Although I have organized 12 Connect-approved meet-ups and many others on my own[1], this meetup will always be special to me. It was the first time someone[2] from outside India joined my meet-up, giving it a global touch.
The meetup started promptly at 6:00 PM with an introductory note explaining the importance of documenting Local Guides’ contributions toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The benefits of documentation highlighted during the session included:
- It can motivate and guide other Local Guides by showcasing success stories of those making significant contributions to sustainability.
- The created document will be widely shared across multiple platforms, including Google Sites, to reach those who are not active on Connect.
A secondary objective of this initiative is to strengthen the community by inspiring people who are not yet Local Guides to join and contribute.
Meet-up Highlights:
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The event was honored by the presence of Senior Local Guides @TravellerG, @Kumaarsantosh, and @PrasadVR, along with Connect Moderators @TusharSuradkar and @SholaIB.
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All participants actively shared their thoughts on how to document the contributions of Local Guides towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).@TusharSuradkar supported my thoughts by saying that Local Guides is truly a global community.
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During the brainstorming session, several Local Guides had questions. In response,
@TravellerG suggested that if the meetup duration is short—like this one, which was just an hour—then we should stick to simpler activities. I appreciated his suggestion and will keep it in mind for future meetups. -
@SholaIB shared an insightful idea—not just to highlight reviews on Connect, but also to include contributions from Local Guides who aren’t active on Connect. His suggestion was well received, as it emphasized the importance of showcasing the broader community’s impact. It was agreed that we should explore ways to incorporate such contributions.
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Vikas ji (@curatorofmemory) suggested developing a standardized documentation format to enable everyone to contribute more efficiently and effectively along with some other valuable suggestions.
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Santosh ji (@Kumaarsantosh) mentioned that we also need to decide the timeframe for the work we will document, as documentation is an ongoing process and can keep expanding[3].
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When I invited @PrasadVR to share his thoughts, he pointed out that time was running short and suggested prioritizing other key issues. He assured us that he would share his inputs in the Recap comment. That moment sparked a eureka idea in my mind—I announced that while the virtual meet-up would officially conclude at 7 PM, the conversation would continue through the Recap post on Connect. This way, everyone, including those who couldn’t attend, would also have a chance to share their valuable suggestions by replying to the Recap post.
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A quiz on sustainability was also held during the meetup and was well-received by everyone. Mohita ji (@ShreyaMusings) suggested gathering quiz questions from all Local Guides to make it more comprehensive.
Gratitude:
There was a moment during the meet-up when I found it difficult to express my thoughts in English in a way that non-Hindi speakers could understand. I’m grateful to Vikas ji for stepping in and translating my views. Additionally, Nanda contributed by adding another valuable point to that discussion. I am truly grateful to @TravellerG, @SholaIB, @TusharSruadkar, @kumaarsantosh, @curatorofmemory, @PrasadVR, @shreyamusings, @KetanChhaniyara, @Sagarkanherkar, @NandKK, @VijendraPatidar, @MadhurG, my smart guide RUPAK[4], ROHIT BABAR[5], Jitendra Kumar Mahendra Prasad[6], deepakjhic[7], YATRA BABA[8], who made this meetup a success through their presence.
Off the Topic:
During the discussion, the 5th Anniversary Connect Badge came up in a related context. I assured everyone that I would include it in the recap. Interestingly, this seems to be the only badge that was awarded to all Local Guides who were registered on Connect at that time. For more details, you can read about it here.
Meet-up approval requires submitting a proposal at least 5 days before the event date. However, whenever I travel to a new place, I try to connect with Local Guides from my Connect network who are in that area. Usually, one or two Local Guides are able to take out time, and we manage to meet up somewhere locally.
↩︎In fact, the person was not just anyone, but someone very special — none other than our Connect Moderator, Mr. Shola. ↩︎
After having a thought over this suggestion I decided that we will consider documenting work done up to 15 May, 2025. ↩︎
I couldn’t find your Connect username, so I mentioned your name based on the meetup screenshot. Kindly let me know your Connect username for reference. ↩︎
I couldn’t find your Connect username, so I mentioned your name based on the meetup screenshot. Kindly let me know your Connect username for reference. ↩︎
I couldn’t find your Connect username, so I mentioned your name based on the meetup screenshot. Kindly let me know your Connect username for reference. ↩︎
I couldn’t find your Connect username, so I mentioned your name based on the meetup screenshot. Kindly let me know your Connect username for reference. ↩︎
I couldn’t find your Connect username, so I mentioned your name based on the meetup screenshot. Kindly let me know your Connect username for reference. ↩︎
