- UNICEF celebrates 75 years
Bhagya Abeyrathne Jathujan Mahendran Yumna Zaheed and the moderator of the session extreme left[/caption]
It was also shared that a few years ago, John Lennon’s song for hope and peace, Imagine, was part of a UNICEF-led “IMAGINE” initiative to help inspire a global movement towards a better future for every child. Yesterday, at the press conference, to remind and inspire us to reimagine a future for every child, 14-year-old, Manethree Walpola, a cover artist, did her own rendition of the song as a symbol of hope for every child.
Participating in the panel discussion were three young people who have been involved in the consultations. They spoke of their individual experiences, some of the issues they are engaged in, and the brighter future they reimagine for every child.
It was highlighted by the panellists that the issues that the current young generation of Sri Lanka face have been aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the virus itself has had a mild effect on young people, they are the worst affected by its consequences. The burden of unemployment leading to loss of incomes for families, disruption in education, and exposure to exploitation and abuse, among others, disproportionately rests on children and young people.
Based on their observations and experiences, these young people have demonstrated the power and crucial need for young people to be heard and their opinions considered in finding the solutions to their own problems. The three speakers identified a range of solutions at different levels to address the myriad of issues that confront Sri Lanka’s young generation who are the future of the nation.
Climate change and how to solve it
20-year-old Bhagya Abeyrathne, a panellist speaking on the issue of “Climate Change and the Environment”, said: “Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing young people. Ecosystems that are crucial to a healthy environment are being destroyed while increased natural disasters are affecting climate change and having a devastating impact on the wellbeing of children.” She also stated that while we can be agents of change, our voices advocating for the environment and climate change lack space.
Abeyrathne urged that immediate measures need to be taken to reduce pollution by creating awareness of the devastating impact of climate change and the destruction of special ecological and biodiversity systems. She also promoted the need for a socially responsible nation of individuals and communities for environment conservation.
Mental health and how to destigmatise it
Unlocking attention to mental health, 20-year-old Jathujan Mahendran from Batticaloa connected with his personal experience related to suicide. “We need to remove the stigma, ignorance, and limited awareness around mental health. For children everywhere, Covid-19 has turned lives upside down and has disrupted or halted critical mental health services.”
He also emphasised that the lack of access to treatment, including counselling services in schools and limited support systems and qualified professionals for mental health, has highlighted how vulnerable children and young people are.
Mahendran also called for the improvement of life skills or socio-emotional skills such as problem solving, negotiation, managing emotions, etc., to help young people affected by crisis cope with trauma and build their resilience. He urged the authorities to increase access to mental health services of adequate quality by increasing government expenditure for the health sector.
Discrimination and the lack of inclusion
Highlighting the issue of social cohesion including discrimination and lack of inclusion, 17-year old Yumna Zaheed from Colombo made a very strong statement, noting: “I have the right to be protected from violence, exploitation, and abuse.”
In her experience, she shared that even social media today is a space rampant with bullying, and in order to eradicate this, we need to live in a protective environment, free from violence, exploitation, and unnecessary social differentiations based on caste and class. In her opinion, this should not stop in times of crisis or emergency, but rather it must be enhanced, especially for our survival, development, and wellbeing.
Zaheed echoed the need to promote the understanding of children and youth about embracing diversity among different ethnicities, cultures, classes, genders, abilities, and also among those with disabilities and different linguistic capabilities. She also stressed the importance of imposing strict legal measures and zero-tolerance policies on bullying and any form of violence against children and youth in schools and universities.
Beyond what the three panellists shared, some of the issues that the young people highlighted during the consultations include deep concerns and demand for urgent action on matters such as academic pressures relating to performance at national exams, the risk of being left behind and marginalised due to lack of access to technology and digital tools for their education, Covid-19 bringing about mental distress, encountering food insufficiency due to lack of income and resources, and inadequate social protection programmes as they undergo job training.