The Global Days of Listening (GDoL) is a forum that has been facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience on specific themes, every month for the past 10 years. It provides a forum for active listening to people around the world, “collaborating around each other’s paths of action toward a peaceful world”. The theme for the session held on 22nd February was focused on climate action, raising a very pertinent and particular concern: What can we do about pollution of the air, water, food, soil and environment?
ICA-AP was invited to be a part of this month’s Global Days of Listening (GDoL) session, to share the Asia-Pacific cooperative experience and endeavour in addressing environmental and social concerns. Ahsan Ali Thakur, representative with the Karachi Cooperative Housing Society Union Ltd (Pakistan) and Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation (ICYC); and Salonie Hiriyur Muralidhara from SEWA Federation (India) joined the Afghan Peace Volunteers in this GDoL session.
Ahsan shared his experience spearheading the Go Green campaign under ICYC, from 2017. The campaign works with cooperatives and communities in the Asia-Pacific, and has partnered with the African Youth Network to encourage and facilitate tree planting drives. The campaign hopes to expand its scope in 2020 by involving youth from the Americas as well.
Salonie shared SEWA Federation’s work with women-owned collective enterprises across agriculture, handicrafts, services, finance and vending. Of particular significance is SEWA’s work in the agriculture sector in India. They have been promoting organic farming through their member cooperatives, facilitating trainings and demonstrations in organic farming techniques, and also promoting animal husbandry to restore soil fertility.
Other topics covered by speakers from around the world on GDoL included campaign strategies, post-fire land regeneration, methods of pollution remediation permaculture and organic farming, and farming following an earthquake. Follow the conversation here.
