BSG conducted the Seeds of Hope and Action Exhibition: Making the SDGs a Reality (SOHA) on Wednesday, 14th December 2022 in collaboration with the Vivekananda Institute of Professional Sciences (VIPS) – TC, School of Engineering and Technology. The exhibition encourages viewers to overcome feelings of powerlessness and highlights the fact that one single individual can initiate a positive change.

The exhibition commenced with a brief session in which the SOHA exhibition was introduced. This was followed by an interactive session with the students where there was discussion about the concept of ‘Sustainable Human Behaviour’, the importance of taking action at an individual level, and the power of one. Students came up with ideas to adopt sustainable practices in their own lives and within the campus, such as taking smaller portions of food to avoid wastage. Each student resolved to be that one individual who will overcome feelings of helplessness, lead through their own example, and initiate great change in their communities, starting from the college.

The offline exhibition was later opened for over 700 students & teachers of the college. The exhibition panels were explained by selected students in their own creative ways.

Vice Chairman of the college, Mr. Vineet Vats appreciated BSG for the initiative, especially the concept of ‘Sustainable Human Behaviour’, the overall format of the exhibition and the ‘BSG for SDG’ Mobile App. He also appreciated the efforts of the students who explained the exhibition panels. Director-General, Mr. Ashwini Kumar Sharma, lauded the exhibition’s message of one single individual taking the lead to initiate great change.

Director, B. Tech Programmes, Ms. Goldie Gabrani, thanked BSG for organizing the exhibition. She expressed hope that the exhibition will be a first step for the college to take action towards building a more sustainable community.

The exhibition was well received by the viewers, who shared that the exhibition was very informative, and expressed their determination to lead more sustainable lives.

BSG conducted the Seeds of Hope & Action: Making the SDGs a Reality exhibition over a period of two days on 18th & 19th November 2022 at Manav Rachna International School, Charmwood, Faridabad. The exhibition introduces a positive vision for sustainable living that can contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also includes panels portraying six individuals of various nationalities who have successfully taken positive action for change.

The exhibition was held offline and was inaugurated on 18th November 2022 with a session, which introduced the SOHA exhibition and the “BSG for SDG” Initiative. Representing BSG, All-India YWD Chief Ms Shruti Nangia engaged with the students from Class VI, sharing practical tips & simple day to day actions on “Sustainable Human Behaviour”.

The exhibition was then opened for viewing. Students from Classes IX & X of the school presented the panels.

Day 1 of the Exhibition witnessed students of the higher grades from the School & other nearby schools attending the exhibition. Day 2 of the Exhibition coincided with a Theme Assembly on “Namami Gangey” presented by students of Classes IV & V of the School & other Manav Rachna Schools. This was followed by a viewing of the exhibition by nearly 50 students & 400 parents. The exhibition was very well received across both the days by the teachers, students, and parents.

The Principal of the School Dr. Suchitra Bhattacharya expressed her appreciation to BSG for organizing the exhibition, and its activities in the field of sustainability through empowering one single individual. Vice-Principal of the School Ms. Surbhi Joshi also thanked BSG, sharing that she felt inspired by the concept of the exhibition.

BSG organized the Seeds of Hope and Action Exhibition (SOHA) on Friday, 18th November 2022 in DY Patil Deemed To Be University, School of Hospitality & Tourism Studies (SHTS), Navi Mumbai.

The exhibition seeks to raise awareness about sustainability and how one single individual can create great change in their environment.

The exhibition was held offline and commenced with a session, which introduced the SOHA exhibition, the “BSG for SDG” Initiative & featured discussions on sustainability. Ms. Rajlakshmi V Patil, Founder DY Patil Climate Action Lab (D-Cal), shared a video message, commending the efforts to organize the SOHA exhibition.

Dr. Subhajit Mukherjee (Founder of Mission Green Mumbai) & Ms. Pratiksha More (Founder of Sustainability 101) were the guest speakers in the session. Dr. Subhajit spoke about his work in water conservation & rain-water harvesting. He shared the importance of taking action to achieve the SDGs in our own capacities, and not be passive. Ms. Pratiksha urged the audience to be more conscious in their actions, and the need to recycle, repair and reuse items.

The exhibition was then opened for viewing, with the students of the college presenting the exhibition panels. Dr. Subhajit & Ms. Pratiksha both expressed their appreciation about the concept of the SOHA exhibition, especially the way in which the SDGs had been collated in each of the 25 exhibition panels. They also expressed delight for the “BSG for SDG” App.

The exhibition was well received by the viewers comprising of more than 100 students of the college, along with faculty members. They expressed their determination to lead more sustainable lives through small daily actions.

Vice Principal of the College Ms. Arti Pednekar also thanked BSG for setting up the exhibition. She expressed hope that the exhibition will open a new way forward in hospitality institutes, starting from the College.

The Seeds of Hope and Action Exhibition (SOHA) was organized by BSG on Thursday, 17^th November 2022 in Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, as part of the Foundation Course for the newly admitted batch of MBBS students.

The exhibition seeks to raise awareness about sustainability and how one single individual can create great change in their environment.

The exhibition was open for the students & teachers at the college throughout the day. There was also a session which started with presentations on SOHA Exhibition and the “BSG for SDG” Initiative.

Representing BSG, All-India YWD Chief Ms Shruti Nangia interacted with the youth and shared about the importance of “Sustainable Human Behaviour”. She also shared some practical examples such as switching off the lights & water taps when not in use, urging the students to make a commitment to lead more sustainable lives through simple day to day actions.

The students of the college presented the exhibition panels in their own unique ways, which was well received by the viewers, who expressed their delight at the exhibition.

The Dean, Dr. Ritu Arora encouraged and appreciated the students’ efforts, and thanked BSG for the initiative. She expressed hope that the exhibition will open a new way forward in the college and help the youth play a vital role in the society.

BSG, in collaboration with BITS-Pilani, conducted an online “Seeds of Hope & Action” (SOHA) on Sunday, 13^th November 2022. The exhibition was attended by students and faculty members from BITS-Pilani.

The SOHA exhibition stresses on one’s interconnectedness with the rest of the community of life and the need to broaden the sphere of compassion. It highlights the fact that one single individual can initiate positive change. The exhibition uses the “Learn, Reflect & Empower” formula outlined in SGI President Daisaku Ikeda’s proposal on education for sustainable development.

The exhibition commenced with an introduction about the SOHA and the vision and activities of BSG.

On behalf of BSG, Mr. Vikas Verma, Regional Head, UNDP North India, and a member of the BSG for SDG Taskforce, addressed the audience and interacted with the youth, answering their questions. He emphasized that the SDGs are the only solution for the problems afflicting the world. He quoted UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and urged the students of BITS-Pilani to work on solutions to climate change in North India, while desisting to work for those who are wrecking the climate. In response to a question on what one can do for sustainability without having any resources, he shared simple steps which he has adopted in his own life, such as taking a jute bag for shopping, avoiding plastic water bottles. He further urged the audience to become more aware and conscious, and to reflect on the action that one can take at an individual level to lead a more sustainable life.

Students of the Renewable Energy Club (REC) of the institution then presented the panels and explained several case studies, which demonstrated the ‘Power of One’.
The audience appreciated the exhibition and the efforts of the students to present the panels. They resolved to overcome feelings of powerlessness and take action in their own lives. President of the REC, Mr. Sathya Skanda BM, thanked BSG for organizing the exhibition and urged the audience to lead more sustainable lives.

The Exhibition ‘Seeds of Hope & Action (SOHA): Making the SDGs a Reality’ was held on 15^th October 2022 at Ambience Public School, New Delhi. The exhibition was conducted on the eve of the school’s parent-teachers meeting. More than 100 parents, teachers and students viewed the exhibition.

The purpose of the exhibition was to raise awareness about the concept of sustainability and how one single individual can take action to bring about a change in their environment. The exhibition, divided into 5 sections namely – Inspire, Learn, Reflect, Empower, Act and Lead, also sought to emphasize about the interconnectedness between all lives, and how sustainable living can lead to the achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The students of the school from Class X, presented the exhibition panels in their unique ways, and their presentation was well received by the viewers. They also shared their ideas and actions in which they are contributing to sustainability.

The Principal of the School, Ms. Himani Asija, encouraged and appreciated the efforts of the students, and the initiative of BSG to organize the exhibition, and further urged the students to consistently contribute to sustainability.

A few pictures are provided here.

The SOHA exhibition is a joint initiative of the SGI and the Earth Charter International. It introduces a positive vision for sustainable living that can contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The online exhibition was organized by Jija Bai Industrial Training Institute for Women, Siri Fort, New Delhi, in association with BSG. The exhibition was attended by students, faculty and their guests.

The exhibition started with a welcome by the Principal of the Institute Mr. Vijay Kumar, who shared about how all the SDGs are interconnected. This was followed by an introduction about the SOHA and the vision and activities of BSG.

On behalf of BSG, Ms. Anamika Gupta, a member of the BSG for SDG taskforce, spoke about the International Day of Peace, and the challenges faced by women. She emphasised on the importance of dialogue, and the need to take that one step, that one action, which will pave the way towards a better world. She also appreciated the students for their efforts towards presenting the panels.

A group of students from the institute presented the panels and explained several case studies which demonstrated the ‘power of one’. The exhibition concluded with an interactive session. The students shared their own creative ways and ideas in which they are contributing towards sustainability. Many guests also shared on how they are using old items in a resourceful and sustainable manner.

Mr. Vijay Kumar, praised the exhibition as a unique initiative as the panels showed actions taken by individuals and communities and gives a ray of hope for change, beginning at grassroots level. Many guests also appreciated the exhibition, the efforts of the students to present the panels, and resolved to take concrete action towards achieving the SDGs.

Institute Faculty, Ms. Alka Wadhwa, thanked BSG for organizing the exhibition and urged the students to continue taking action and transform their communities.

The Seeds of Hope and Action Exhibition (SOHA) was organized by BSG on Saturday, 03rd September 2022, in association with the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM).

This was the 2^nd SOHA exhibition to be held ‘Offline’ this year. It was viewed by nearly 500 students from IIFM and different schools and colleges across Bhopal.

The session started with a welcome by Professor Amitabh Pande, who explained the immense value of the campus for the city. This was followed by an address by Professor Yogesh Dubey, who highlighted the importance of integrating nature in our daily routine, and inculcating a multi-dimensional awareness of sustainability, linking personal and societal change.
This was followed by an introduction about SOHA and the vision and activities of BSG.

On behalf of BSG, Shri Vikas Verma, Regional Head, UNDP North India, and a member of the BSG FOR SDG Taskforce addressed the gathering and interacted with the youth, answering their questions. He talked about the importance of focusing solutions towards the most vulnerable sections. He emphasised on involving everyone in the actions towards SDGs, to ensure justice and equality, and the importance of protecting nature for peace and security in the world. He then called upon the students to create integrated approaches that begin with the realization of fundamental interconnectedness of each individual with society-at-large and the world.

This was followed by a cultural performance by students of IIFM, after which the offline exhibition was opened for viewing.

The exhibition was well received by many people, a majority of whom were below 35 years of age. Many of the youth left the exhibition with messages that reflect their awareness that all sections of society need to come together to make a better world, to realize the vision of the SDGs of “leaving no-one behind”.