New Book: The Miracle On Kachhua Beach
Announcing our first book off 2023!!
THE MIRACLE ON KACHHUA BEACH by Nandita Dacunha illustrated by Priya Kuriyan was launched last Saturday at the Lit Bug Fest, 2023 in Pune by Amrita Patwardhan of Parag Initiative, author Madhuri Purandare and Sandhya Taxale of Pratham.
Thank you Vaishali and Ishan from the Story Station for such a wonderful event.
Copies available on:
Kalpavriksh Website and Amazon
For bulk orders, write to us at:
[email protected]
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Marathi Maharashtra Protected Area Update, January 2023, No: 12
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People in Conservation: Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Security. Vol 11, Issue 1, April- Sept 2022 (Hindi)
Latest Hindi People in Conservation: Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Security Newsletter is out!
To read the entire newsletter please click here.
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Kalpavriksh at the Lit Bug Fest 2023
Three Kalpavirksh children’s books will be at The Litbug Fest on the 22nd Saturday 2023. See the attached brochure for more details.
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P.V. SATHEESH: A REVOLUTIONARY PASSES ON
“While Satheesh’s passing on has filled us with sadness and grief, we would also like to celebrate his life and incredible achievements. At Kalpavriksh we have known him and Deccan Development Society for nearly 25 years, including as one of the core team members of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan process we coordinated. DDS was also one of the initiators of the Vikalp Sangam process in 2014. In this period his work and that of thousands of Dalit and Adivasi women farmers whose creativity, courage, and knowledge flourished in the sensitive enabling environment he helped create, has been a great source of inspiration and hope for all of us. He was a true revolutionary, believing in the agency of the most oppressed section of Indian society to create magical transformations towards food sovereignty, media independence, gender equality and a challenge to casteism, amongst other achievements. We also fondly remember him for his gentle and warm humour, and the way he would always be available for slow conversation, regardless of the pressing commitments of his responsibilities. ” – KALPAVRIKSH FAMILY
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we inform that Mr P. V. Satheesh (77), founder and Executive Director of Deccan Development Society (DDS) passed away this morning. Last rites will be performed on Monday at 10.30 am in Pastapur Village of Sangareddy district.
As one of the icons of civil society activism in India, Mr. Satheesh, through the Zaheerabad-based organisation in rural Telangana, championed issues of agri-biodiversity, food sovereignty, women’s empowerment, social justice, local knowledge systems, participatory development, and community media. The women’s sanghams of DDS and their steadfast adherence to millet cultivation and organic agriculture led the way nationally in offering demonstrable alternatives to the dominant agricultural paradigm. The recent efforts to incorporate millets into the public distribution system owes much to the work of DDS under his guidance.
Born on June 18, 1945 in Mysore, Periyapatna Venkatasubbaiah Satheesh was a graduate from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi and started out as a journalist. He went on to work as a pioneering television producer for nearly two decades for Doordarshan, making programmes related to rural development and rural literacy in the then-united Andhra Pradesh. He played an important role in the historical Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) in the 1970s.
In the early 1980s, Mr. Satheesh, along with a few friends, initiated the Deccan Development Society in the semi-arid Zaheerabad region by collectivizing poor dalit women in the villages for a range of programmes that together challenged hunger, malnutrition, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, gender injustice, and social deprivation. He led the organisation for nearly four decades to become an internationally acclaimed NGO and an inspiring example that has motivated similar experiments in millet revival and promotion across the country.
As the director of DDS, PV Satheesh’s long-standing efforts resulted in improving the livelihoods of thousands of poor women across 75 villages in Telangana. He also led several national and international networks like Millet Network of India (MINI), South Against Genetic Engineering (SAGE), AP Coalition in Defence of Diversity and was also the India Coordinator for SANFEC, the South Asian Network for Food, Ecology and Culture, a five-country South Asian network with over 200 ecological groups. He was formerly Board Member, Genetic Resources Action International (GRAIN), Barcelona, Spain and was also a member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), Brussels, Belgium. He is also credited with the initiation of India’s first Community Media Trust, a grassroots media centre where non-literate dalit women were trained in film-making to democratize media spaces, and also with the launching of India’s first rural, civil society-led community radio station, Sangham Radio.
He was a tireless worker and leader in the NGO sector who remained committed to his principles and was a generous mentor to many young people. He was recently honoured for his lifetime contributions in making millets a people’s agenda.
His presence will be greatly missed by his friends, family, staff at DDS, and thousands of women farmers in Zaheerabad. The Board of Directors of DDS would like to join thousands of community members and the larger civil society fraternity in mourning the passing of Mr. Satheesh and wishes to place on record his immense services to the organisation and the causes it has been espousing. The organisation intends to continue the activities of the DDS with the same commitment and dedication.
– On behalf of the DDS women Sanghams & Board members.
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Vikalp Sangam Newsletter Jan, 2023 No. 81
For inspiring stories and perspectives from people all across India, read the entire newsletter.
Please click here.
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The Sacred Ecology of Ahimsa
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Applications are Open for ‘Communications Associate’ at Kalpavriksh
Job Description
Kalpavriksh is looking for a professional with a strong background in social media handling who can strategize, plan and deliver creative, engaging and impactful content of Kalpavriksh and its work on all platforms viz digital and print.
The individual will also be responsive to current affairs and developments that could be linked to different theme’s work of Kalpavriksh.
Responsibilities
- To strategize and brainstorm communications aspects of other themes and processes of Kalpavriksh
- Manage social media pages of all the themes within Kalpavriksh (conservation and livelihoods, alternatives, environment education)
- Design and curate creative outputs for Kalpavriksh (website, social media handles etc.)
- Post messages for book announcements, book events, special sales
- Understand and simplify research reports, policy briefs etc. and for wider dissemination through various channels
Eligibility
- Strong written and verbal communications skills
- Familiarity with tools such as Canva, MS Office
Location
Candidates who are willing to work out of Pune would be preferred
Application Process
To apply, please email your resume alongside a cover letter at [email protected] , with the subject line “Communications Associate”.
Women candidates are encouraged to apply.
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Statement and Appeal on Ladakh’s Constitutional Status by Vikalp Sangam Core Group
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The Goba of Ladakh
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