India - Green Hands- Coimbatore
India - Green Hands- Coimbatore
Playlist on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDF5AF1C6CEC6971B
Episode 7 - MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Green Hands
Project funded and implemented by Isha Foundation (www.ishafoundation.org; www.projectgreenhands.org)
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
February 2011
Project co-financed by individual donors
In 2010, the Government of India awarded the project “Green Hands” with the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar, the highest national recognition given to individuals or organisations working for protecting the environment. In 2006, 852,587 saplings were planted as part of this project, earning a place for it in the Guinness Book of World Records.
We went to Coimbatore to meet Sadhguru, the spiritual leader of the Isha Foundation, who launched this project as a response to the huge deforestation occurring in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu where millions of rural people risk becoming victims of famine caused by desertification.
Over the years, Sadhguru has motivated millions of individuals to plant and nurture trees. Sadhguru observed that nurturing two saplings over the next 10 years was a task that the poorest of the poor could also do. So, he encouraged everyone to get involved in planting trees, without placing any additional financial burden upon the state.
Over the past 8 years, more than 2 million Isha Foundation volunteers have planted around 14 million saplings. Their target is to plant 114 million trees, especially along the sea side so that the impact of future tsunamis and cyclones is minimised. Besides this, the Foundation also conducts “greening” campaigns, raising awareness among school and university students, government, NGOs and the private sector.
Acting as a responsible citizen of the world, Sadhguru, albeit unknowingly, contributes to the Millennium Development Goals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional notes
Says a farmer from the neighbouring village, "My land is 13 acres. I planted 3 acres of trees. In the future I am going to plant more trees. It will reduce the global warming. If each person realises this, automatically global warming will come down."
“The villagers have to battle for their lives but still they take out their time to plant trees and this motivates us to work more for this project. “ says a person working in the project
“You can live without your wife or husband or child or friend but you cannot live without a tree. Every human being is interested in human well being. Since spirituality is an inclusive process and not an exclusive one, we must do what we need to do,” says Sadhguru.
I started working in the project Green hands and planted many trees with the community. And one morning, I realised that this was the most important thing I have to do in my life, so I decided to stay. These villagers have not caused global warming but they are working for reducing it,” says a French woman working in the project.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project GreenHands (PGH) is a grassroots ecological initiative started by the Isha Foundation under the spiritual guidance of Sadhguru as a response to the Tsunami in 2004 and to the huge deforestation occurring in his home state of Tamil Nadu, where desertification threatens millions of rural people with famine. The project aims at increasing, by 10%, the green cover in Tamil Nadu, especially along the sea side to reduce the impact of future tsumani and cyclones. It has facilitated the planting of more than 8.2 million trees by over 2 million volunteers. Project GreenHands was also acclaimed by the Government of India in June 2010 and received the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar, the highest award bestowed on organizations and individuals for their contribution to restoring and protecting the environment.
Says a farmer from the neighbouring village, "My land is 13 acres. I planted 3 acres of trees. In the future I am going to plant more trees. It will reduce the global warming. If each person realises this, automatically global warming will come down."
By planting of 852,587 saplings, the project earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2006. The project has been involved in rural and urban greening campaigns across South India and has over the years partnered with the Government, corporations, schools, colleges and NGOs in various environmental initiatives.
“The villagers have to battle for their lives but still they take out their time to plant trees and this motivates us to work more for this project. “ says a person working in the project
Sadhguru saw that nurturing two saplings over the next 10 years was a task
that the poorest of the poor could also do. So, he encouraged everyone to get
involved in planting trees and making something truly beautiful and wonderful
happen, without placing any additional financial burden upon the state.
“You can live without your wife or husband or child or friend but you cannot live without a tree. Every human being is interested in human well being. Since spirituality is an inclusive process and not an exclusive one, we must do what we need to do,” says Sadhguru.
I started working in the project Green hands and planted many trees with the community. And one morning, I realised that this was the most important thing I have to do in my life, so I decided to stay. These villagers have not caused global warming but they are working for reducing it,” says a French woman working in the project.
Additional Information
Project GreenHands is renowned for its ability to mobilize very high levels of public engagement and involvement in all project activities. The humanity and compassion underpinning the social strategy is the hope, interest and a desire in each one of us to become involved in something that will make a personal and collective difference for everyone. The project is living example of how, believing in everyone and providing a way for them to express themselves, can bring about a cultural and environmental action at a scale commensurate with our current global environmental crisis.
| Anand Ethirajalu, Project Head - Interview for Project Green Hand, Isha Foundation |
| Kalaiwani, Beneficiary Farmer - Interview for Project Green Hands, Isha Foundation |
| alaiwani and Magesh, Beneficiary Farmers - Interview for Project Green Hands, Isha Foundation |
| Marie Rischmann, Fund Raising Coordinator - Interview for Green Hand Project, Isha Foundation |