NEWS RELEASE August 2018 No° 2 A Better World for our Children and Better Children for our World Creating environmental consciousness amongst the youth of tomorrow By Rhitabrita Mukherjee, SOCEO in association with Anindya Sundar Das, A People’s Knowledge Center Dhuchnikhali The poster for the sit-and-draw competition themed on environmental consciousness Nine years ago, in the year 2009, cyclone Aila hit large parts of Bangladesh and India. People were killed and missing for days while several islands on the Indian archipelago of the Sunderbans were submerged. Ironically the mangroves of the area, stretching 4000 square kilometres along the Indian coastline, salvaged the mainland from the storm and floods while their mother islets lay ravaged by the sea. The world moved on but the islanders who survived the terrible disaster still carry the fear of another calamity in their heart. What is mostly ignored and these survivors may have never gotten to know is that scientists have stated that storms and cyclones in the recent years have struck with more intensity due to warmer sea surface temperatures and rise in sea level caused by global warming. The Sunderban Gyan Bikash Kendra (the People’s Knowledge Centre) run by Mrittika Prayas in Dhuchnikhali, an area that had also faced the cyclone, has taken upon itself to educate the people in their immediate and neighbouring areas about the environment, the damage mankind has inflicted on it and urgent precautions they need to take into their stride to avoid such a calamity again. They have been involved in the introduction, practice and marketing of organic agricultural produce in the region since 2017 with major focus on sustainability. Moving along this line they have started conducting lessons on environment and disaster management, previously limited to parents but now involving more and more children. The methods and target audience were changed with the realisation that while the older generations might be easier to convince that we are in danger from our own actions, the young ones remain unaware and mostly unperturbed. The youngest participants drew their heart out on their canvases In the spirit of the World Environment Day, SGBK brought together the regional children for a full day to participate in drawing competition and movie watching on the 21 st of July 2018. This was a clever and entertaining ploy to formally introduce the young children and adolescents to the strive towards building an environmental consciousness among all. The theme of the day being “Our Environment”, the children immersed themselves in putting their ideas on canvases in
The poster for the sit-and-draw competition themed onenvironmentalconsciousness
Nine years ago, in the year 2009, cyclone Ailahit largepartsofBangladeshandIndia.Peoplewere killed andmissing for dayswhile severalislands on the Indian archipelago of theSunderbans were submerged. Ironically themangrovesofthearea,stretching4000squarekilometresalong the Indiancoastline, salvagedthemainland fromthe stormand floodswhiletheirmother islets layravagedbythesea.Theworldmovedonbuttheislanderswhosurvivedthe terrible disaster still carry the fear ofanothercalamityintheirheart.Whatismostlyignored and these survivors may have nevergotten to know is that scientists have statedthat storms and cyclones in the recent yearshavestruckwithmoreintensityduetowarmersea surface temperatures and rise in sea levelcausedbyglobalwarming.
The Sunderban Gyan Bikash Kendra (thePeople’s Knowledge Centre) run by MrittikaPrayas in Dhuchnikhali, an area that had also
faced the cyclone, has taken upon itself toeducate the people in their immediate andneighbouringareasabouttheenvironment,thedamagemankindhasinflictedonitandurgentprecautions theyneed to take into their stridetoavoidsuchacalamityagain.Theyhavebeeninvolved in the introduction, practice andmarketingoforganicagriculturalproduceintheregion since 2017 with major focus onsustainability.Movingalongthis linetheyhavestartedconductinglessonsonenvironmentanddisaster management, previously limited toparents but now involving more and morechildren. The methods and target audiencewere changed with the realisation that whilethe older generations might be easier toconvince thatwe are in danger fromour ownactions, the young ones remain unaware andmostlyunperturbed.
The youngest participants drew their heart out on theircanvases
In the spirit of the World Environment Day,SGBKbroughttogethertheregionalchildrenforafulldaytoparticipateindrawingcompetitionand movie watching on the 21st of July 2018.This was a clever and entertaining ploy toformally introduce the young children andadolescents to the strive towards building anenvironmentalconsciousnessamongall.
The theme of the day being “OurEnvironment”, the children immersedthemselvesinputtingtheirideasoncanvasesin
NEWSRELEASE August2018No°2
themorning.Theparticipatingchildrendividedinto 3 groups, from youngest to oldest, wereinstructedtodrawwhatevertheywanted,whattheylovedmostinthenatureandtocreateanillustrativeposteronenvironment.
Later in the day together with their parentsthey were treated to the eye-openingdocumentary ‘Kolkata 2070’, which wassupported by the German Consulate GeneralKolkata,followedbyanextensivediscussiononthe ecosystem characteristic of theSunderbans.
ThechildrenandtheirparentswatchingKolkata2070
The documentary deals with the need toprotect the natural wonder that is theSunderbans, itsmajesty,biodiversityandvirginecosystem by adopting a sustainable lifestyleand practices. Because any harm and possibledestruction here will have a long reachingeffectsonthesubcontinent.Whilethedrawingwas an eye-opener to the children’s idea ofwhat the word environment constitutes, thedocumentarywas intendedtobeaneducativeexperienceforallpresentthere.
Theparticipantsbusyputtingtheirideasontopaper
The oldest participants created posters based on eco-friendlypractices
Many regional institutions including theDhuchnikali Ramkrishna Mission, DuchnikhaliJunior Basic School, Atapur Kenaram HighSchool and other schools and their teacherscame together in the preparation for the bigday. Help came from the Gram Panchayatmembers while the judges panel consisted ofthe region’s lauded art teacher Mr. ManabMridha and Mr. Debashis Banerjee and Mr.SurajitMondalfromSOCEO,Kolkata.
The children’s reproductions were an understanding of theirviewonnature
NEWSRELEASE August2018No°2
Beautifully completed canvases on display at the People’sKnowledgeCentre
In an effort to encourage all participants andnotdisappointanychildlosingthecompetition,all 79 of them were gifted young guavasaplings.Thiswasdeemedperfect tomotivatechildren to care for and grow trees of theirown, their contribution towards nature, andalso because of the fruit’s health benefits,especiallyforchildren.
Thedayendedwiththevariousguestspeakersandmembersof the knowledge center talkingabout various aspects of environmentalsustainabilityandabrieflessonmyMr.KalidasNaskar,trainerattheSGBK,onhowtoproperlyrearthechildren’sguavaplants.
The SGBK had devised the event and itsproceedings with an aim to strengthen theirconnectionwith the general population,makethem aware of the work being done by the
KnowledgeCentreandtobringboththeyoungand the adults into the fold to work togethertowardsenvironmentalconsciousnessandeco-friendly mechanisms. They have hopefullymanaged to make the children realise theimportance of nature and the role theythemselves must play in its conservation.
Thespeakersandguestsinteractingwiththechildren
Now the hope remains that as their littlesaplingsgrowintobeautifultrees,addingtothegreeneryaround,thechildrentoowillprogresson the path of increasing consciousness andalleviate any danger to the environment,rootingfromhumanactions.Afteralltocreateabetterworldforthechildren,weneedtohelpthembebetterchildrenforthisworld.
SOCEOisinvolvedintheprojectsinceitsinceptionasaconsultantingpartner.The project is supported by Schöck-Familien-Stiftung&ChildFundDeutschland.
