“A man can only attain knowledge with the Help of those who possess it… One must Learn from him who knows.” George Gurdjieff (1866-1949)
The Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region, and more specifically the Eastern Himalayas, is one of the 34 global biodiversity hotspots and a treasure house of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. The region also has great linguistic and biocultural diversity. There are many common genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge across the countries in the Himalayan region. Sharing benefits from such common knowledge at the time of bioprospecting is a major challenge.
These resources provide the basis for the livelihood security of mountain communities. Mountain communities have used local plants and wildlife since time immemorial—collecting, selecting, growing, and raising varieties of food crops, livestock, and medicinal plants for their livelihood and wellbeing. In recent years, awareness has grown about the value of these genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. The challenge now is to convert these resources into meaningful economic wealth in an ecologically sustainable and socially equitable way and to channel benefits to the communities that are the conservers and creators of these genetic resources and traditional knowledge. | Honeybee Network Himachal Pradesh
15th Shodhyatra
May 15-22, 2005
Majheen to Dadh Chamunda, Kangra Shodh Yatra is a journey for the search of knowledge, creativity and innovations at grassroots.
Shodh Yatra is an attempt on the part of Honey Bee Network to reach out to the
Remotest part of the country with a firm belief that hardship and challenges of natural surroundings are the prime motivators of creativity and
Innovations. Shodh Yatra aims at unearthing such traditional knowledge and grassroots innovations that have not only simplified the lives of men, women and farm labourers but have also significantly contributed towards the conservation of bio-diversity. The yatris, during the 15th Shodhyatra, over eight days traveled a distance close to 150 kilometers honouring innovators, traditional knowledge holders and centenarians on the way. Bio-diversity contests and recipe contests were also organized at various places. The participants included scientists, students, innovators, farmers and traditional knowledge holders. |
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WHAT IS SHODH YATRA? |
Shodh Yatra is a journey for the search of knowledge, creativity and innovations at grassroots. Himalayan Shodh Yatra (HSY) is an effort to reach out to the remotest part of the mountains with a firm belief that hardship and challenges of natural surroundings are the prime motivators of creativity and innovations. Shodh Yatra aims at unearthing such traditional knowledge and grassroots innovations that have not only simplified the lives of men, women and farm labourers but have also significantly contributed towards the conservation of bio-diversity. Shodh Yatra is a journey of mutual exchange and sharing of knowledge. Whatever knowledge and practices that we have pooled in, over the years are shared with the villagers during the Shodh Yatra. Shodh Yatra is also a journey to spread green consciousness and we do it by involving women and children to display their ecological knowledge through various competitions. |
HOW IT ALL BEGAN?
The father of Honeybee network Prof Anil Gupta initiated the idea of Shodhyatra in Gujrat. On 7th and 8thMarch 1998, Jethabhai Gajera of Divrana, organized a meeting of Shodh Sankal at Vallabhbhai Sojitra's orchard at Titodi of Junaghad district of Gujarat. The farmer friends present felt that it was important and necessary to encourage organic farming. Moreover there were many honorable people from nearby villages who had found the solutions of their own problems through their inborn ability and presence of mind. There is no information in the society about such people and their activities. There is a need to contact such honorable people and spread their knowledge to other people through Shodh Yatra (a journey of exploration).
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OBJECTIVES OF SHODH YATRA
Himalayan Shodh Yatra, as a major scouting, networking and dissemination programme is being carried out with the following objectives:
- To learn about the sustainable mountain livelihood activities, experiences existing in the mountain areas in Himachal and Uttrakhand.
- To learn the village development issues, innovative successful activities undertaken and find out gaps in the existing programme.
- To scout innovative Ideas for Change for Himalayas (IFCH).
- To learn about the experiences of the farmers engaged in organic farming and inform other farmers about the same.
- To encourage the curiosity of the children about variety in organic farming and to discover the knowledge of bio and crop diversity among rural people.
- To meet the people who solve their problems through their presence of mind and inborn ability, store their knowledge and felicitate them.
To compile and disseminate the knowledge, which is fast disappearing and establish a dialogue between the old generation and future generation |
WHAT DO WE DO IN SHODH YATRA?
The Himalayan Shodh Yatra shall be organized every year. Primarily, the Shodh Yatris, walk around a distance of roughly 300Kms or so in a span of seven to eight days. The travel route that is chosen is usually bereft from any regular road or transport connectivity. This even makes the Yatra more challenging. Shodh Yatris meet the villagers, farmers, artisans etc. individually and a report is prepared later collectively based upon each person's experience. The report is prepared both in Pahari, Hindi and English. The Yatris also look for the odd ball i.e. any body doing something differently and try to understand the logic behind it. During the Shodh Yatra, we also discover new methods of crop protection, cattle rearing and improved implements developed by the villagers. Quite often such people are felicitated by MFH and Honeybee Network during Shodh Yatra.
This time a long Yatra has been planned. The Yatra will start from Shimla and end back in Dehradun traveling about 2000Kms. These 28 days Yatra will stop at 8 major locations in both states. |
Schedule of this Yatra
PLACE | DAYS/DATE | | |
Shimla- Karsog-Aani-Kullu-
Manali | 3 days | Inauguration session, experience sharing, events Meeting with women, groups and some other groups, field visit. | competitions on traditional food, video and audio presentations, involvement of youth volunteers, honor of some personalities famous and people above the age of 100 years in that area. |
Kullu-Mandi-Joinder Nagar
Palampur-Kangra-Nurur | 2 days | | Video and audio presentations, involvement of youth volunteers, honor of some famous personalities and people above the age of 100 years in that area. |
| Nurpur-Chamba | 2 days | | |
| Chamba-Dharamsala-Khundian | 2 days | . | Competitions on traditional food, video and audio presentations, involvement of youth volunteers, honor of some famous personalities and people above the age of 100 years in that area. |
| Barthin-Bilaspur-Arki | 1 day | Meeting with partners and non partners. | Video and audio presentations, involvement of youth volunteers, honor of some famous personalities and people above the age of 100 years in that area. |
| Ponta-Kafota | 2days | issues like problems and solution, visit to a school. | |
| Dehradun | 1day | | Video and audio presentations, involvement of youth volunteers, honor of some personalities famous and people above the age of 100 years in that area. |
| Khari-Chamba | 1day | Meeting with women groups, discussion on women empowerment, disaster, climate change competitions on traditional food | Video and audio presentations, involvement of youth volunteers, honor of some personalities famous and people above the age of 100 years in that area. |
| Chirbatia | 2 days | Meeting with women groups, visit to work area of that NGO,
discussion on women empowerment, disaster, climate change, visit in near by NGOs, visit to project area, discussion competitions on traditional food. | Video and audio presentations, involvement of youth volunteers, honor of some personalities famous and people above the age of 100 years in that area. |
| Bakunda | 1day | Meeting with women groups, discussion on women empowerment, disaster, climate change competitions on traditional food. | Video and audio presentations, involvement of youth volunteers, honor of some personalities famous and people above the age of 100 years in that area. |
| Bakhunda Chamoli | 2 days | Visit in work area of the NGO, Meeting with women groups, discussion on women empowerment, disaster, and climate change competitions on traditional food. | Video and audio presentations, involvement of youth volunteers, honor of some personalities famous and people above the age of 100 years in that area |
| Naini Tal | | Visit in work area of the NGO, Meeting with women groups, discussion on women empowerment, disaster, and climate change competitions on traditional food. | Video and audio presentations, involvement of youth volunteers, honor of some personalities famous and people above the age of 100 years in that area |
| Dehradoon | | Meeting with persons who are working in head office on their works and achievements, | Will submit the report and press release |
| Shimla | | | Will submit the report and press release |
The discussion generally generates quite a lot of useful links for Honey Bee Network. During the discussion, we also circulate copies of Makhir, Honeybee and Soojhboojh to share the innovations and traditional knowledge of other parts of the country. |
During the Shodh Yatra, following activities are taken up on usual basis: - Night Meets: The meetings are usually held with the villagers in the night. The villagers are introduced to the activities of the Honey Bee Network and the objectives of the Shodh Yatra. The meeting basically acts as a forum for mutual sharing of creativity and innovations that the villagers have developed over a period of time. The night meets act as a great source of discovering the creative grassroots genius.
- Bio-diversity Competition: Competitions on bio-diversity are held regularly among the students and young people of the villages. In the competition, the participants are asked to identify and stick the samples of vegetation found in their village on a cardboard and list down their various usage. Each participant is orally tested regarding the samples they had brought along and the students making the best impact are given certificates. Many villagers also join in the programme.
- Recipe Competition: The recipe competitions are organized for the women in the villages. The person who cooked the most nutritious variety from the local ingredients was encouraged by giving a prize and a certificate. The whole objective is to make the people aware about the unique nutritional value of the indigenous crops and their importance in maintaining the ecological diversity.
- Felicitation of Creative Villagers: During the Shodh Yatra the farmers active in organic farming, those who had developed new methods through their creative abilities and ingenuity, the villagers who had helped in publicity of the aims and objectives of the Shodh Yatra and the oldest person of the village are felicitated and presented with a set of the volumes of Honeybee network publications.
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| Tel: 9418010624 and 9418090624 |
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