YOUTH for Peace and Sustainable Development
- Rajesh A. M., IFS
- Aug 4
- 3 min read
YOUTH for Peace and Sustainable Development: The Role of Young India in Shaping a Better Tomorrow, By Rajesh A. M. (IFS, Manipur Cadre) & Mahesh Bhagavath (ABVP State Organizing Secretary, Manipur & Mizoram)
India’s youth hold the key to building a peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable future. With over 65% of the population under the age of 35, the role of young people in driving peacebuilding, climate action, gender equality, education, and economic development has never been more crucial. The Youth on Ushering Temporospatial Hope (YOUTH) initiative emphasizes the power of young minds in shaping long-term social, cultural, and environmental change. Inspired by icons like Swami Vivekananda, Bhagat Singh, and Mahatma Gandhi, today’s youth must become the torchbearers of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and agents of national unity.
The progress of any society lies in the strength and purpose of its youth. True empowerment demands a holistic approach, addressing six interconnected dimensions: psychological, community, organizational, economic, social, and cultural. In YOUTH for Peace and Sustainable Development Changes in one affect all others. Youth must begin with self-awareness and self-discipline, aligning with Gandhiji’s Seven Social Sins:
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Knowledge without character
Commerce without morality
Science without humanity
Religion without sacrifice
Politics without principle
In a diverse and sensitive region like Manipur, peace becomes the cornerstone of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With 17 goals and 169 targets, the path to sustainability starts by breaking barriers of race, tribe, caste, and religion, realizing that 99.5% of human DNA is identical.
How Youth Can Contribute to the 17 SDGs
1. No Poverty
“Poverty is the worst form of violence” – Mahatma GandhiYouth can fight poverty by promoting education, entrepreneurship, organic farming, tourism, and skill development. Avoiding economic disruptions like bandhs and blockades will directly support local economies.
2. Zero Hunger
Youth can improve food security through community farming, crop diversification, and ensuring the efficiency of the Public Distribution System (PDS). Creating emergency food security plans during disasters is essential.
3. Good Health and Well-being
Promote mental and physical health by encouraging sports, yoga, meditation, and eliminating drug and alcohol use. Youth must support elderly care, reducing reliance on old-age homes.
4. Quality Education
Facilitate lifelong learning by sharing local and global knowledge. Youth with exposure outside Manipur can bring tested educational models back to their communities.
5. Gender Equality
Promote women’s rights by rejecting dowry, simplifying marriages, and supporting female participation in political, economic, and cultural spaces.
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
Lead awareness campaigns and service projects to ensure access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities. Promote low-cost innovations in this sector.
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
Support solar and wind energy initiatives. Youth entrepreneurs should tap into subsidy schemes under clean energy missions.
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
Build employment unions at the grassroots level and encourage local entrepreneurship. Use natural and human resources effectively to create sustainable livelihoods.
9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Promote grassroots innovations and protect indigenous knowledge systems under the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) framework.
10. Reduced Inequalities
Bridge rural-urban and rich-poor divides through skill training in areas like hospitality, sports, forest produce, and mechanical repair.
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
Partner with local authorities to build disaster-resilient, clean, and green villages and towns. Advocate for planned land use and climate-sensitive development.
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
Encourage carbon-conscious lifestyles and sustainable practices at individual, community, and organizational levels.
13. Climate Action
Promote reforestation, sustainable farming, and green technologies. Youth from agriculture and forestry backgrounds should lead climate resilience campaigns.
14. Life Below Water
Educate communities about marine conservation, preventing river and ocean pollution from plastics and waste.
5. Life on Land
Curb deforestation and shifting cultivation, protect biodiversity, and combat desertification. Encourage community-based forest management.
16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Foster national integration by overcoming identity-based divisions. Participate in positive politics, uphold law, and strengthen local institutions.
17. Partnerships for the Goals
Collaborate with youth groups across India and globally for exchange of knowledge, resources, and innovation. Encourage public-private partnerships to scale sustainable models.
Peer Empowerment: The Chain Reaction of Change
Youth empowerment is not a solo journey—it is a peer-driven process. When one youth empowers another, it creates a multiplier effect, building a stronger, more resilient society. As custodians of the future, we must remember: we are not just entitled to rights—we are bound by responsibilities.
Peace and sustainable development are not distant dreams. They are achievable realities when driven by a united, informed, and empowered youth force. By refining and carrying forward the rich psychological, social, cultural, and economic legacies of our ancestors, today's youth can secure a better world for generations to come.
Let us rise to the occasion—not just as inheritors of the past but as architects of the future. Jai Hind
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