Participatory dialogues with civil society changemakers

in association with Design Valley/Kokum & Video Volunteers & Forca Goa Foundation

In February 2017, Circlewallas kick-started a series of participatory dialogues for sustainability change-makers in Goa. These events were co-hosted at Design Valley (Dean DCruz, Moziac/Kokum) and co-held and co-lead with dialogue hosts from Circlewallas and Forca Goa Foundation. This first community conversation was co-hosted with Toke Moeller, co finder of The Art of Hosting (artofhosting.org) In total 6 participatory dialogues have taken place on the following themes: Open Space for change makers (x2 Feb & April 17) Tech enabled active citizenship (March 17) Green Goa wiki (April 17), Active citizenship learning (June 17) Green Economy & Green Governance (March 18)

Conversations Harvests are available for all events on the Green Goa googledrive. Please request access by emailing us at hello@circlewallas.net

Learning

  • Identification of some of the governance and development gaps

  • Lack of monitoring & accountability for stewardship of natural resources and illegal transgressions eg water, landuse, tree cutting, CRZ violations, conservation/protection.

  • A sense the current development model, methods for resource management and economic focus is not providing responsible stewardship and therefore not fit for purpose for the future of Goa. Is destroying our natural and cultural assets and incurring undue risk to cultural identity and future wellbeing and prosperity

  • Lack of data and research available to make informed stewardship decisions

  • Traditional and modern practices and approaches exist to improve matters and integrate sustainability/intergenerational equity into our resource management

  • Citizens have lots of good ideas but without financial backing to enable them to prioritise implementation, progress is slow and returns to the convenors.

  • “Green Economy” and “Green Governance” are not accessible terms.

  • Identified needs for

    • Tech enabled active citizenship, reporting/accountability mechanisms, mapping & research, new green governance instruments,

    • Multi-stakeholder Dialogues to find solutions at village level and State level

    • Green Education and curricula to inform youth of all ages

    • Green economy and green development options made more accessible

    • Public awareness campaigns and awareness building about rights and responsibilities and consequences of certain behaviours on long term wellbeing

    • A Peoples charter to express what kind of future people do want for the State

Fig. 1 Harvest from 11th Feb 2017 Open Space Conversation

Outcomes and emerging pilots/prototypes

  1. A dialogue mechanism to nurture emergence of citizen-lead projects and protoypes towards environmental & social care taking, active citizenship for sustainable development

  1. Prototype a citizen monitoring mechanism that allows active citizens to participate in crowdsourced conservation and good governance

    • ACT4GOA app under development – lead by Kokum Design

    • Exploring working to make government more effective

  1. Web portal to provide civic information and connect the community of sustainability changemakers individuals, organisations and networks working for sustainability in Goa – “Green pages/who’s who and Green wiki/library”

    • co-lead by Forca Goa Foundation and Video Volunteers

    • act4goa.com web portal under development – lead by Forca Goa Foundation (due to go live in Aug)

  1. A collaborative platform and call to Action #ACT4GOA taking the above projects forward to enable citizens Take Informed Action for the sustainable development of Goa.

  • Currently championed by Circlewallas, Forca Goa Foundation, Video Volunteers, Kokum, Live Happy – with a view to creating a more inclusive “call to action”

  1. Growing community of participatory dialogue practitioners/hosts who can facilitate participatory conversations and support dialogue processes and who are refining their practice together through learning groups

  1. Need for a Green Goa investment fund to provide backing and support to enable emergent projects/solutions to get off the ground:

    • incubation/collaboration/coordination/administration/capacity-building

  1. Need for Green /low footprint industries Economic research

  • In discussions with Tandem Research about research into low footprint viable economic activities in Goa to replace heavy industry and provide good livelihoods of the future for local youth and communities

  1. Need for a Public awareness campaign

  • conversations had with Times of India about an ongoing active citizenship campaign

  • Call for a Peoples charter to be compiled from existing versions and developed further

  1. Goa State level Multistakeholder dialogue/action platform – Green pathways to prosperity

    • concept papers invited from CII, GIZ/EU/Niti Aayog – and so far provided to CII Goa only

    • Connect with EU-GIZ Goa Resource Efficiency and Circular economy project (Goa)

    • Exploring collaboration with MIT affiliated Presencing Institute on their Global Transforming capitalism project – from Ego to Eco

    • Exploring Sustainability Research & Innovation centre with Chowgule College (autonomous) focusing on sustainable village futures, and links to other colleges in a collaborative project

  1. Need for a new story/brand for Goa based on celebrating Goa’s natural and cultural wealth and quality of life