Naya Pingla is a small village in Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, globally recognized for its vibrant Patachitra Art tradition. Generations of artists known as Patuas have sustained this ancient folk practice, using natural colors to depict Hindu mythology, tribal folklore, and contemporary social issues on scrolls and pots. Remarkably, most of the village’s artists are practising Muslims, yet their creations bridge communities by preserving Hindu stories through their artwork and storytelling songs called Pater Gaan. Artists have modernized Patachitra as a tool for community media advocacy, painting scrolls and composing topical songs to spread public health messages during the pandemic and promote social awareness, especially on issues like women’s empowerment and the prevention of dowry, female foeticide, and infanticide. Female artists in Naya have played a leading role in these advocacy efforts. A recent documentary by my team captured how Patachitra serves as a cultural bridge and platform for inter-religious dialogue, as well as its dynamic role in social change. The artists also engaged with students at Sadhu Ram Chand Murmu University of Jhargram’s Media and Mass Communication Department in a collaborative event. This project was funded by the KAICIID Alumni micro-grant and was highly appreciated across the KAICIID International Fellows Alumni Network in 86 countries.

International Youth Program that brought together youth from across South Asia for a six-week live online experience focused on environmental activism. The program offered resources, expert advice, case studies, and insights on water conservation and river preservation initiatives while helping the young participants reflect on the symbol of the river as one representing resilience, life force and the power of nature. Funded by the Euphrates Institute Peace Practice Alliance Program micro-grant, this project was implemented by four international organizations from the United States, India, and Bangladesh as a collaborative effort. After a rigorous selection process, 12 young changemakers formed the inaugural cohort of environmental activists and successfully graduated from the program. The program was co- designed by myself and Miss Greshma P. Raju, founder of EcoPeace Green Café.

The Social Inclusion Project was developed as a website showcasing the work of 15 young changemakers trained over two months in Religion, Conflict, and Trauma-Sensitive Journalism. The training featured experts specializing in conflict reporting, mass violence, and trauma-sensitive journalism who used real-life case studies to illustrate the practical application of these concepts. This approach helped participants understand the psycho-emotional impact of media coverage on sensitive issues such as conflicts, riots, and episodes of violence. The curriculum emphasized the importance of comprehending religious identity and its role in inter-group and intra-group dynamics that influence social behaviour and the potential for violence. The 15 participants were divided into five groups, each receiving a small reporting grant to cover a story related to social inclusion. These stories highlighted diverse contexts, including Jammu and Kashmir, a religious minority community in Uttar Pradesh, the tribal heartland of Jhargram, and the LGBTQ community. The stories were hosted on the project website for three years before the project concluded with the end of the grant cycle. I designed and implemented the entire project—including the course curriculum and the website concept—with funding from the European Union’s Global Exchange on Religion in Society (GERIS) micro-grant. This initiative was part of the GERIS Fellowship Program, which selected 150 civil society actors globally to advance advocacy using new media tools around religious identity, inclusive policies, and freedom of belief. As a Fellow in the “Reconciliation and Transitional Justice” group, I joined a European Union- sponsored delegation to Jakarta and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. There, our team engaged with local journalists, activists, media houses, and social groups to explore how religious identity is represented in public narratives, while learning about Indonesia’s religious diversity and history. The Social Inclusion Project and the course titled ‘Religion, Conflict and Trauma- Sensitive Journalism’ was born out of my observed need after participating in the delegation and learning more about public media narratives and their impact on victimized and marginalized communities who have been exposed to direct violence.