SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK

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Swedish South Asian Studies Network (SASNET) at Lund University,
Lund University Centre for
Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS)
and The Swallows India Bangladesh

jointly organised a seminar on

FOREST RIGHTS
IN INDIA

on Wednesday 4 May 2011,
13.00 – 17.00

Venue: Geocentrum I, room Världen, Sölvegatan 10, Lund

2011 is the United Nation's International Year of Forests.
In relation to this, SASNET, LUCSUS and The Swallows India Bangladesh organised a half-day seminar on the issues related to forests and deforestation in India, as well as the problems that the tribal people who live there face.

Programme:

• Dr. Beppe Karlsson, Dept. of Social Antropology, Stockholm speaks about "The Wet Desert and the Sacred Grove: Environmental Narratives in Northeast India".

• Dr. Pernille Gooch, Human Ecology Division, Lund University speaks about "Victims of Conservation or Rights as Forest Dwellers: Van Gujjar Pastoralists between Contesting Codes of Law". Read an abstract on the topic.

• Praveen Kaushal Manto (SOPHIA organisation, India)
speaks about "Forest Rights – examples from The Himalayas & The Van Gujjars stategies for survival".
Van Gujjars are indigenous nomadic buffalo herders of the Indian Himalayas. Praveen Kausha will present how the Van Gujjars are struggling to preserve their forest based lifestyle. SOPHIA is doing a successful work supporting the Van Gujjars to claim their right to forest and their rights as citizens in India.

• Documentary film screening: ”Mine: Story of a Sacred Mountain”, produced by Survival International, organization working for tribal peoples’ rights worldwide. Introduction by Dr. Beppe Karlsson. See the film on Youtube.

See the detailed programme for the seminar!

Links to all presentations.

Contact person:
Lars Eklund, SASNET, Lund University. lars.eklund@sasnet.lu.se. Telephone 046-222 7340, 0731-50 88 44