BHUBANESWAR: The second edition of the three-day-long annual festival ‘Soch Vichar’ of the Poverty and Human Development Monitoring Agency (PHDMA), concluded on Tuesday after deliberations on various development-related issues, livelihood, economy, and climate resilience measures.
At the concluding event, member secretary, PHDMA, Roopa Soshan Sahoo called upon the young professionals to excel in their respective fields and expand the spectrum of PHDMA in the entire development arena across Odisha.
Throughout the festival, experts discussed on topics on ‘Delivering Governance: Odisha on the Move’, ‘Visual Anthropology’, and ‘climate resilience and livelihoods in Odisha’. UNDP state head Abha Mishra cited the example of the Odisha government’s use of e-portals and technology to enhance transparency in governance for the welfare of the people.
In another session, National award winner Lipika Singh Darai, who belongs to the Ho tribal community of Mayurbhanj district showcased her documentary ‘Some Stories Around Witches' (2013), which was particularly connected to the theme of anti-witch hunting, delving into the socio-political-cultural dynamics prevalent in tribal communities.
Apart from the engaging discussions, fun-filled activities on an increased awareness of SDGs, leadership and team-building exercises were conducted under the guidance of OSD PHDMA Amruta Priyambada.