I write to invite 2 students who will be interested in taking part in a workshop and dialogue organized by UNICEF Sri Lanka together with U-Report Sri Lanka focusing on identifying youth perceptions of poverty in Sri Lanka which will be followed by a discussion with key stakeholders.
In line with the international community’s commitment to “End poverty in all its forms everywhere”, as embraced in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1, Sri Lanka has developed the Sri Lankan Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) as an official permanent statistic that will be updated regularly. Importantly, the MPI is not just a statistic – it is a policy tool that makes multiple deprivations visible and hence actionable. It can be used to show the extent to which different deprivations contribute to poverty, for whom and where, thereby providing more detailed insights into how to focus policy interventions.
U-Report Sri Lanka, a messaging tool developed by UNICEF to gather opinions of young people aged 13-29, launched a poll to raise awareness among young people that poverty can be experienced in different ways beyond monetary poverty, including related to health, education, or living standards. It aimed to give young people a voice to reflect on the ways in which the crisis may have affected them and, encouraged them to think about ways in which the state can or should provide protection.
With this event, we would like to follow up on the results of the U-Report poll, and further discussions among people and with policy makers. The aims of the workshop are:
- To further dive into young people’s experiences of poverty and how the crisis has affected them;
- To provide further inputs and information on how we measure poverty and why it is important to do so;
- To enable a dialogue with policymakers where young people can share their experiences with them, and discuss what they think should be addressed.
Thank you!
Best regards,
Senuri Vidanapathirana
Digital and Youth Engagement Coordinator for U-Report Sri Lanka
UNICEF, Sri Lanka Country Office
3/1 Rajakeeya Mawatha, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka
Mobile: +94776272743 | Email: svidanapathi@unicef.org