Conference: Peace through tourism in historically changed cross-borders, Shantiniketan, India, March 2010

A policy workshop for administrators, political leaders, developers, ambassadors, academicians, trade & industry concerns, NGOs, responsible tourism organizations and all concerned for establishing global peace…

Organized by Department of History, Visva Bharati University,
In collaboration with ICRT-India, IIPT, Travel to Care, ACT & Initiated by Help Tourism.

read the full programme

                          

Review 2009

Dear All,

Namaskar and greetings of the New Year!

Year 2009 was indeed a very special for Help Tourism and its partners. Despite the economic down turn all over the world, the organization was able to sustain and strengthen its community tourism movements in East Himalaya where the celebration of life never ends!

Several new projects have been initiated with few more in the pipeline. Few new and exciting trips and circuits such as Butterfly tour in Northeast India, Cultural Festival tour in the Northeast India, Padmasambhava Trail in Western Manas with the heritage circuit of Gouripur and North Bengal extension, ‘Holi Water & Caves’ trail and Areylungchok Dzongri Round Trek from Tashiding, Gangyap and Labdang villages in West Sikkim have been launched. A ‘Heritage Home Stay’ project has been introduced in Ballavpur Danga, Shantiniketan. A special festival trip has been launched on the occasion of the 4^th Pangsau Pass Winter Festival – scheduled from 20^th to 22^nd January 2010 at Nampong, Eastern Arunachal Pradesh. Help Tourism is the Tourism Partner of this unique and colourful cultural extravaganza which takes place every year on the same dates. As a part of the festival, a special vintage car rally named ‘Stilwell Road-Pangsau Pass Car Rally’ with WWII vehicles and motor bikes has been organized jointly by Help Tourism and North East Motor Sports Association.

In 2009 Help Tourism was entrusted with the responsibility for drawing the National Ecotourism Policy framework for Bhutan by His Majesty’s Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Conservation Division and Ugyen Wangchuck institute for Conservation and Environment(UWICE) and 03 rural tourism project of East & Northeast India Business Plan by UNDP & GOI-DOT. The projects will continue in 2010.

‘Green Circuit’ – a unique partnership initiative of five best responsible tourism organizations from India and Nepal was launched from the International Centre for Responsible Tourism’s (ICRT) stand at the World Travel Market (WTM), London to support community-run projects through cross-cultural tours, expeditions and hands-on conservation-volunteering programmes.

The website of Travel To Care – a platform based in India that supports and promotes responsible tourism projects and initiatives in India & the rest of Asia was also launched at WTM. Help Tourism is a proud member of this platform.

As a part of our Mission 2009-10, four PEACE PARKs have been established in some of the crucially important landscapes in the region – in partnership with local communities, to spread the message of cross-border peace, cross-border friendship, cultural exchange and cooperation through tourism.

As a part of our conservation mandates, several biological and species monitoring surveys were organized by our expert resource persons in the protected areas of Tripura, Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and North Bengal. The Chilapata Toad & Frog Festival was successfully organized to raise awareness about the importance of protection of lesser-fauna and amphibian species of Chilapata Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding villages in North Bengal.

The World Tourism Day was observed and celebrated with two major launching programmes: ‘Green Riders’ – a project conceived by a local association named Barefoot to support and empower 50 rickshaw pullers through green tourism in Puri sea beach in Orissa and ‘Kurseong Ecotourism & Heritage Park’ – a joint initiative of Himalayan Ecotourism Welfare Society, West Bengal Tourism and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway(DHR).

As advisor and partner of the initiatives, Help Tourism was present at the launching programmes marked with colourful cultural performances and workshops.

In recognition to its contribution to sustainable development through community-based tourism, Help Tourism received few prestigious national and international awards in 2009.To name a few: TTF Awards, CNBC-Awaaz Award, Wild Asia’s Responsible Tourism Award. We dedicate this to our partner communities, our tourism partners, our patrons-guests-friends-well wishers and the members of our extended family.

But then, the year did not end with all such good and happy moments only. Despite many new achievements and towering performances the country also witnessed devastating calamities, communal conflicts, rising corruption, alarming climate change, loss of biodiversity, shameless politics, dwindling wildlife, reckless consumerism, saddening violence.

The New Year calls for more responsible action from the citizens of India and the world, more responsibilities from the tourism and other industries before it gets too late!

Our mission – ‘Tourism for Peace’ thus continues in 2010!

With love, regards and appreciation,

Help Tourism Family
January 1, 2010.

                          

A long-term plan for creating livelihood options, rebuilding houses, repairing schools and creating fresh and clean water sources is still awaited although reconstruction of man-made embankments has been possible in most of the affected areas. Despite the human tragedy and loss of properties that the cyclone and subsequent floods had caused, the mangrove forests of Sunderbans and its animal life have been mostly intact.

The government’s response to the cyclone devastation was immediate but the relief operations delayed to start as local communication systems were found to be paralyzed and many areas inaccessible by the impact of the cyclone. The army and Border Security Force personals were called in for carrying out rescue operations and air dropping of food packets in the inaccessible terrains. NGOs played a vital role in the relief, rescue and rebuilding operations cutting across all corners.

The Government of India had incepted the Natural Disaster Management Program (NDMP) in 1992-93 following the devastating Latur earthquake to suggest a long-term strategy for managing natural disasters in the country, but from the reaction of NDMP after the cyclone it seems they have not realized that costs of disaster mitigation are far more economical than spending huge money on relief and rehabilitation.

It is beyond any doubt that after a natural disaster of such an extreme magnitude, in which properties and lives of countless people are devastated, anger against the government administration is usual. The Aila affected legendary Sunderbans islanders have been exceptional and have demonstrated their towering courage, resilience and unfathomable fighting spirit instead of showing any anger. One can still see smile on their faces!

Help Tourism and ACT along with their partners, associates, supporters, patrons, and friends have been working non-stop in the villages since 25th May. Our team of volunteers visited most of the affected islands and tried to help out the communities by providing medical assistance, food, water, temporary shelters, clothes, lanterns, mosquito nets, torches, tents. Several thousands of ponds have been dewatered with the help of our pump sets and embankments have been repaired in Bali and adjoining Islands. Medical camps are being regularly organized with specialist doctors and our trained health volunteers. Mangrove plantation programme has already begun to protect the embankments and villages. Support has been extended to the local schools so that normal classes can resume. A mobile medical boat has been placed to provide medical assistance and medicines to far flung areas. This mobile medical facility has a fast-moving ambulance boat also so that the serious patients can be shifted to referral and specialty hospitals.

Many individuals and friends have generously extended support to help us continue our work. It is impossible to mention every one’s name here as the list is long. We apologize for that. Complete details will be available on the website of ACT(www.actnowornevr.org) soon. We and our local partner in Sunderbans Bali Nature & Wildlife Conservation Society are grateful to Wildlife Protection Society of India, Sanctuary Asia, Hemendra Kothari Foundation, Samarpan Foundation, Parabar Cultural Group, Cyclone Aila 2009 Facebook Support Group, Charities Aid Foundation India, West Bengal Voluntary Health Association, Diakonie, Modella Caretaker Centre & School for their generous contribution, support and encouragement.

It is indeed important to mention at this stage about the exemplary and responsible participation of the Travel Industry. Our partners and associates in the Responsible Tourism Network (www.rtnetworking.org.), representing global solidarity to responsible tourism practices, extended all possible support and stood by the effected people of Sunderbans from the day one of the Aila menace. We are particularly grateful to The Blue Yonder (India), Social Tour.com Travels (Nepal), Travel to Care (India & Denmark) and Grass Route Journeys (India) for their leadership and initiatives.

We hope to have all of them with us as the battle continues……..