Rural Realities | Gujarat Practitioners’ Experiences in Tackling the Second Wave in Indian Villages

IMPRI Panel Discussion on Rural Realities | Gujarat Practitioners’ Experiences in Tackling the Second Wave in Indian Villages

Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies (CHURS), IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute, New Delhi invites you to IMPRI #WebPolicyTalk on – A Panel Discussion on

Rural Realities | Gujarat Practitioners’ Experiences in Tackling the Second Wave in Indian Villages

Details of the #WebPolicyTalk:
Date: May 14, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM IST
Platform: Zoom and Facebook Live

Panelists:

Mr Umashanker Yadav
Founder-Director, Ahmedabad International Literature Festival 

Umashanker Yadav is the founder director of Ahmedabad International Literature Festival which was started in 2016 and has completed five successful editions till date. He is also the Managing trustee of Ikon Education Foundation which promotes literature, art, education, culture and sports. Umashanker Yadav holds a degree in Master of Business Administration (Marketing) and PG Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communications from IGNOU and Master of Arts (English Literature) from Jay Narayan Vyas University, Jodhpur. Umashanker Yadav can speak Hindi, English and Gujarati. He has a keen interest in literature, arts, culture and sports. His mission is to serve society in whatever way he can. He runs regularly to keep fit. He writes poetry and his collection of poems has been published as ‘Beyond Dreamz’. Umashanker Yadav has a publishing arm as well, known as Serene Publishers and Distributors. He has also edited and published the anthology of poems, ‘Lifenama’, ‘Essence of Emotions’ and ‘Kuchh Panne Dil Se’.

Ms Hiral Dave
Program Head, Cohesion Foundation Trust, Ahmedabad

Ms Poonam Kathuria
Director, Society for Women’s Action and Training Initiative-SWATI

Mr Rafi Malek
Director, Centre for Development,  Ahmedabad

Rafi Makek, is the Director of Centre for Development. A qualified civil engineer, Rafi joined the social sector in 1997 as a technical officer at the Behavioural Science Centre (currently known as Human Development and Research Centre) and worked on Natural Resources Management in the Tribal area of Banaskantha. While working on watershed development and soil conservation he learned about the significant issues of Tribal communities and closely engaged with the Tribal rights movement. Later he served as Secretary of “Adivasi Sarvangi Vikas Sangathan” (ASVS) for three years, accompanying it in its expansion from 17 villages to the entire Danta block of Banaskantha district. ASVS eventually emerged as a powerful local mass organization of the tribals with over 4000 active members across all villages of Danta Taluka. 

He joined Centre for Development in 2002 and since then has been working on different projects with a focus on child rights as well as peace and reconciliation. Centre for Development works mainly with the urban poor that comprise the marginalised communities. Leadership building among youth, child rights and protection, livelihood alternatives and communal harmony are the main programs of CfD. It also engages with issues like rehabilitation of displaced families, securing development and social security entitlements as part of CfD’s efforts to build an inclusive city. 

In 2009 Rafi anchored had initiated and anchored the Right to Education project in 80 villages of Ahmedabad district. Despite the SMCs not having been constituted properly in the government schools as envisaged in the Act, the CfD team led by Rafi established ‘Shadow’ SMCs (School Management Committees) that were enabled to function as the real SMCs were expected to. These were later recognised by state education department, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan. He has been able to build the capacities of the members of the CfD team and also that of community leaders. CfD has developed its capacity under his leadership, and also adopt the latest development approaches like participatory urban governance and housing rights of migrant and homeless people without losing its originality of grassroots level work. His wide experience of working with youth, women, adolescent girls, community leaders, elected representatives and government departments.  

Rafi, has also been actively involved in several research studies conducted by different organisations like TERI, CEPT University, HDRC, CUE and SOULACE on different social development subjects.

Dr Deepak Acharya
Consultant, Development Support Agency, Gujarat & State Medicinal Plant Board, Govt of Gujarat

Dr Deepak Acharya is a scientist working among the indigenous tribesmen of three remote pockets in India. His work involves scouting, documentation, validation and value addition to the indigenous herbal knowledge. He is board member in many Universities and authored 8 books. Also, he serves as Consultant, Development Support Agency of Gujarat & State Medicinal Plant Board, Govt of Gujarat. 

Ms Shushila Prajapati
Program Manager, ActionAid Association

Shushila Prajapati is associated with ActionAid Association for last 20 years. she is working as Programme Manager and works on women’s land and property rights. She has worked in Kutch earthquake rehabilitation and communal rights in Gujarat. Currently, she has been actively involved in the Covid response program.

Moderator:

Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava
Entrepreneur, Researcher, and Educator; Eco-Development and Research Cell, Ahmedabad

Registration and Facebook Live Link for Rural Realities | Gujarat Practitioners’ Experiences in Tackling the Second Wave in Indian Villages

PowerPoint Presentation:

YouTube Video:

Facebook Live Video:

Media Coverage:

• Rural Realities | Gujarat Practitioners’ Experience In The Second Wave Of Covid-19; Youth Ki Awaaz
• Rural Realities | Gujarat Practitioners’ Experiences in Tackling the Second Wave of COVID-19 in the Indian Villages; Daily Mail India
• An Overview Of The Catastrophic Second Wave In Gujarat; Youth Ki Awaaz
• An Overview of the Catastrophic Second Wave in Gujarat; Daily Mail India

Event Report:

• Rural Realities | Gujarat Practitioners’ Experiences in Tackling the Second Wave of COVID-19 in the Indian Villages
• An Overview of the Catastrophic Second Wave in Gujarat

Podcasts: