Report by Manoranjan Routray; Bhubaneswar: Jagarana and CGNet Swara organized a training workshop on democratization of media to secure dignity, rights and identity of tribals from 25th-29thSeptember 2011.

The five-day course focused on the importance of building perspective of tribal cadres on issues around tribal dignity, rights and identity and on the importance of documenting oral histories through audio, visual and print media that would strengthen people’s movements towards securing their dignity, rights and identity. This course has taught the cadres the usage of the Swara platform for mobile reporting in a way that focuses public attention on the important issues relating to denial of dignity, rights and identity of tribals of Orissa.

 The social category of participants focused on tribal cadres drawn from Sundargarh, Debgarh, Nuapada, undivided Koraput in Orissa and undivided Bastar in Chhattisgarh since this area shares not only similar issues but also similar tribal communities with the undivided Koraput region. What is relevant in this training is that these tribal youths understand the role of people’s media as an alternate forum for those whose voices do not reach mainstream media and to complement the mainstream media networks and not compete with any of them. Empowered with this training, it is hoped that not only will the tribals report from their areas, but also form a network that will respond to each others’ issues.

If this experiment is successful with CGNet Swara, then a similar platform for mobile reporting may be set up for Orissa with special focus on KBK region said the founder of CGNet Swara Mr. Subharansu choudhury in a press meet here at koraput on 29th September.  Mr. Arjun Venketraman of CGNet Swara, Documentary film maker Miss Faiza Khan, from Mumbai, Activist Sharanya and members of Adivasi Ekata Mancha, Koraput were present in the workshop.