The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Alliance Development Trust (ADT), with support from the Government of Japan, on Tuesday, launched two landmark initiatives: the Social Cohesion and Climate Innovation Grants.
The event, ‘ELEVATE 2025’, brought together 11 organizations from 12 districts to celebrate collaborative efforts in promoting resilience, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
Dignitaries, including Minister Eranga Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports; Kenji OHASHI, First Secretary and Head of the Economic and Development Cooperation Section at the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka; Kunle Adeniyi, UNFPA Representative in Sri Lanka; and Godfrey Yogaraja, CEO, Alliance Development Trust, highlighted the importance of empowering women, youth and marginalized communities to strengthen Sri Lanka’s future to be inclusive and sustainable.
The Program featured two impactful panel discussions. The first, focused on youth leadership in promoting SRHR and climate justice, explored the connections between community development, social cohesion and climate action. The second, titled ‘The Role of Women in Leading Climate Solutions’, brought together female leaders from various sectors who emphasized the need for holistic, community-based approaches to empower women and strengthen societal resilience. Both discussions stressed the importance of inclusive engagement and innovation in facing systematic challenges.
The event was interactive and engaging with forum theatre performances, puppet shows and games, adding diversity to the ambience. A message that echoed throughout the day was the urgent need for multi-sectoral collaboration and creative strategies to achieve social cohesion and climate resilience. The event stood out for bringing out powerful stories of local action, resilience and transformative leadership that continue to shape a more equitable and sustainable Sri Lanka. (Newswire)
