Phase III– Resource Planning for Project activities undertaken by the Initiative (2012 – Present)

1. Devised an action plan for addressing the major areas of intervention identified by the Coordinating Council and Advisory Committee of GISDP. The two areas that were identified are:

a. Generate awareness about sustainability through education and outreach.

Goals: Contemporary society is increasingly grappling with the contradiction posed by a demanding and rapidly growing population and limited natural resources available for its sustenance. Responding to this context will require a paradigm shift in our ethical premises. There is evidence that some societies are beginning to make this shift by questioning the virtues of capitalist growth and by asking how the realm of individual rights and ownership needs to be transformed into a universal and equitable right to live in a healthy biosphere. In this new social order, individualism and democratic voices for self-perpetuation are complemented with interpersonal bonds that transcend consanguinity or ethnicity to relations more humane, ethical and thus universal as a result of co-habitation in the same planet. GISDP aims to explore sustainability as a complex set of interlocking problems that needs to be deciphered through the reconstruction and reorientation of our dominant value system. In doing so, the entire gamut of channelizing value consciousness in society will need to be examined. This means agencies and institutions that contribute to social and individual consciousness such as education, family, religion have to all come together to form a cohesive value system about living a sustainable life on the planet endowed with limited resources available for its sustenance.

Plan of action: Identify institutions like educational institutions, media, women’s groups, youth forums, civil society groups, etc. for training, capacity building, sensitization and participation in the outreach and dissemination of the new paradigm of sustainable consciousness reflected in concrete and pragmatic choices made by people and institutions.

Activities and Events

Activity/EventDescriptionDate
IIASA 40th Anniversary Conference at Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, IIASA, LaxenburgGISDP, as a concept and initiative for sustainable development of North-East India, was voted for the Best Project award by the participants at IIASA’s 40th anniversary conference on sustainability. Saurabh Garg and Dr. Sujata presented their views on “De-constructing Sustainability: Rethinking Ideas of Growth and Consciousness through Education”and were awarded an annual subscription to the Nature Climate Change.October 2012
Darwin School Of Business and Assam Productivity Council organized a workshop at Darwin’s campus on sustainable development for North-East IndiaThe Keynote lecture delivered by Saurabh Garg emphasized the significance of making sustainable choices at the individual level which can then add up to a significant contribution by institutions for society. He spoke of the urgency to tailor business objectives to fit into the community framework for mutual benefit.September 2012
Invited lecture:“Sustainability: A Vision for Youth”The lecture was delivered by Dr. Hazarika to students and teachers at Marias Public School, Guwahati.June 2012
School Meet on “Sustainable Development: Envisioning the Future of Humanity through Education and Outreach” in GuwahatiThe school meet was organized with several local high school students and teachers. Various activities pertaining to the inculcation of sustainable development were shared with the students and teachers. Outcomes of the Meet were:
  • To create a mandate for Education for Sustainability in Assam in the template of United Nations Agenda 21, Chapter 36
  • Outreach of the concept and wider dissemination
  • Vernacular outreach of sustainable development
May 23rd, 2012

b. Harness the rich resource base of natural biodiversity and indigenous knowledge in NorthEast India to create a model of sustainable and inclusive business, based on commercially viable business solutions with high socio-economic impact.

Understanding that appropriate resource management, redistribution and economic growth is essential towards the making of a peaceful society, GISDP is committed to the creation of innovative business solutions primarily focusing on the BOP (base of the pyramid). It aims to go beyond the realms of corporate social responsibility that practicing philanthropy by focusing on creation of a synthesis between development goals of a society and core business competencies adopted by business ventures. In the context of NorthEast India businesses have to be redefined through innovations for livelihood support, entrepreneurship, respect for cultural diversity and biodiversity and promotion of equity and economic growth.

2. Apply  for grants and seed funding for the initiative through specific projects in the area of business and entrepreneurship.

ProjectDescriptionStatus
Project titled “Sustainable Business Model based on Traditional Knowledge for Economic Growth & Rural Development of Assam”The project was submitted to and successfully accepted for sponsorship by the State Bank of India.Project funded in June 2013
Project titled “Digitalization of traditional knowledge systems for livelihood support and rural development of Assam”The project is under review withNational Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Central Silk Board. Govt. of India.Project review ongoing
Project to evaluate the institutional intervention in Assam for meeting development parametersThe project has been sponsored by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), Ministry of Culture, Govt. of IndiaProject funded in July 2013
Project titled “Sustainable development and planning of North East India: Participating in the global discourse of sustainability”The project is under review with Indira Gandhi National Open University.Project review ongoing