Case8-July-2017
Development Stakeholders gather biennially at Madurai in a development market place, “Madurai Symposium” to share, learn from each other experience and practices and explore opportunities for collaboration. The symposium attracts diverse stakeholders in development: Community Organisations, Civil societies/NGOs, Government, Banks, Insurance Companies, CSR Foundations, Donors, Philanthropists, and Academia. The previous edition of 2015 saw the participation of 10000 stakeholders and deliberated on localizing the Sustainable Development Goals. Given the multifaceted development goals of SDGs, the Madurai Symposium 2017 would connect with the critical element of challenges in sustaining development processes towards achieving the goals. Building resilience is one of the crucial Challenges and Madurai Symposium 2017 seeks to engage with the topical theme in the context SDGs.
Date: September 20-24, 2017; Venue: Tamukkam Grounds, Madurai
We welcome development partners interested in organising or sponsoring events. Also we invite stakeholders to participate in the events and share their experiences. Please submit your nominations online @ http://www. maduraisymposium.net
The Center for Development Communication of DHAN Foundation is pleased to invite filmmakers to take part in the Short Film Competition, organized as part of 11th Development Film Festival to be held at Thamukkam Ground, Madurai, India from September 20-24, 2017.
India is known for its rich and diverse culinary culture. Given the diversity in soil type, climate and farming, food heritage of the communities varies significantly and influenced by the locally available foods. Food as medicine is not something new to us; the basics of using certain foods to treat some illnesses have been well documented in our ancient texts. Our ancient wisdom on the medicinal and nutritional value of food, which has been a part and parcel of our culinary practice, needs to be preserved and passed on to the future generations.
Small millets are one of the oldest foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes. They are small-seeded grasses that are hardy and grow well in dry zones as rain-fed crops, under marginal conditions of soil fertility and moisture. Small millets are also unique due to their short growing season. Small millets, as a group includes finger millet (ragi), kodo millet (varagu), little millet (samai), foxtail millet (thinai), barnyard millet (kudiraivaali) and proso millet (Panivaragu). These tiny millets are known for their superior nutritional properties, including high micronutrient and dietary fiber content, and low glycemic index, when compared to rice and wheat. They are known for both preventive and curative medicinal properties. Once celebrated as native food, these small millets disappeared from our diets due to many reasons. These small millets were labeled as poor man's food while rice and wheat were considered superior. This low social status pushed these small millets to become rare foods. Also, changes in our culinary culture due to the influence of fast food and foreign foods on our children and youth are the reasons for the sorry state of our local, traditional and healthy foods including small millets.
This short film contest is aimed at challenging the food culture today and reviving the legacy of our native food, by way of promoting the image of small millets based traditional foods. Submit your Films with Submission Forms by September 05, 2017. The best film carries a prize money of Rs.25,000/-. For more information: http://www.dhan. org/dff/