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Dear Friends,

I am just back from the 23rd World Youth day celebrations held in Sydney, Australia from 15-20 July. Over four hundred thousand young people took over the centre of Sydney for a week when Pope Benedict XVI led the biggest ever crowd at a single event held in the city. Sydney is scenically blessed and is known as a big event city and the atmosphere at Sydney was said to be stronger and more lively and enthusiastic than the Olympic games of 2000. The young people thronged the city, sang along the streets providing colour and liveliness. A pedestrian mall replaced the city's busiest George Street; Sydney Harbour bridge closed for the third time in its history to make way for the pilgrims from 170 countries of the world to walk to the Royal Randick Race Course. The Race Course was converted into a mini city powered by its own electricity grid and became an open air campsite for 250,000 youth to sleep under the open sky. The Pope delivered his message from the top of the 25ft high stage which accommodated about 500 Bishops, Cardinals and a 500 strong choir and musicians.

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The Youth Care department of DBI, with an aim to respond creatively and effectively to the needs of school and college youth, has very innovatively introduced a new educational package which is affordable and is drawing wide attention both of students and the management. The new menu focuses on the understanding of oneself and promotes a change of attitude and behavior to increase, first of all, personal growth and productivity. Through a journey of inner self-discovery through various management and scientific tests like SWOT analysis, Johari Window, Photo session, etc., the participants are able to identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and grow in self esteem and self appreciation.
In the last four and a half months DBI organized a series of youth Programmes for 408 students from different high schools including St. Anthony's School, Shillong and Don Bosco, Sikkim. Sessions on Career Guidance, Personality Development, Communication Skills, Youth Problems, Employable Skills, Leadership & Team work were highly appreciated by the participants.
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“It was a wonderful experience. The sessions were superb. Resource persons were very motivating. Before coming here I had a different attitude. Now I will be going back a transformed person with more will power and positive thoughts. The Trekking was wonderful, Trip to Shillong was awesome. We had a homely atmosphere out here in DBI” - commented Priya Sah from Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Sikhim
“I learnt to overcome my shyness”, said Plabita Medhi, Sarla Birla Gyan Jyoti School

Every batch of students graduating after a course adds to the success story of the IT department of DBI. Thus, the 136 students completing different courses were awarded certificates in a graduation ceremony held on May 30. Mrs. Pomi Baruah, ACS, EAC, Department of Finance, Assam was the chief guest and handed over the certificates to the successful students. Fr. V. M. Thomas, Executive Director of DBI offered an inspirational message to the students. Fr. Francis Fernandez and Sr. Elizabeth George also addressed the gathering. The students who expressed their feelings about DBI in the meeting were, Amit Kr. Pradhan (CCA), Pratibha Deka (DTP), Arupa (Spoken English), Sanjeeb Basumatary (Hardware) and R. Epibeni (MCSE). There were 60 successful students from CCA, 15 from DTP, 20 from Hardware, 12 from Tally, 15 from Spoken English and 10 from MCSE courses.

Inauguration of Professional & Vocational Courses
A month-long intensive coaching for Assam Civil Service Examination (Mains) as well as the new batches of vocational courses (125 students joined different courses in software, hardware, MOM and RTV) were inaugurated at DBI on 5th June at 9 am in Rong-ghar, the institute’s amphitheatre. Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil inaugurated the coaching programme and the vocational courses and said that each person should try to become the best performer, no matter in which field he or she works. It may be mentioned that DBI was requested by the Assam Minority Development Board for a month-long intensive coaching of ACS (Mains). Ms Ritwika Kalita, ACS, IGP and Ms Kalyanee Talukdar, Director in Charge of Assam Minority Development Board, addressed the students with inspirational notes. Fr. V. M. Thomas stressed on the need for intensive coaching and said that our students have the potential to be successful in their effort, and DBI is always ready to support youngsters to achieve their goals. Altogether twenty students of different minority communities across Assam were enrolled in the ACS (Mains) coaching at DBI after clearing the Preliminary round of ACS.
The Graduation Day for DCA, Tally, MCSE, DESE and Spoken English courses was held on June 28 at 4 pm in the amphitheatre of DBI. The Chief Guest of the function was Dr. Abraham Joseph, an eminent physician in Mayo clinic in USA. At the end of the function Fr. V. M. Thomas announced the good news that Dr. Abraham had contributed Rs. 2 lakh to DBYES, out of which Rs. 1 lakh will be spent for the light system in the amphitheatre. Tally student Lokho Athisu, DESE student Govind Mushahary, DCA student Magdalene, Spoken English student Charuna Basumatary and MCSE student Chandan thanked their respective faculties and expressed their thanks and appreciation for the training received at DBI. A chorus was presented by DCA students, while a hilarious skit was presented by the Spoken English students. The concluding speech and vote of thanks was delivered by Fr. Francis Fernandez. 3

To save the forest is to save life in today’s world. Journalist Sivashish Thakur finds out that it is not difficult to work hand in hand, when conservation becomes the prime objective. Here is a local example of how common people have come together to save their surrounding forest cover.
While it is increasingly being realized nowadays that sustainable conservation has to involve community participation, especially in the fringe areas of forests, the concept continues to be at a nascent stage in Assam. It is a fact that the relationship between the villagers near protected forests and the Forest Department is not exactly healthy, marked as it is by constant friction to downright hostility -- in most parts of the State. There have, however, been instances of growing community participation in a few areas, which holds hopes for long-term prospects of conservation.
The positive developments at Kokilabari area under the Bhuyanpara Range in Manas National Park have shown that it is not difficult to work hand in hand, when conservation becomes the common objective. The concept of people's participation in the conservation process, though still at its fledgling stage in Manas as a whole, has definitely made a head start at Kokilabari, thanks to the initiative of an enterprising NGO, the local Chapaguri-Kokilabari unit of the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and some innovative thinking on the part of the Park authorities.
The impact made by the combined effort of the three is visible on many fronts. Poaching and tree-felling in and around Kokilabari has come down to a trickle, a number of poachers have surrendered, the soured relationship between the department and the fringe villagers has softened a lot, and most significantly, there is now a growing awareness about the need to protect, preserve and promote Manas.
The transformation at Kokilabari is nothing short of the amazing, considering the fact that it was among the most vulnerable and disturbed areas in Manas, where killing of animals and tree-felling were rampant till very recently. The last rhino of Manas (before the translocation exercise began) was killed in Kokilabari in 2002, and it used to be a major hub of trade in animal body parts as well. (A total of four rhinos have been relocated in Manas recently.) The notoriety of poachers from Kokilabari was such that they were “hired” to hunt even in faraway forests like Kaziranga National Park.
The NGO, Maozigendri Eastern Manas Eco-Tourism Society, consisting of local educated youth was formed in 2003 under the initiative of the ABSU and with active support of the Park authorities, the then Field Director Abhijit Rabha in particular. Since then, it has been instrumental in creating awareness among the villagers and putting a check on the anti-social elements that had been exploiting and destroying Manas.
“We have had over a hundred poachers, including some hardcore ones, surrendered along with their arms and ammunition. We have also established an effective intelligence network so that pre-emptive action can be taken to stop forest crimes,” Udang Raja Wary, president of the NGO says.
Joyshran Basumatary, a hardcore poacher who poached for nearly 35 years in Manas, seems a changed man now, after he was persuaded to surrender by the NGO in 2004. Currently engaged in different development works by the NGO, he says: “I killed a lot of rhinos, elephants and deer but gave up poaching as I realized the immorality of the trade. Although my earning today is less than what I earned as a poacher, there is more peace now as the constant fear of being hounded by the law-enforcers is not there.”
While poaching continues to be a persisting headache for the Park authorities, instances are galore when poachers like Joyshran gave up their nefarious activities and not only joined the mainstream but actually became partners in the conservation process. With their vast knowledge about the forest, poachers, once they give up hunting, can become assets to the Forest Department. They can also be of great use as informers and in checking forest crimes.
Buddhiswar Bodo (32) is another hardcore poacher who, like Joyshran, preferred to join the mainstream after a pretty long stint as a hunter. Buddhiswar, whose eight-year killing spree in Manas prior to his surrender a couple of years back, accounted for the lives of a number of rhinos and “countless deer and elephants”, says, “I was a habitual hunter, and often we used to go out in groups of 30-40 to hunt.” Buddhiswar's hunting career, ironically, was cut short after he was badly mauled by an injured wild boar. Buddhiswar, however, insists that he had already made up his mind to surrender when the accident took place. “I was really very repentant about the killings I had made, and would have surrendered anyway before the boar injured me.” Now Buddhiswar seems quite happy and contented doing odd jobs for the Forest Department.
Motivating poachers to give up hunting is sometimes difficult because of the absence of alternative livelihood, and on occasions, a few ex-poachers once again turned to their old occupation. “We expect more help from the department and the administration in this regard,” Wary says. Another positive development in the region, according to Wary, is that more and more people, especially the youth, are gradually turning to other activities not related to the forest. “Many youths are going outside to the towns and cities seeking better earning avenues,” says Wary who is a teacher at a local high school.
The NGO along with the local ABSU is also providing traditional home accommodations besides guides and trackers to cater to tourists. It has also built a bird-watching centre in the nearby forests. “We are determined to put an end to all sorts of disturbances in Manas and promote it as a prime global tourist destination,” the local ABSU president, Phwjwngsar Narzary says.
The NGO also keeps itself busy in constructing and maintaining roads in and around the Park, where local villagers, including former poachers, have been active participators. “Two roads built through community participation -- one from Kokilabari to Doimary and another to the Bhutan border -- should greatly facilitate the movement of the forest staff, especially in handling anti-forest activities,” Rabha says.
A beginning has certainly been made at Kokilabari, but the next crucial step is to sustain and spread it to other areas so that it serves the purpose of long-term conservation needs. “We have already covered a number of villages like Rangapani, Khamardaisa, Garumara, Daodhara, Hazirapara, Betbari, Dihora, Bheguri, Sarupeta, Bhalaguri, etc., and are trying to gradually expand our network to areas outside Kokilabari,” Wary says. Let us hope that Kokilabari endeavour goes from strength to strength and remains an example for other areas to emulate.