GUWAHATI, Aug 29 - A five-day capacity building training on implementation of social and behavioural change communication through folk art (puppetry) for empowering adolescents in Assam and the Northeast, which was organised by the Dept of Communication & Journalism, Gauhati University in association with UNICEF, Assam, concluded today.
Resource persons from the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Archana Talukdar, and Sayanika Dutta Sarkar of Dr Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Mass Communication & Journalism, EDC, Cotton College, extended hands-on training experience on puppet making.
A number of experienced personalities related to the old form of art shared their experiences with the participants.
Kabindra Das of Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra and his groups oriented the participants on music for puppetry and related aspects. Dr Sangeeta Goswami, counselling psychologist, Mind India, Kausik Bhuyan of Don Bosco University, Assam, Prof Gayatri Goswami, Dept of Education, Gauhati University, Dr Abhijit Bora, Dept of Mass Communication & Journalism, Tezpur University, Dr Loknath Sarma, Director SCERT, Assam, Dr Bandana Bhuyan, NIPCCD, Dr Santanu Kr Sarma, Dept of Anatomy, Tezpur Medical College & Hospital, Dr Chiranjeev Kakoty, Director, NESPYM, and Bhaskar Jyoti Saikia, UNICEF, Assam, attended the occasion.
PJ Baruah, Executive Editor of The Assam Tribune said that inclusion of puppetry in school curriculum in Assam would help children to cultivate creativity besides opening doors of job opportunities in the State.
Dr Mridul Hazarika, Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University was the chief guest of the valedictory session.
Chandan Kumar Goswami, Head i/c, Dept of Communication and Journalism, Gauhati University, said that such initiatives would have a positive bearing on social and behavioural change among adolescents of the Northeast.
Coordinator of the workshop, Bharati Bharali stated that collaboration with SCERT would encourage dissemination of information to the school-going adolescents in a faster way as they would also train the teachers.
A puppet show was organised at Gauhati University Model School on August 28 as an outcome of the project with the message on nutrition and stopping child marriage and substance misuse.
Participants from various colleges of teachers� education under SCERT along with students from Dibrugarh University, Assam Women�s University, Jorhat, DK College, Mirza, Govt College of Art & Craft, Guwahati, IDOL GU, Dept of Communication & Journalism, GU, NGOs from North Lakhimpur, Tezpur and Guwahati participated in the workshop.
