In Conversation: Expert Advisor on Children and Youth, Ravi Karkara

 This week, I'm having a chat with Mr. Ravi Karkara who is a global advocate on the human rights based approach to Development and an advocate for social development, social inclusion and social justice.  Youth participation has been a key focus of Ravi’s work for 17 years. Ravi is pursuing his research on “Inclusive Governance to Strengthen Accountability on Meaningful Youth Participation in social Justice. He is an Expert Advisor on Children & Youth, Partners and Youth Branch, at UN-HABITAT New York. We spoke about all things youth, ranging from youth participation in the international system and the World Youth Conference Sri Lanka is preparing to host in 2014.

Why is the World Youth Conference important?

The World Youth Conference will help to create, and add to the existing world discourse on youth. In the run up the conference we’ve been hosting various regional conferences (such as the African Youth Conference and the North Asian Youth Conference) and what we felt was that there needs to be an institutionalized mechanism to address the global deficit of leaders. It is also imperative that young people are seen in a more positive light in implementing the post-2015 agendas: not as a challenge but partners. I think it’s absolutely important that conferences of this calibre mirror local realities and address various issues such as minority rights, facilitate inter-generational dialogue, issues faced by youth with disabilities, youth unemployment, and social inclusion and encourage youth civic engagement. When the World Youth Conference takes place in Sri Lanka next year, it will be the first of its kind to have ever taken place in Asia and the first such conference in the global south.

Could you describe to our readers, what is to happen at the World Youth Conference.

The conference will comprise of a youth led steering group, the conference will be run by young people throughout and afterwards there will be a youth led follow up. We are also looking at implementing institutional frameworks to enhance skills of young people, such as an Asian Youth Academy.  Once the World Youth Conference is over, it’s up to the Government of Sri Lanka to push the outcome document in the open working group.

How do you see the investments made by the Government of Sri Lanka in this area?

In Sri Lanka there is a large amount in investment to facilitate youth development and the government is making a consistent effort to create partnerships with young people. I always cite Sri Lanka as a case study for countries where there is large infrastructure and frameworks in place to enhance youth participation at all levels.

What role can the media play?

Well, I think the media is not doing enough in portraying young people as positive agents of change. When a young person is engaged in some criminal or anti-social activity the media is the first to report, but rarely do they focus of success stories, on inspiring action of young people who are helping us create change and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

What has the UN done to ensure youth participation in the system?

The UN is doing its level best to ensure that young people’s voices are heard in its corridors and their opinions are taken seriously of. For instance when designing the post 2015 agenda, we held national consultations for young people, various thematic consultations focusing of various areas and online consultations. For instance only several week back United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Ahmad Alhindawi of Jordan as his Envoy on Youth. Alhindawi is only 28, and he can relate to young people. Besides that the Ban Ki Moon as also prioritized youth in his focus areas, he also implemented the UN Youth Volunteers program for young volunteers. 

Global Changemakers 2012.

   It’s a Sunday Morning in Cold English Autumn. Heavy mist shrouds the bright blue sky. In an otherwise barren landscape, lonely Autumn trees are naked with their leaves blowing away in the wind.  Nature seems gallant and full of gratification as if she was proud to host Global Changemakers from around the world.

There is just so much evil existing in this world we call home. On a frighteningly regular basis; war preys on lives of innocent men. Kids as young as 5 or 6 get conscripted. Women get brutally gang raped and kids as young as 3 or 4 become victims of sadistic abuse. Millions fall prey to natural hazards. Corruption reigns as hard earned cash gets robbed. Journalists get killed for writing what they believe in and gay people get killed for who they are.

I applied for a Global Changemakers, because I believe that some things needed to change. I wanted to catalyse this eventuality. But most of all, I needed some inspiration.  Ama Peiris and I were chosen to represent Sri Lanka at the Global Changemakers, Global Youth Summit 2012 held in High Wycombe, London in November 2012.

Global Changemakers is a global youth network of social entrepreneurs, community activists and advocates between the ages of 16 and 25. The mission is to empower youth to catalyse positive social change by providing them with skills, contacts, opportunities and a community of like-minded people pursuing the same goals. Bringing together people from over 120 countries, it’s a place to share experiences, build skills, apply and test ideas and access some truly amazing opportunities. Global Changemakers are at the forefront of running innovative projects in their communities, shaping policy and speaking truth to power through access to institutions and platforms such as the World Economic Forum.

Day one: everyone seemed so different: black, white, yellow and different shades of brown. Young, crazy. passionate. random, quirky. It was almost intimidating how smart everyone seemed. Rebels. Fighters. Freaks. They didn’t have hidden agendas and political interests that politicians do. They didn't have petty corporate interests that drive the multinationals and the corporates. They were there simply there ‘cause they genuinely cared. As I looked at the others around me, I saw the passion burning in their eyes (something you never see in the eyes of decision makers). 

Pretty faces, small talk, witty comments and uncontrollable laughter.. The next few days connected all of us in some weird, beautiful way. Some way that transcended blood, and race and religion and all things that set humans apart.  We danced, and dreamed, and cried in the heart of London and found something to believe in.

            Making change is not all rainbows and butterflies. It’s a tough, difficult business and a whole lot of work: to be indifferent to the unspeakable violence around us and to look on, doing nothing: now, that’s easy. But taking a stand, and fighting for what you believe in, even if it means fighting alone: that takes more than guts.  That’s what changemakers are made of: humanity, courage, love.

As Meyer said: ‘when life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end’.  No matter where this crazy world takes me or what life’s plans for me are, whenever I need a whole of inspiration I’m going to remember the changemakers I met at the Global Youth Summit and those 6 days with the Global Changemakers. 

An Ode to Colombo

Colombo is the City I call home, it’s where I was born, where I grew up and went to school.  The city has endured everything from decades of colonization, an ethnic pogrom, a youth insurrection, claymore bombs, suicide attacks and a bloodcurdling tsunami. But underneath all of that bump-da-bump mess, Colombo remains a beautiful, (relatively) clean, safe and welcoming city. Last week, my friend Ama and I accompanied Helen, our friend and fellow Global Changemaker from Hong Kong and two of her friends around Colombo. This gave Ama and I a unique opportunity to rediscover the city for what it has become.

 In Galle Face miniature boats the size of Cigarette boxes sail away at the cocoa brown horizon. The sun was burying its head in the sea and its many colours were dissolving in the electric blue ocean. The salty breeze blew across our chests. Turquoise sea waves crashed the feet of overzealous youngsters at the shore under the vigilant eyes of lifeguards in scarlet red t-shirts.  Every inch of the parking lot was covered with vehicles and the CMC lady was busy issuing yellow parking tickets. In a country where public displays of affection are otherwise frowned at, under big brightly colored umbrellas, couples: young and old, were love cuddling and merrymaking.  

Both Colombo’s richest and the poorest are seen at Galle face. Those living in the luxurious suites of star class hotels opposite the Galle Face Green come there for their evening jog, snobbish executives that sit in lush boardrooms of Colombo’s sky rise buildings that house big business conglomerates come there to break free from their rat-race lifestyles and Colombo’s biggest socialites come there after their decadent high teas and charity galas at Galle Face Hotel. Moreover, those from the slum areas in Fort and around Beira Lake that live the stark reality of abject poverty come there for their daily wash, vendors come there to sell various delicacies and earn their living while street children rummage through rubbish bins to find leftover food. Galle face was where the two worlds met. Galle face is full of vendors that sell all kinds of goodies: popcorn, isso wadey (deep fried shrimp fritter), inflatable toys: kadala thel dala (stir fried chickpeas), green gram, souvenirs, manioc chips, sweet corn, bombai motai (the local substitute for candy floss), king coconut: everything. 

The Sun Set at Beira Lake is beautiful: orange, yellow and purple.  During the colonial era of the Portuguese, and the English the lake was used to transport goods within the city. The Gangarama which is an eclectic mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian, and Chinese architecture; is an architectural personification of what Buddhism is all about: spirituality, tranquil calmness and inner peace. 

At the Independence Square the Statue of D.S. Senanayake, the Father of the Sri Lankan Nation and the First Prime Minister of the Dominion of Ceylon condescendingly looks on. The Independence Square houses the Independence Memorial Hall: the national monument built for commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from the British rule with the establishment of Dominion of Ceylon on February 4, 1948. The monument was built at the location where the formal ceremony marking the start of self-rule.

What’s more? Colombo is growing up. Public displays of affection don’t drop jaws, short skirts don’t turn heads and Colombo doesn’t care if you’re Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim, black, white or yellow.  Porches and defenders aren’t rare sites anymore. And there has been a steady decrease in beggars. People are learning: cars stop at junctions till traffic lights turn from red to orange to green. More often than not, pedestrians cross roads at zebra crossings, drivers gladly make way for them and tuk tuks have meters. But still, unlike large metropolitan cities, most people you bump into still greet you with a smile, and if you want to know directions they will always be half a dozen people offering to help you.

The roads around Diyawanna, and Parliament grounds are dashing. People who were hitherto stuck at households watching dubbed Indian soap operas are now coming out during the weekends. The sporty and the health conscious are jogging in newly constructed walkways, newlyweds are going on picnics at parliaments grounds and kids fly kites at Galleface Green.  Colombo is the ‘concrete jungle where dreams are made of.’

SLRC launches campaign to raise awareness on Climate Change

There is no doubt that Climate Change is one of the gravest challenges facing humanity. Immediate action is necessary to halt the effects of climate change. However, policy decisions and legalisms alone cannot address the issue. The situation requires heightened awareness with an eye on changing the behavioural patterns of peoples. To this end, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) supported by the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) & German Red Cross has embarked on a programme to educate, inform and to raise awareness on Climate Change and its impact to Sri Lanka.

The initial step of this broader programme will see the planting of 1250 trees in 130 schools in all 25 districts (5 schools per district & 10 schools in Matale), which got underway on the 15th of January 2013. The campaign is aimed at 6th grade school children in the 130 schools who have been given the responsibility of taking care of the plants throughout the year. They are also entrusted with the responsibility of monitor and recording the growth of the plant, helping them to understand how the role of trees helps to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“If we want to make a change we need to educate our children,” says the President of SLRCS Jagath Abeysinghe. “This is exactly why we chose to plant these trees within school communities. We get to teach the children the importance of safeguarding our environment and also given them a specific responsibility of taking care of it as well”

The SLRCS is committed in finding home-grown solutions towards the impacts of climate change, and are working with communities to strengthen their ability to adapt to the challenges posed by Global Warming. There is a particular focus on disaster preparedness, disaster risk reduction, and improving food security and livelihoods.

“Climate change poses severe threats to child survival and wellbeing, as well as their access to education and protection.” says the Director General of SLRCS Tissa Abeywickrama. “They will face more natural disasters as well as reduced access to water, malnutrition and changing disease patterns. In order to have a sustainable world for our children, we need to be aware that our actions of today will have a critical bearing on the future world that our children will inherit. It is therefore necessary to ensure that our Actions today contribute to a safer, better and greener world for tomorrow.” A healthy ecosystem, including forest canopy provides a long term carbon sink in the soil. The future generations should understand the grave threat that climate change poses and be effective agents of change in mitigation and adaptation initiatives.

The Case of Rizana Nafeek

When the revenge hungry demand for their Pound of Flesh

I heard about Rizana Nafeek’s beheading on Twitter: a friend of a friend who saw a tweet by Aljazeera had retweeted the grim news.  I’m finally getting the hang of twitter and it’s an amazing tool: a real-time, round clock the information sharing platform, a news network, almost; powered by hundreds of thousands of users from around the world. There is always the danger of misinformation but that’s the double-edged sword that is Twitter. The news of Rizana’s death shocked me. Living in a country which has been through one of the most brutal civil wars in history; the news of death, for us Sri Lankans doesn’t come by surprise. We are used to hearing incidents of claymore bombs, suicide attacks of murder etc… on the news on a daily basis. But somehow, the thought of this girl, just years older than myself, being publically executed, in a desert far from home disturbed me. After all, it’s the stark, abject poverty that is plaguing our communities that would have forced her to migrate for work. The story of Rizana has received a lot of attention on the media and particularly on social media, in the recent days and has also led to international outrage.

Capital Punishment Backgrounder

Although many nations have abolished capital punishment, over 60% of the world's population live in countries where executions take place, such as the China, India, the USA and Indonesia, the four most-populous countries in the world, which continue to apply the death penalty (although in India, Indonesia and in many US states it is rarely employed). Scholars point out that Islam on the whole accepts capital punishment as a deterrent to serious crimes. Mercy, however, is considered preferable, and in Sharia law the victim's family can choose to spare the life of the killer, which is not uncommon, although in Rizana’s case the family of the infant refused to do the same. Amnesty International says some 82 executions were carried out in Saudi Arabia last year. It is unknown as to how many of them were women or carried out by sword, but the majority of the condemned were foreigners, like Nafeek; and more often than not, from developing countries.

Executions are conducted in public, typically in town squares or near prisons. The condemned, as well as the executioner, typically wear white. The convict is blindfolded, handcuffed and often given a sedative. The heads of the condemned can sometimes roll several feet from the body. Bodies are sometimes put on crucifixes to be observed by the public as a warning. In one case in 2011, when an Indonesian maid was beheaded, her body was reportedly displayed by being hung from a helicopter.

Activists claim Rizana was a minor when she perpetrated the alleged crime.  Executing those convicted of juvenile offence is not permitted under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Saudi is party to. Furthermore,the Asian Human Rights Commission has confirmed that Rizana spoke only Tamil and the inquiry conducted by the Saudi police was in Arabic. The letter allegedly signed by Rizana is written in Arabic, a language that Rizana does not speak, read or write. Rizana later claimed the confession was extracted under duress and intimidation.  There is a report that the translator provided to Rizana, at some stage of her trial or investigation, is a person from Karnataka, India, who speaks only Kannada and not Tamil. 

On a recent blog post, I read the story of Mrs Nimalaraja, a Sri Lankan whose husband was killed by a 14 year old boy in the UK last summer.  Following the sentencing of her husband’s assailant last week she said: “I am not angry any more. Before, I was angry because I lost my husband, but I am not angry now.  The boy is a child and he didn’t mean to kill Nimal – it was an accident.”   Just as accidents happen by the convicted, accidents may also happen within courts of law. However, unlike imprisonment, the mistake of a capital punishment sentence maybe too late to be corrected.  A fact that is often overlooked is the torment the innocent family and friends of criminals must also go through in the time leading up to and during the execution. It is often very difficult for people to come to terms with the fact that their loved one could be guilty of a serious crime and no doubt even more difficult to come to terms with their death, let alone a public beheading.

Many argue that Capital Punishment is an effective deterrent to crime. And there is reason enough to believe that it is in fact an effective deterrence:  What if Capital Punishment does deter crime? Should the state encourage the ‘eye for an eye’ kind of revengeful attitude that forms the very crux of Capital Punishment? Does it make murder any right, if it’s perpetrated by the state? Criminals deserve to be punished, but death penalty is a perversion of justice: and a mockery of human dignity.