Department of Social Work, University of Kashmir organised a seminar to raise awareness on the social development sector in the country. Ms. Uzdah Mohammad Jawaid, former alumni, SBI Youth for India delivered a talk on how the youth of Kashmir can facilitate societal development at the village level, by working with communities and grassroots. The seminar was attended by the Professors and students from the University.
Speaking at the Seminar, Ms. Jawaid highlighted the social work that the youth today can explore in thematic areas such as Health, Rural Livelihood, Food Security, Environmental Protection, Education, Water, Technology, Women’s Empowerment, Self-Governance, Social Entrepreneurship, Traditional Craft and Alternate Energy. Some of these areas align with the India’s G20 goals this year.
The social development sector in India faces several challenges in reaching out to rural communities while engaging youth in their development. Some of the rural challenges include limited Infrastructure, language and cultural barriers, limited resources, lack of awareness, resistance to change and gender inequality, to name a few. To address these challenges, social development organizations need to adopt innovative approaches, build partnerships with local organizations and community leaders, and work towards building trust with the community.
The seminar by SBI Youth for India exemplified that the urban youth have the right skill-setskill-set and education to come up with unique solutions to challenging situations, and foster sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth at the grassroot level of the country. Thesehis will result in building capacity and empowering local communities to take ownership of development initiatives.
