Tribals from the Bastar region in Chhattisgarh recently celebrated the Johar Bhetni festival. It is a regional festival that sees the coming together of every individual - be it young, old, male, female - everyone is invited and takes part in its organisation.
The Johar Bhetni festival is preceded by another major event of the tribals called the 'Naya Khana' by a week to 10 days. The Naya khana marks the harvesting of the new crop of the season and is offered first to the deity and then to the villagers.
Organised by the Vishwakarma community, the Johar Bhetni is an occasion for the tribals of Chhattisgarh to come together, seeks blessings of elders, give blessings to young ones and celebrate the spirit of togetherness.
Also see: Keeping Culture Alive: The Baiga Adivasis of Chhattisgarh
No Cards
Community Voice Is Hard to Define. We’re Trying Anyway.
This piece summarizes the key findings from eight research reports recently published by Video Volunteers exploring how community voice works, where it breaks down, and what it actually produces when it is taken seriously.
No Cards
A Call for Research on AI’s Role in Amplifying the Insights of the Systemically Unheard
The article argues that systematically ignoring and silencing the voices of the poor and marginalized worldwide does not serve society or democracy well and must be countered. While new technologies such as AI could provide an opportunity for change, we contend that these technologies need to account more effectively for...