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Photo credit: Restor Foundation

A G20 Global Land Initiative (G20 GLI) delegation will be participating at the Rising with Kindness Conference, organized by the Heartfulness Institute, on 20 – 22 September 2024 in Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad, India.

Bringing together 5,000 young people from around the world, along with numerous delegates, united by their shared belief in the power of compassion to inspire global change, this event serves as an ideal platform for GLI in relation to its work on reconnecting youth with land.

During the workshop, organized by the G20 GLI team, participants will learn about ways to address the global land crisis, stressing how, although crucial, land is often overlooked in climate discussions.

After highlighting the deep connection between the people and land, the session will also cover the origins of the G20 GLI, aiming to achieve a 50% reduction in degraded land by 2040, and its two key youth-focused G20 GLI programs: the Global Training Programme on Sustainable Agriculture for Land Restoration and the YECO Programme. The workshop will end with a quiz on land issues and an Instagram reel competition for youth innovative solutions and creations related to land.

The G20 GLI team will also engage in the Kindness Carnival, a vibrant space to channel youth energy towards important themes, including kindness and land as well as activities such as writing love letters to land, intercultural dances, and concerts.

An “Ecological Paradise” of a Venue

The three-day event combines the issue of land restoration with inspiring activities for young people, such as yoga sessions, runs, and forest bathing in the magical landscapes of Kanha Shanti Vanam, where they immerse in the sights, sounds, and scents of the forest to reconnect with the nature.

Kanha Shanti Vanam has a remarkable history of ecological transformation. Until 2010, the area was largely barren and dry. A massive plantation drive was launched, focusing on endangered local species, which has since steadily increased the green cover, turning the landscape into a lush, thriving ecosystem.

Today, Kanha Shanti Vanam is recognized as the World’s Largest Meditation Centre and a self-sustaining green oasis, using solar energy, water harvesting, composting, and other innovative green solutions.

By collaborating with young leaders at the Global Youth Kindness Seminar, the G20 GLI seeks to foster youth involvement in land restoration, demonstrating that a profound reconnection with land is possible, for current and future generations.

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