Kolkata, Feb 27: Thirty-five young leaders from India, Bangladesh, and Nepal were trained to use
digital and cultural tools to promote peace and harmony in their respective
communities in a three-day workshop at the American Centre, recently.
The workshop was part of a unique initiative 'Peaceniks' by
Banglanatak dot com supported by the U.S. Consulate General Kolkata for
building a youth network working in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
The young leaders were trained to use various digital tools like social media, blogging, podcast, YouTube, etc, as well as, different types of art forms like music, song, dance to tell stories to create awareness in their communities about social malpractices, religious extremism and violence, and the ways to tackle them, an American Centre source said.
Trainers Venkataraman Ramachandran, digital expert, Susmit Bose, musician and peace activist, Siddharta Chakraborty, theater and Amitava Bhattacharya, director Banglanatak dot com led the workshops.
Munif Khan, a participant in the workshop, from Bangladesh, said he will utilise the digital tools to direct the young minds in his country towards community service so that they could be saved from being used as the apparatuses of extremism and violence.
"The youth who led the 2016 Holy Artisan terrorist attack belonged to rich families, but they were drug addicts. They wanted to do something that would fill them with sense of achievement and free them and lead them to heaven," Khan pointed, adding that if the young energies are diverted towards community service, they cannot be influenced by extremists.
An NGO worker from Guwahati, Sukanya Sinha said theatre and music were powerful media in spreading social messages.
" During the course of the workshop, I wrote along with other participants a song targeting various social evils, which has been composed by members of Mi Ku band, who joined the workshop from Nepal," she added.
The manager of the eight-member band Mi Ku from Nepal, Prabin Maharjan said his band was already using social media and YouTube to reach its fans.
Asked how his band would use the skills gained in the workshop, Maharjan said," As part of the youth network in the region, we would write songs addressing social issues like inter-community and gender-based violence and drug abuse, and use the digital tools to propagate our message."
The workshop culminated in Peaceniks Music Festival on Saturday last, which was a thematic cultural collaboration of the participants. Mi Ku from Nepal and Folk artists of Bengal from Kolkata also performed at the festival.
In August, the Peacenik participants will reconvene at the American Centre to report on how they've implemented their newly acquired tools.
About the future of the initiative, Jay Treloar, Deputy Director, American Centre said, "The American Centre will continue our partnership with the 'Peaceniks' and work with them to create an online regional youth Alliance for peace." UNI
The young leaders were trained to use various digital tools like social media, blogging, podcast, YouTube, etc, as well as, different types of art forms like music, song, dance to tell stories to create awareness in their communities about social malpractices, religious extremism and violence, and the ways to tackle them, an American Centre source said.
Trainers Venkataraman Ramachandran, digital expert, Susmit Bose, musician and peace activist, Siddharta Chakraborty, theater and Amitava Bhattacharya, director Banglanatak dot com led the workshops.
Munif Khan, a participant in the workshop, from Bangladesh, said he will utilise the digital tools to direct the young minds in his country towards community service so that they could be saved from being used as the apparatuses of extremism and violence.
"The youth who led the 2016 Holy Artisan terrorist attack belonged to rich families, but they were drug addicts. They wanted to do something that would fill them with sense of achievement and free them and lead them to heaven," Khan pointed, adding that if the young energies are diverted towards community service, they cannot be influenced by extremists.
An NGO worker from Guwahati, Sukanya Sinha said theatre and music were powerful media in spreading social messages.
" During the course of the workshop, I wrote along with other participants a song targeting various social evils, which has been composed by members of Mi Ku band, who joined the workshop from Nepal," she added.
The manager of the eight-member band Mi Ku from Nepal, Prabin Maharjan said his band was already using social media and YouTube to reach its fans.
Asked how his band would use the skills gained in the workshop, Maharjan said," As part of the youth network in the region, we would write songs addressing social issues like inter-community and gender-based violence and drug abuse, and use the digital tools to propagate our message."
The workshop culminated in Peaceniks Music Festival on Saturday last, which was a thematic cultural collaboration of the participants. Mi Ku from Nepal and Folk artists of Bengal from Kolkata also performed at the festival.
In August, the Peacenik participants will reconvene at the American Centre to report on how they've implemented their newly acquired tools.
About the future of the initiative, Jay Treloar, Deputy Director, American Centre said, "The American Centre will continue our partnership with the 'Peaceniks' and work with them to create an online regional youth Alliance for peace." UNI
Post A Comment:
0 comments so far,add yours