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Memorandum of Understanding

IBRAD has signed MoUs (Memorandums of Understanding) with the following Universities and institutions to collaborate academically, train students, conduct internships, and organise collaborative workshops and seminars.

  • Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University (SKBU), a public state university of West Bengal
  • Kalahandi University, a public state university of Odisha
  • Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, a Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
  • Brainware University, West Bengal
  • Sister Nivedita University, West Bengal

Besides MBA students of MICA, Ahmedabad has been undergoing a six-month Problem-Solving Project with IBRAD including two Field Immersion Programs each year since 2021.

As an outcome of such academic collaborations a one Year Post Graduate Diploma course is being organised with inter-institutional collaboration with SKBU. A number of residential as well as non-residential training courses are organised for students from all the universities.

Oriented the students with fieldwork methods and facilitated their fieldwork sessions in Odisha and West Bengal.

Also organised a number of thematic collaborative workshops with the universities.

SERIN (Socio-Ecological Research International Network)

Preamble

The challenging issues of the Food Security and Food Safety cannot be addressed by a single discipline of study. The professionals from the “Biological and the Agricultural science” will study and explore the biological factors of food production whereas the professionals from social science will explain the social institutions, cultural practices which has a direct effect on food production and consumption. The economists, of course, have different expertise in the studies of production-distribution -consumption aspects of food security and safety. However, the issue of food security and food safety requires a transdisciplinary approach to develop a coherent and comprehensive body of knowledge.

In view of the need to form a network of transdisciplinary professionals, we from IBRAD have formed a group of transdisciplinary professionals for periodical discussion, sharing case studies and methods.

Understanding the socio-ecological processes: The importance of transdisciplinary approaches

Social institutions with the cultural practices of human society and interacting ecosystem dynamics determine the quality and quantity of production of agriculture and allied activities as one of the provisioning ecosystem services. On the other hand functioning of the ecosystem will determine the sustainability of the ecosystem services.

The knowledge, attitude, and socialization of the community determine the nature of farming practices they would adopt.  Whether the community would follow the sustainable agricultural practices of mixed farming, apply organic manure with multiple species management, crop rotation, pulse cultivation depends upon the social system in the framework of the ecosystem.

The farming system is an interwoven socio-ecological process as a natural phenomenon for sustainable food production. 

It is very fascinating to see how traditional practices of some communities have the ability to reduce social-ecological crises particularly risk mitigation in the events of some natural disturbance.

Interestingly, social scientists study how the process of socialization and rituals help in the transmission of ecological knowledge. 

But  understanding of the dynamics of the ecological process becomes the super specialization of the ecologists and has rare occasions to share the  importance of ecological indicators  like  keystone, rare and extinct, threatened  species which are indicators of sustainable ecosystem with social scientists.  Anthropologists study the taboo as social institutions as “prohibition”.  Imposing taboo on harvesting some bunch of vegetation helps in resource conservation such as conservation of Sacred Grove, but the Anthropologists do not cross the boundary to understand how the importance of keystone species of the ecosystem which help in maintaining the ecosystem as a whole.  Anthropologists do not study the dynamics of sacred groove management.  Same way, ecologists do not make use of the concept of taboo in Participatory Biodiversity Management.

Understanding the dynamics of Socio-Ecological Processes can help better in the manipulation of culture with better, local management practices by developing appropriate social institutions for sustainable ecosystem services, food being one of them.

SERIN Network

Given the need for a network of transdisciplinary professionals for periodical discussion, sharing case studies, and participatory action research methods the SERIN (Socio-Ecological International Participatory Action Research Network) is formed. Professionals from countries like Finland, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, France, UK, USA, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Bangladesh and India take part through periodic online discussions.

The professionals in the network represent various geographical locations and socio-cultural fabrics from different parts of the world. What is interesting is the fact that in almost all the cases the members are pursuing their activities as a group of transdisciplinary professionals which is why they have experience in understanding the “Socio-Ecological” processes that influence the structure and function of the natural ecosystems which often represents a mosaic landscape and their associated ecosystem services that determine the capacity of food production, livelihood options and wellbeing of the people. Another important contribution of the Network is the involvement of the indigenous members from different countries involved in Biodiversity Conservation, Ecosystem Restoration and climate actions by integrating their traditional knowledge and practices.

Purpose of formation of SERIN

  • Understanding the socio-ecological systems that govern the process of food production and consumption in a given landscape  
  • Share experience of any intervention to arrest the resource depletion, environmental degradation, and   climate change adaptation that have been found effective  
  • Share the experiences in agroecology that are on-farm, participatory, change-oriented, and backed by broad-based methodologies of sustainability analysis and evaluation.
  • Share the field-tested innovative methods and  practices grounded in ecological understanding, conservation-based  organic farming and other alternative systems of sustainable agriculture at the multifunctional landscapes
  • Discuss the criteria and indicators of sustainability, issue of Trade-Offs of conservation and environmental services, sustainable agriculture and global climate change.
  • We will have the opportunity to share the book reviews, research papers, and topical reviews.
  • Share the national and international coverage and featured articles based on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary studies.

International Meetings

  • The first pre-launch meeting of SEPARN was held on 22nd June 2020 with 33 participants from the U.K., Finland, Hungary, Belgium, Germany, USA, Italy, Kenya, Bangladesh and India.
  • The second webinar of SEPRAN was held on the 30th September 2020 with 41 participants from Finland, U.K., Belgium, Hungary, Bangladesh and India.
  • The Third International Conference on Socio-Ecological Process for Sustainable Development – Indigenous Tribal Communities, in particular, was held on 18th February with speakers from Belgium, Germany, Hungary and India
  • The fourth International Conference on nature-based solutions, ecosystem restoration and sustainable livelihood in the context of SDGs” was held on 23rd September 2021 with speakers from the UK, Finland and Belgium.  
  • The Fifth International Webinar on the Application of Digital Learning for Participatory Research was held on 3rd February 2022 with speakers from Germany, UK and Hungary
  • A workshop on Ecosystem Restoration for Biodiversity Conservation for Ecosystem Services, Indigenous People, in particular, was held on 3rd January 2023 with Hungary, France, South Africa, Kenya and Kyrghyz Republic
  • A Workshop on ‘Community Participation For Assessment of Sustainability of Landscape And Biodiversity Conservation- based Sustainable Livelihood: A Replicable Model, Globally’ was held on 5th June 2023 as a side event of Think Tank 20 of G 20 with speakers from USA, Netherlands and India
  • A Panel Discussion was held on Pathways for Integration of Indigenous Culture for SDGs on 8th August 2023 on the eve of celebrating the International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples with speakers from Kenya, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria, the USA and the Netherlands
  • A workshop on One Health – Tribal Health was organised on 8th September 2023 with experts from India and France
  • A workshop on Participatory Approaches to Inspire Women, Partnering Inclusive Sustainable Tribal Development was held on 8th March 2024 with speakers from Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon and India

SANCALP (Sustainable Action and Network through Community Leaders Program)

IBRAD has been coordinating a National Network of Community Volunteers – SANCALP since 2010 with members from 10 states of India including Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and West Bengal.

The Vision:

Recognise and develop community leaders to create a world of sustainable development.

SANCALP (Sustainable Action and Network through Community Leaders Program) is a program for creating an enabling environment for the tribal community to showcase their initiatives of biodiversity conservation and conservation-based climate-resilient livelihood.

“Building Cultural Resilience and Climate Resilience” by strengthening and developing community leaders through a web of national network.

Objectives

  • Identification and recognition of Tribal leaders, involved in Biodiversity Conservation and conservation-based Climate Resilient Sustainable Livelihood.
  • Documentation of outstanding accomplishments.
  • Developing capacity of the community for biodiversity conservation and conservation-based climate resilient sustainable livelihood.
  • To develop a platform for mutual learning, skill development and knowledge exchange.
  • Providing a forum for advocacy for appropriate issue-based policies.

National Conventions

Each year in the month of February a National Convention of two to three days are organised at the IBRAD campus, Kolkata with more than 100 participants covering 10 -15 states where the best practices from the fields are shared and recognized through awards of the best presentations.

There have been 16 National Conventions held till February 2025.