Prizes being handed over to a winning group at the Season of Creation 2023 event in Benaulim.
PANAJI
The Diocesan Commission of Ecology (DCE) has pushed for the Geographical Indication (GI) for the Bannavlecho Narl (Belaulim coconut).
This demand was made at the concluding event of the Season of Creation 2023 organised by the DCE and St John the Baptist Parish Youth, Benaulim, (SJBPYB) in the Church premises on October 8.
The programme began with a welcome by St John the Baptist Parish Priest Fr Aleixo Menezes and Fr Anthony Carvalho, the youth animator.
DCE member Miguel Braganza and Dhannika Dias Barros Pereira enlightened the gathering about Bannavlecho Narl and Bannavlecho Madd (Benaulim coconut and Benaulim Coconut Tree). Braganza asked the people of Benaulim to push for the GI tag for Bannavlecho Narl.
The highlight of the programme was a documentary on “River Sal: the glorious past and the deteriorating”, in which many locals were interviewed and the state of the river was filmed and screened.
The Youth of the Benaulim also screened a documentary of the traditional occupations of the village, with interviews from carpenters, fishermen, coconut pluckers, farmers, etc.
The Benaulim parish youth under the guidance of Fr Anthony Carvalho organised a cleanliness drive in the Somudais to keep Benaulim clean. The school students were invited to participate in the poster competition depicting "change in lifestyles", while a Short Video Documentaries contest on the theme ‘The river of my dreams’ was conducted for the youth.
The St Francis Xavier Parish Youth (Chicalim), Guardian Angel Parish Youth (Sanvordem) and St Stephen Parish Youth (Santo Estevam) won the first, second and third prizes respectively. The rivers covered in these videos were Zuari, Curchorem-Sanvordem-Kushavati, Mandovi and Sal.
Six schools participated in the poster-making competition. Perpetual Succour Convent High School (Navelim), St Jude High School (Betalbatim), and Auxilium Convent High School, (Benaulim) won the first, second and third prizes respectively.
Royla Fernandes spoke about the ecological heritage of Benaulim and exhorted the youth to focus on three areas: Water, Land and Waste Management.
DCE Convenor Fr Bolmax Pereira spoke on the ‘why’ of the Season of Creation and appealed to the people of Benaulim to continue protecting creation throughout the year and further by attending to the three focus areas of Bannavlecho Narl, Bannavlechi Nodi (Sal) and Bannavlechi Vevsai.
Songs were sung by Ivan Fernandes, Winnie Joanes and Peter de Pedda (Trio) and by Tanya Rebello (solo), who were accompanied by Edrol Fernandes (trumpet) and Welrich Luis.
The St Stephen Parish Youth made a short presentation on the first-ever celebration of this event in Goa, held in their island parish as Season of Ceation 2022 and reported how they observed it throughout the year.
The comperes for the day were Gizelle D’Silva and Joseph Pinto, while Kenita Fernandeslater proposed the vote of thanks.
