Youth and media to the fore for fast-tracked development with sustainability

What about kind, merciful, compassionate and altruistic thoughts to douse flames of bitterness, hatred, greed, pride and vengeance, in this wild cat race that has resulted in inequalities of wealth, power and gender? – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara 

The world is grappling with the big as they have ignored the small. What about kind, merciful, compassionate and altruistic thoughts to douse flames of bitterness, hatred, greed, pride and vengeance, in this wild cat race that has resulted in inequalities of wealth, power and gender?

Take the case of inequality in gender – an issue that will soon erupt in alarming proportions in a world that, to a certain extent, has addressed inequality issues relating to wealth and power.

A recent international report reveals that;

• The hidden engine of the world economy is driven by the unpaid care work of women and girls.
• Just over 2,000 individual billionaires control more money than 60% of the world’s poor population combined, and that it is the underpaid or even unpaid work done by the world’s poorest women that generates enormous wealth for the global economy, sustaining this rich. 
• That unpaid and underpaid work by women adds three times more to the global economy each year than the whole technology industry together.

This has been researched by international bodies and the UNDP has proffered a set of practical goals to minimise such inequalities – in the form of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Let us examine these with charity and kindness to all and envy towards none, shedding barriers of ethnicity, colonial or otherwise, ideologies, religion and politics. Let us sift what is essential/nonessential and consider what is acceptable to our country whilst maintaining our sovereignty sans historical prejudices. 

Let us titillate our consciences and see what has gone wrong over the years since independence, let us for a moment shed resentment with our colonial invaders and closely consider the offers made on SDGs that were adopted by United Nations Member States represented by mostly Western Nations in 2015 to end poverty, protect the ravaged planet and ensure that peoples of both rich and poor countries live with no inequalities and enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

What are these goals intended to achieve?

• Eradicate poverty for which the rich world is showing a callous indifference, spurred by greed, when many are struggling for basic needs that need immediate rectification. Poverty has enhanced due to climatic change resulting in food security, this means the need for more planned productivity by harnessing all resources of the country.
• Zero hunger which is not much heeded due to global indifference by many in the rich world and medically defined as a craving, desire, or urgent need for food, an uneasy sensation occasioned normally by lack of food, resulting directly from stimulation of the sensory nerves of the stomach by the contraction and churning movement of the empty stomach: has such a thought ever entered some of those rich minds?
• SDG intends to ensure all peoples especially children throughout the world have nutritious food by promoting sustainable agriculture – supporting small scale farmers, equal access to land, technology and markets, international cooperation for investment and infrastructural technological assistance for improved productivity.
• Good health and well-being by looking into infant and mortality rates of the poor on HIV dengue and other communicable deceases in cooperation with medical associates in the country and which are caused by widening social and economic inequalities – rapid urbanisation, threats to the planetary system, etc.
• Quality education to all both rich and poor on the belief that education, especially today on the field of information technology is a vehicle for sustainable development and this includes equal accesses to vocational training – gender and wealth disparities with access to quality higher education.
• Gender equality – connoting that discrimination against women is a matter against basic human rights and is also crucial for a sustainable future in that empowering women helps growth in economic development.
• Clean water and sanitation – 40% cent of people in the world is experiencing water stress due to droughts and ravaging of forests, needing investment on related infrastructure to provide sanitation and hygiene for water-related ecosystems.
• Decent work and economic growth – promoting higher levels of productivity and technologic al innovation, encouraging entrepreneurship and job creation. 
• Industry, innovation, infrastructure needed to cope with more people urbanised and therefore requiring mass transport with consequent renewable energy, new industries and information and communication technologies.
• Reduced inequalities where income inequality is rapidly rising needing economic inclusion of all regardless of sex, race or ethnicity: this involves regulating and monitoring of international and national financial markets – encouraging development assistance and directing investment to countries most needed.
• Sustainable cities and communities by introducing systems to build and manage urban spaces due to a boom in city life with slums becoming a common feature: to make cities sustainable we must create business opportunities, affordable housing, investment in public transport, planning green public spaces, with urban planning.
• Responsible consumption and production by changing ways we produce and consume goods and resources, noting that agriculture is the biggest user of water and the importance of irrigation, keeping in mind cautious disposal of toxic waste and pollutants and encouraging all concerned to recycle waste: also to note that many do not have basic needs, therefore have economies in consumption and production.
• Climate action as all counties are experiencing effects of climate change – the need to invest in low-carbon development – global cooperation among countries prompted by SDG will enable control global warming to pre-industrial levels.
• Life below water as warming effects ocean temperature that makes earth habitable by managing this resource – SDG aims to protect marine and coastal ecosystems.
• Life on land as human life depends on earth as well as oceans for sustenance – plant life provides much of our diet; forest cover provides habitats for millions of species.
• Peace, justice with strong institutions, based on the rule of law – without which some countries enjoy peace, security and prosperity and others have endless cycles of conflict and violence – SDG aims to minimise these.
• Global partnerships as the world is fast becoming one village due to information technology and all countries need mutual assistance for survival.

These goals should be studied by the youth of the country, together with those, unprejudiced civic groups banding themselves cluster-wise with no social barriers, spreading the length and breadth of the country.

Depending on the respective field of interest, such cluster groups, local or international, may arrange to meet UNDP officials at the following points of contact available on the internet, always bearing in mind the sovereignty of our own country, for which there should be no fear imaginable or otherwise.

United Nations Development Programme

UN Compound 202-204, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7.

T: +94-112-580691; F: +94-112-581116; 2501396; E: [email protected]

For specific issues:

Focal Point for Governance and Reconciliation Programmes: Nimmi Ariyaratne [email protected]

Focal Point for Environment and Climate Change Programmes: Tharuka Dissanaike [email protected]  

Partnerships and Engagement & Youth and Innovation Focal Point: Fadhil Bakeer Markar [email protected]

Operations Focal Point: Sonali Thahir [email protected]

Human Resources Focal Point: Dilupa Fernando [email protected]

Procurement Focal Point: Chanaka Liyanage [email protected]

Finance/Budget Focal Point: Manjula Upul Bandara [email protected]

IT Focal Point: Athithan Jegatheesan: [email protected]

Communications Focal Point: Kenosha Kumaresan [email protected]

Let us take the hand offered for an era of fresh beginnings to develop Sri Lanka.