A six-day Cycle Yatra, organised as part of SwitchON Foundation’s ‘Move for Earth’ movement that aims to inspire climate action, was flagged off in Kolkata by Aparna Sen, veteran actor and director, Andrea Jeske, deputy consul, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany and Priyadarshini Hakim on February 6. The Cycle Yatra will cover 800km in West Bengal, passing through Ranaghat, Krishnanagar, Burdwan, Durgapur, Asansol, Purulia. It will terminate in Bankura on February 11.
Elaborating on the goal of organising the yatra, Vinay Jaju, co-founder of SwitchON Foundation, said, “During the journey, we wish to connect with the farmers, women and youth to address the issues of clean air and sustainable mobility, sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. We also plan to host a series of activities in cities, towns and villages across different states of India besides West Bengal to build resilience with future-friendly skills, technologies and practices to mitigate the climate crisis our planet earth faces.” The pop-up cycle ride in Kolkata witnessed cyclists cycling in east and central Kolkata and New Town.
Expressing her appreciation for the endeavour, Andrea Jeske said, “I congratulate SwitchON Foundation for this great initiative and wish them our best wishes for the important task of creating awareness among the youth on the environment and climate solutions”.
“Move for Earth is a great way to connect our farmers and youth over the various climate solutions and encourage them to take action,” she added.
Aparna Sen said, “I am very happy that SwitchON Foundation is organising this special initiative called ‘Move for Earth’. This is an important issue and will certainly complement the current efforts of the state government to build awareness among farmers and youth, and inspire them to take necessary actions.”
The chief goal of the ‘Move for Earth’ movement is to celebrate and initiate climate action that results in a better place to live in. The whole movement would entail cycling over 3,000 km across different states in east India. It also aims to empower climate champions and vital stakeholders with the right tools, resources and new-age skills to carry on action against climate change.
A wide range of events and activities, including skill development training, stakeholder meetings, seed festivals and buyer-seller meets, handicraft fairs, millet and tech expos, street art and puppet shows, will be organised as part of the event. In each state, the ride will conclude with a Citizens Jury for Earth in which small groups of farmers and urban youth will interact with experts and get involved in the process of making recommendations on the planet’s collective future, leveraging the values of democratic decision-making.
