their thought leadership and realized their potential to be game changers, making a difference in our world with their simple yet powerful ideas. REX seeks out revolutionary students, citizens, thinkers, doers and innovators to bring them together in a supportive, like-minded, ethical and socially responsible environment. REX provides all Fellows with huge exposure as well as bonding to several eminent and grassroots social workers, mentors, investors and innovators, to accentuate the ability of our Fellows to create long-lasting positive impact.
RKGF and You
If you are one of the chosen few, you will be bestowed with the REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship Citation and Karmaveer Chakra Award (which was the flagship program of the UN globally in the International Year of Volunteering in 2011) instituted by iCONGO at the request of the UN, at the annual REX CONCLiVE, held in Delhi. You will also have an opportunity to participate and maybe even speak at the REX CONCLiVE (earlier called the RIGHT every WRONG Conclave).
The REX CONCLIVE is the first and foremost wisdom forum in the world that focuses on social good and impact for the betterment of society with simple ideas for action. Facilitated and moderated by inspirational author, storyteller, orator, REX founder and curator, Jeroninio (Jerry) Almeida, REX has managed to inspire several other similar forums for social good across the world (CSUM, CERI, NGO Summit by the Art of Living, Goa Forgiving etc). Each year the REX CONCLiVE attracts the best speakers, who then get promoted extensively through social media and our iDishoom.com website which has an outreach of over 15 million subscribers and potential collaborators, and donors from around the globe. Several of our speakers and performers have been invited to other prestigious forums around the world. The President of India Exceptional Women Achievers’ Award (in 2017 over 50% of the women chosen were from amongst our Fellows including Nisha Kunju the first female Fellow to be chosen for the Dr. Verghese Kurien One Vision and Action to make a difference in our world Karmaveer Puraskaar (with Kaizaad Kotwal the Emmy award recipient and actor who was chosen in the male category), Forbes 30 under 30 List, Magsaysay Awards, Asoka Fellowships, to name a few.
You, as our esteemed Fellow shall get to attend the REXperience absolutely free with the compliments of the REX Fellowship conveners. Once chosen, you shall have the unique opportunity to network, and share wisdom and learning with like-minded champions of change from across the globe.
The REX Vision
REX envisions a dream of a BETTER, JUST, HUMANE, EGALITARIAN, FAIR, SAFE and RESPONSIBLE society, nation and world through a new crop of REX Karmaveer Global Fellows who will be the heart of change and a generation of paradigm-shifters, left- and right-brain innovators, thought-leaders, brave hearts, voices of conscience and champions of change, coming together as one, to right every wrong. They will be the people who will live and practice humility, integrity, commitment, courage of conviction, intent and impact and all our moJOsh Inspirator mindsets, virtues and powers.
REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship program will bring together experienced and influential people from all age groups and all walks of life, from across economies, especially emerging economies, whose innovative ideas, projects and actions have created a strong impact. These would include Global Citizens who have implemented their incredible ideas to action for bringing about change and impact. RKGF will also include grassroot innovators and people who are creative knowledge thinkers and doers, with an insight and vision to demonstrate innovative ideas that have the potential to create a mindset change in our world, making a difference with their simple thoughtful actions. All of the missions and projects of the REX Karmaveer Global Fellow categories will be incubated, mentored and coached by the REX and Karmaveer community, for spreading their ideas far and wide.
The Dr. Verghese Kurien One Vision and Action to make a difference in our world Karmaveer Puraskaar Awards
Two Fellows (male and female category) who have proactively actioned their ideas will be chosen each year for the coveted “Dr. Verghese Kurien – One Vision and Action to make a difference in our world Karmaveer Puraskaar Award”. This award shall be given to current Fellows, in the year that follows their selection as a Fellow. This award is dedicated to Dr. Verghese Kurien – the Father of the White Revolution, founder of Amul and our first Karmaveer Puraskaar Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in 2006.
The award is designed to leverage the REX community’s exceptional array of talent and resources. It is awarded annually to 2 of our Fellows for being outstanding human beings who have made a remarkable difference. The chosen 2 receive the trophy, citation and more importantly, the recognition for their One Vision and Action to make a difference in our world and to join the ranks of eminent and conscientious Karmaveer Puraskaar Award recipients.
Over the life of the Karmaveer awards thus far, many dreams have led to collaborative initiatives with other Karmaveer awardees for far-reaching and long-term impact. We work closely with the REX community, offline and online, to obtain pledges of support for the REX Karmaveer winners. These pledges can take the form of business services, hardware and software, publicity, infrastructure, advice, collaboration and media-profiling opportunities, connections, feet on the ground and more, in addition to the access for funding and support from the iCONGO &REX Karmaveer volunteer team and network.
