By Gauranga Das
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations granted special consultative status to ISKCON Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV). Consultative status is an accreditation framework that benefits both the United Nations and the NGOs. Consultative arrangements with ECOSOC will enable the ECOSOC or one of its bodies to secure expert information or advice from organizations having special competence in the subjects for which consultative arrangements are made, and, on the other hand, to enable international, regional, sub-regional and national organizations that represent important elements of public opinion to express their views. Globally around 4045 organizations and in India around 302 organizations have accreditations to UN ECOSOC.
Consultative Status is an apt forum where political will can be significantly influenced and directed towards areas of critical importance. This will give an opportunity to protect our mother nature who has nourished everyone for centuries. For this, GEV’s collaboration with the environmentalists governed by the world political leaders can play a vital role to propagate the Vedic values.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six main organs of the United Nations. The Economic and Social Council is the principal organ that coordinates the economic, social, environmental and related work of the 14 United Nations specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions. It serves as the central forum for discussing international economic, and social and environmental issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to Member States and the United Nations system. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.
Govardhan Ecovillage (https://ecovillage.org.in/) is a UNWTO Eco tourism award winning model farm community established to showcase how to live in harmony and respect with people, nature and the divine proven as a Symbiotic Sustainable Development Model. This SSDM has been recognised by UNEP as synergistic solution for SDG’s and climate change in its global challenge program. GEV operates with ‘Hub and Spoke Model’. GEV with hub approach has successfully adapted and implemented various green technologies on its 100 acres campus. Sustainability initiatives in its campus includes Organic Farming with unique collection of rare seedbank, Solar Energy, Platinum rated Green Buildings, Pyrolysis Plant, Soil Bio-technology Plant, Biogas plant, Rain water harvesting with over 1 crore litre capacity etc. GEV with spoke approach is working with 70+ tribal villages to make them sustainable thus impacting 1.5 million+ lives. Beneficiaries includes over 100000 cataract patients, 9000+ Student beneficiaries from 24 schools, 7000+ communities with Water resource development initiative, 300+ Women self-help groups being supported. GEV has been conferred with 37 national and international recognitions which includes many prestigious awards as International Green Apple Award, IAA Olive Crown Award, Asian Sustainability Leadership Award, SKOCH Renaissance and GRIHA Platinum Award and also Limca Record for converting 4 acres of Wasteland into cultivable land.
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