We all love Goa. Yet for some the love of Goa goes far beyond appreciation. Instead it manifests itself in action and the desire to protect, preserve & promote this state for everything it's worth.
The following 5 organizations, each with their own mission and relationship to Goa, are prime examples of the kind of good that can come from that very love and devotion.
All images & quoted text sourced directly from the respective organization's website and/or Facebook page.
Terra Conscious is a social enterprise based in Parra, North Goa that aims to combine everyday travel experiences with positive impact projects across Goa.
Primary focus:
- Experiential community education
- Marine & Coastal Conservation
- Responsible Travel
"We offer responsible marine and coastal travel experiences conducted in partnership with local communities to enable informed and sensitive engagement for both the visitor and local tourism operators. We work primarily with local community boat partners who are empowered to transform their practices into being more sustainable and ethical. We also support our travel experiences with complementary social impact programmes, that focus on creating awareness, building capacity for various stakeholders to enable them to address marine and coastal conservation challenges and engage in grassroots action."
The Responsible Tourism Collective is "a community based initiative that brings together tourism practitioners from across Goa, to inspire, enable, practice and promote responsible tourism. Here you can find ethical, eco conscious experiences, accommodation, and activities that can help you be a conscious traveller while discovering all that this beautiful state has to offer!"
Primary focus:
- Promote responsible tourism practices in Goa
- Set a standard of operations for local businesses & initiatives
- Educate & enable tourists to Goa to travel more responsibly
RTCGoa's vision is "to see tourism being practiced, promoted and perceived in Goa in such a way that it protects and respects the cultural, social, economic and environmental integrity of the state."
3. Act4Goa
Act4Goa is a local initiative lead by a group of passionate individuals dedicated to connecting people, information and opportunities for action that support a sustainable future in Goa.
Primary focus:
- Support & promote any & all activities for the greater good of Goa
- Provide a directory of organizations & active citizens working in Goa
- Connect volunteers with like-minded organizations & opportunities
The Act4Goa team strives to curate & disseminate information that enables people to take informed action for Goa’s sustainable development. The four founding organizations involved in the creation of Act4Goa are also very worth looking into!
Thus. is an organisation that organizes programs in Goa that "explore and strengthen connections between artistic practices and social activism, political views and environmental realities; and encourage the publication of socially relevant themes through talks, presentations, film screenings, theatre, live gigs and performances."
Primary focus:
- To use stories as agents for social change
- To provide a platform for the cultural exchange of ideas and opinions
- To connect & create dialogue between artists, activists & their audiences
Thus. Critique's #MondayfixGoa events are held every Monday evening at 6 Assagao, a shared space with People Tree design studio & shop, next to Gunpowder restaurant.
Despite being India's smallest state, according to the GSBB, Goa has "one of the richest repositories of biological diversity with six wildlife sanctuaries, including one bird sanctuary and one National Park."
Primary focus:
- To create awareness of Goa's biodiversity & its importance for human well being
- To document Goa's Biodiversity, its uses, traditional knowledge & practices
- To organize & funds conservation initiatives, clean ups & restorations
"Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) is an autonomous body of the Government of Goa under the Department of Science, Technology and Environment. The primary mandate of the Board is to conserve biodiversity, sustainable use of its components and fair, equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of biological resources."
Do you work for a local organization or know of others doing great work in Goa?
Let us know in the comment section below or send an email to goa@goa.me!
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