Agents for a Sustainable Future

25th to 27th May, 2012

Laxmikantapur and Sundarbans, West Bengal

Organized by

Objective• Provide a platform for young people in India, primarily the eastern states

• An opportunity to bring out your concerns in environment, social & developmental issues

• Facilitate healthy exchange & capacity building of the participants to strengthen their work and help

identify their calling and true passion and learn to seek guidance from an inner light of wisdom

• Get an opportunity to attend the TIGE* Global conference at Caux, Switzerland, in the Leading Change

for Sustainable World

ParticipantsAanchal Kunar – New Delhi – Studying Economics

Satyashiva Das – Bhubaneswar – Studying Engineering

Sagar Agrawal – Cuttack – Studying Political management

Alakananda Das – Kolkata – Interested in PhD in

Environment

Shehnaz – Jalgaon – Interested in sustainable agriculture

Javed khan – Jalgaon – Interested in sustainable agriculture

Siddhant Sadangi – Orissa – Studying Engineering

Ankan De – Kolkata – Studied Environment management

Rishabh Khanna – New Delhi – Working in IYCN

Yatin Thakur – New Delhi

Pinaki Dasgupta – New Delhi – Working in IYCN

Sudeshna De – Kolkata – Intern with Envirohealth matters

Guppi Bola – Oxford – Working in Oxfam GB

Chaitanya Kumar – New Delhi – Working in 350.org

Surendran Balanchandran – New Delhi – Working in

Envirohealth matters

Why this workshop?

It is to bring the Caux format and

experience to India, create a space for

participants to share their stories,

bring in an element of trust and

integrity, make them aware of the

basic economic fundamentals

governing critical issues, to bring a

spark and self belief in youth of the

eastern region for their efforts and

ongoing initiatives.

*TIGE

It encourages people to work Envirohealth matters

Hemanth Mukher ee – New Delhi

Kaushik Mitra – Kolkata – Working in Switch ON

Subhrakali Mandal – Kolkata - Working in Switch ON

Ronami Maeda - Kolkata – Intern with Switch ON

Ekta Kothari - Kolkata - Working in Switch ON

Vinay Jaju - Kolkata - Working in ONergy

25th May 26th May 27th May

Introduction of IofC, IYCN and Switch ON/ONergy Nature trail Day trip to

Crocodile Park in

SundarbansWhy are we here, facilitating a collective

dialogue on our individual and collective purpose

How to use IT and social media for social movements

and our initiative

Visiting the Renewable Energy Centre of ONergy Disaster management and adaptation

What challenges are we facing in the current

paradigm (group discussion)

Sharing stories of change and transformation

Visioning a sustainable paradigm, what should

the world look like in the next 20 years

Campaigns and climate policy

Sustainable solutions fair, how does your project

address the challenges of the current paradigm and

the vision for the future

Co-creating the future and working together and next

steps

Agenda

It encourages people to work

together to bridge the gap

between the theory and practice

of values - in personal conduct

and in economic life

The purpose is to understand the meaning of sustainability from the participants. At one

side of the heart the participant had to write the skills they have related to sustainability and

the other side what would they like to know more about it.

Game

Methodology

Agents’ lonely hearts

Dynamic

Learning:Based on this game, the learning and the difference

Video: Mother Earth she is alive, beautiful and hurting

It was asked the opinion of the participants

about the video:

a) everything is a resource on this planet,

everything has a spirit and we human beings

should respect the nature

b) The film shows the practice of consumption.

It represents the environment value system

c) Use of art as a medium of communication

d) There is an intimate connection between

human lives and nature

Learning:

• Participation

• Team work

• Trust

• Partner

• Brainstorming

• Listening

• Common goal

• …

Based on this game, the learning and the difference

between strategy and tactics the topic Campaign and

climate policy was introduced.

Vision of the future

Group discussions

“What is the thing you want to live for?”

After the discussion, participants were asked to tell

about their partners’ view about life. The purpose of

this exercise was to understand the shared goals. It is

seen that the goals mentioned by each participant

have similar purpose and destination.

“What are the challenges in front of us from the perspective of climate change?”

Sharing stories

It was discussed:

Values emotions actions

How (strategy) Why (tactics)

Challenge choice action

Stakeholders and communication

Identification of stakeholders of their projects, what to expect from each stakeholder, how the

communication is being transmitted.

Prototyping my initiative of change

Each participant had to create his/her sustainable model around different topics using available

resources in the room and then presented to the group.

Other activities

Mr Kapilananda

Mondal

CEO and Secretary of

VSSU presented the

goal, the objectives

and the activities

carried out at VSSU

Visit to the Renewable

Energy Centre (REC)

Vinay Jaju explained the

purpose of the REC and

the solar components

Visit to

VSSU

Mr. Kapilananda Mondal has

been promoting microfinance

and community & livelihood

development in villages

throughout the district of South

24 Parganas, West Bengal since

1983.

Sudeshna

Envirohealth Matters

intern made a

presentation on the topic

‘climate change and its

impact on health in

Sunderbans.’

Presentations

Climate change – how you

communicate climate extremes

to people?

State economy

Disaster management

Campaign and climate change -

SMART tool**SMART tool

SpecificSMART tool* Specific

Measurable

Ambicious

Realistic

Time bound

Outcomes and next steps

IYCN and Initiatives of Change have been invited to the International Brotherhood Festival –

organized by Vivekananda Sevakendra –O- Sishu Uddyan (VSSU) in September-October 2012. The

objective is to enhance humanity awakening, solidarity, brotherhood, peace, communal harmony

and youth leadership through the teaching of Swami Vivekananda.

Kapilananda has been invited to TIGE

2012 (Trust and Integrity in the Global

Economy)

Javed and Shenaz will work with Grammenomobia to scale up their sustainable agriculture start

up in Jalgaon, Maharashtra

Satyashiva Das and Siddhant Sadangi will start a IYCN chapter in Bhubneshwar

Alaknanda Das will have a training on

sustainable agriculture in E-Kutir

Yatin Thakur will be partnering

with VSSU on ICT education, water

and sanitation and agriculture

Many of the Kolkata participants intend to

start an IYCN chapter in Kolkata

Day trip: Sundarbans

The purpose was to connect the participants to the environment, local culture, observe the

lifestyle of local people and connect with inner self sometimes.

Day trip: Sundarbans

Pictures

Workshop coordinators

Rishab Khanna

IYCN

Pinaki Dasgupta

IYCN

Guppi Bola

Oxfam GB

Vinay Jaju

ONergy

Chaitanya Kumar

350.org

Ekta Kothari

Switch ON

Profile

ONergy is for-profit social enterprise providing decentralized energy solutions to rural

households. It provides reliable and affordable clean energy products across lighting,

cooking and electrification. It builds an ecosystem which connects technology, finance

and grassroot organizations - to manage the needs, aspirations and resources of rural

BoP beneficiaries.

Facilitators:

Vinay Jaju - Operations and Technology Director

Switch ON is a grass-root organization consisting of a small team creating an ecosystem

to facilitate last mile access to energy and promote livelihoods through rural energy

The Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) is a network of young people in 18 states

who are concerned about climate change & environment issues.

The purpose of IYCN is to bring the voice of Indian youth on the global platform as South

Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions affected by potentially catastrophic climate

change & environment issues.

Facilitators:

Rishab Khanna – Co-founded Indian Youth Climate Network

Surendran Balachandran – Board member of Indian Youth Climate Network

Pinaki Dasgupta

to facilitate last mile access to energy and promote livelihoods through rural energy

entrepreneurship by training, capacity building and supporting innovation.

Facilitators:

Ekta Kothari – Secretary

Subhrakali Mandal – Training Coordinator

350.org is building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis. Our online

campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass public actions are led from the bottom up by

thousands of volunteer organizers in over 188 countries.

Facilitators:

Chaitanya Kumar – South Asia Coordinator

Our vision is that humanity thrives in a healthy symbiosis with nature and...

Our mission is to safeguard our health and future by questioning the norm and seeking

solutions - together.

Facilitators:

Sudeshna De - Intern with Envirohealth matter

Initiatives of Change International represents the universality and multi-faith character

of the movement. It serves the broader movement through facilitating collaboration

between IofC national bodies as well as managing various transnational programmes,

including IofC’s global communications and its training arm.