Green Hub, Tezpur, Assam

 

The first Green Hub was inaugurated on _______2015 at Tezpur, Assam.  We’re especially proud of the

legacy that our centre carries - the building belongs to Jyoti Prasad Agarwala the father of Assamese Cinema. 

 

20 young people from across the North East Region have been selected for a one-year fellowship program to

train in wildlife video documentation.  The fellowship boasts of a stellar faculty. In addition, several eminent wildlife and conservation specialists from across the country have beeninvited on board as focal points to hold workshops and training program.

 

Background

 

The North East Region (NER) is not only endowed with some of the richest biodiversity areas of India, it is one of the Global Biodiversity Hotspots as well. It is a prime habitat for a large number of flora and fauna. Every year, while some new species get discovered, many become extinct. 

 

          Themain cause for this is the spread of human habitation and fragmentation of forestlands.

 

              The NER is also  home to hundreds of indigenous  communities, each with  their own rich culturalheritage and  traditional                       knowledge. They are under a constant and ever-growing threat and might disappearover the coming years without                               external support.

 

            Unfortunately, the northeast has been marred by insurgency and violence. Today the people, especially the youth, see limited opportunities for growth. The unemployment rate of the NER – close to 12% – is one of the highest in the country, against the national average of 7.7%.

 

However, across the NER, there is tremendous work happening in the field of conservation – from research on wildlife, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, human–animal interactions, community based conservation programs, revival of traditional

systems and indigenous culture,to protection of habitats and community forest areas. Numerous groups and individuals

are working tirelessly to reignite hope and to dismantle the apathy around the current state of affairs. Increasingly,

efforts to create livelihood opportunities through the conservation of natural resources are being seen as a sustainable

and progressive alternative. Earlier detailed insights into ground realities were impaired by the lack of access to these

areas. We’re trying to change that and create a new paradigm of conservation that has evolved from collaborative projects.

 

The need to generate more projects with this ideology of collective learning is a key-motivating factor behind the Green Hub in the northeast. Video documentation is a pivotal tool for bridging gaps, not only for recording and archiving, but also for creating a visual database of the flora and fauna of the NER.

 

The Green Hub aims to create a platform for the youth of the region so that they have a new window for learning and livelihood, and at another level, create a web of action that provides themwith a guided vision, away from violence and towards positive interventions.