Vikalp Sangam is out with Volume 5 of Extraordinary Work of ‘Ordinary’ People: Youth Stories of Hope, Resilience and Collective Dreaming

English Version

Malayalam Version

Articles published in REVISTA LÜVO

Editorial by Ashish Kothari

A Conversation on India with Ashish Kothari

Stories from Himalayas about work of people beyond pandemic and lockdowns! New Booklet on ‘Extraordinary Work of ‘Ordinary’ People: Beyond Pandemics and Lockdowns: Pandemic Resilience in the Western Himalayas: Volume 3’ is out.

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This is a series of six films (in two languages) made during an intensive two year research project. The study, called Sandhani, was conducted by Khamir (a craft resource centre in Bhuj), Kalpavriksh (environmental action group in Pune), and the Kachchh vankars (weavers). It looked at the multiple dimensions of transformation taking place in the livelihoods of the weaving community, linked to an overall revival of the craft from a time when it was in sharp decline. These films have been made as a participatory process by the young community members facilitated by Khamir, Kalpavriksh and Drishti (media and communication organisation in Ahmedabad). The six films are available in two languages – English and Gujarati (one in Hindi), through the following links:

Research project film:

Weaving a story વણાટની વાર્તા : English: https://youtu.be/tLgxRS-qJOI​ Hindi: https://youtu.be/4fTeA8GlEqc​

Women: Broadening horizons for women મહિલાઓ માટે ઉઘડતી ક્ષિતિજો: English: https://youtu.be/hj5uX–csiI​ Gujarati: https://youtu.be/C4q8wWdPIHY​

Economics: Weaving: Towards Economic freedom વણાટ: આર્થિક સ્વતંત્રતા તરફ English: https://youtu.be/OvAb1tv7piM​ Gujarati: https://youtu.be/LrqN7p0dH28​

History: Weaving history વણાટની ઈતિહાસ કથા English: https://youtu.be/8P2x-HcG5Hc​ Gujarati: https://youtu.be/KtDwl3iNdLo​

Ecology: Weaving and environment વણાટ અને પર્યાવરણ English: https://youtu.be/8-lNOifV91I​ Gujarati: https://youtu.be/5CcrlqCVthk​

Youth: New initiatives, new directions નવી પહેલ, નવી દિશાઓ English: https://youtu.be/uaxwaqrEB5s​ Gujarati: https://youtu.be/OeH10aGdNcE​

The research project was part of ACKnowl-EJ, an international process analyzing the transformative potential of community responses to extractivism and alternatives born from resistance, supported by International Science Council. For further information about the project, contact – [email protected]

Kalpavriksh mourns the passing away of an inspiring elder, Tsilie Sakhrie, respected Angami community leader of Khonoma Village, Nagaland. Uncle Tsilie, as he was fondly called, was the founder of one of India’s most innovative community-led conservation initiatives to protect endangered Blyth’s tragopan (a pheasant) by declaring the Khonoma Nature Conservation & Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS), and at the centre of many other transformations making this village one of the state’s most well-known and respected (cleanliness, livelihood security, crafts, etc). At  Kalpavriksh  we got to know him in early 2000s, visited Khonoma several times (during which we enjoyed his and his family’s loving hospitality), helped promote community conserved areas in Nagaland, and cited the KNCTS example worldwide to inspire others. Tsilie along with Mhiesizokhi Zinyu, Adviser, KNCTS, also honoured two of our members in recognition of our support to their efforts, on a visit in 2014. A wonderful man, a pioneer, an innovator, a wise elder, is gone … but of course, lives on as an inspiration. We would like to offer our deepest condolences to his family, and to the village of Khonoma, and we commit to continue standing by and espousing the principles of co-existence that he lived.

A review of some of Kalpavriksh’s children’s books in the recent Teacher Plus magazine.

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This set of principles involves undoing and unlearning much that both the dominant, and many of the
dominated, have got used to. We think that the system we have is ‘normal’ or inevitable. But it is not, it
does not have to be. Thus, Uncommandments.

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The melodrama of the American elections has illustrated what should have become abundantly clear across the world: there is something badly
broken about democracy

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Generations of humans rise and fall within the lifetime of one tree, and yet we have managed to shake its very foundation with our irresponsible and careless lifestyle.

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