What does this goal of “Responsible consumption and production”aims to bring into the world?In fact,rather than this, the crucial part is more on as to how it could happen? This concerns mainly on the protection of natural resources,sustainable infrastructure,an environment free of population ,green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. So,if this is what it aims to bring what would that ensure us at the end of the day?

In fact,its implementation has the ultimate objective of achieving overall development plans, reducing economic, environmental and social costs, strengthening economic competitiveness and reducing poverty.

Looking at the current state of the world,material consumption of natural resources is increasing, particularly within Eastern Asia. Countries have begun to show up working agendas and certain campaigns in addressing the challenges concerning the air, water and soil pollution.

So Why actually is this goal important? Why should we put our concern on it significantly?

Should the global population reach 9.6 billion by 2050, it requires the space and the natural resources of almost three planets to sustain a normal life cycle. And yes, surprisingly there’s only 0.5 % of fresh ,drinkable water which we can rely on for all of man’s ecosystems and freshwater needs.

Our actions, the exploitation, corruption and certain political propagandas which certain groups of people and authorities highly deem as favorable for their own personal intentions take natural resources as a source of profit. This is what certainly leads to the destruction of the ecosystems.

Land degradation, declining soil fertility, unsustainable water use, overfishing and marine environment degradation are all lessening the ability of the natural resource base to supply food. This puts to light how responsible we should be in our consumption and provokes us to reflect on the remaining resources and their protection.

So, the question still remains on what should be the sustainable plan taken to work towards this goal?

Reducing resource use and degradation, pollution along the whole life cycle should be one of the prominent steps to be taken into action which also ensures a life of quality and sustainability. Moreover we should significantly focus on operating on supply chain, involving everyone from producer to final consumer. This includes, creating awareness on the specific goal and the provision of the necessary knowledge through standards and labels and engaging in sustainable public procurement, among others.

As the youth, we have the potential to work on productive plans and projects such as campaigns which aim to trigger individual action on the defining issues of our time. People around the world will be encouraged to make a difference in all facets of their lives, from the food they eat to the clothes they wear.

Moreover, it’s one of our obligations, not only as the youth but as a nation to support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production.

Besides, making the path for a sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products is another important step which can be taken into vigilance. Phasing out of the harmful subsidies reflecting on their dangerous environmental impacts and consideration of the possible worse outcomes on the poor lot along with the consolidation of the developed countries should be taken into visibility.

With all the facts and figures laid down as that, it brings to light how unaware we are of the harmful impact our irresponsible conduct in consumption and production does. With the ongoing developing technology, the unstoppable marketing of certain products by certain companies followed by the easiness it has promised in our lives we merely have overlooked on how irresponsible we have become in serving the nature. And most importantly the extent of the harm it creates is just within the visibility for which our response is extremely negative.

As the youth we can be innovative,ponder on new steps to work towards this goal -responsible consumption and production mainly thinking of how importantly the individual plans can trigger and leave a meaningful impact and therefore a planet free of pollution, waste thereby ensuring a life of quality.

World Mental Health Day 2019: focus on suicide prevention

The World Health Organization recognizes World Mental Health Day on 10 October every year. This year’s theme set by the World Federation for Mental Health is suicide prevention. Every 40 seconds, someone loses their life to suicide. Each of us can play a role to help prevent it by making everyone well aware.

According to statics data of WHO, Close to 800000 people die by suicide every year. Furthermore, for each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts. Suicides and suicide attempts have a ripple effect that impacts families, friends, colleagues, communities and societies. Suicides are preventable. Much can be done to prevent suicide at individual, community and national levels.

Suicide occurs throughout the lifespan. It is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds globally, the younger generation who is much needed to develop this world. Suicide occurs in all regions of the world. In fact, 79% of global suicides happen in low- and middle-income countries.

While the relation between suicide and mental disorders (in particular, depression and alcohol use disorders) is well established, many suicides happen spontaneously in moments of catastrophe. Further risk factors include the experience of loss, isolation, discrimination, a relationship break-up, financial problems, chronic pain and illness, violence, abuse, and conflict or other humanitarian tragedies. The strongest risk factor for suicide is a prior suicide attempt.

Much can be done to prevent suicide. WHO recommends four key interventions which have proven to be effective.

• restricting access to means
• helping young people develop skills to cope with life’s pressures
• early identification and management of people who are thinking about suicide or who have made a suicide attempt, keeping follow-up contact in the short and longer-term
• working with the media to ensure responsible reporting of suicide.

Collectively, WHO’s approach to suicide prevention is known as LIVE LIFE (leadership, interventions, vision and evaluation). This approach is the source on which comprehensive national suicide prevention strategies should be established.

Today, there are 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10-24 and close to 90 percent of them live in developing countries. These numbers are expected to grow. 1.9 billion young people are projected to turn 15 between 2015 and 2030. It’s important that young people mobilize to realize the change they want in the world. In today’s context, many youth are concerned and informed citizens who can advocate for change and youth activism is increasing rapidly.

An activist can be described as person who strongly believes in political or social change, takes part in activities to try and make this happen. They step up to do something about an issue they are passionate about, instead of merely complaining about the problem or waiting for someone else to take action.
So whether you’re passionate about climate change, lack of awareness around certain diseases, animal welfare or even policies that affect you, you can take small actions to do something about it. But if you do need a push to get started, here are three young people who will inspire you to work towards your cause.

Malala Yousafzai

In 2014, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest person in history to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – at the age of 17. She is known around the world for defying the Taliban in Pakistan by demanding that girls should be allowed to receive an education. Due to this, she was shot by a Taliban gunman while on a school bus.
After surviving, her passion didn’t waver. She went on to become an activist for young girls and women everywhere. Through the Malala Fund which was established with her father, she campaigned for girls to recieve an education. Today, she’s a student at University of Oxford, and continues to balance her studies and foundation work. She showed us that it is sometimes the voice of a young girl from a marginalized community which can be the much-needed spark for large scale global change.

Xuihtezcatl Roske-Martinez

Roske-Martinez is a prominent youth activist on climate change, who has started campaigning at the age of six. He made a powerful speech at the United Nations in 2015. He was just fifteen years old at the time and his speech became famous on social media. He talked about the world’s inability to take meaningful action on climate change.
He works as the Youth Director of Earth Guardians, a worldwide conservation organization that he founded. Through this platform he has travelled around the world, educating young people and inspiring them to take action. He has also worked towards getting pesticides out of parks. Moreover, he is one of the 21 people who have sued the US Federal Government for failing to act on climate change.

Greta Thunberg

Sixteen year old Greta Thunberg has motivated students across the globe, inspiring them to take greater action on climate change.
At the age of eight, she first learned about climate change and was shocked that adults did not appear to be taking the issue seriously. It was one of the reasons that led to her depression a few years later.
In 2018, she started skipping school and sat outside the Swedish Parliament demanding for their policies to fall in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. She inspired strikes all around the world and wasn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. In March 2019, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Now that she is active on climate, she is no longer lonely, silent or depressed. She is too busy trying to make a difference.

For most college students, the ultimate goal is to score a well-paid job. A college degree will put you on the direct path to a certain career. But not everyone wants to fill the obvious roles we hear about growing up, such as doctor, lawyer or engineer. The future isn’t as clear-cut for some people.
Maybe you want to go to med school, but don’t necessarily want to be a doctor. Maybe you love maps or crosswords, but aren’t sure how to incorporate that passion into a career. Or perhaps you still haven’t found something that sounds appealing for you. All of us have a dream job, whether it’s in sports, science or entertainment, it seems there’s always some days we would rather be somewhere else.
Here’s a look at some lesser-known opportunities or jobs that will spark your imagination.

Waterslide tester
This is probably the best summer job ever. Waterslide testers are required to travel around the world and ride on exhilarating chutes, flumes and slides. Afterwards, the rides are rated on two factors, ‘Biggest Splash’ and ‘Adrenaline Factor’. The job requires willingness to travel and comfort in swimsuits. All the expenses are covered.
Sebastian Smith was selected from 2000 applicants to be the first waterslide tester and he travelled around the globe to test and review on slides and venues.

Netflix Tagger
The job of a ‘Netflix Tagger’ involves watching around 16-20 hours of TV and movies per week. They objectively watch and tag what they see as various genres. This then goes into the Netflix algorithm which will recommend what to watch next. This will help Netflix users to search for shows more easily. Employees must sign a non-disclosure agreement which prohibits revealing the exact amount they are paid. However, this rare position is awarded to 40 people worldwide.

Professional Sleeper
This job is usually done as part of a greater study. People are paid to sleep and aid scientific study. Doctors study the brain and other activities of the body while the human body is asleep. Apart from this, a professional sleeper helps various other organizations like mattress makers, various artists, hoteliers and hospitals by sleeping and sharing their feedback and experiences. The pay is highly dependent on the employee.
In 2013, NASA paid people $18,000 to stay in bed for 70 days as a part of a study, while an art gallery paid women $10 per hour to publicly sleep as part of an exhibit.

Crossword Puzzle Maker
We can find crosswords in nearly every newspaper that has been around for decades. The people who create these puzzles often start off as freelance writers or editors. It requires an excellent knowledge of language and the target audience should be understood. Most constructors work on a freelance basis, on a ‘per puzzle payment plan’. Crossword puzzle makers often have other writing jobs on the side.

Packaging Engineer
They are responsible for the development of effective packaging models for the organization. For this, a variety of tools and software applications are used in order to create packaging that fits the requirements. Three common activities that packaging engineers engage in are: New Product Development, Cost saving initiatives and Firefighting and Damage control. Packaging Engineers address many issues and opportunities that have a direct impact on the bottom line of a business.

On September 25^th, 2015, 193 countries adopted a set of goals under the United Nations supervision to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. These are called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals. Each of these goals consists of targets which should be achieved by each participating country by 2030.
Here’s a look at the relevance and implementation of SDGs in Sri Lankan context.

Having overcome a three decade long terrorist conflict, Sri Lanka has begun to transform towards a sustainable and resilient society. The poverty rate has dropped to 4.1% in 2016 and the country is on the verge of reaching upper middle income status with a per capita GDP of USD 4060 in 2017. Unemployment rate has remained below 5% for the last seven years.
Free education and health policies have resulted in high life expectancy (75 years) and high youth literacy rate (98.7%). As a result, UN has recognized Sri Lanka among ‘high human development’ achieved countries.
The government’s Vision 2025 that provides the overall vision and the Public Investment program, the three year rolling plan align significantly with SDGs. The National Budget 2018 focused on a ‘Blue Green Economy’ to create an eco-friendly environment where everyone can co-exist harmoniously.

Main challenges and areas of progress

Poverty
Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) was 1.9% in 2012/13 which reflects a reduction in poverty. However, poverty pockets exist throughout the country and disparities can be observed among districts.

Health
Maternal mortality and neonatal mortality have decreased remarkably. Population aging and increase of non-communicable diseases can be identified as challenges. Health policy 2016-2025 addresses issues in financing, regulations and primary healthcare.

Education
Sri Lanka has achieved high youth literacy rate, school enrollment and primary education completion. Improving the quality and relevance of education, increasing access to higher and vocational education, standardizing non-state education remain as challenges.

 Gender equality
Sri Lanka ranks 73^rd out of 188 countries in the Gender inequality index. Gender inequalities can be observed in labour force participation and political representation. Regulations have been introduced to facilitate women to balance work with their family responsibilities. Further, the women’s share in local authorities has been increased through legislation.

Water and Sanitation
Around 89.5% of the population has access to safe drinking water. However, disparities exist among regions and there are issues on quality and quantity of drinking water.
87% of the population possesses onsite sanitation facilities. Providing facilities to the rest and wastewater in urban centers and industrial areas can be seen as challenges.

Energy
Sri Lanka has over 98% coverage of domestic electricity supply. 53% of total primary energy supply is accounted for by renewable sources. Rising dependency on imports and cost of energy can be viewed as challenges.

Tourism
Sri Lanka has tremendous potential for tourism due to its geographical location and the countless attractions within a relatively small area. Annual tourist arrivals have increased significantly during the last ten years. A transformation in the tourism strategy is needed for its sustainability.

Natural resources
Sri Lanka is one of the world’s 35 biodiversity hotspots. However, a considerable number of species are threatened species. Deforestation has become and challenge due to increased demand for land. Solutions have been identifies in the National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan.

Peace
The government seeks to build a peaceful, reconciled and prosperous Sri Lanka based on a three-pillar strategy of strengthening democracy, reconciliation and economic development, with the participation of all stakeholders, as reflected in the Peace building Priority Plan.