(Asian Independent)
Youth for the Coast – Call for Applications
Background
Fisheries is an important source of food, nutrition, employment and income in India. The sector provides livelihood to about 16 million fishers and fish farmers at the primary level and almost twice the number along the value chain. Recognising the importance of the sector, an independent Department of Fisheries was created in 2019 to provide sustained and focused attention towards the development of the fisheries sector. The fish production in India has registered an average annual growth rate of more than seven per cent in the recent years. The sector has been one of the major contributors of foreign exchange earnings with India being one of the leading seafood exporting nations in the world.
In recent years, the number of policy shifts that have taken place in India especially on the environmental front is quite alarming when looked at from the perspective of the natural resource dependent communities. The latest being the sixth draft of the National Fisheries Policy. In this context, it is essential that the information for the fishworkers regarding their livelihood and the cost to the environment needs to be percolated to the ground. This makes it essential to build a support group which will be informed, aimed at assisting the fishworker organizations to build up their perspectives to address the issues of the coast, environment and livelihood through an engagement with the research and policy matters related to the coast and environment.
Youth for the Coast is hosting a 6 day training programme for early to mid career practitioners from various fields who intend to work on the various aspects of the ocean and coast in India. We aim to bring together young people to develop their understanding and extend solidarity to people’s movements and organisations in their own capacity.
Objectives:
To create a fundamental understanding of ocean and coast as an ecological system that supports livelihoods of people engaged in the small scale fisheries sector.
To develop an understanding of how the dynamics between ecology, socio-economic and socio-political aspects of the ocean and coast are linked.
To introduce basic history of fisheries development in India and the narrative of struggle from people’s movements to contextualise discussions on present challenges.
To give an overview of how law, policy, and governance of the ocean and coast are structured and are changing under the Blue Economy.
To build up support groups to assist the fish workers movements in respective coastal states.
Programme
The first phase of Youth for the Coast will be a six-day residential course for the selected participants that will equip them with information and resources that confront the complex socio-ecology of land and water. During the course, the participants will also engage in peer-to-peer learning, participate in field visits, engage with community leaders, academics and activists currently working on coastal issues to create their own chosen project/intervention they would like to design and implement. The participants will also be introduced to movements/organizations working with the coastal communities to facilitate understanding of fishworkers regarding the policy shifts happening in their areas which will help them respond at the local, regional and national level.
Who can apply
Fishworkers, youth from coastal communities, researchers, media practitioners, interested in engaging with the issues of coast primarily from the nine coastal states from the Western and Eastern Coasts: Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Age limit: 22-35
Language:
Primarily English; interpretation will be provided for whoever is not comfortable with English
Contribution:
This programme is free of cost. However, the shortlisted participants are expected to submit a refundable amount of Rs. 2000/-.
Health instruction
Any participant attending this workshop needs to produce a self declaration statement that they do not have any Covid-19 symptoms or knowingly been in contact with anyone displaying the said symptoms within 14 days preceding the workshop. The workshop will be conducted maintaining the Covid-19 safe protocols:, proper ventilation, intermittent sanitation will be ensured for the participants, resource people and staff at the venue.
Dates:
March 21: Day of Arrival
March 22- 27: Programme Days
March 28: Day of Departure
Travel:
Participants are expected to make their own arrangements to arrive in Goa on the 21st of March and Depart at 28th of March before 12 noon. We request participants to make their arrangements via train (sleeper/third AC) /bus as far as possible. Travel expenses upon submission of original bills/tickets will be reimbursed.
Venue:
Goa
How to apply:
To apply for the Youth for the Coast programme, kindly fill in this application form: Application Form
Last date: 25th February 2021
Contact: Write to admin@delhiforum.net for any queries regarding the programme.
