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Who is Your IFSA Council for External Affairs

Oindrila Basu

The little girl of four destroyed a Bulbul’s nest, out of fun, unknown to the crime she committed. Her mother drew her attention to the Bulbul, anxiously finding her eggs and nest on the garden shrub. With a heavy heart, the girl realised what she did. Indeed the first encounter with realising nature for her wasn’t a happy one. Her parents played a major role in her understanding of nature. Studying ants preceding rain, or sunbirds drinking bottlebrush nectar, counting fireflies to watching seedlings to grow, the little girl along with her brother was getting the first-hand experience in observing nature in her village when their parents decided to shift base to a nearby metro city with better educational opportunities.

Fast forward 15 years, the girl has grown up now, was struggling to become a doctor to serve her society, when her Mother, again, insisted her on a lesser sought after career in “Forestry”, and hence her journey began. Away from the claustrophobic cities of concrete, at a small hill-station ‘Nainital’, in the lap of lofty Himalayas, she did her Bachelors in Forestry from Kumaun University, India. And I fell in love with Forestry.

Coming from a family of educators, I realised at an early age the difference between education and literacy, and decided to dedicate my life for the cause of “Forest Education”. While doing Masters in Forestry from Forest Research Institute, India, I finally got introduced to a like-minded dynamic group of people, devoted for the same cause of Forestry, the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA) through my seniors, the pioneers, of Local Committee FRI. While handling the Twitter of IFSA under the Social Media Sub Commission (2018-’19), I suddenly came across the Open Call for the post of ‘Councilor in Charge of External Affairs’, applied for it and wow! I got selected! This is my story and how IFSA happened to me.

I am Oindrila Basu, from India, the new Councilor in Charge of External Affairs, IFSA (2018-’19). The aim of my team of International Policy Commission, Liaison Officials and Partnership positions is to strengthen the inter-organisational relations and partnerships of IFSA and bring our organisation in the forefront of the global arena fighting for a sustainable future. With strong guidance from our President, support from the Board and Commissions we would surely be able to uphold the vision and mission of the IFSA Family in front of the world and well establish our determined efforts towards a better tomorrow for all.

Fun Facts 

'My favourite word is a Japanese word “Kintsukoroi” an art of “Kintsugi” meaning “Golden Repair” that is to join broken pottery with golden lacquer. The pottery art, more than 400 years old, teaches to beautify the scars, embracing the imperfections, a philosophy that spreads in life way beyond the pottery itself.'

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