UN Sensitises LUANAR Students On SDGs 2017
United Nations (UN) on Friday organized a music show at LUANAR NRC Campus to sensitise the students and surrounding communities on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SDGs which took over from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a set of development goals agreed by all countries in the world, including Malawi, in September 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all people in a sustainable way.
According to UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Mia Seppo, everyone including young people needs to do their part if these SDGs are to be achieved by 2030.
She urged the students to be greatly involved in promoting these SDGs saying getting involved in the SDGs is not complicated or a matter to be left in the hands of the government and the UN.
“You can start getting involved in SDGs by telling everyone around you about them because there are still many people who don’t know the SDGs, some of them include your relatives and friends. You can also take specific actions in your everyday life to contribute to a sustainable future,” said the UN Resident.
Ms Seppo further said the SDGs reflect the ambitions and vision of young people saying young people should have ownership of the goals and play their part in the collective endeavor for achieving a more sustainable world.
“You need to be agents of change in Malawi who don’t just dive into the business as usual by becoming a generation that strongly challenges societal ills like inequality and corruption that perpetuate poverty in Malawi. Malawi needs your ideas, creativity and energy to find solutions for poverty, underdevelopment and other deprivations,” she said.
In his remarks, Acting Campus Director, Dr. Gray Matita thanked the UN for choosing NRC Campus as the first institution to host such as big event.
He hailed UN for organising the awareness campaign saying in order to build a strong foundation for the realization of these SDGs, there is an urgent need to start raising awareness at the country level.
“Awareness raising is fundamentally important to generate a common understanding of the implications of these SDGs together with other agendas for Malawi such as the Africa Agenda 2063.We, therefore, need to target various sectors with the right messages through various channels. This is why today, we are here talking to you young people through MUSIC,” said Matita.
He further said LUANAR fit very well under GOAL 1: No poverty, GOAL 2: ZERO Hunger, GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-Being, GOAL 4: Quality Education and others and that it will vigorously implement these SDGs.
The two musicians Third Eye and Lulu are performed at the event.