International Youth Day 2016
The International Youth Day is observed on 12th August every year to recognize the potentials of young people and to celebrate their key achievements in their communities. Bhutan has been observing this special event since 2010. This year, the Youth Center Division, Department of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education has successfully organized the event at Samdrup Jongkhar. It was a great opportunity for the officials from relevant agencies to join the youth of Samdrup Jongkhar in the celebration of this special day. This year’s theme was “Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty by Achieving Sustainability through Sustainable Production and Consumption” and based on this theme, various activities were organized as part of the event. Since the projects and initiatives undertaken by Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative (SJI), a non-government organization which focuses on GNH-based developmental activities in rural communities are relevant to the theme, the event was organized in collaboration with SJI and Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde.
Prior to the actual event, a preliminary forum was conducted with 50 youth on 10th August 2016. The main intention of conducting such a forum was to familiarize the participants with the significance of the day in line with the theme and to prepare them for better participation during the actual event. The program started at 9 o’clock with the brief overview of Youth Center Division, Department of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education followed by presentation on the significance of International Youth Day 2016. A short documentary on various waste management initiatives taken by different schools in Thimphu was also screened in order to help youth better understand the concept of sustainable production and consumption. Then the officials from SJI presented the best practices and various initiatives taken by their organization in an attempt to fight poverty in rural communities through the promotion of sustainable production and consumption. The presentation covered various aspects of poverty eradication and sustainable development, and it was hoped that the participants could acquire better insights into the issues. Following the presentation, the participants were divided into four smaller groups to work on what they can do to promote sustainable development and contribute to poverty eradication. Many came up with basic but doable plans such as practicing and teaching clean-plate-policy, waste reduction, afforestation, segregation and proper disposal of solid wastes and keeping one’s surroundings clean and conducive. The participants were convinced that minimizing the wastes can be one small step towards ensuring sustainable development and eradicating poverty in the longrun. They talked about recycling the wastes that can be recycled and disposing the rest in proper places so that they won’t damage the natural environment. Finally, the inspirational Ted Talk given by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay last year was screened to enlighten the participants more on the subject.
On the actual day on 12th August 2016, the program started at 9:00. The Hon’ble Judge of Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag Court of Justice graced the opening of the program. As usual, the event kicked off with Marchang ceremony and the singing of National Anthm and Zhabten, a special tribute to His Majesty the King. The students of Samdrup Jongkhar Middle Secondary School then performed a welcome dance. The participants presented the brief report of what was discussed on 10th August. This was done to provide a brief overview of the entire program to the guests present. Another youth presented some of the challenges currently faced by the youth of Samdrup Jongkhar especially when it comes to waste management and conservation of natural resources, but he also shared the general commitments of young people towards helping their communities deal with waste problems and contribute towards poverty alleviation in their own small way.
The panel discussion on sustainable development was the most important part of the event. Moderated by a school teacher, the discussion covered some of the most important aspects of sustainable development and waste management. Officials from relevant agencies: the Offtg. Executive Director of SJI, Environment Officer of Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde, Urban Planner of Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde, Planning Officer of Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde and the Principal of Samdrup Jongkhar Middle Secondary School were on the panel. It was a very interactive session in which many youth came forward to ask numerous powerful questions. The Panel members responded to all the questions to the best of their knowledge, experience and expertise.
The program also had some cultural items in between to entertain the house. The event finally came to a close with a vote of thanks. The entire program was facilitated by the youth including the MC and speakers. Since it was their day, the youth were given the opportunity to actively take part in the celebration. It was a very successful day. As usual, the event was supported by UNICEF.