ComMutiny- The Youth Collective

[ComMutiny]

Hello, sharing the introductory post about ComMutiny- The Youth Collective. We are super excited to engage and learn with the Grove community.

About ComMutiny- The Youth Collective and vartaLeap coalition

ComMutiny stands for the first ‘mutiny’ within a young person, symbolic of the fact that social and systemic transformation cannot happen without personal transformation. Founded in 2008, ComMutiny - The Youth Collective is a community of practice of youth work organizations across India, engaged in aggregating, accelerating and amplifying empowering youth spaces co-led with self-aware, pro-active citizens- we call Jagriks (Jagruk Nagariks).

In 2019, recognizing the need for mainstreaming youth-centric development across all sectors, we incubated the vartaLeap coalition. It is a cross-sectoral grouping of youth engaging organizations from the development sector, government, media, corporate, educational institutions, and UN agencies. The purpose of the coalition is to design, pilot and scale youth–centric innovations and enable narrative shifts with thought leadership coming from years of wisdom from our members. vartaLeap’s vision is ‘Every Youth a Jagrik, Every Space Nurturing Jagriks’

A brief on our strategies:

Aggregation: We have collectivized some of the best youth-focused institutions and youth-work practitioners in the country into an effective, collaborative ecosystem. We have 175 active members at the moment.

Acceleration: We design, pilot, and scoul (scale with soul) youth-centric innovations to address the current psycho-social, economic, and ecological needs of young people. Some of the cutting-edge innovations we have designed are: FLOWING principles for youth centric designs, Youth Duties and Rights framework, Samjho Toh- The Samvidhan LIVE! Dialogues, Samvidhan LIVE! Be a Jagrik, Gender Jagrik, Changelooms: Youth leaders for climate action etc.

Amplification: Building and disseminating norm-shifting narratives to build a case for youth-centric development by engaging diverse stakeholders.

Partnership with Rainmatter

With support from the Rainmatter Foundation, we aim to mainstream climate action as a priority agenda for young people and youth workers across India. Collaboratively with our coalition members we are-

• Building narratives that help us move from a ‘frightening future’ narrative to a ‘nourishing now’ one
• Influencing the influencers who can convince their own communities about climate action as an imperative need.
• Co-creating norm shifting actions and narratives that inspire citizens to reimagine personal, social and institutional pathways away from business as usual

[ComMutiny]

Changelooms: Youth Leaders in Climate Action

“Seeing young children in the village playing cricket for the first time at night under solar lamps was the moment when we realised how far we have come in our journey. From restoring ponds to restoring lights in villages with no electricity, our journey with changelooms has been beautiful” - Rajeshwar and N.Ruban, Changelooms: Youth Leaders for Climate Action (2022-2023).

About the programme

As shared in the previous post, ComMutiny is working towards mainstreaming climate action as a priority agenda for young people with support from Rainmatter. With the intent to achieve the same, the Changelooms Youth Leaders for Climate Action was initiated in 2022, as an opportunity for youth leaders from India to enter the climate action space and build and sustain impactful change work.

This journey is envisaged an inside-out learning and leadership journey as well as a collective space for young Changemakers and early-stage Social Entrepreneurs/Intrapreneurs that identifies, celebrates, and nurtures their leadership capacities. They are supported and mentored to initiate ventures and projects to bring about norm change to build climate positive communities, where better choices are being made from a psycho-socio-cultural-economic and ecological perspective.

Journey Flow of the Programme

Every cohort undergoes a collective journey of learning, leadership, experience sharing, active experimentation, and impact creation through a series of touch points during their journey in the programme.

Cohort of last year

We started off with our pilot batch of 27 Youth Leaders last year implementing 24 projects around climate change across 13 states. In the process of running the individual projects either around kitchen gardening, climate education or solar energy, all Youth Leaders have been able to create their own identity and presence in their respective communities, especially in the space of climate action.

One of the examples is of Zahida from Kashmir who initiated the ‘Climate Friends Fellowship’ as part of the changeloom programme. In this project, she trained 10 young women to become ‘solar sakhis’ and built their capacities with the support of the expertise of the Bindi International on solar adoption solutions and livelihood building. They provided support to these 10 women on loan and cash flow, marketing and sales, technical and service as well as business scale-up support. It is a community-based model wherein all operations are owned, managed and run by the local women. These women are working in the field to achieve their long-lost dream of becoming women of substance, decision maker, strong independent women and keeping an eye on the ocean of opportunities provided to them for livelihood promotion and empowerment. The women, therefore, not only learn the skill but also attain the confidence to look at improving their lives with a fresh perspective. They have started youth groups in their communities, and each youth group consists of 10-15 young people. They converge together once a month and work on these issues – climate change, gender & caste as all these issues are interconnected. They are organizing workshops with people and inviting them irrespective of caste, age, gender to join the conversation.

Similar to Zahida’s story many youth leaders acted as potential sustainable livelihood models for young women and farmers. Mohalla sabhas and dialogue circles were frequently conducted by the Youth Leaders and their cohort of young people with senior community members, local youth clubs, government departments, panchayat members, farmer groups and SHG members to bring conversations around climate action into the mainstream agenda and make micro-level climate positive norm shifts within the local communities. For instance, Rajeshwar and N.Ruban from Kottakaram, Tamil Nadu wanted to address the challenge of the high amount of carbon emissions that were generated in their community because of burning coal to produce electricity. After learning at the program about how renewable resources can help to reduce carbon emissions, they initiated a project called ‘Green Energy Project’. As part of this, they installed Solar Street Light in the village where there was no street light and no electricity. Rajeshwar and N.Ruban did not stop at just solar street lights. They wanted to explore more and be creative with renewable resources and they installed a solar switchboard in one of the houses in the village. They also did a set up of solar-powered CCTV at one of their friend’s houses. The success of these installations gave them hope and confidence that if the right kind of space is enabled communities will find their own solutions that are wiser and more future resilient.

[ComMutiny]

Visibilising local climate positive stories through partnerships

Sharing stories of climate action leaders, Zahida and Saddam, about their work on building climate positive communities in their respective areas. These stories have been featured by the Indian Development Review platform (One of Asia’s largest independent media platforms that advances knowledge and insights on social impact.)

Women Shoulder the blame for climate change kashmir, features story on capturing the intersectionality of climate and gender in the Baramulla District, Kashmir and reflected on why young girls and women in Kashmir bear the double burden of the climate crisis and gender stereotypes, and how they are tackling both of these issues.

From bird-watching to nonprofits , explains why Van Gujjar youth in Uttarakhand have transitioned from traditional vocations to working for nonprofits and collectives in the vicinity.

[ComMutiny]

MEET THE COHORT: CHANGELOOMS - YOUTH LEADERS IN CLIMATE ACTION

Introducing 26 dynamic youth leaders from the 2024 cohort of Changelooms: Youth Leaders in climate action. Hailing from 11 states of India with rich diversity, indomitable spirit, and the commitment to building climate positive communities across the country; these youth leaders are embarking on an intensive learning and leadership journey for 18 months and an additional 18 months to scale their interventions.
Through this journey, they will focus on either rewilding to capture carbon by building carbon sinks or renewable adoption to reduce carbon emissions through solar to start with.

Stay tuned to hear more about their adventure and impact.

Changelooms: Youth leaders in climate action has been designed to support social entrepreneurs/youth leaders to prioritise climate action using a youth-centric-nourishing-now approach; thereby contributing to building climate positive communities with reduced carbon emissions or enhanced carbon capture.

[ComMutiny]

Window to Changelooms Workshop 2024: Nurturing youth leaders to build climate resilient communities through Changelooms: Youth Leaders in Climate Action

Climate action is inspired by ownership for the environment and ownership cannot be given, it has to be taken. So, how do you get young leaders to take ownership for the environment?

As shared earlier we have a new cohort of Changelooms Youth Leaders in Climate Action. So how do we get these 26, young, passionate leaders, committed to social change, working on gender, wellbeing, education, health, culture etc to make climate action a priority in their work? From our experience of working on mindset change, we know it cannot be hammered in. It comes from visceral experiences.

The Changelooms journey is designed as an experiential immersion that creates the will and skill among young people, already committed to changemaking, to take up climate action and nurture climate positive communities.

Here’s a glimpse of what we did:

Created ‘being’ experiences: Youth leaders found a safe space for reflection, exchange, and learning free from judgment as they started unpacking so much that they don’t know yet.

Created ‘Seeing’ experiences: Dialogues around what does climate change even mean? What’s the urgency and fuss all about? Why should I care about it? What can I do about it? How and where rewilding and renewables templates can be used?

Created ‘Doing’ experiences: Before going back into their own communities, the youth leaders applied the capacities, skills, and tools they learned to synthesize ideas for climate action. Ones that can inspire them for what to do in their communities.

Throughout the workshop, shared leadership, learning, and collective action were the key pillars of the workshop and will continue as key threads throughout the 3-year journey.

Watch this space for more as this cohort next heads to Rajasthan to unearth how taking up rewilding or renewables as ‘Nourishing Now’ actions, creates an opening to begin dialogues and nurture climate positive communities.

[ComMutiny]

With a doomsday narrative surrounding climate change, are people inspired enough to take action on climate issues?

We have learnt experientially, that young people will be inspired to prioritise climate change by ‘Nourishing Now’!

Here’s how inspire young people, change-makers, and social entrepreneurs can be inspired to imbibe a climate positive approach:

1. Nurture holistic engagement: Address the diverse social, cultural, psychological, and economic needs of young people while encouraging their aspirations for positive change.

2. Harness hope and agency: Cultivate and celebrate hope and optimism among young people, empowering them to believe in their ability to create a sustainable future.

3. Nudge learning: Encourage a learning approach to build knowledge, awareness, and capacities for action, inspiring further action.

4. Goal and Soul: Focus on feelings as well as facts. Advocate for solutions that enhance well being, connection, and a sense of belonging.

5. Unearth intersectionalities: Integrate climate action into organisational values and practices, nurturing a culture of sustainability and inspiring collective action.

These and more are our guiding principles towards the ‘Nourishing Now’ framework, that focuses on hope and nourishment, instilling a sense of purpose and resilience among Indian youth as they confront climate change head-on.

It addresses the immediate socio-economic, psychological, and cultural needs of young people, engaging them in the climate agenda.

What will inspire YOU to act on climate?
Share your thoughts.

(Sneha Chauhan, Changeloomer: Youth Leader in Climate Action, MP. Facilitating dialogues to understand the impact of climate within her community. )

[ComMutiny]

Many of us love gardening. But why stop there? Ever thought about rewilding your community during monsoons?

As we welcome the monsoon season and the rains bless us with abundant water (fingers crossed), it’s the perfect time for us to embrace and practise rewilding in our communities. If you are a youth leader, a youth worker or a climate-conscious citizen (or want to become one), here’s a simple guide for you to create vibrant spaces that nurture both nature and our souls.

Rewilding, for those of you who might not know, is understood as an environmental conservation approach focused on restoring and protecting natural processes and wilderness areas. ‘The concept of rewilding creates hope’, writes Bahar Dutt in her book, Rewilding: India’s Experiments in Saving Nature. We couldn’t agree more.

Sohail Madan, a rewilding expert and founder of WildTales, shared some quick and easy rewilding tips with us. We thought you might like them too!

Let’s start talking in our communities: Let’s start with organising engaging, interactive local dialogues on rewilding in our communities. Encouraging collective action and community involvement will ensure that our efforts aren’t one time!

Plant Native Species: We can focus on planting native trees and plants suited to our local environment. Use resources like the Indian Biodiversity Portal and the Botanical Survey of India to identify suitable native plants suitable to your home environment. Assess sunlight, shade, and soil in your garden, balcony, or rooftop, and design the layout for proper spacing and aesthetics. Group plants with similar water and sunlight needs together.
Some of the beautiful Indian native plants to consider are:

• Golden Shower Tree (Amaltass)
• Pride of India (Jarul)
• Harshringar
• Palash
• Phalsa

You could also incorporate medicinal plants that offer health benefits and contribute to biodiversity. Many of them are very commonly seen and available - Aloe vera, Neem, Tulsi etc.

Nurturing our efforts: Ensure that the newly planted trees get adequate water, especially after monsoons. To ensure this, you could pour water across the soil surface and let it soak into the soil. Surface soaking allows roots more chances to absorb any water, helps maintain soil health, and maintains essential element cycling and transformations in the soil.

So many of us love showing off our lush green gardens, right? Imagine how will our surroundings look in a few years, if we are able to practice rewilding!

What do you think? Up for some monsoon fun while taking some real-time, immediate climate action??

#ClimateAction #Rewilding #NourishingNow #YouthLeadership #YouthAction

[sameershisodia]

Wonderful. @sidsrao we could connect the Commutiny team with the ERA to help with this?

[sidsrao]

sure @sameershisodia please make the connect via email, as you know both of them and you can cc me and @Nayantara for follow up?

[ComMutiny]

Thanks, @sameershisodia @sidsrao would be lovely to connect. Please drop an email at [email protected] and we can then connect you with the relevant people.

[ComMutiny]

Do you feel overwhelmed by climate conversations with ‘big words’?
Find it hard to take them to young people and adolescents? Worry not!

We did some homework and found some excellent resources for you! They include fun quizzes and task-based games to introduce climate change to adolescents and youth.

1. UNDP Dictionary: UNDP got us covered with a dictionary that defines 40 frequently used climate terms in a simple way.

2. NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Toolkit: NASA has created a resource section for young people and youth workers. These resources help us understand climate change using fun games, quizzes, and simplified information.
   

3. Micro-forest guide by Aga Khan Foundation: This quick guidebook explains how to plant a micro-forest in 10 simple steps. You have to try it out!
   

4. UNEARTH - BE an SDG JAGRIK by ComMutiny - The Youth Collective: An engaging board game that brings together values enshrined in The Constitution of India and Sustainable Development Goals. Got your game face on?
   

   
   
   Reach out to [email protected] for UNEARTH - BE an SDG JAGRIK.

Be sure to use these and share your experiences in the comments.

You are welcome to add to the list too!

#ClimateAction #NourishingNow #Climatechange #youthwork #vartaLeap

[ComMutiny]

If you work with young people in rural areas and want to get into agroecology, this guidebook is for you!

Youth in Agroecology: With the average farmer’s age at 45, empowering young people to actively engage in our food systems NOW is crucial for our overall resilience.

Gender and Agroecology: Women play a pivotal role in global food systems. Promoting gender equity within agroecology not only empowers communities but also enhances sustainability.

Health and Agroecology: Healthy farms yield healthy food and healthier communities. Agroecology promotes natural soil and crop management, fostering better public health outcomes.

Social Justice and Agroecology: Advocating for fair distribution of resources and empowering marginalised groups, agroecology addresses issues of land ownership and equity.

Climate and Agroecology: Tackling climate change starts at the grassroots level. Agroecological practices enhance soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience—critical for mitigating climate impacts.

Empowering youth to engage with these issues through agroecology ensures they become effective advocates for a sustainable future.

We are excited to offer an Agroecology guidebook, ”We, the Changemakers.”

The guidebook is primarily tailored for use in rural areas and is designed to guide the process of identifying challenges within food systems and implementing strategies to address them.

Designed for facilitators in rural areas, it provides a comprehensive toolkit grounded in the 13 Principles of Agroecology, a food systems perspective, and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA). Co-created with local youth and facilitators, it ensures practicality and engagement.

For more information, reach out to us at [email protected]

*We, The Changemakers Guidebook have been conceptualised by ComMutiny - The Youth Collective and DKA Austria with the RAISE Consortium partners - Farm 2 Food Foundation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Social Work Institute, Youth For Action and Dreikönigsaktion KJS.

Rainmatter Partner Updates General Articles and Blogs #youthleadership #agroecology

[ComMutiny]

The renewable energy sector, especially solar energy, is brimming with opportunities for young entrepreneurs and changemakers! But where does one start?

Let’s learn from the renewable expert, Harsh Tiwari, Director of Operations at Bindi International

Here’s the roadmap.

1. Let expertise, interests, and resources guide your adventure: Partner with research institutes to bring innovative products to market. Scale existing products or develop new ones tailored to the renewable energy sector.
   Example: Koolboks offers solar-powered refrigeration units with a pay-as-you-go model, making them accessible to small businesses and low-income households.

2. Build Community Centric Models: Capacitate and inspire community members to engage, own, and lead climate positive actions.
   Example: Bindi International trains rural women to install and maintain solar systems, creating a sustainable ecosystem for renewable energy.

3. Engage with policymakers: Understand government policies, subsidies, and incentives for renewable energy and advocate for supportive regulations.
   Example: One could establish a social enterprise for consultation, data collection, and policy advocacy.

4. Think big and adopt a macro-level approach: Ensure business practices and technologies are environmentally sustainable and economically viable.

Ready to hop on your solar entrepreneurship journey now?

Tell us your experience of experimenting with forms of renewable energy!

#RenewableEnergy #SolarPower #YoungEntrepreneurs #Sustainability #ClimateAction #NourishingNow #Solarentrepreneur #youthleadership #vartaLeap

[ComMutiny]

For a young social entrepreneur, dialogue on deep self-awareness and systems thinking; immersive learning in communities; and vulnerable, empathetic conversations with peers and mentors - is a GAME CHANGER!

And this is what we experienced when 26 Changeloomers and 12 facilitators made their way from 11 states across the country to Rajasthan for a 10-day residential workshop. It was truly a coming together of diverse identities, experiences and perspectives. All, for a shared passion and aspiration - building climate-positive communities.

With the dedication to inspire, influence and engage their respective communities, these young social entrepreneurs have their work cut out - LEARN, EXPERIMENT and ADAPT.

Through exposure visits to GVNML (Gram Vikas Navyuvak Mandal Laporiya) and Bindi International, we experienced a slice of life - one where local communities are in harmony with nature. Learning from the experience and wisdom of these Rewilding and Renewables experts, enabled the Changeloomers to visualise their own projects to create sustainable impact.

To align Climate Action with youth-centric and community-driven projects, the ‘Nourishing Now’ Framework offered an understanding of four key needs that must be addressed - Psychological, Socio-cultural, Economic and Ecological.

And of course, like all youth-centric spaces, FUN was a serious business here, because one must laugh and learn, as we build solidarities. Watch the video created by one of the Changeloomers, Snobin, for glimpses of this beautiful experience!

This would not have been possible without an abundance of energy and love from the Changeloomers, facilitators and partners!

Sharing a beautiful video created by one of our changeloomers.

#Changelooms #YouthLeadership #vartaLeap #SocialEntrepreneur #ClimateAction