Youth driving sustainability
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The Unilever Youth Forum 2016 organized by the Unilever Student Ambassadors- SPARKS, together with the Unilever Interns 2016 was held at The Kingsbury, Colombo, a statement from the company said.
The event themed “Youth for Sustainability” aimed to motivate over 100 undergraduates from across the island to assemble for a constructive discussion on sustainability in Sri Lanka. The event encouraged future leaders to “Think. Innovate. Act” while focusing on the Sustainable Development goals by the United Nations.
The forum expanded into a moderated debate where four enthusiastic individuals expressed their views on, the role of the government and corporates in making sustainable living commonplace, and how sustainability can be achieved through product design, innovation and responsible consumption. The debate also gave young minds the opportunity to pitch in and share their views with the audience.
The keynote speaker Dr. Harsha Subasinghe, President and CEO of CodeGen talked about the urgency of taking action towards sustainable living by pointing out how a free breath of fresh air will soon become a luxury. He drew upon his personal experiences and noted how we need to start the change from within ourselves by changing our mindset and behaviours, before expecting policies and others to change.
The event proceeded with a panel discussion playing on the diverse strengths and the backgrounds of the panellists. Chinthaka Abeysekara, Anoka Abeyrathne, Chaminda Serasinha and Lonali Rodrigo accompanied by the moderator Deshal de Mel shared facts along with personal experiences and distinct facets of integrating sustainability into the lifestyles of the community.
The audience participants had the opportunity to share their opinions and questions with the panel.
Amongst the audience, was a young entrepreneur and undergraduate who highlighted the need to spread awareness around organic agriculture and sustainable value chains in the agricultural setting of Sri Lanka, the statement said.
