Building a Future: the Young People who Chose to Stay
Last year saw a record number of passports issued – nearly 875,000; they were not for people going on holiday but for workers escaping an economic meltdown and an unstable future. According…
Youth
Online Child Abuse: A Lack of Laws or a Lack of Implementation?
The advent of the internet and Information Communication Technology (ICT) has opened up ways for children and young people worldwide to gain self-learning and social development opportunities. A study published by UNICEF…
Child Marriage: Breaking the Chains of Tradition
Child marriage, defined as any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child, continues to be a significant issue across South…
Innovative Social Protection Measures Vital for Children to Recover from Economic Crisis
It should be universally acknowledged that the socioeconomic impact of the multiple crises which have been unfolding in Sri Lanka since the COVID-19 pandemic has invalidated all human development indicators measured since…
Betrayal of Trust: Child Abuse by Buddhist Monks
Buddhism has been a part of Sri Lanka’s culture for centuries and the ordination of young boys as novice monks is a well established tradition. It is a practice that is meant…
From the Ashes, a New Generation Dares to Transform Their Nations
Prashan De Visser opens his maiden book with a stark question: “Does the state of the world overwhelm you and a better world seem improbable?” He then reflects on what seems to…
The Urgent Need to Strengthen Child Protection Measures
Child sexual abuse and exploitation have been ongoing issues in Sri Lanka for many years and the numbers continue to rise each year. There were 11,187 cases of child abuse reported in…
Alarming Increase in Online Child Sexual Abuse Materials
Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography, is a growing global problem. While the use of information and communication technology is significant in the modern world, threats to children…
Protecting Children Through the Convention on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) adopted in 1989, which Sri Lanka ratified on 1991, recognizes the economic, social and cultural rights of children. It is the most ratified…
All Citizens Accountable to Prevent Child Abuse and Exploitation
Child sexual abuse and exploitation have devastating and enduring impacts and affect children from all socioeconomic backgrounds. However, research indicates that a number of groups such as LGBTQ youth, children with physical…
Exploited and Abused: the Sad State of Sri Lanka’s Children
This year the theme for Universal Children’s Day is equality and inclusion for every child. Every child regardless of class, color, creed or ethnicity is protected by the UN Convention on the…
Ways to Achieve Good Mental Health
Mental health has been a cause for concern in Sri Lanka for some time. A civil war for 30 years, a tsunami in 2004, the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019 and the…
Cleaning the Augean Stables – the Next Task for Sri Lanka’s Youth
Over the past four months, the young people of Sri Lanka have proved to be more courageous and innovative than preceding generations. In the past, the youth have expressed their frustrations and…
The Evolution of Gotagogama and Its Periphery in Colour: One Photographer’s Perspective
The strange poetic irony of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s fall from grace is difficult to miss. So palpable and stinging is his graceless exile and retirement that it is only fitting that he should…
Child Labour: Remedies in a Humanitarian Crisis
Our numbers are good, that is, if you glance at them and move on. We are proud to acknowledge that we have some of the lowest rates of child labour in South…