Millennials pledge to work for eco-friendly lifestyle, sustainable environment

Jaipur: With rapid urbanization, there are rising issues of landfills, pollution, traffic and commotion. We all hope for better environment and communities, but millennials just took this a little ahead to share their ideas to build awareness with artworks, teasers and some actionable points for the most pertinent areas in our societies today. The youth were invited under “Spaces for Good” exhibit, organized by TRY for GOOD which builds awareness for sustainable environment and communities.

The exhibit that opened from 10th March, will end on 20th March 2019 at Spaces for Good, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur. Lamp lighting was followed by panel discussion with Sheela Chitnis, chairperson MSSI (Mumbai) who talked about need of compassion in the community. She shared her thoughts on how little time and care can nurture the old and disabled for better health.

Dr Abhinav Dinesh, Director-BITS Mesra, Jaipur talked about the importance of awareness among youth to form the future sustainable societies. Well known botanist, Dr G P Singh talked about how human actions impact climate action, and how immediate little steps can help see the bigger change.

The youngsters from colleges and corporates were excited to participate in this concept. Maximum participation was for the topic of MY WEDDING. There is hindsight to this beautiful celebration, which we cannot ignore as we grow in terms of the population especially in the urban areas. As per the UN, up to 40% of food produced in India is wasted. Statistics say that India hosts approximately 2.5 crore weddings every year contributing to maximum food wastage. Besides, there are traffic jams, parking hassles, and undue ostentation impacting the ecosystem and society negatively.  The exhibit gave an important platform to the youth to express the kind of weddings they want; based on old traditions, no expensive trousseaus, using eco-friendly or recycled material, giving leftovers to animal shelters and most important of all- limiting the number of guests or doing a faraway wedding followed by reception.

The other topics receiving great enthusiasm were MY TRANSPORT and I CONSUME & DISPOSE. Consumerism has shifted to developing economies. But can we afford to ape the western materialistic or the use and throw lifestyle- given the fact that India has about the world’s 20% population with only 2% of its landmass. The youngsters did express the ways to embrace eco-friendly lifestyles. There was also a topic about ME & THE OLD/DISABLED. In the race of our never-ending materialistic acquisitions, our priorities shift and inadvertently, we leave those behind who may need us the most. Do we take out time to meet such people in our community? The youth came up with touching expressions for the same.

There were over 50 entries received which were juried by eminent people in the sphere of Arts and visual artists from around the world– Bosuk Lee, Visual Artist and curator from South Korea, Ashwin Dalvi (Ex-Ex Chairman-Lalit Kala Academy, Rajasthan) and Anju (Initiator,TFG) from India, Roya Delkhosh from Iran, Dimbeng from Paris and George Callison from the US- all being visual artists in the sphere of sustainability.