As part of the review meeting of Ezhuvom Iyakkam Cancer Care Campaign DSSS of Tamil Nadu, Caritas India organised a webinar on Laudato Si implementation plan under the banner of Caritas Institute of Developmental Action & Learning (CIDAL). The purpose was to share the models proposed by Caritas India as part of the with the fifth anniversary year of Laudato Si. Various eco-friendly measures are proposed by Caritas India in the Laudato Si anniversary year and it was organised for Tamil Nadu on 21.12.2020 at 11.00 hrs to 12.30 hrs which was attended by 40 participants including Diocesan Directors of Social Work, Coordinators and Field supervisors. The participants expressed their willingness to promote Garden of Eden to ensure safe to eat food promotion, Roof Zone Fertigation Techniques in tree plantation for faster growth of plants, promotion of Green protocol in diocesan centres and other institutions and, promotion of Green umbrella initiatives in campuses.

Pope Francis said that coronavirus has highlighted the importance of “caring for our common home,” and voiced hope that reflections surrounding the Laudato Si’ anniversary will “help to create and strengthen constructive attitudes for the care of creation. We might challenge ourselves to take the teachings of Laudato Si’ more seriously with a shared purpose that looks to enact real and significant global change. The year 2020 brought with it a significant anniversary for environmentalists around the world, as fifty years had passed since the celebration of the first Earth Day in 1970. This golden anniversary was accompanied by the five-year anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’.

Prior to the sharing of the input on Laudato Si implementation plan, Rev. Father Jolly Puthanpura, the Asst. Executive Director of Caritas India inaugurated the meeting and set the context of the webinar. Fr. Jolly said that the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced a Special Laudato Si’ Anniversary Year from 24^th May 2020 – 24^th May 2021.   The year 2020 will also see the UN’s conference on biodiversity, in which humanity will have the opportunity to set meaningful targets to protect the places and species that sustain all life. To commemorate the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si, Caritas India, the leading humanitarian organization in India is organizing a series of events in association with its partners and collaborators in India.

Dr. John Arokiaraj, the Manager of Caritas India introduced the topic and its relevance to the present context of difficulties being faced due to the overexploitation of natural resources, health disasters like cancer. The purpose of this webinar is to establish, demonstrate and advocate planning, implementation and monitoring processes that aim at adapting and mitigating climate change and bring climate justice, to bring in Climate Change as the cross-cutting issues in all the projects, programs and interventions of the institutions within the dioceses and to adopt green protocol campaign in all the institutions of the dioceses with no to plastics being used in the campus, no to paper/plastic cups and plates, encourage multispecies planting of trees for more oxygen, reduce food miles, promotion of local resources, promotion of natural farming, promote water management, waste management, renewable energy sources etc.

Dr. Haridas V.R, the Manager for Climate Justice division of Caritas India conducted sessions on the proposed components of Caritas India in the anniversary year of Laudato Si. To promote climate justice and caring for our common home and voiced hope that reflections surrounding the Laudato Si’, Caritas India proposes the few actions and explained in detail the methodology of setting up of models such as the process and methodology involved in setting up of different models such as the garden of Eden in a rectangular plot of 8 feet length and 4 feet following the soil fertility management measures being shared with the participants. The process of setting up of Root Zone fertigation technique was shared with its complete process involved in it and the results of promoting this model in different places. Components involved in the green protocol and green umbrella initiatives were also shared with the participants with its process.  The webinars in all the three states were concluded with the clarifications on the components mentioned in the sessions which was followed with the vote of thanks and an action plan.