Meghalaya CM Participates in Caux Forum 2019

Shillong, June 28, 2019:

Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, participated in the Caux Forum 2019 Dialogue on Land and Security held in Montreux, Switzerland on 27th-30th June.

Addressing the audience, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said that Meghalaya is a small State with a population of about 3.3 million people yet the State is known worldwide for receiving the heaviest rainfall in the world. “Another great aspect of the State is the discovery by Geologists in 2018 about the Meghalayan Age which put our State in the global spotlight,” said the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister also appraised the gathering about the traditional and indigenous customs and practices of the people. “We have a lot of traditional rules and laws that don’t apply to other parts of the country and it is a community-driven society,” he said.

He also informed the gathering about the Land Tenure System, the Sacred Groves and the Living Root Bridges of the State. “We as a government are proud of our society and the idea of our Sacred Groves and Living Root Bridges should be known to the rest of the world,” he said.

He said that the government has given importance to such indigenous knowledge and have stressed on community participation in the implementation of government programmes. “The government in its various policies and programmes has tried to ensure community participation so that the community becomes sustainable and we are working on bringing environment conservation, community participation, and community sustainability into governance and development,” he said.

He also informed that the State has about 6500 villages and the government will ensure that the National Resource Management Plans are made through full community participation. He informed that there is also a special emphasis on Restoration of Land in more than 400 villages of the State. He further added that the government has linked all livelihood programmes to natural resources and are encouraging people to protect these natural resources.

“Water depletion and water crisis is a massive problem in our country and our State is one of the first States in the country to be ready with the State Water Policy to face the issue of water conservation and water use,” he added.

The Chief Minister also informed that the State government will sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Berkeley in September to adopt 100 villages to start the concept of Smart Villages in Meghalaya. “Our cities are already choking and having smart villages will prevent urban migration and related environmental issues,” he added.

It may be noted that the annual Caux Forum through conferences, training, and dialogues aims to inspire, equip and connect people, groups, and organizations to build a just, sustainable and peaceful world.

Each year, around 1,500 participants from civil society, government and business meet in a true diversity of ages, genders, cultures, sectors, and beliefs which builds bridges across cultural, social and ethnic divides.

At the 2019 Dialogue, global thought leaders and practitioners will explore how community and individual actions can reverse degradation leading to peace and stability.