He expressed pride that BNP Paribas had partnered with Zubaan, a small Indian publishing house and the renowned Magnum photographers. He emphasised that this event was in keeping with BNP Paribas’ own principles, in particular diversity, pointing out the Group’s recent committment to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles. Finally, Mr.de Montille noted BNP Paribas’ strong ties with the country given its presence in India for over 150 years.

Related posts:

1. “Women Changing India” embarks on a tour through Europe
2. “Women Panchayats” by Patrick Zachmann: a warm response from the Consul-General of India to Milan
3. Martine Franck: In the Hands of the Women

On 15 September 2011, Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters without Borders – RSF) will launch its first photo album dedicated exclusively to India, and specifically to the Women Changing India exhibition.

One hundred photos by six of Magnum Photos leading photographers are presented in this album, offering a taster of the exhibition that will be held at the Petit Palais in Paris from 21 October 2011 to 8 January 2012. The exhibition is designed and backed by BNP Paribas.

100 photos for press freedom and to honour the women who play a strategic role in the evolution of India.

>> The photo album can be ordered on line from the Reporters without Borders website

Related posts:

1. The first socially responsible photo development site
2. “Women Changing India” embarks on a tour through Europe
3. Martine Franck: In the Hands of the Women

Repeat

Take a trip to the heart of Marseille, to the neighbourhood known as le Panier (which literally means “the basket”), where the association Tabasco Vidéo zooms in. Founded in 1999, this community organization brings together film professionals who want to share their tool with everyone, to give them a voice through images.

Tabasco aims to make documentaries, as well as to accompany various groups through the process of creating a film, from inspiration to final product.

With shows like Pram TV, C’est pas joli, joli (It’s not pretty, pretty) and many others, Tabasco Video unites the members of the community through its audiovisual projects. It’s the essence of a neighbourhood captured on film. As Serge, shopkeeper and volunteer from le Panier, says: “This is my neighbourhood. When I say that, I’m saying it all!”

Related posts:

1. BlogTV: creation at the core of a neighbourhood with Lézarap’art
2. BlogTV: Jobs for the neighbourhood!
3. BlogTV: Building social bonds through culture

BNP Paribas has brought to Moscow two major exhibitions of Yann-Arthus-Bertrand. On July 28th at Moscow Multimedia Art Museum two exhibitions of GoodPlanet Foundation were opened with the support of BNP Paribas Russia team – humanity video exposition “6 billion Others” and “The forests and people” project.

The relationship between a human being and the nature is the main idea of both exhibitions. To live in harmony with the world around us, people must learn to understand and respect other people. GoodPlanet foundation, created and led by Yann Arthus-Bertrand – a renowned French photographer, tends to attract attention and interest of the environment and society in general. Thus it is natural that the Foundation exposes these two different exhibitions in content, but complementing each other.

Both exhibitions were of a great interest to the Moscow public. Despite the heat of +30 degrees approximately 1000 guests, media and art lovers gathered in the new building of the Multimedia Art Museum at Ostozhenka 16. At the opening – made by the author himself – Yann Arthus-Bertrand, as well as museum director Olga Sviblova and Laurent Couraudon, head of BNP Paribas in Russia gave welcoming speeches and spoke of the importance of supporting the nature and thinking of humanity.

Related posts:

1. 6 Billion Others: Oral accounts from the inhabitants of the world
2. Full version of the 6 Billion Others “Climate Voices” now on YouTube
3. 6 billion Others – climate change special

Repeat :
Have you ever travelled to a country where you don’t speak the language? If so, you probably know how frustrating it can be to not be able to communicate with the local population, or even to ask the simplest of questions.

Now imagine that you move to that country. How can you possibly think of filling out administrative forms, how can you register your children for school…even going to the supermarket might become difficult. To not understand a local language will quickly become a major hurtle.

For all of these reasons, an association called Femmes relais was created to help women integrate to living in France. It offers literacy courses, administrative resources, trips aimed at bringing families closer…

Related posts:

1. BlogTV: Helping Women through Difficult Times
2. BlogTV: Women of the Web
3. Integration in Belgium

When we asked him about his favorite photograph, he spoke about the photo by Patrick Zachmann on Gram Panchayats, which he considers to be the most expressive as far as women empowerment in India is concerned. In the country’s administration, Panchayats are the local self-governments of the villages or small towns.

The elected woman portrayed by Patrick Zachmann embodies this movement of change towards more political power for Indian women.

“In 2010, with more than 1.2 million women elected to office, India leads the world in terms of women’s presence in politics,” wrote Professor Amita Baviskar from the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, in “Empowerment at the grassroots”, the introduction to the report made by Patrick Zachmann in the Women Changing India exhibition book.

While women still face a number of social obstacles, ranging from illiteracy to traditional views in rural society that women should be modest, Prof. Amita Baviskar is convinced that “by simply entering the public domain, women will change lives.” So is Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma.

Related posts:

1. Patrick Zachmann: Women in Politics
2. “Women Changing India” embarks on a tour through Europe
3. Ludovic de Montille at the Women changing India preview, 14th September 2011 in London

Imagine that you had to pay thousands of dollars in taxes on your spouse’s health benefits while the rest of your married officemates did not have to do so. Sounds pretty unfair, no?

Many same-sex couples across the US that face at every paycheck, where their partner’s benefits are taxed. Conversely, these benefits are not taxable for opposite sex couples.

BNP Paribas US territory management has recognized this inequality and decided to take action by enacting Tax Equalization for same-sex couples. With this policy, the bank is at the vanguard by being among the first few banks in the US to offset this tax burden to ensure all employees are treated equally.

It was especially poignant to have this policy announced by Everett Schenk – Head of Region – North America during the Gay Pride Month kick off event sponsored by GLOBE (Gay, Lesbian, and Other BNPP Employees’ networking group) at the beginning of June. Participants addressed the cost incurred by those GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender) employees who are not comfortable being their authentic selves in the work place. The discussion was led by Claudia Woody, who serves as IBM’s Global GLBT Council Chair and is the Managing Director for IBM Global Intellectual Property. She delineated the costs to businesses that do not support or provide an inclusive environment for their GLBT employees.

It’s really exciting for us employees to see BNP Paribas’ leadership on this issue and their ongoing commitment to GLBT equality in the workplace.

Related posts:

1. Work Life Balance Month
2. Distributing 500,000 food packs in one month
3. Charity Fair in New York: What you missed!

The Club Hippique de Meaux, a horseback riding centre in the Seine-et-Marne region close to Paris, is an unusual place to ride. What makes it different? Its members will tell you its the warm and friendly atmosphere.

In such an environment, the association was able to put into place a riding programme for disabled members of the community. With a group of highly motivated riding students, a team of professional monitors and the necessary equipment, the club has overcome all logistical difficulties to make the programme a success!

Related posts:

1. FTT: riding through Vietnam
2. BlogTV: Urapeda, a specialist in adapted communications

Calling all women web entrepreneurs across France: the Power Starter Awards were created with YOU in mind!

Started last year by the association Cyber-Elles, the competition is meant to encourage online business development among women from socially- or ethnically-diverse backgrounds. It is a trampoline into the professional world, allowing the women involved to benefit from the advice of experts in the field, from visibility on the web, from the Cyber-Elles professional network…everything these industrious women need to bring their idea to fruition!

The BlogTV team was on the scene at the 2nd annual Power Starter Awards ceremony to introduce us to the women and to put their innovative and encouraging projects under the spotlight.

Related posts:

1. Women's Internal Network: Education, opportunity, and mentoring
2. Financi’Elles, a new network for women in French banking
3. BlogTV: Planting Seeds of Growth for Women