Hello! I am Radha Gopalan, and I will be moderating this forum on the Planetary Web where we will explore the hidden connections that create the complex web of life. The challenge often for all of us is - where do we begin? is there a book or website that will explain all this or any other resources? What about school curricula? Is it even possible to have one subject in school curricula addressing the complexities of life?
During our discussions at GenWise, as we were grappling with some of these questions, designing our programmes, wondering about how we could expand the dialogue with young people and adults, we thought an open forum might be one way to go. This forum is a dialogue which means all of us are learners. While we may post a few thoughts, readings, videos etc., to start the dialogue, the forum's effectiveness rests on your active participation. So let's try and make this a vibrant space where all of us can collectively try and get our heads around some of the complex issues unfolding around us: what is happening to our food systems? why is there an agrarian crisis in India when there are so many communities growing diverse food even under drought conditions? if I stop using plastic how will it help? does it matter what brand of clothes I wear or where I holiday? why is public transport in most of our cities so abysmal? why are all our cities getting flooded with one day's rain? what is a good quality of life? Often we don't have time in our school schedules or maybe not enought resources individually at home to explore these questions. However when we do this collectively as a community we may be able to make some sense of it: unravelling this complex web may present tremendous possibilities leading to hope and well-being for the future.
As we embark on this exploration let's remember to listen to all points of view, respect each other's opinions and dialogue to learn.