Distance education or online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly deepened inequalities among the communities of Sri Lanka. The Rotaract Club of University of Colombo, Faculty of Arts together with the Leo Club of University of Colombo, Faculty of Arts focused on addressing this issue through Project Mithudam 2.0. The two clubs also approached Hype Sri Lanka as an outreach partner for better networking purposes. Our community service director, Rtr. Sithmi Edirisinghe coordinated the project with the help of the two chairpersons Rtr.Gethmi Adikari and Rtr.Oshini Hewawaduge. With the uncertainties surrounding the complete eradication of the pandemic, distance education seemed to be the only solution for all students. Therefore, our intention was to assist a few students who were…
Month: February 2022
The SDG Roundtable: SDG 17 – Partnerships For The Goals
“The best partnerships aren’t dependent on a mere common goal but on a shared path of equality, desire, and no amount of passion.” - Sarah MacLean Half the people living in extreme poverty in 1990 are not anymore. You may wonder how this happened to be a reality. Likewise, the realization of the 17 SDG Goals by 2030 will never be an act of building a palace in the sky, if all the people come close to each other as one. Sustainable Development Goal 17 is about “partnerships for the goals”. It is one of the 17 Sustainable Goals established by the United Nations (UN) in 2015. As explained by the UN, “A successful sustainable development agenda requires partnerships between…
The SDG Roundtable: SDG 16 – Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
Sustainable Development Goal 16 sets the framework for peace, justice and strong institutions, which are fundamental for accelerating progress of all other SDGs, implying that Goal 16 is an enabler for achieving the 2030 agenda as a whole. People need to be free from all forms of violence regardless of the ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other criteria. Conflict, insecurity, weak institutions and limited access to justice remain threats to sustainable development. Institutions that do not function according to legitimate laws are prone to arbitrariness and abuse of power, and less capable of delivering public services to everyone. Nowadays, the number of people fleeing conflicts, persecution and injustice is at a significantly high level, highlighting the importance of this goal.…
The SDG Roundtable: SDG 15 – Life on Land
Introduction Protecting and preserving life on land is important for the survival of human life. Human life depends on the earth’s landmass as much as it depends on the ocean. One reason among others, is that 30% of the earth’s forest cover provides vital habitats for many species and provides access to food, clean water and air. In addition to these privileges, forest cover is crucial to combat climate change as well. However, every year, 13 million hectares of forests are lost, while the persistent degradation of dry lands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares, which has created a barrier for sustenance and livelihoods. In order to address this issue, the United Nations (UN) has declared the…
The SDG Roundtable: SDG 14 – Life Below Water
The ocean is the heart of our planet. The rainfall, drinking water, weather, temperature, coastlines, much of our food, and even the oxygen in the air we breathe are all influenced by these water bodies. Oceans and seas have always been an important commerce and transit route throughout history. The SDG focuses on terminating pollution that causes the degradation of coastal waterways and ocean acidification that negatively impacts ecosystems and biodiversity. Both Humans and the environment's health are dependent on marine biodiversity consequently Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) must be well-managed and resourced. Thus a sustainable future necessitates careful management of this vital global resource. An International Standing According to the UN figures, Oceans span three-quarters of the Earth's surface, contain…
The SDG Roundtable: SDG 13 – Climate Action
In the current context of exacerbated effects of global warming, the 13th the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) i.e., Climate Action is considered one of the high priority SDGs which requires rapid policy changes and proactive measures cross-sectorally. The mission of this goal is to “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting development in renewable energy,” (UNDP). Goal 13 comprises of five targets namely: Strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related disastersIntegrate climate change measures into policies and planningBuild knowledge and capacity to meet climate changeImplement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)Promote mechanisms to raise capacity for planning and management. The UNFCCC, UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization-Institute for Statistics (UNESCO-UIS), Organization…
The SDG Roundtable: SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
Continuously increasing demand can be justified if the supply is infinite, but in the case of a continuous increase in demand, even at a point of a limited regeneration of resource supply, then that calls for action. The Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production has been initiated under the theme of ‘doing more and better with less’. What are we doing wrong? Currently, the altering socioeconomic and demographic changes impose a constraint on natural resources. We consume more resources than ever, exceeding the earth’s capacity to regenerate. While the wastage and pollution increase, the majority of the population consumes less than basic needs. It is of general understanding that over the past years production patterns and consumption choices…
The SDG Roundtable: SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
The 11th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) i.e., ‘Sustainable cities and communities’, was provisioned as a result of the growing issue of unsustainable urban practices and its repercussions on communities. The aim of this SDG is to promote wider business opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and building resilient societies and economies through ten targets and 15 indicators. This is presently tackled in two ways. The first is to legislate international conventions as a means of providing guidelines for countries to follow and ratify. While they aren’t legally binding, recommendations in each of these international legislations are imperative to gauge the knowledge gap some countries may face in tackling issues of this scale. Secondly, it is for local governments to play a…
The SDG Roundtable: SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities
Reduced inequalities is the tenth of the life changing goals outlined by the United Nations Development program (UNDP) in 2015, with the motive of ending extreme poverty, giving people better healthcare and achieving equality for women and environmental protection. Inequality refers to the gaps between individuals with regards to accessibility to resources, economy, social prestige and so on. Reduced inequalities as a global goal expects to ensure that people everywhere have access to essential services and social protection. The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated all forms of inequalities that existed. In response to this situation, the United Nations has initiated a movement named the UN Covid 19 Response and Recovery Fund in order to fund and assist the low and the middle-income…
The SDG Roundtable: SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
According to the United Nations, Investments in infrastructure, transport, irrigation, energy, and industry innovations are crucial in achieving a level of sustained development while empowering communities. Eight targets specifying the goal and twelve indicators representing the metrics by which the targets are to be achieved fall under the ninth sustainable development goal. The targets revolve around developing resilient infrastructures, sustainable industrialization, increasing access to financial markets, enhancing research while upgrading technologies and facilitating universal access to information and communication technology. Functioning and resilient infrastructure is the foundation of every successful community. In order to face future challenges, while upgrading infrastructure and promoting technologies, we should ensure that they are universally accessible. Inclusive and sustainable industrialization, together with innovation and infrastructure, can…