Under its newly designed CBCS Course: Communication Strategies for Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia, is taking help of national & international experts to train its students on the significance of media interventions in creating awareness on Human-Wildlife conflict.
The course at MCRC is being conducted with the help of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Dr Mala Narang Reddy, noted social anthropologist will be teaching students through a workshop on 19th, Feb 2022, how they may address people’s perceptions and social dimensions of Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) and also facilitate gender-sensitive HWC conflict mitigation.
Surendra Varma and Sanjay Ajnekar of Asia Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF) will train students of MCRC in using tools for awareness and community engagement on HWC mitigation.
Professor Shohini Ghosh, Officiating Director, AJKMCRC, JMI, Professor Danish Iqbal, Coordinator, MA Development Communication, Asst. Professor Pragati Paul, AJKMCRC, and Dr. Neeraj Khera, Team Leader, GIZ are actively involved in this innovative course along with Ananda Banerjee, Environmental Journalist, and Prof. Ramesh Menon, Adjunct Professor, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication to make this course a pioneering milestone.
Students are learning about the role media plays in shaping public perception of human-wildlife interactions, vis-a-vis various mitigation strategies developed with the help of research and sensitisation. Other experts like Dr. Navaneethan Balasubramani, Technical Expert, GIZ, and Dr. Dibyendu Mandal, Conservation Biologist, GIZ are imparting crucial training & knowhow about mitigation in the forest, at the interface, and outside the forest. The best thing is that the training is being imparted using creative exercises, role play and games.
Human-wildlife conflict has emerged as a concerning issue in India with experts looking for solution to address it. Several efforts have been made to get the issue addressed.
In celebration of Wildlife Week, Wildlife SOS conducted several key awareness programs across India, focusing on the pressing issue of human-wildlife conflict and promoting solutions for peaceful coexistence. Expert speakers from Wildlife SOS led the sessions, offering insights into mitigating conflicts and fostering a more harmonious relationship between humans and wild animals.
At Gargi College, Delhi, Wasim Akram, Director of Sustainability & Special Projects at Wildlife SOS, delivered a session on reptiles, highlighting urban wildlife challenges and legal protections for snakes. In Maharashtra, Wildlife SOS held multiple sessions in schools in collaboration with the Junnar Forest Division, emphasising strategies to reduce human-leopard conflicts.
Baiju Raj M.V, Director of Conservation Projects at Wildlife SOS, addressed over 200 attendees at Hansraj College, Delhi. He shared insights into Wildlife SOS’s rescue operations and provided a deeper understanding of human-animal conflicts, while highlighting the importance of conservation and co-existence.
Wildlife Week concluded with a webinar on ‘Human-Wildlife Coexistence’ organised by the Wildlife Wing of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, held in Shimla. Here Akram shared conflict-resolution strategies to create more awareness around cohabiting with wildlife.
Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said: “These sessions are vital in fostering awareness about coexistence. By educating communities, we can work towards a future where both humans and wildlife thrive together.”
Baiju Raj M.V, Director of Conservation Projects, Wildlife SOS, said: “These awareness initiatives led by Wildlife SOS underscore the organisation’s commitment to educating the masses and promoting strategies for human-wildlife coexistence in the face of growing conflicts.”
Wasim Akram, Director of Sustainability & Special Projects, Wildlife SOS, said: “Awareness is key to resolving human-wildlife conflict. Our goal is to inspire understanding and respect for wildlife through education.”
