SARA Centre’s Community Action Program: Western Ghats Eco Walk 2017
Date: June 5 – 10, 2017
Route: Jog Falls to Shivamogga, Karnataka, India (157 km)
The Western Ghats Eco Walk 2017, organized by SARA Centre, was a transformative journey spanning 157 km from Jog Falls to Shivamogga in Karnataka, India. From June 5 to 10, 2017, this remarkable walk weaved through 40 villages and towns, uniting approximately 25,000 schoolchildren from 85 schools and the local community.
Initiated under the collective banner of Ghattadatta Ditta Hejje, the Eco Walk drew inspiration from the historical Save the Western Ghats Movement (SWGM) of 1987. SWGM, a pioneering environmental activism event in India, set the stage for similar campaigns nationwide.
Ghattadatta Ditta Hejje: A Common Umbrella for Community Action
The Eco Walk was part of Ghattadatta Ditta Hejje’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness within communities, leveraging the power of the arts as a communication tool. Spearheaded by individuals primarily from creative backgrounds such as theatre, literature, and plastic arts, the six-day march was preceded by over six months of on-ground preparation.
A Fusion of Arts and Activism
More than a mere walk, the Eco Walk was a convergence of creativity and environmental consciousness. Over 300 art posters specially made for this event by global artists adorned the route, each addressing ecological themes. Film projections and expert talks on environmental issues were conducted in schools and local organizations, engaging the community in meaningful conversations.
Community Engagement: Beyond Borders
The Eco Walk wasn’t just a physical journey but a cultural exchange. Fifteen artists participated in on-the-spot graffiti sessions, captivating school children and the wider community. The march resonated with music, fostering a spirit of unity and awareness.
Building on Legacy
The Western Ghats Eco Walk 2017 follows in the footsteps of the Save the Western Ghats Movement, honouring its legacy. This event stands as a testament to the enduring commitment of communities to environmental causes, embodying the spirit of change through collective action.
Click here to view the
stickers gallery, which was part of the Eco Walk.
Here are some excerpts from the Eco Walk:
Day 1, 5th June 2017
Day 2, 6th June 2017
Day 3, 7th June 2017
Day 4, 8th June 2017
Day 5, 9th June 2017
Day 6, 10th June 2017
Organisation & Collaborations
The program was a collaboration between the SARA Centre and the following:
K V Subbanna Ranga Samooha Theatre Group
- Mr Sripad Bagawat Kiru Honnesara
- Mr Prasanna Hunsekoppa
- Mr Yesu Prakash Hegoddu
- Mrs Shylaja Prakash
- Mr Gurumoorthy Varadamoola
- Mr Ganapati Hegde Nanditale
Nada Chawadi Theatre Group
- Yesu Prakash Heggodu
Swan Man Environmental Organization
- Akhilesh Chippli
Mr Chandrashekar Chitrasiri Sirivante
Mr Parisara Nagaraj, Asst. Professor, Environmental Scientist, Shivamogga
Mr Shekhar Gowler, Convenor, Bhumikasum, Shivamogga
Exhibition design and display support:
- Santanu Dey
- Abhinav Yagnik
- Himanshu Desai
- Arunkumar H G
Curatorial, web and communications advice:
- Himanshu Desai
Operational support:
Dhanush – coordination SARA Centre
- Kumar H G – managerial support
- Darshan H S – technical support
- Prashant P Hirale – technical support
- Raju M Kallukoppa
- Rajpal Singh – materials and displays support
- Satish Shetty – transportation
Western Ghats Eco Walk 2017 Artists
We are overwhelmed by the love and support that we have received in response to our call for action from artists around the world. We have received over 350 contributions and still counting.
A number of artists have in fact arrived here on their own accord, and are volunteering their time, skills and knowledge far beyond our expectations.
We have few world to express our gratitude, but we feel assured and confident that the generous love and support that we are receiving, is sure to inspire those who need it most.
Here is a list of our new friends:
Alok Bal
Abhinav Yagnik
Abhijit Phatak
Achia Anzi
Aditi Agarwal
Akshay Rathore
Anindita Bhattacharya
Anjum Chaturvedi
Anupama Kumari
Archana Hande
Arun Mascarenhas
Ashik Lal
Ashim Purkayastha
Atul Bhalla
Avinash Karn
Avishek Sen
Babu Eshwar Prasad
Bakulesh Joshi
Balagopalan
Bharti Kher
Bhuvanesh Gowda
Bindu Mehra
Binoy Varghese
Birendra Yadav
Chandrashekar Sirivante
Dattatrya Apte
Debraj Goswami
Dhara Malhotra
Dhruv Mistry
Diana
Dodsy Antony
Elodie Alexandre
Eross Istvan
Fred Martin France
Gagan singh
George Martin
Gigi Scaria
Gireesh G V
Gogi Sarojpal
Gopal Mehan
Gunjan Tyagi
Ha Jungsu
Hans Sindhe
Himanshu Desai
Hiralal Krishnan
Hossein Valamanesh
Hur Kang
Imran Liyakat Ali Khan
Inder Salim
Iranna G R
Jagannath Panda
Jayati Mukherjee
Jesus Palomino
Jim Holyoak
John Xaviers
Josh P S
K P Reji
K T Matai
Kang Hee Joon
Kim Hey Sik
Kim Namu
Koi Haun Hai
Krishanaraj Chonat
Kunal Kalra
Lorenz Roland
M S Prakash Babu
Madhav Vyas
Madhu Venugopalan
Madhurjya Dey
Mahula Ghosh
Maitri Buch
Manisha Doshi
Manisha Parekh
Manisha Sharma
Manjunath Kalledevar
Manjunath Kamath
Mark Salvatus
Masood Hussain
Mayank Bhatnagar
Mazda Afarideh-Mahmoud Makrabi
Megha Joshi
Mukesh Sharma
Muktinath Mondal
Navjot Altaf
Neha Lavingia
Nikhileshwar Baruah
Om Soorya
Paresh Choudhury
Parikshit Pisal
Peter Alper
Pooja Bahri
Pooja Iranna
Prajakta Potnis
Prasanta Kalita
Pratul Dash
Probir Gupta
Radhika Wader
Raghu Kondur
Rajan Fulari
Rajesh Ram
Rajkumar Majinder
Rajmahamad Pathan
Rajneesh
Rameshwar Broota
Randheer Vasavda
Ranjeet Singh
Ravi Agarwal
Ravi Kashi
Ravinder Reddy
Renu Iyer
Reyaz Badruddin
Ri Eung Woo
Rinku Chauhan
Robin Wood
Roy Staab
Roy Thomas
Rucha Joshi
Ruchika Wasan Singh
Rumen Dimitrov
Rupa Paul
Sachin Bonde
Sachin Karne
Sahana Ramprakash
Sai Swaroop
Sandeep Biswas
Santanu Dey
Sangita Datta
Sarah Kaushik
Sashidharan Nair
Saulius Valius
Shambhavi Singh
Sharmila Samant
Shiv Verma
Shivani Aggarwal
Shobha Broota
Shubham Solanki
Sikan Panda
Somu Desai
Sonia Mehra Chawla
Stuti Bhavsar
Subba Ghosh
Sucheta Ghadge
Suchismita Mohanty Ram
Sudhir Pandey
Sujata Dey Manna
Sujat Roy
Sujit Malik
Sujit Poddar
Sujit S N
Sukesan Kanka
Sumedh Rajendran
Sumit Kar
Sunil Darji
Sunil Gawde
Surender K Mishra
Sweta Kabi
Tanmoy Samanta
Temsuyangar Longkumar
Tracy Davis
Uday Panchal
Vaibhav Sakharkar
Vasudha Thozhur
Ved Nayar
Veer Munshi
Vibha Galhotra
Vicky Bagodi
Vicky Roy
Vidhi Bhatt
Vineet Kumar
Viral Pandya
Walter d’Souza
Yachu Kang
Yashwini Singh
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