The collected drops from rivers from all across the globe met the sea.
Somya Sharma
A new beginning started 5 months back with Ecopeace Teen Cafè. I, Somya Sharma, a student of Master’s in Human Rights and Duties Education found myself in a diversity of changemakers. After a few meetings with Greshma Pious Raju, Founder of Ecopeace Teen Cafè, I was in an awe of the collective effort made in Environment, Community Building, Peacekeeping and Social Impact, which were all direct facilitation on my theoretical knowledge to be put to practice.
Ecopeace Teen Cafè has various programmes facilitated through the volunteers, peacekeepers, and collaborative organizations. I had the incredible opportunity to be a part of ‘Rivers for Future Program’ and here goes the flow of knowledge that I learnt.
Rivers for Future Program was an insightful journey which facilitated Youth Leaders with a course of action for ground-level impact. A journey made possible by the facilitators- Greshma Pious Raju and Sohini Jana along with immense support from our collaborating organizations- URI, Euphrates, Global Interfaith Wash Alliance and Global Law Thinkers Society.
The first session ‘Introduction to Rivers for Future’ involved socio-feminist metaphors shared by Sohini Jana, who has been a part of the Global Interfaith Wash Alliance demonstrated ‘balance’ and ‘culture’. Rivers flow with spiritual power which is acknowledged in a diversity of cultures. They are the beginning, the ‘point of origin’ of the river uphill can be well equated with the ‘origin of life’. Civilizations, tribes, cities have expanded downhill, reflecting our direct dependance on a river. The metaphors of ‘uphill’ and ‘downhill’ in its depth untangle the interlinkages of sustainability due to the existence of a river and humans are a mere part of the larger ecology, environment and nature. A larger inter-relationship can be drawn of a woman to a river. Women have used river water to make livelihoods and homes over generations in a temporally and spatially widespread landscapes. The river has given women ‘Shakti’ or ‘power’ to ‘be the river’. The connection of human lives to a river is not simply ancestral but also moral and ascribe to purity.
The second session ‘Social Entrepreneurship & Sustainability’ analyzed Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability upon the solutions oriented approach of ‘do. think, do.’ Dr. Sharon, an Optometrist and Founder CEO of PanOphthalmics, received recognition with the 2022 Circle of Excellence in Young Entrepreneur and Young SHERO of the year awards at the Asia CEO Awards along with Vincent Leong is a peace advocate who is the co-founder of Global Youth CC shared specific details from their personalized experiences to Social Entrepreneurship. The ideas of how a profit-making ‘business’ and ‘sustainability’ are inter-related concepts in today’s world with deeper aspects of social responsibility to achiever bigger goals. Ideas of ‘desirability’, ‘positioning’ and ‘mentorship’ are key principles to achieve the vision and mission of a Social Entrepreneurship.
The third session ‘Career & Skill Development: Equipping Young People for Social Impact’ was an intrinsic hands-on experience upon establishing a substantive social impact space through direct and indirect mechanisms facilitated by Greshma Pious Raju, Founder – Ecopeace Teen Cafe. The lived experiences of her journey in the changemaking process to having established a community of ‘n leaders’ and bringing in young minds and generation often neglected in the Global South countries like India. Greshma, along with her enthusiastic spirit facilitated ideas to start the journey of social impact as a career. Discussions revolved around ‘starting your own journey’ to ‘being a part of a journey’. A rather conversational pattern was followed where young leaders talked about their ideas and problems in their own journeys.
Next, ‘Changing the narratives: Influencing policies and practice’ came the the deeper dive into the policy change, policy practices and ground-level impact by Sohini Jana. A comprehensive framework to ‘be the change’ was to be established with defining issues and articulating goals enabling policy changes and setting out your own story of change.
The fifth session ‘From Passion to Action: Strategies for Active Environmental Activism’ by Smita Raoman from the Global Law Thinkers Society shared her journey of grassroot activism. “Taking tiny steps” and being a part of the field remains integral to learning. Learning and education from everyone along with developing skills help in effectively communicating to unlock hearts and inspire action.
Storytelling is an experimental art with self-learned stories or reflected stories of others. Take expertise from the experts which will help in ‘creating your own story’. Focus on the multiplier impact by transferring ‘I into ours’, collaborate and think together for a wider impact. Activism is not easy and comes with challenges but face the setbacks and celebrate the small victories will keep you going. Her heartwarming story of a little girl in Grade V who felt the need to being a change in environment was extremely inspiring. The activism in COP28 formulated into policy frameworks pushed forward by pressure groups as seen her as an observer made us all reflect our own key potential to bring about change.
We finally ended the Program with a Closing Ceremony moderated by Somya Sharma- Member to Ecopeace Teen Cafe and a participant to the program, Facilitators- Greshma Pious Raju and Sohini Jana, joined by Kate, The Director to Euphrates along with Hollister; and Smita Raoman from the Global Law Thinkers Society. The diversity of the participants who shared reflections of rivers in their countries and regions, issues revolving around, life stories and reflections of the entire program. Highlights were made by live connections and the real interlinkages of a river. The program not only established a groundbreaking impact to those who joined the program but left a mark towards the process of change.
Ecopeace Teen Cafe 