Are you the kind of person who dreams of making a trip to Antarctica, where the temperature is below minus 50 degreesIJ
For those who are adventurous enough, it is now possible — all one has to do is send a mail at expeditions@2041.com. The organisers, 2041, founded by polar explorer, environmental leader and public speaker Robert Swan, will send back a set of questions that the applicant has to answer. Some queries go like this: Why you want to join this expeditionIJ, What would you gain out of itIJ, What are your plans post the expedition. How would you utilise your skillsIJ The applicants are also asked to do a year long project in the home countries post the expedition which would focus on environment sustainability and conservation issues.
2041 led the first corporate expedition to Antarctica in 2003, during which 42 people from 18 countries joined Swan on the Edge programme. Since then, over 700 corporate leaders, educators, students and entrepreneurs from around the world have experienced Antarctica. And the latest to join from India is Sarita Singh, an IT specialist.
“I’m not the first Indian to go on this expedition. For the past few years, Indians have joined Swan. The idea of a journey to the very end of the Earth, a place which belongs to no one made me want to contribute my bit to protect our planet. Struggling through the extremely cold conditions, fear of knowing that we may not return from this expedition but yet I was determined to make the trip and I filed an application to be a part of the programme,” Singh says, adding that people who have extra ordinary skills, are motivated, have leadership qualities and are change agents get selected for the programme.
“Those who can get corporate sponsorship and help 2041 reach out to people through Corporate Social Responsibility activities, who have some goal in mind and can join hands in taking the mission statement forward are selected. Profiles of candidates are scrutinised and once the applicant clears the written part, telephonic interviews are conducted. The screening process takes a few months and then the selected candidates are tasked with raising sponsorship/funds which is around $22,000 (Rs 13-15lakh),” Singh tells you.
Swan has dedicated his life to the preservation of Antarctica by the promotion of recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change. He tells you that as the last unspoilt wilderness on earth, Antarctica is currently protected by a treaty prohibiting drilling and mining until 2041. “Decisions made by today’s youth will impact our entire planet’s ecosystem and the future of life on earth. It is our mission to build on this by informing, engaging and inspiring the next generation of leaders to take responsibility, be sustainable, and know that now is the time for action in policy development, sustainable business generation and future technologies,” Swan says.