Stirring minds…preserving water !.......By Shivakumar (Bangalore, India)

The ARTGROUP had taken the initiative of water issue based comics workshop facilitated by Shivakumar, for school children within 10th standard on 5th July 2009 at Doodaballapur, Bangalore. The idea was to bring out the present water issues at the town to the view of community through comics. It was aimed to bring about better understanding on environmental issues, build awareness, creativity and consciousness among students and children. The participants developed interesting issue based comics related to environment, pollution and control strategy.

The feedback session was very interesting, the free expression of the students on their understanding, involvement, interest, improvement on such ideas and changing mind was quite impressive. So as a follow up to the workshop, an exhibition of the comics was organised on 12th July 2009, with good gathering and representation of parents, teachers, motivated individuals having concern on environment and community organization like Nagadala and institutions like- SVARAJ and Mahila Samaj. Many expressed that it changed their attitude of learning, that their knowledge has been improved in relation to the environment education, and how a simple comics can influence the minds of the people…