Professor L.S. Bhat
National Fellow,
Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR),
and former Professor, Indian Statistical Institute(ISI), New Delhi.
will be presenting a seminar on
'Decentralised Planning with Spatial Dimension: Issues and Perspectives'
at 3.00 PM on Thursday, 28th June, 2007
at ISEC Seminar Hall
All are welcome
Tea/ Coffee will be served before the Seminars
Dr.V.Anil Kumar
Seminar Coordinator
and Asst. Professor,
Centre for Decentralisation and Development
Institute for Social and Economic Change, Nagarabhavi PO, Bangalore - 560 072
Phone: 080-23215468; 23215519; 23215592 Extn.417
Fax: 080-23217008
E-mail: seminarcoordinator@isec.ac.in
You can visit ISEC online at www.isec.ac.in
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
The Malnad Mela : An interesting initiative to restore the biodiversity of forest home gardens in Sirsi
For six years now, Sunita Rao, an Adjunct Fellow at ATREE has been working hard to lead a biodiversity conservation movement in the villages of Sirsi.
Today, the concept of forest home gardens has grown strong roots in Sirsi. Each year, in the first week of June the people in the community, especially the womenfolk celebrate The Malnad Mela.
The article below gives you the full story about the Malnad Seed Mela.
Sharing green treasures
reported by Anitha Palloor
Every house in Malnad boasts of a kitchen garden. However, with the change in lifestyle, native recipes have disappeared. Before everything is lost, a few groups and organisations are attempting to bring back the lost legacy in tune with the present trend.
As rain poured outside the hall, women farmers participating in the fair cheered in joy. Monsoon had supported their efforts to spread the green word. Happier was Suma who found khadga avare, a vegetable variety, which was her favourite during childhood days. Most of the consumers who attended the Malenadu Mela (Malnad Fair) recalled their days of 'eating fresh and staying healthy'. Vegetables and wild variety seeds which were in good demand at the event spread the scent of local treasure.
The fair held in Sirsi reflected the efforts of women's collectives in rejuvenating indigenous food diversity.Uttara Kannada, known for its biodiversity and traditional recipes, has changed its pace in the last few decades. As easy-to-cook market vegetables entered the kitchen shelves, diverse home-grown recipes took a backseat.
The Malenadu home garden and seed exchange network started in 2001 by development activist Sunitha Rao, aims at rebuilding the concept in this region. Concrete steps like training, exposure visits and seed exchange programmes have helped many women farmers in this region to earn their livelihood.
Now there are twelve self-help groups under this network.Ganga Mohan Channaiah is one such woman whose vegetable garden brings home a major share of the family income. “I had a passion for growing vegetables. I have been doing this for the past 25 years. Still, by practice, some market vegetables were also used. After I came into contact with this network, I started growing vegetables in all the available space around my house.”Ganga has a little more than an acre of land where her husband grows paddy during monsoon. But she finds place in her backyard and the surrounding hillock to grow her vegetables. Post monsoon, she grows more than ten varieties of vegetables from radish to palak and cucumber.
A mobile vendor, Ganga sells four to five quintals of vegetables in a year. This has helped her stop working as an agricultural labourer.Ganga says that her husband has a share in her success. He has backed her in all her activities, from preparing soil bed to packing seeds. There are also instances of seed movement bringing families together.
Slow, but sure progress
Sugandha Sahadeva Gavade, a tribal woman in Yellapur, earns twenty percent of her family income from growing vegetables.
Observing the prospects of growing vegetables, she works full time in the vegetable garden. Her group has clearly understood the health and economic aspects of non-chemical food produces.
A few members have left tiresome jobs like brick making and have taken up vegetable farming. Sugandha says, “The variety of vegetables in my farm increased as we started participating in seed exchange programmes.”Initially, the programmes were held at the village level. Later, seed exhibition and exchange fairs were held in Sirsi, Yellapur and Kumta. “Hundreds of varieties at a place naturally make visitors take home a few seeds. In 2006, we organised seed exhibition and exchange along with sale. The event was rechristened as Malnad Fair,” says Manorama Joshi, one of the frontline members of the collective. Remembering last year's overwhelming response, organisers made it a two-day event this year.
Even the array of things on sale increased.Value-added food products like jackfruit chips, papad, appe midi pickle and sweets refreshed the taste buds, while products like dry banana, dry cocum, organic turmeric and tamarind powder were sold quickly. Ornaments made of vegetable seeds, paddy designs, hats made of areca leaf, colourful cotton bags, cotton wear and designer bedspreads like kaudi and pagadi added a touch of folklore to the entire fair.
However, the most popular items that were sold in no time were Neernalli group's maghekayi dosa (a dosa unique to Sirsi region) and jackfruit idli. This fair truly taught the essence of biodiversity to hundreds of visitors.Around 35 different groups, including the Halakki community in the south and the Kuluvadi Marathe in the north participated in the fair on invitation.
Apart from women's collectives, Snehakunja, TEED, Namma Bhoomi, BAIF, Green Foundation, Prakruthi, ATREE and Charaka also took part. Women showed that biodiversity conservation begins in the kitchen. Each of them played the role of a seed bank, storing tens of varieties and spreading it across. Meeting people in such occasions has helped them develop new ideas and learn growing methods.This is not all. Earning money has made a huge difference to their status, both within the family and in the society. Coming out of the house to take part in public functions was not easy earlier. The movement has sown the seeds of change even at the family level. Women are now key decision makers. A strong social relationship has developed among these women for a good cause.
Sunitha Rao, the person who dreamt of such a start, has many more to be groomed. “Though we have developed a good reserve of seeds, fields have acted as banks. We now need to develop a small store for seeds, which would cater to those who are interested. An outlet for native produce may also boost the interest of farmers. We don't want to grow in number, but we want to strengthen ourselves. Being a local group, we want to respond to larger issues,” she says.
Training, trade and exposure visits are the key activities of this movement. Research is another aspect the network wants to focus on along with documenting available diversity. With more than 200 varieties of seeds grown in the gardens of these women’s collectives, The Malenadu home garden and seed exchange network has developed a reliable conservation model.
Sunitha Rao can be contacted at Karkolli village, Hulekal: 581336, Sirsi; Ph: 9480299200;
Email : malnadseeds@gmail.com
Source : http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jun262007/spectrum200706259357.asp
Today, the concept of forest home gardens has grown strong roots in Sirsi. Each year, in the first week of June the people in the community, especially the womenfolk celebrate The Malnad Mela.
The article below gives you the full story about the Malnad Seed Mela.
Sharing green treasures
reported by Anitha Palloor
Every house in Malnad boasts of a kitchen garden. However, with the change in lifestyle, native recipes have disappeared. Before everything is lost, a few groups and organisations are attempting to bring back the lost legacy in tune with the present trend.
As rain poured outside the hall, women farmers participating in the fair cheered in joy. Monsoon had supported their efforts to spread the green word. Happier was Suma who found khadga avare, a vegetable variety, which was her favourite during childhood days. Most of the consumers who attended the Malenadu Mela (Malnad Fair) recalled their days of 'eating fresh and staying healthy'. Vegetables and wild variety seeds which were in good demand at the event spread the scent of local treasure.
The fair held in Sirsi reflected the efforts of women's collectives in rejuvenating indigenous food diversity.Uttara Kannada, known for its biodiversity and traditional recipes, has changed its pace in the last few decades. As easy-to-cook market vegetables entered the kitchen shelves, diverse home-grown recipes took a backseat.
The Malenadu home garden and seed exchange network started in 2001 by development activist Sunitha Rao, aims at rebuilding the concept in this region. Concrete steps like training, exposure visits and seed exchange programmes have helped many women farmers in this region to earn their livelihood.
Now there are twelve self-help groups under this network.Ganga Mohan Channaiah is one such woman whose vegetable garden brings home a major share of the family income. “I had a passion for growing vegetables. I have been doing this for the past 25 years. Still, by practice, some market vegetables were also used. After I came into contact with this network, I started growing vegetables in all the available space around my house.”Ganga has a little more than an acre of land where her husband grows paddy during monsoon. But she finds place in her backyard and the surrounding hillock to grow her vegetables. Post monsoon, she grows more than ten varieties of vegetables from radish to palak and cucumber.
A mobile vendor, Ganga sells four to five quintals of vegetables in a year. This has helped her stop working as an agricultural labourer.Ganga says that her husband has a share in her success. He has backed her in all her activities, from preparing soil bed to packing seeds. There are also instances of seed movement bringing families together.
Slow, but sure progress
Sugandha Sahadeva Gavade, a tribal woman in Yellapur, earns twenty percent of her family income from growing vegetables.
Observing the prospects of growing vegetables, she works full time in the vegetable garden. Her group has clearly understood the health and economic aspects of non-chemical food produces.
A few members have left tiresome jobs like brick making and have taken up vegetable farming. Sugandha says, “The variety of vegetables in my farm increased as we started participating in seed exchange programmes.”Initially, the programmes were held at the village level. Later, seed exhibition and exchange fairs were held in Sirsi, Yellapur and Kumta. “Hundreds of varieties at a place naturally make visitors take home a few seeds. In 2006, we organised seed exhibition and exchange along with sale. The event was rechristened as Malnad Fair,” says Manorama Joshi, one of the frontline members of the collective. Remembering last year's overwhelming response, organisers made it a two-day event this year.
Even the array of things on sale increased.Value-added food products like jackfruit chips, papad, appe midi pickle and sweets refreshed the taste buds, while products like dry banana, dry cocum, organic turmeric and tamarind powder were sold quickly. Ornaments made of vegetable seeds, paddy designs, hats made of areca leaf, colourful cotton bags, cotton wear and designer bedspreads like kaudi and pagadi added a touch of folklore to the entire fair.
However, the most popular items that were sold in no time were Neernalli group's maghekayi dosa (a dosa unique to Sirsi region) and jackfruit idli. This fair truly taught the essence of biodiversity to hundreds of visitors.Around 35 different groups, including the Halakki community in the south and the Kuluvadi Marathe in the north participated in the fair on invitation.
Apart from women's collectives, Snehakunja, TEED, Namma Bhoomi, BAIF, Green Foundation, Prakruthi, ATREE and Charaka also took part. Women showed that biodiversity conservation begins in the kitchen. Each of them played the role of a seed bank, storing tens of varieties and spreading it across. Meeting people in such occasions has helped them develop new ideas and learn growing methods.This is not all. Earning money has made a huge difference to their status, both within the family and in the society. Coming out of the house to take part in public functions was not easy earlier. The movement has sown the seeds of change even at the family level. Women are now key decision makers. A strong social relationship has developed among these women for a good cause.
Sunitha Rao, the person who dreamt of such a start, has many more to be groomed. “Though we have developed a good reserve of seeds, fields have acted as banks. We now need to develop a small store for seeds, which would cater to those who are interested. An outlet for native produce may also boost the interest of farmers. We don't want to grow in number, but we want to strengthen ourselves. Being a local group, we want to respond to larger issues,” she says.
Training, trade and exposure visits are the key activities of this movement. Research is another aspect the network wants to focus on along with documenting available diversity. With more than 200 varieties of seeds grown in the gardens of these women’s collectives, The Malenadu home garden and seed exchange network has developed a reliable conservation model.
Sunitha Rao can be contacted at Karkolli village, Hulekal: 581336, Sirsi; Ph: 9480299200;
Email : malnadseeds@gmail.com
Source : http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jun262007/spectrum200706259357.asp
Monday, June 25, 2007
Seminar on The Nambor Forests and Doyang Tengani Peasant Struggles in Assam'
Hello Readers,
Dr. Arupjyoti Saikia
Assistant Professor in History at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences,
IIT, Guwahati and Visiting Faculty, CISED
will be presenting a seminar on
'Whose Land is it? The Nambor Forests and Doyang Tengani Peasant Struggles in Assam'
at 3.30 PM on Tuesday, 26th June, 2007
at
ISEC Seminar Hall
All are welcome
Here is the abstract
Since June 2002 peasants in an upper Assam district have remained firmly on a path of political hostility with the state administration. When they took to the streets in 2002, in the wake of eviction carried out by the forest department, they had only one goal and thought it would be difficult to achieve. They demanded that the forest reserves which they had already reclaimed for agricultural expansion be declared as agricultural land.
In 2007 they were still on a path of confrontation but hopeful that they will achieve their goal. During this short period they made substantial progress in their political negotiation with the state government. They had not only more friends and foes but also learned how to sustain this friendship as well as cope up with the enmity of the foes. They formed their organisation and continued with their protest against the state.
Years of struggle had culminated in the newly formed Krishak Mukti Sangrami Samiti and succeeded in bringing radicalism to the peasant protests. This forum, with its ostensible left leaning, also incorporated issues of various environmental complexities of the region. The state conceded on principle, though the reality might be different, to one major demand of the protesting peasants, in admitting that this forested areas was no more a forested area.
Protests mixed with varied forms of governmental approach towards the wasteland remained in the forefront of the state politics since the end of colonial rule. The peasant movement also illustrates the fact that the contested right over the forestlands did not end with the colonial rule. More recently, as various environmental legislation and legal barriers had redefined the power of the state in terms of its right to forests and wasteland, we could see the re-emergence of new forms of peasant protests in various parts of the state.
This paper while narrating the political struggle of the peasants of Assam also explores the historical dimension of the competition between the agrarian frontier and forests since the colonial times and locates the present movement in the larger social history of this competing boundary.
***
Tea/ Coffee will be served before the Seminar
Dr.V.Anil Kumar
Seminar Coordinator and Professor
Centre for Decentralisation and Development
Institute for Social and Economic Change,
Nagarabhavi PO, Bangalore - 560 072
Phone: 080-23215468; 23215519; 23215592 Extn.417
Fax: 080-23217008
E-mail: seminarcoordinator@isec.ac.in
You can visit ISEC online at http://www.isec.ac.in/
Dr. V Anil KumarSeminar Coordinator
Dr. Arupjyoti Saikia
Assistant Professor in History at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences,
IIT, Guwahati and Visiting Faculty, CISED
will be presenting a seminar on
'Whose Land is it? The Nambor Forests and Doyang Tengani Peasant Struggles in Assam'
at 3.30 PM on Tuesday, 26th June, 2007
at
ISEC Seminar Hall
All are welcome
Here is the abstract
Since June 2002 peasants in an upper Assam district have remained firmly on a path of political hostility with the state administration. When they took to the streets in 2002, in the wake of eviction carried out by the forest department, they had only one goal and thought it would be difficult to achieve. They demanded that the forest reserves which they had already reclaimed for agricultural expansion be declared as agricultural land.
In 2007 they were still on a path of confrontation but hopeful that they will achieve their goal. During this short period they made substantial progress in their political negotiation with the state government. They had not only more friends and foes but also learned how to sustain this friendship as well as cope up with the enmity of the foes. They formed their organisation and continued with their protest against the state.
Years of struggle had culminated in the newly formed Krishak Mukti Sangrami Samiti and succeeded in bringing radicalism to the peasant protests. This forum, with its ostensible left leaning, also incorporated issues of various environmental complexities of the region. The state conceded on principle, though the reality might be different, to one major demand of the protesting peasants, in admitting that this forested areas was no more a forested area.
Protests mixed with varied forms of governmental approach towards the wasteland remained in the forefront of the state politics since the end of colonial rule. The peasant movement also illustrates the fact that the contested right over the forestlands did not end with the colonial rule. More recently, as various environmental legislation and legal barriers had redefined the power of the state in terms of its right to forests and wasteland, we could see the re-emergence of new forms of peasant protests in various parts of the state.
This paper while narrating the political struggle of the peasants of Assam also explores the historical dimension of the competition between the agrarian frontier and forests since the colonial times and locates the present movement in the larger social history of this competing boundary.
***
Tea/ Coffee will be served before the Seminar
Dr.V.Anil Kumar
Seminar Coordinator and Professor
Centre for Decentralisation and Development
Institute for Social and Economic Change,
Nagarabhavi PO, Bangalore - 560 072
Phone: 080-23215468; 23215519; 23215592 Extn.417
Fax: 080-23217008
E-mail: seminarcoordinator@isec.ac.in
You can visit ISEC online at http://www.isec.ac.in/
Dr. V Anil KumarSeminar Coordinator
Friday, June 22, 2007
CISED announces 3rd Short-term course on Environment and Rural Development
The Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment and Development (CISED) is organising a two week short-term course on 'Environment and Rural Development' in September 2007. CISED is a Centre of Excellence being promoted by Institute of Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.
The course is targeted towards senior persons from practitioner and activist organisations, policy research and advocacy groups, PhD students, journalists and policy-makers who work on questions of NRM-based rural development and others who are interested in developing their analytical capacity in this area.
Explaining why CISED decided to start the course, Dr Sharachchandra Lele, Course Coordinator, says, " During our own research on NRM based issues we realised that researchers, and more so practitioners and policy makers, find it difficult to follow the rapidly changing debates on various issues. The course we have designed is meant to expose participants to basic concepts, debates, analytical approaches and emerging issues in the area of NRM-based Rural Development, particularly forests and water".
If you are seriously interested in enrolling for the course, please contact : Dr Sharachchandra Lele, Course Coordinator, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment and Development ISEC Campus, Nagarabhavi, Bangalore 560 072
Tel: 080-2321-7013/2321-5804, Fax: 2321-7008
Email: cised@isec.ac.in, Web: http://www.cised.org/
email communications from Dr Nitin Rai, Fellow, ATREE
The course is targeted towards senior persons from practitioner and activist organisations, policy research and advocacy groups, PhD students, journalists and policy-makers who work on questions of NRM-based rural development and others who are interested in developing their analytical capacity in this area.
Explaining why CISED decided to start the course, Dr Sharachchandra Lele, Course Coordinator, says, " During our own research on NRM based issues we realised that researchers, and more so practitioners and policy makers, find it difficult to follow the rapidly changing debates on various issues. The course we have designed is meant to expose participants to basic concepts, debates, analytical approaches and emerging issues in the area of NRM-based Rural Development, particularly forests and water".
If you are seriously interested in enrolling for the course, please contact : Dr Sharachchandra Lele, Course Coordinator, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment and Development ISEC Campus, Nagarabhavi, Bangalore 560 072
Tel: 080-2321-7013/2321-5804, Fax: 2321-7008
Email: cised@isec.ac.in, Web: http://www.cised.org/
email communications from Dr Nitin Rai, Fellow, ATREE
Here's an interesting article about Community Initiatives and Community Conservation Areas
Check it out here at http://www.indiatogether.org/2007/jun/env-ccas.htm
source : email communication from Mr Samuel Thomas, ATREE's Communications Officer
source : email communication from Mr Samuel Thomas, ATREE's Communications Officer
Wipro launches India's first green computers
Wipro has launched eight new green computers under a new energy efficient green initiative called Wipro Greenware.
Wipro Greenware product range currently includes five desktops and three notebooks.
To get the full story, check out these links
http://www.indiaenews.com/business/20070614/56182.htm
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEB20070614191410
Contributed by Nikhil Lele, Senior Research Associate, Eco-Informatics Cente, ATREE
Wipro Greenware product range currently includes five desktops and three notebooks.
To get the full story, check out these links
http://www.indiaenews.com/business/20070614/56182.htm
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEB20070614191410
Contributed by Nikhil Lele, Senior Research Associate, Eco-Informatics Cente, ATREE
Two more invitations
Here are two invitations - One to the Green Law lecture and the other to Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden's inauguration of Youth Club - 2007 at Mysore Zoo.
Contributed by Nitin, ATREE Librarian
Contributed by Nitin, ATREE Librarian
Seminar on June 25th at CISED
Institute for Social and Economic Change - Seminar Series
Dr. Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, 2002, Visitor, CISED
will be presenting a seminar on 'Strengthening of Democracy at the Grassroots'
at 3.30 PM on Monday, 25th June, 2007, at ISEC Seminar Hall
All are welcome
The abstract of the Seminar and a brief note on the presenter are attached
Tea/ Coffee will be served before the Seminar
Dr.V.Anil Kumar
Seminar Coordinator
Asst. Professor Centre for Decentralisation and DevelopmentInstitute for Social and Economic Change,Nagarabhavi PO, Bangalore - 560 072
Phone: 080-23215468; 23215519; 23215592 Extn.417Fax: 080-23217008
E-mail: seminarcoordinator@isec.ac.inVISIT ISEC'S WEBSITE: www.isec.ac.in
Dr. Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, 2002, Visitor, CISED
will be presenting a seminar on 'Strengthening of Democracy at the Grassroots'
at 3.30 PM on Monday, 25th June, 2007, at ISEC Seminar Hall
All are welcome
The abstract of the Seminar and a brief note on the presenter are attached
Tea/ Coffee will be served before the Seminar
Dr.V.Anil Kumar
Seminar Coordinator
Asst. Professor Centre for Decentralisation and DevelopmentInstitute for Social and Economic Change,Nagarabhavi PO, Bangalore - 560 072
Phone: 080-23215468; 23215519; 23215592 Extn.417Fax: 080-23217008
E-mail: seminarcoordinator@isec.ac.inVISIT ISEC'S WEBSITE: www.isec.ac.in
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