A great idea can be the start of a great revolution. At UTM Shillong, ideas that can change the world for a better tomorrow will take center-stage. The TEDxUTMShillong is an effort towards sharing and spreading life changing works of individuals and societies at large, especially from the unexplored abode of clouds “Meghalaya”. The aim is to cultivate the seeds of curiosity, inspirational work and great ideas in the hearts and minds individuals, especially the students who hold the key to a sustainable future.
NESFAS was invited to join the talks and contribute to the sharing.
Our Representatives
Pius Ranee
Pius Ranee was born and raised in Nongtraw – a quiet and quaint village located in East Khasi hills, Meghalaya, India. Showcasing his active interest and leadership skills during different occasions such as public speaking and his ability to represent different community organizations, his community collectively encouraged him to aspire for a larger role in society. Having finished his studies at a village level, his motivation and endurance led him to pursue further studies. Taking a deeper interest in rural development, he decided to educate himself at St. Edmunds College attaining a graduate and postgraduate degree in Social Work.Five years at Edmunds, Pius harnessed the knowledge gained and began churning it into a more specific arena – Food and Agro-ecology. Understanding the many challenges his own village faced, Pius felt the need to work towards finding sustainable solutions to livelihood opportunities and agro practices that are beneficial for communities and the environment. In 2011, together with Slow Food International, Pius setup the first ‘School garden’ in his own village. Later that year he was invited to speak with his mother at the Indigenous Terra Madre in Jokkmokk. His active interest caught the attention of the Youth Food Movement who invited him to talk at the international youth forum in Turin. Pius was also trained in Participatory Video documenting the traditional knowledge systems on Agrobiodiversity. The videos showcased the importance of such knowledge and the need to preserve it. This led to 14 neighboring villages participating in the revival of traditional crops such as millet.
Today, Pius works as an Associate Trainee at NESFAS.
Rahul Antao
In 2006, Rahul finished his education in hospitality, culinary arts and applied nutrition in India and went on to work in the hotel industry. Not long after, he took a keen interest in agriculture – specifically to understand the link from farm to fork. From then on, it seemed more of a joy to learn from farmers and this fascination took him to Italy, where he studied at the University of Gastronomic Sciences. Having worked with Navdanya in India and Slow Food in Italy, Rahul spent the better half of the last eight years working with and learning from chefs, producers and farmers, who all seem to possess wisdom that few textbooks can share. All this knowledge further cemented Rahul’s passion for food and agriculture, and led him to explore the world of indigenous people, where one can always find the interlinking holy-trinity of culture, man and ecology.
Rahul works as a consultant for NESFAS.
Venue: U SOSO THAM Auditorium
State Central Library, Shillong
Shillong, 793003
India
Date : January 31st, 2014
9:00am-6:00pm (GMT 5.5hrs)
For more information : https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/9251
