Youth Hub to sensitise urban youth to challenges of rural India, bridge urban-rural divide

Youth Hub launched a National Rural Media Fellowship at the Indian Social Institute in New Delhi on Thursday with the inauguration of the first batch of fellows recruited from across the country. The 9-month fellowship will equip young journalists to sharpen their skills in rural storytelling using multi-media platforms. The fellows, who come from Assam, Manipur, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and UP, will be mentored by veteran journalist Ruben Banerjee. The fellowship commenced with a 5-day intensive induction program comprising sessions from experts on content development, effective use of social media, photography and video production. Rajesh Mahapatra, Editor, Press Trust of India, addressed the fellows on making rural stories creative and interesting for the urban populations.

A photo exhibition has been organised at the India Habitat Centre by Village Square on the theme ‘Downtime in Rural India’. The displayed photos are selected from entries for the annual photo competition from photographers, journalists, development professionals, and others over the past several months. The exhibition will be inaugurated on November 14.

The next day November 15, a session on Development Unplugged will focus on the social sector, its diversity and complexity, kind of organizations that function, the varied nature of career options and what it is to work in this sector has been organised at India Habitat Centre in partnership with the Indian School of Development Management. Placement council members of various campuses will take part in the session. Aditya Sethi, an investment banker turned young entrepreneur in the social sector, will be the main speaker followed by a panel discussion with young rural change-makers sharing their journey.

A session on Rural Storytelling has been organised on November 16, where prominent civil society organisations will share their perspectives and develop a roadmap to collaborate in rural storytelling. They will also discuss how stories of vibrant and culturally rich rural India can be told in an interesting way for the urban audience. Village Square, an one such platform will initiate the discussions. Anubha Bhonsle, Founder of Newsworthy, will share her experiences of working in the sector.

Young people are at the forefront of change in India, whether campaigning for social equality, climate change or mental health. Village Square’s Youth Hub will showcase the change-makers and create spaces for interaction and examination to bridge the divide between India’s urban and rural youth who hold the future in their hands.

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