Chennai, June, 2023 : The Honourable Speaker of Lok Sabha Shri Om Birla on Friday presented  Lions Club International’s Roar to Restore SDG awards to twenty individuals and organizations at the Lions International’s fourth Round Table Discussion held in Delhi. These awards are an effort to acknowledge and recognise the efforts and contributions of those who made a difference by their efforts and contributions, flipping the script on the climate change, gender  balanceand women empowerment, health and wellness and laying the foundations for a more sustainable and equitable future for all.

“India is leading the world in every field. The coming time belongs to India, whether it is economic, social, political or democracy. There is discussion of India’s SDG everywhere. We had a long discussion on the platform of Parliament to achieve the goals of SDGs. How can we contribute to achieving the SDG goal. When India adopted parliamentary democracy after independence, many countries felt that such a large population and geography, the country with this situation may not be able to do anything but today India is showing the mirror to the world.” said Shri Birla, “Our strength has increased due to the new thinking of the youth. Today the youth is doing exceptionally well in every field. India’s intellectual capacity has also increased. I am happy that in the coming days, India will lead in every field in the whole world”.

Applauding Lion’s efforts towards achieving the SDG goals, he said, “Lions Club is working dedicatedly across the country. With positive changes, we have achieved many goals from the round table discussion on SDG goals that took place today. Apart from the people of the corporate world, the government is also working to bring about a change in the society regarding the four SDG goals. There is a long discussion and after that the conclusion that comes out, further strategy is being made. Lions Club is also moving forward on the same strategy today”.

Talking about food security and hunger, Shri Om Birla said, “Lions Club has taken up the issue of hunger. In India, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi worked to providing food to more than 80 crore people. After Covid19, till now the state governments worked in this direction through planning. Right now, there is no hunger-like situation in the country, you tried, we showed the world at the time of Covid19 that the culture of working with collectiveness prevails in the country during every disaster”.

Talking about Lions Club commitment towards ‘good health and well-being’, Shri Om Birla said, “The way the Lions Club worked for the prevention of blindness, its effect is visible in the whole country. Lions Club worked in remote villages to overcome the problem with Cataract. Lions Club did the work of giving light to the people, and for this I thank Lions Club”. 

Delivering the keynote address, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, said, “The discussions on the Sustainability Development Goals are timely, and even for initiatives like green energy and Swachh Bharat, organisations like the Lions Club play an important role.” He assured the Lions Clubs that the government would help them continue upholding their values and ethos in service to society.

A P Singh, International Third Vice President, Lions Clubs International, while welcoming the honourable Speaker, provided an insight to the background and contribution  of Lions Clubs International, affirming the Association’smission to serve the world in need.  
“When the UN first introduced the Millennium Development Goals in 2008, Lions International signed an MoU to support the goals. Those goals have evolved through time into the Sustainable Development Goals, which are akin to the agenda of a good citizen, the agenda that a good government should have, and the agenda of every person to better their lives and make them worth living,” Mr. Singh continued.

“The dedication and enthusiasm of Lions Clubs in promoting sustainability, environmental advocacy, health, and wellness have already made a significant difference in combating climate change and building resilient communities. Through their actions, Lions Clubs serve as a shining example of how service organisations can play a pivotal role in addressing the global climate crisis. We need to push for more and more use of DPIs, and the government, private sector, and non-governmental social welfare organisations must collaborate to achieve the 2030 target for the UN SDG.” said Mr. Singh.

The round table has previously been held in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad. Experts from an array of professions have participated in the endeavour. Sumanta Datta, MD, Oxford University Press; Chetan Kapoor, CEO,TechMahindra Foundation; Rachna Panda, VP & Country Group Head Comms, PA & Sustainability, Bayer; Devansh Pathak, Specialist, Strategy & Community Engagement, WEF India; Vijay Kumar Raju, Past International Director, Lions International; and Swati Mahajan, Lead, Health Systems Strengthening, Path South Asia were among the experts on the panel.