Srinagar: Mool Sustainability Research and Training Center (Mool) and The Village Academy hosted a joint event on Climate Change and Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) at Sagg Eco Village, Ganderbal.
Supported by Kargil Development Project (KDP), a charity based in Ladakh, the event brought together scholars and students from diverse fields of study including Business Studies, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences, faculty, and the team from the Directorate of Research and Development (R&D) at CUK.
In the form of a panel discussion followed by an extensive Q&A session, the event helped bring grassroots understanding and practicable knowledge on climate change, sustainable development, and the role of youth to engage the audience.
The panel comprised Fayaz Ahmad Dar, Ecological Entrepreneur, and Founder – Mool and The Village Academy, Dr. Mir Insha Farooq, Senior Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies, CUK, and Dr. Khalid Wasim Hassan, Assistant Professor, Department of Politics and Governance, CUK.
The program began with a welcome address and brief introductions by Dr. Shaheena Parveen, Executive Director – Mool Sustainability Research and Training Center. This was followed by presentations by the panel. Fayaz Ahmad Dar deliberated on Climate Change Sustainable Development and the Role of Youth. Dar stressed upon the imperative and uncompromising role of the choices we make in our daily lives and how those can go a long way in bringing the desired change including in our environment and ecology or quality of life in general. He encouraged students to delve deeper into three important questions – who am I, where do I need to go, and when.
And build a vision for their lives with goals to achieve to beat conformism and bring the desired change. Dar also spoke about how collaborations with impactful initiatives on the ground can cater to the human need for novelty, creativity, and innovation among students and add value to their academic experience.
The event also witnessed the launch of the CUK chapter of The Sustainable Kashmir Club (SKC) a collaborative program of Mool and The Village Academy. SKC brings the community perspective to aid their formal education particularly by delivering mindset training and promoting ecological entrepreneurship. The areas of reflection include education, economy, culture, ecology, responsibilities, rights, and sustainable development. The goal is to share ideas, experiences, and learnings to build critical knowledge among participants and sustain the engagement for deeper and wider impact.
