Badalukal 2017, the Kerala Vikalp Sangam was held in Bodhigram, Adoor, north of Thiruvananthapuram from 10th to 12th April 2017. The Sangam was the seventh regional vikalp sangam, and was co-organised by Institute of Sustainable Development and Governance (ISDG), Chalakkudy River Protection Samithi, Kalpavriksh, Shanthigram, Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, Sabarmathi Foundation, Darsanam, Thanal, and Bodhigram. Over the three days, about 130 people participated in the Sangam, though numbers declined rapidly on the 2nd and 3rd days. Participants included people working in health, activists in land issues, academics, environmentalists, peoples’ science movement activists, educationists and journalists to painters, musicians and theatre artists. The Sangam witnessed stimulating discussions, some fascinating grassroots examples, presence of well-known alternative artists, delicious local food, and dance/musical performances.
| Vikalp Sangam[1] is an ongoing process of bringing together practitioners, thinkers, researchers, and others working on alternatives to currently dominant forms of economic development and political governance. It aims to create a space to come together, dream and deliberate towards an alternative future. While resistance efforts are underway and need to be supported, we also need to create a cross-sectoral platform on alternatives (or constructive work) to share, learn, build hope, and collaboration.
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[1] http://www.vikalpsangam.org/about/the-search-for-alternatives-key-aspects-and-principles/