Miss Archana Soreng, just
24 years old, young, vibrant, tribal Climate Researcher, who hails from kharia
tribe, Catholic Diocese of Rourkela, from the district of Sundargarh, in
Odisha. What she is today no doubt is the fruit of her hard work but she also owes
much to her noble parents and grandparents who were her mentors, motivators and
source of inspiration and her dreams. Her father, Lt. Mr. Bijay Kumar Soreng,
was a pious deeply religious prominent Catholic Lay Leader, former president of
Rourkela Diocese Catholic Mahasabha for two terms, tribal social reformer,
educationalist, the former Principal of Gangpur College of Social Works. Her
mother similarly, a pious religious Prominent Tribal Catholic Lay woman Leader,
was the President of Rourkela Diocese Catholic Mahila Sangh for two terms, an
educationalist, a teacher in St. John Mary Vianney English Medium School where
Archana began her schooling. Her parents and grandparents being inspiration and
role models,raised her daughter Miss Archana Soreng with vision and dreams
deeply rooted in Catholic faith and Tribal Culture with good education in
Catholic Schools. After her higher Secondary Education from Carmel School,
Rourkela, she obtained her bachelor degree from Women’s College Patna and
Master’s from Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai. During her studies she
was in YCS, ICUF as well as, she was the former president, of TISS students’
Union, and was the former National Convener, of tribal Commission at Adivasi Yuva Chetna Manch; She had
participated in, 66th Session of Committee of Economic Social Cultural Rights in Geneva, UN Head
Quarters, on the theme “Land and International Covenant, on Economic Social
Rights”;and also participated in United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP 14 held in India in
September 2-13, 2019, where she was part of the Youth Dialogue with the Executive
Director of UNEP (United Nations
Environment Programme) & UNCCD.
She has been the active
member of Youth NGOs i.e. (YOUNGO), the International Youth Climate Movement which is the official youth Constituency of United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC). She is also a member of Adivasi Drishyam,
a platform to document, preserve and promote the history, culture and practices
of these indigenous forest dwelling communities. She is currently based at
Bhubaneswar and working as Research Officer for Vasundhara (Odisha), an Action
research, and policy advocacy organization, working on Natural Resources
Governance, Conservation, Sustainable Livelihoods, Tribal Rights and Climate
Justice. She has been interacting with the indigenous communities of Odisha and
India, and understanding and documenting, the traditional and conservational
knowledge and practices, of these communities, and highlighting their
contribution in climate action.
We feel proud of her
and are confident that she will shoulder the responsibility assigned by UN with
efficiency and wisdom born of deep faith in God who has created the adorable
beautiful flourishing and life giving creation, and entrusted to human beings
to preserve and protect it for enhancing life; and moreover she is rooted in
Tribal life, Culture and traditions that preserves, protects and promotes
environment and nature,apt for combating Climate Crisis today.We wish her God’s
blessings in her mission to UN.
