YOUNG VOICES FOR THE WILDERNESS

Today is World Wildlife Day with the vision being to celebrate and raise awareness on the world’s wild animals and plants. On December 20, 2013 the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed March 3, the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

This year’s theme is Listen to the Young Voices based on the fact that almost one quarter of the world’s population is aged between 10 and 24. The UN says vigorous efforts need to be made to encourage young people as the world’s future leaders and decision makers to act at both local and global levels to protect endangered wildlife.

According to the UN, the engagement and empowerment of youth is high on the agenda of the United Nations and this objective is being achieved through the youth programmes of various UN organisations and the UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth.

In September last year, CITES members gathered at Johannesburg in South Africa. They adopted the first CITES resolution on Youth Engagement. This year world youth are being urged to rally to address ongoing major threats to wildlife, including habitat change, over-exploitation or illicit trafficking.

“Youth are the agents of change. We are already seeing the positive impacts on conservation issues made by some young conservation leaders around the world. If they can help make a change, you can too!” the UN says.

The UN expresses the hope that in every region, Governments, law makers, enforcement officers, Customs officials and park rangers are scaling up their efforts to protect wildlife. The UN also urges citizens, young and old, to protect wildlife and their habitats.

“We all have a role to play. Our collective conservation actions can be the difference between a species surviving or disappearing. It’s time for us to listen to the young voices. ” the UN adds.

In Sri Lanka also we hope the National Government will give the awareness or encouragement and empower young people through schools, universities and other institutions to play a key role in protecting our endangered wildlife species, including the majestic elephant, which has played and is playing a historical role in our country.

We hope that student organizations, instead of provoking groups to protest at peak times on issues connected to political agendas, will rise beyond narrow mindedness or extremism and empower our youth to come to the front and centre of protecting endangered fauna or flora.

The World Wildlife Fund says our vision must be to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. “From our experience as the world’s leading independent conservation body, we know that the well-being of people, wildlife and the environment are closely linked. That is why we take an integrated approach to our work. We’re striving to safeguard the natural world, helping people live more sustainably and take action against climate change. We spend time working with communities, with politicians and with businesses to find solutions so people and nature can thrive. Our projects are innovative, collaborative and based on scientific evidence. And we think big. We run a number of Global initiatives focussing on the regions and challenges where we can make the biggest difference from the Arctic and the Amazon to responsible fishing,” the WWF says.

Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation says its vision is the conservation of wildlife heritage for present and future generation. It says it is working with others to ensure conservation and wildlife heritage through professional management.

To what extent the vision is being practised may be a wild guess with subject Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera claiming at a meeting this week that effective steps have been taken to solve the so-called human–elephant conflict. We hope the Government and the Department will mobilise young people for the battle against habitat change, including deforestation, over-exploitation or illicit trafficking in endangered species.