Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Reflections on the First Phase of Sound of Silece By: Shaberi Das, Researcher, Sound of Silence As Sound of Silence: Strengthening Tribal Women’s Voices and Leadership for Climate Risk Reduction among Tribal Communities in the Sundarbans, India enters its Exit Phase this year, it is an opportune moment to pause and reflect on a journey that has unfolded over the last three years alongside tribal communities in the Indian Sundarbans. Looking back, one of the most enduring lessons has been that resilience is not something that can be delivered through a project and by external actors. It emerges gradually through relationships, trust, local knowledge and the strengthening of community institutions that are capable of sustaining change long after external support recedes. The project began with an understanding that the challenges facing these communities are deeply interconnected. Climate change, environmental degradation, livelihood ins...