On the 19th of November students from Villa International High School and Billabong International High School Students came together at Villa College QI Campus for a debate organised by UNFPA alongside Villa College and the Villa College Student Association (VCSA) - on the topic of the world’s population reaching 8 Billion - is it a pro or con? This provided a platform for young people to discuss issues around population that they had never critically thought of before.
UNFPA believes numbers do not matter unless we as human beings divert our attention away from mere data to choose to innovate and facilitate progressive change. Such a platform enables us to gauge the thoughts of our youth and convey the message to policy makers.
The debate provided the debating teams an opportunity to critically think on the implications of population growth and its impact on society. Both teams presented the opportunities and challenges to utilise the potential in combating the world’s most pressing issues – poverty, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth.
As students as well as policy makers who were present identified, in an ideal world 8 billion people means 8 billion opportunities for healthier societies empowered by rights and choices for everyone. But the playing field is not even. Based on gender, ethnicity, class, views, disability and origin, among other factors, too many are still exposed to discrimination, harassment and violence.
The rector of Villa College Dr. Ahmed Anwar rightly mentioned, these are the key issues for policy makers to take up and harness on the opportunities of an ever changing world. Similar views were mentioned by Ms. Fathimath Riyaza, Deputy Statistician of the Maldives Bureau of Statistics who highlighted the need to harness the demographic dividend and the window of opportunity to invest in the potential of our young people of today for a better tomorrow. These are the strategies defined in our 2030 agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in leaving no one behind.
Ms. Midhfa Naeem, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foriegn Affairs, very fondly recalled her own debate journey during 2000 when the world turned 6 billion. Now as the population rapidly increases she called on the youth to care about our planet and world issues and to proactively participate in contributing to our society.
It is UNFPA’s hope that policymakers and influencers within the Maldives hear the voices of our young people, and include their say in development planning and progress. As UNFPA Head of Office Ms. Shadiya Ibrahim stresses ‘Make that change and find the solutions, in a world of 8 Billion’. UNFPA will continue to engage young people to think, plan, influence and act on matters that will enable them to reach their full potential.
