Why This Seminar on “Climate Change and Sustainable Livelihood”

Honourable Guests and Distinguished Participants,

More than 700 crores population in earth and out of which about 300 crores are living with less than $2 per day and 100 crores with less than $1 per day. All of us are concerned! However one of the leading Economists assured us “poverty reduction is best achieved through making the cake bigger, not by trying to cut it up in a different way.” i.e. “economic growth is essential ingredient for sustained  poverty reduction”. 

But,  for every $100 of global economic growth occurred between 1990 and 2001, only 60 cents went to people below the $1 per day line. In other words, to get the poorest people of the world an extra $1 required a $166 (=100/0.6) increase in global production and consumption!”

But according to latest data, our ecological footprint is already 50% larger than global ecosystem can accommodate – a clear case of ecological overshoot i.e. living in debt. Can we take this to farther with already overshooting ecological disaster?

We, who talk about a development paradigm based on Equity, Sustainability and Self Help,  find the “present day paradigm of growth”  incongruent and look for solution by working together.  Do we need to think of shifting from “right  over nature”  to “right of nature?” Do we need to think of new form of development with new technology, new production system, new rural-urban relationship, new form of democratic governance, etc. ??  We wanted to hear from different sections of the society and find ways of actions for different stakeholders. 

Finally, please note this seminar is  the result of not one organisation, but the efforts of many organisations and individuals, may not be  having same thought fully. Thus I must share our pride in saying that we have started the process of discussion and interaction and we would like to continue  and broaden this process to build our understanding on issues related with climate change and chart out our actions forward. 

Since “Climate Change” is inescapable,  We want to act “now  and forever!”  and therefore look forward to your active participation today,