OdishaPlus Bureau
Climate change is a major challenge that threatens the future of the world. Here’s what Archana Soreng, hailing from the Khadia community of Sundargarh and member of the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change has to say about the crisis.
The rapid industrialisation of global economies and the resource intensiveness of modern lifestyles has created an imbalance in the natural climate system. Archana Soreng, emphasizes the need for youth to rise up to the challenge, “There is a climate crisis all around us today. Our younger generation must come forward to protect the environment.”
Giving her insights in the 12th episode of Kete Nua Bata, produced by OdishaLIVE and Swasthya Plus with support from UNICEF, Odisha, Archana Soreng focussed on the need for urgent climate action as we build back better after the COVID-19 crisis.
Informed Youth can be Changemakers
“It’s important for the youth to learn about the climate crisis, its impacts and solutions to combat the crisis.,” Archana says. “It is vital to learn about local, state-level, national, and global legal structures and regulations that address climate change and its causes,” she informs. Archana believes that informed youth should engage in their own circles to discuss the crisis.
Lived experiences can drive change
Archana emphasises the need to focus on the lives and voices of youth living with the consequences of the climate crisis. “Someone who has lived with climate impacts can be a vocal advocate informing us about the effects of the crisis and help young people understand and relate to the impacts. Providing platforms to these voices would encourage the younger generation to work towards addressing the climate crisis. ”
Bringing the youth and the older generations together
Environmental protection programmes can be successful by combining the passion and initiative of the youth and the experience of older generations. Archana stresses, “Our younger generation needs to reach out to the older generation as much as possible. We need to talk to them. There must be a dialogue to work together and come up with a compehensive strategy to address the crisis.”
Each episode of the radio & digital series “Kete Nua Bata” contains new topics and the stories of COVID warriors. The 12th episode deals with ‘COVID-19: Building Back Tomorrow’. ‘Keta Nua Bata’, written and produced by Nilambar Rath, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, OdishaLIVE will have 13 episodes and shall go on air till August 23, 2020. As a part of the campaign, the media partners are carrying a series of stories across more than ten web and social channels. UNICEF’s popular animation and audio series, titled ‘Meena’, is also being disseminated under the ‘Kete Nua Bata’ campaign.
