COVID-19 is an unforgiving lesson on the interdependency between the different elements of sustainability – from ecosystem integrity to healthcare and the socio-economic prosperity that follows. Our reaction to the crisis needs to be similarly all-encompassing, with the Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs) providing a fitting framework, especially on a long-term horizon. The 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report revealed what many of us already knew; we were not on track to achieving the SDGs, and called for more significant and accelerated action to engender the unprecedented...

The COVID-19 pandemic has eternally shattered any deeply entrenched notion of invincibility, supremacy and affluence of the Goliaths of the world. The prowess of the infinitesimal virus has not only confirmed our collective vulnerability, but has humbled the most authoritative nations, their citizenries and their institutions. This pandemic – mercilessly and indiscriminately – strikes at the time when the new world order, as peddled by its most powerful architects, has been dangerously marching towards unilateralism. Enter COVID-19: the infinitesimal multilateralist, which brought together the...

Hey guys, Rasheem here! I’m 22 and I live in Kingston Jamaica. I know how easy it can be for teens to access and abuse alcohol and tobacco, as it was for me. So I decided to head to the streets of Jamaica and talk to other young people about the pressures and influences they see around them today. As I walked by my old high school, I remembered how the bars around my school were open as early as 8 AM. For those of us that looked old enough, that could even be our breakfast. First, I met up with Kimarly and he pointed out the spots where young people hang out on Friday nights to grab a smoke or...

Have you ever felt lost in what you should do with your life? I know I have. There are many things to do on this earth, from careers to hobbies. Better yet, even outside earth, like exploring space. Yet, you and I find ourselves not knowing what to do. One day we want to do something; the next day it’s another. It’s like going around and around failing to find steady ground. Let’s talk about careers. When I was younger, I wanted to be a nurse. I liked the thought of helping people and contributing to society in this form. Then I later realized that Chemistry and I were not friends. So that...

The digital economy is an economy comprised primarily of computing technologies and facilitated by the interconnectivity of the world. Also called the ‘new economy’ or the ‘internet economy’, it is becoming increasingly intertwined with the traditional economy, blurring the line of demarcation. For the youth living in this age, it is a vehicle to limitless economic opportunities that generations before them had no access to. As a 19-year-old Jamaican woman from a lower-middle-class household I can say that this is true. The minimum wage in Jamaica for a 40-hour workweek is roughly US$70. This...

1. Stop contributing to the problem Key to solving the problem of violence in schools is also acknowledging that we (Youth) are huge contributors to the issue. In fact, data from UNICEF shows that close to 130 million students between the ages of 13 and 15 experience bullying worldwide. So, you know what I think? We need to start accepting more responsibility. We need to think more about how what we say and do affects our peers. We need to speak up for our peers who are being bullied. And we need to resist becoming bullies ourselves. Every one of us should: Aim to be more supportive of our...