We have great pleasure to brief the outcome, topics discussed day by day, number of keynote speakers and the key words emerging form the webinar conducted by the Sustainable Development Forum ( SDF) with the technical support of the Greens Wild Life Lovers Forum ( GWLLF) Aathirappally. SDF is an Indian Think Tank. This is submitted to the keynote speakers, participants and the concerned policy makers including the UN policy experts for their perusal and follow up, please.
The theme was, International Bamboo Festival of Western Ghats of India: Need to urgently to reorient our thinking in the context of the SDGs of the UN.
It was very kind of you to have walked the extra mile for the cause of SDGs of the UN to be achieved by 2030. In connection with the World Bamboo Day, as you are aware, we held the webinar series form 11th to 17th Sept, 2021. Your commitment highlights the need and importance of making our planet a livable place for all species of living creatures and for our posterity.
We were aiming at awareness creation and to provoke our collective concerns about global warming, climate change, carbon emissions and the need for quickening our journey to achieve the Paris Agreement.
As said, “together we form the garden”, let us rededicate ourselves to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
As a keynote speaker and participant in the webinar series, please know that your input was a very valuable contribution in our march forward.
For us all , it was a great learning experience, as observed by the honorable judge (Rtd) of High court of Kerala- Mr. K.Sukumaran in his valedictory address, delivered on 17th September.
Our Speakers and the topics are summarized here under:
1) Mr. KP Kannan Former Director of Asian Development Bank and currently Advisor to the Government of Cambodia Theme: Challenges and opportunities of the bamboo sector-local and global perceptions. He delivered the inaugural address. He is from Malaysia. ( 11th Sept)
2) Dr. Seetha Lakshmi, International bamboo expert and famed Scientist, Keynote address—Theme: Bamboo and food security– livelihood for the vulnerable sections of the society. ( 11 th Sept)
3) Dr. AC Peter, Dr. Reni Anna Joseph and Rev Saju Mathai; wellness activist/ social activist/ educational activist; Theme: Bamboo for Gender Empowerment—Empowering the voiceless and the marginalized. ( 12 th Sept)
4) Mr. Unnikrishanan IFS Rtd Former DFO( Dy CF); Professor Dr. L. M. Popytchenko, Ukraine, Lugansk State Agrarian University, Luhansk; Theme: Star Forests ( Nakshatra Vanam)—How to fight climate Change with peoples participation. ( 13th Sept)
5) Dr. E M Muralitharan: Er CK Unnikrishnan; Reputed Bamboo Expert Scientist cum Consultant INBAR & Innovator; Theme: Bamboo A treasure trove of fast renewable eco- friendly fiber with multiple uses.( 14th Sept)
6) Mr AK Dayanad: Mr CS Susanth; Mr Prameswaran Iyer; Former Chairman Coir Board; NID Scientist Bangalore; Entrepreneur -Bangalore: Theme: Bamboo as a modern construction material—user friendly furniture, etc in relation to the SDGs ensuring climate resilience;( 145h Sept)
7) Dr. Seetha Lakshmi; Mr. AK Dyanand; Er CK Unnikrishanan: renowned Bamboo Scientist; Former Coir Board Chairman and Innovator; Theme: Bamboo Cultivation to contain soil erosions and landslides. Viable alternatives ( 16th Sept)
8) Mr MS Aftab; Dr. E M. Muralitharan, Miss Pavitrha ; Dr. Seetha Lakshmi; Former ED of Vijay Bank; International Scientist; Research Scholar form Mysore University; International Bamboo Scientist; Theme: Rural Livelihoods-Role of Bamboo for food and fodder—doing things differently. (17th Sept)
9) Hon Justice of Kerala /Bombay High Court—Mr. K. Sukumaran—Valedictory address ( 17th Sept)
10) Dr. AC Peter– Proposing Vote of thanks.
Participation:
It was for seven days the webinar from 2 to 4 PM every day.
-There were two international keynote speakers –one from Malaysia and the other form Ukraine
-International participants were five in number
-National Keynote speakers were 18 in number
-Participants making submissions– observations– raising doubts/ questions were 177
Key words heard in the discussions:
-INBAR — reports more than 10,000 bamboo uses; Bamboo Carbon sink;–Sequestrating carbon; land restoration; sustainable livelihoods; reduce deforestation; Bamboo Ministry to be set up–; bamboo to fight poverty; cutting methane gas emissions; global warming; post -harvest losses; bamboo shoots and nutrition; bamboo as complete food: bamboo as bio-shields; Niche markets for products; raw material availability need for bamboo raw material banks– Bamboo mandis; Product diversification;-CFCs–; furniture solid joints: affordability to common people; training in furniture making; buy back mechanism; innovate and prosper; artisan retention by making it remunerative; NOGs to be encouraged; Uravu NGO a role model ( Uravu Indigenous Science & Technology Study Centre)
; value addition; small and marginal bamboo workers; bamboo as alternative crop to empower farmers ; awareness seminars/ work shops ;Mission mode for bamboo mission.
I pace on record our very special thanks to Mr. Unnikrishanan Pakkanar of GWLLF for the nice technical support extended to us in making our webinar a good event.
As President of the SDF, I convey my greetings to you all for a great World Bamboo Day to day.
Dr. KM George; melama@gmail.com