The changing climate can no longer be ignored, and the need for sustainable development is more urgent than ever. A webinar on ‘Climate Change, Sustainable Development and the Commons’ was organized by Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi, along with its Rural Management Programme.
The webinar began with a welcome address given by Dr Joseph Marianus Kujur, Director, XISS, Ranchi, who brought attention to the environmental degradation and stated, “Environmental degradation is a justice issue that challenges us to make an option for its right restoration with each other. The issue of climate change and environmental degradation is not only a scientific, technological, geographical, management or governance issue; it is indeed a moral and ethical issue as well. And until, the human aspect of greed and avarice for more and more is going to be addressed, nothing much is going to change around.”
Keynote speaker Dr Vandana Shiva, Eminent scientist and Activist, passionately talked about sustainability as well as climate change and Commons in a global prospect. “Nature, biodiversity and organic farming are solutions to hunger, climate, biodiversity distinction, water crisis, the crisis of degradation of the ecosystem. Let us work on some strong participatory research projects so that we can stay free in an era of carbon colonization and carbon enclosures of the commons,” she emphasised during her address. She also shared details of her book titled, Soil, not Oil on sustainability and during the conclusion she invited the XISS faculty and students to visit her farm to understand about contributing to nature.
Dr Prateep Nayak, Associate Professor, University of Waterloo, Canada signified the preponderance of making Commons Dynamic Understanding Change through Communication and Decommonisation.
Further in the webinar, Dr Ruchika Singh, Director, Sustainable Landscapes and Restoration, World Resources Institute, India, stated explicitly about Landscape Restoration and Planning and Current Initiatives and Barriers in context with Climate risk. Shailendra Tiwari, Seva Mandir, enlightened on the topic of Role of Civil Society concerning Climate changes, Sustainable Development and Commons.
Dr Himadri Sinha carried out a Q/A session where there were interactive questions by the participants for Dr Vandana Shiva. The session was moderated by Aaushi Pandey and ended with a vote of thanks by Sunanda Kumari, final year students of PGDMRM.