The 60th session of the Commission on Status of Women (CSW) took place from March 14 - 24, 2016 at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. CEE, as an ECOSOC accredited NGO, was selected to take part in the interactive panel discussion for the priority theme, on key strategies for gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The session was attended by over 500 representatives of Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs)  from all regions of the world.

Dr. Prithi Nambiar, Programme Director, Communication for Sustainable Development at CEE (and Exec. Director, CEE Australia) was one of the only three global NGO representatives invited to speak before the expert panel comprising of Ms. Corchuelo, Director for Social Development of National Planning, Colombia; Dr. James Heintz, Professor of Economics from the University of Massachusetts; Dr. Philomena Nyarko, Chief Executive of the Statistical Service, Government of Ghana; Ms. Anita Nayar, Senior Advisor, Dag Hammarskjold Foundation; and Sally Moyle, Principal Gender Advisor, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia.

In her intervention, Dr. Nambiar emphasized the importance of education to drive much needed change in attitudes and values towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls). She stated that none of the other 16 SDGs could be considered successfully achieved, without meeting the cross-cutting Sustainable Development Goal 5 targets, in that particular area. Drawing on the recommendations from the recently held UNESCO partnered International Conference on Education for Sustainable Development at CEE in January, 2016; Dr. Nambiar highlighted the need for wide ranging public education and communication campaigns to promote gender equality at home, the workplace and society at large. She noted the need for women in particular to not be complicit in perpetuating patriarchal and gender regressive values.

Dr. Nambiar spoke of the overwhelming need to avoid ghettoization of the gender issue by including men and boys in the conversation. She said, "We must focus on education and communication efforts on creating personal and individual relevance around Goal 5 by framing it in terms of dignity for the individual regardless of gender, race, class, life choices or circumstances."

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is a global policy-making body which annually provides a key opportunity for policy makers, advocates, researchers and activists to network and strategize, mobilize and plan new initiatives as well as actions to further the cause of gender equality and women empowerment.

CEE Himalaya, on the occasion of International Women's Day and International Day of Forest, raised awareness among the people of Kuroli village, Uttarkashi district. The event was hosted in partnership with JSW Foundation, with an overall participation from 50 women and 60 community people.

For International Women's Day, an array of activities involving recreation, interactions and discussions were organised, along with applauding the change agents in the Kuroli community. Discussions were conducted on personal hygiene, health issues, environmental and climate change impact on women, education, safety and security, and the role of women in developing an empowered and sustainable mountain community. At the end, the President of the Mahila Mangal Dal appreciated and thanked the organization for providing the women with an opportunity to celebrate the event. It was followed by a pledge writing activity about exercising women rights and working together to achieve change.

As part of the International Day of Forest celebrations; activities like discussions, open dialogues, plantation, and games were conducted. The CEE team promoted the plantation of traditional species to meet the increasing demand, even as the women of the community planted saplings of native species like Baans (Bamboo), Deodar (Cedrusdeodara), and Oak. Later, the Kuroli community took the pledge of making sincere efforts towards preserving the forests and trees.

CEE and the South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN), supported by the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), hosted 300 youth in Yuva Samvaad – Regional Consultations on sustainable development and youth empowerment for marginalized youth. The consultations were held in a series starting at Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) on March 11, Ahmedabad (Gujarat) on March 29 and at Bhagalpur (Bihar) on March 30, 2016. This was an effort to bring out and address the major concerns of marginalized youth in these states and also discuss about youth empowerment, especially skill development and entrepreneurship, and how these could be useful in bringing Sustainable Development.

Experts and practitioners who chaired the opening panels of the consultations included Mr. Arvind Kumar,Action Aid; Shri Nand Kishore More, Ambedkar University; Mr. Prakash Solanki, Faculty at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI); Mr. K G Patel, Principal, Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Kubernagar; Prof. Dr. Sunil Kumar Chaudhary, HOD Botany Department - Bhagalpur University; Dr. Tapan Kumar Ghosh, Zoology Department - Bhagalpur University; Prakash Kumar Gupta; and Dr. Vibhu Rai, Deputy Director - Global Environmental Organization.
The panellists shared their views on issues of eradicating injustice, and the various dimensions that prevent participation of marginalized communities in the 'mainstream' occupations. Sharing of positive stories and case studies that promoted entrepreneurship and sustainable development also took place. CEE made presentations on the concept of Sustainable Development, and opportunities for youth in engaging with the local, national and international processes for the same. The team also talked about skill development and opportunities existing in the form of programmes and schemes offered by the Government of India.

The participants were divided into groups for discussion on different topics such as Sustainable Development, Skill Development, Eco-Entrepreneurship, Green Skills, Government Schemes, and Support Mechanisms available for skill development. The teams probed over opportunities and challenges faced by them in each of these strands.

Education for All – inclusive and accessible, access to information technology, funding support, and information on existing schemes and policy for skill development and youth empowerment were some of the key suggestions from the youth. The need to revise existing pedagogy and integrate mechanisms that promote green skills was suggested. The enhancement of competencies and soft skills such as communication and computer literacy should be prioritized at skill training centres was also suggested.

CEE West, in collaboration with Essar Foundation, has been working with 17 government and private primary schools of Choryasi Taluka of Surat District, Gujarat, under the project 'Guruji'. As a culmination, a teachers training on different methods of demonstration, for the subject of Social Science, was held.

10 schools participated, and nearly 1000 students visited the fair, which aimed at providing a common platform for the students to understand the connection between subjects like history, civics, and geography. School principals, teachers, villagers, and representatives of other NGOs also visited the fair.

CEE's Vaishali project office organised a district-level sharing meeting for different stakeholders of the education department at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Vaishali. The objective of the meeting was to introduce education officials of the district, including block and cluster resource centres, to the project objectives and to the roadmap the initiatives to be implemented, along with garnering support of the block level officials and teachers.

More than 40 district and block level officials attended the meeting. Mr. Binay Kumar, State Consultant, UNICEF; welcomed the participants and Ms. Gopa Mukherjee, Principal, DIET; spoke about the DIET's initiatives related to capacity building of teachers. Mr. Nishant Kumar, Programme Officer, SSA, Vaishali; shared his experiences of promoting quality education in the district.

Ms. Preeti R. Kanaujia, Mr. Sanjay Tiwari and CEE Vaishali team facilitated sessions on the 'Child Friendly Schools and Systems' project and its activities. Participants, as their concluding remarks, said that such kind of meetings should be organised often as this provides a platform to share positive stories, to learn from others, and to get motivated for taking up efforts to improve the quality of education in their schools.

The rehabilitation programme 'Rebuilding Faith' was implemented by CEE Himalaya in Uttarkashi, in the districts of Bhatwari, Chinayalisaur and Dunda blocks, which were worst affected by the Himalayan tragedy. Being implemented with support from JSW Foundation since July 2013, the programme has given priority to community-based disaster risk management.

Phase III (July 2014-March 2016) of the programme started with 50 schools and 15 villages, covering around 5,000 school children and 15,000 people, respectively. With the training received, schools developed their Schools Disaster Management Plans (SDMP) and 5 villages put forth their own Village Contingency Plans(VCP).

Various national and international events - World Environment Day, International Women's Day, World Wetlands Day, International Mountain Day and Earth Day - were also celebrated to raise awareness and motivate the communities to protect the biodiversity and environment of their region. Water, sanitation, and hygiene practices also form an integral part of the educational programme, which encourages skill development and livelihood enhancement of the people.

CEE partnered with CES for reaching out to the District Implementation and Monitoring Committees, and Eco Club Teachers for participating in the training programme, conducted at Goutam Buddha Sanskruti Bhawan from 18th-20th March, at N. C. High School and from March 21-23, 2016, in Jajpur.

The three-day module focused on Knowledge on EE and ESD - What, Why and How; approaches for Environmental Education; approach of Project Based Learning (PBL); and developing an action plan for schools in the format developed (Annexure-1), based on their learning from the training programme. Introduction to the Paryavaran Mitra programme also took place.

The action plans were then put up in an exhibition, for feedback. The three best plans were recognised and awarded in the valedictory session. Teachers were provided with the resource handbook, the training kit, and a souvenir which was developed as part of the programme.

A half-day consultative meet of senior mines managers from various mining firms in Goa, was organised by the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association and CEE, Goa. The managers discussed the consultation draft on 'Mapping Mining to the Sustainable Development Goals: A Preliminary Atlas' which is developed by the Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), in association with UNDP, Sustainable Development Solution Network (SDSN) and the World Economic Forum (WEF).

A brief presentation on the draft map was made. It was followed by a facilitated discussion on how the companies responded to the draft, and presenting case studies that Goa's mining firms had already undertaken. About 20 managers attended the meet.

A state-wide awareness and action campaign was initiated by the UP Forest Department to engage schools and other stakeholders towards raising awareness on sparrows, and the need to protect them and their habitat. The University of Lucknow and CEE North, along with the UP Forest Department and UP State Biodiversity Board as RCE Lucknow network partners, have joined hands to run the movement. Over 1 lakh nest boxes would be installed in the State as part of the campaign. It is mainly being done with schools, colleges and universities of the State.

CEE provided orientation to sensitize the students towards the endangered House Sparrow, and the causes for its decline. Working directly in districts like Bahraich, Bareilly and Lucknow, CEE joined hands with the dolphin project NGOs and NGC master trainers in other districts, to run the campaigns. The students and schools were also reached out through CEE's 'Prakriti' Bus where the communicators talked about biodiversity conservation. Children were encouraged to express their thoughts creatively through poems, drawings, stories, 'rangoli', tattoo, etc.They were also motivated to take a pledge towards saving sparrow and biodiversity.

CEE also shared the campaign to its 'Paryavaran Mitra', National Green Corps, Children's Forest Programme and Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Programme school networks in this regard. Individuals and institutions were encouraged to not only install nest boxes but also to provide food and water to the birds.

On the occasion of World Sparrow Day, looking at the efforts put in by CEE North, it was felicitated by Shri Akhilesh Yadav, Hon'ble Chief Minister of the State on March 20, 2016, for its work on sparrow conservation.

CEE organized a two-day Training Programme-cum-National Workshop on compost and energy efficient cook-stoves at Hajipur, Barabanki; under the Global Environment Facility/United Nations Development Programme-supported Small Grants Programme (GEF-UNDP SGP), in collaboration with the local partner, Muskan Jyoti Samiti (MJS).

The NGOs and farmers came from 12 states of India, and learned the scientific techniques of composting. A total of 190 participants took part in the workshop. Adopted farmers from NABARD and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Lucknow, also attended the workshop.

After the formal welcome of participants by MJS, Dr. Abdhesh Gangwar and Ms. Preeti R. Kanaujia shared their thoughts on sustainable agriculture and CEE's ongoing initiatives and programmes. The dignitaries present on the occasion included Mr. Anil Arora, GEF-UNDP SGP; Mr. P Srinivas Vasu, SOIL; Mr. R K Singh, KVK; Mr. Sudhir Singh, Uttar Pradesh Livelihood Mission (UPLM); Mr. Mewa Lal, MJS; Mr. Sumit Verma; Mr. P. Srinivas Vasu; and Mr. Nand Kishore.

The topics discussed included importance of the use of energy-efficient cook-stoves, dependency of human life on soil, aspects of soil health, health of animals, their linkage with healthy plants and fodder, schemes available for farmers, skill development schemes available to the SHGs and how the SHGs could link with the Banks to increase their livelihood options. Demonstration of the making of compost in a scientific manner, how to make liquid manure in 15 days by agro waste in a drum, the 'Panchagavya' technique, as well as the making of the cook-stove, was also put forth. As an outcome of this training-cum-workshop, a total commitment of 3,800 cook-stoves was made, in addition to a commitment of 4,500 which are already adopted by them, in their respective programmes.

'Prakriti' Bus, the mobile exhibition on biodiversity also enhanced understanding on the agricultural and livestock biodiversity.

CEE Himalaya, with support from JSW Foundation, organised an event on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22, 2016, at Kuroli, Uttarkashi. Over 80 people attended the event, which aimed at drawing the attention of the community towards the issues related to water availability and its judicial use, as well as take actions for its conservation.

CEE team and the community members discussed about the impact of climate change on water bodies, the increasing incidences of water-borne diseases caused by pollution and poor maintenance of water collection points, and the initiatives for water conservation and management. They tested the water quality at a traditional water collection point, and demonstrated simple techniques that could be used to monitor the quality of water.

The village 'Panchayat' was also provided with 'Water Quality Testing' kit by the CEE Team. 'Yuva Mangal Dal', along with the CEE Team, initiated a 'Clean Drive' wherein the youth of the village got involved in cleaning the major collection points, small streams, and the drainage. The event concluded by writing pledges for the conservation of water.

In March 2016, the South Gujarat Textile Processors Association (SGTPA) – Surat, on behalf of the Federation of All India Textile Processors Association (FAITPA),appointed CEE, to conduct surveys and prepare a technical report on the aspects pertaining to the implementation of the Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) concept in textile processing industries. The report to be prepared is in respect to the draft order issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India.

The Industrial Pollution Prevention (IPP) Group of CEE carried out extensive literature survey and research in the states of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Throughout the month of March, discussions with experts and stakeholders from the textile industry were carried out, while the site visits made to various places enabled the team to solicit the views of the manufacturers, especially the technical personnel.

The report, submitted to the SGTPA, attempts to serve as a guide to the policy makers, entrepreneurs, and the enforcing agencies.

Under the Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Education Programme, CEE North, with support from the National Mission for Clean Ganga, organized a teachers training workshop at Kidwai Vidya Mandir in Kanpur.

Attended by over 30 teachers from different schools, the workshop focused at orienting them about the Ganges river dolphin and related educational activities to be conducted at the school level. The chief guest for the event was Mr. Ram Kumar, IFS, Conservator Forest and DFO, Kanpur, while Mr. Prabodh Pratap Singh, District Coordinator, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Kanpur, was the special guest. Mr. Kumar appreciated the efforts of CEE and National Mission for Clean Ganga and motivated the participating teachers for active engagement in the programme.

The CEE team facilitated sessions on different aspects of the programme and helped in planning year-long activities in dolphin schools.

Under the community component of the Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Education programme, CEE Bettiah conducted a 6-day training at CEE's Bettiah field office.
32 community members including women, farmers, and fishermen, from the dolphin project villages, participated in the workshop, which was conducted in collaboration with the Central Bank-Rural Self Employment Training Institute, West Champaran.

The training programme covered aspects related to dairy farming, nutrition and feeding of animals, fodder crops, management practices related to Farm Yard Manure (FYM), bio-gas plant, compost pit preparation, and government schemes.

The Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP) - a project under the Global Programme Climate Change (GPCC) of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, jointly organized the Third Annual Consultation Workshop of States of the Himalayan Region under NMSHE on March 10-11, 2016, at New Delhi.

Various stakeholders such as representatives/focal points for climate change/SAPCC in the Himalayan States, research and academic institutions, as well as civic society organizations, attended the workshop and discussed several issues concerning the Himalayan States - human capacity building at the state level. Issues such as assessing vulnerability, risks and hazards, public awareness related to climate change and adaptations, and assessment of the health status of Himalayas, were deliberated upon.

The inaugural session was attended by Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Hon'ble Secretary, Department of Science and Technology; Dr. Linus von Castelmur, Hon'ble Ambassador of Switzerland to India and Bhutan; and Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, Head, SPLICE & Climate Change Programme, DST.

A presentation was made on 'Media Workshops and Outreach Activities in the IHR for climate change adaptation: sharing of lessons and experiences'. Previous work done by CEE Himalaya in partnership with IHCAP was also showcased. Furthermore, the challenges of effectively communicating the impacts and challenges of climate change to the masses in IHR, as well as conducting activities for the same and the way forward, were put forth.

CEE North organised a biodiversity-awareness and tree plantation programme for army officials and cadets at the Army Medical Core Centre, Army Cantt., Lucknow. Shri S. S. Garg, Brigadier; and Smt. Rampreet Kaur, Lt. Col., welcomed the 'Prakriti' bus to their cantonment, and planted 5 saplings for creating a 'Panchwati' in the army campus.

On March 5, 2016, Sundarvan organised the 'Astro Watch' at the Sabarmati Riverfront, as part of its nature appreciation programme series. Tanmaye Vyas, known for his extensive knowledge about astronomy, took the session, and spoke about stars, the use of star charts, as well as about locating constellations. He also facilitated the telescopic viewing of Saturn and Jupiter.

Three 'Green' birthdays were celebrated at Sundarvan, for three to nine year old kids. Eco-friendly Handprint activities, greeting cards, nature trails, face-painting, and the ever popular puppet show, were all included in the celebrations at the zoo. The Snake Awareness Programme', using stories and questions about the zoo, proved to be an effective medium of educating the kids.

CEE is the ENVIS centre on Environmental Education (EE). As an ENVIS centre, CEE caters to the information needs of environmental educators. Write to the CEE ENVIS Centre at [email protected]