Kathmandu, August 5
Avni Ventures, with the sponsorship of NMB Bank, successfully concluded the screening and award ceremony of the National Video Competition titled ‘ Raithaane Gyaan: Aba ko Samadhaan” – Reviving Indigenous Knowledge for a Sustainable Future on Monday at the Mandala Theatre, Thapagaun, Kathmandu. The program witnessed participation from youth, government officials, elected representatives, banking professionals, indigenous knowledge activists, and experts.
The competition received over 66 video submissions from young people across Nepal, covering diverse themes such as agriculture, traditional water management systems, herbal medicine, architecture, food heritage, bamboo crafts, eco-friendly products, climate solutions, seed conservation, and traditional healing practices.
Director of Avni Ventures, Shilshila Acharya, said, “We believe that these indigenous practices and traditions hold the knowledge and the sustainable solutions that the world is looking for, to combat climate change and live in harmony with Nature. Sadly, these knowledge are disappearing fast as we fail to recognize and preserve them. This movement aims to engage youth in documenting and transferring this knowledge to the next generations.”
She further emphasized that this initiative envisions Nepalese youth becoming global experts and ambassadors of sustainable knowledge and solutions, just as Nepali Architect Arniko spread Nepal’s architectural expertise in China in the 13th-century.
A panel of independent judges selected the top four videos for the awards. The judging panel included Miss Nepal Earth 2020 Supriya Shrestha, Sudarshan Khatiwada, Associate Editor at Onlinekhabar, Pranisha Shrestha, CSR Head at NMB Bank, and Irina Karki Gurung, Sustainability and Communications expert. The first prize (NPR 55,000) was awarded to the video titled “Patka Thaal, Hamro Pahichan” (Leaf Plates, Our Identity) by Anish Khanal, a 24-year-old veterinary student from Tribhuvan University. The second prize (NPR 35,000) was awarded to the video “Takha and Sanyakhuna: The Timeless Sustainable Recipe of the Newa People”, highlighting culinary practice of the Newa community, where the recipe utilizes discarded meat parts promoting zero food waste. The third and fourth prizes (NPR 25,000 each) were awarded to videos on eco-friendly bamboo and earthen architecture, and traditional Hiti water management, respectively. The Social Media Award was given to a video on the traditional mustard oil-making process in Khokana and its cultural and health significance. Further special mention highlight was provided to videos which presented solutions like biochar as an alternative to chemical fertilizers, bamboo as a plastic substitute, and traditional orthopedic healing methods practiced by traditional healers Amchis of Mungum Community of Mugu.
The program featured a panel discussion on Indigenous knowledge for a sustainable future featuring Prakash Adhikari (Mayor of Tokha Municipality), Shreeeksha Pradhan (Miss Nepal Earth 2023), and archaeologist Saubhagya Pradhanang. Shreeeksha Pradhan shared insights from her social enterprise “Digo Pranali”, discussing how youth can take entrepreneurship and indigenous knowledge hand in hand. Saubhagya Pradhananga spoke on the current state of documentation of indigenous knowledge, successes and challenges in the repatriation of stolen statues, and the archaeological and cultural significance of Nepal’s heritage. Mayor Prakash Adhikari shared Tokha Municipality’s initiatives to integrate indigenous knowledge into local school curriculum and other efforts to preserve local wisdom through collaboration between government and educational institutions, highlighting that such efforts can be replicated in all 753 Palikas of Nepal.
