Digital Khichuri Challenge, an initiative of UNDP, organised the sixth edition of their youth dialogue, Peace Talk Café on August 12, 2020. Celebrating International Youth Day, this edition highlighted how the engagement of young people at local, national and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes while also drawing lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal institutional politics can be significantly enhanced. 

The topic for this session was “Actions Speak: Youth Engagement for a Better Tomorrow”, in alignment with this year’s theme for Youth Day, which was “engaging youth in global action.” Focused on addressing the prospects of youth representation, the dialogue delved into structural and societal barriers hindering youth participation, and what can be done to increase it in institutions by ensuring inclusivity and engagement. 

Doctor Tasnim Jara of NHS England, also MSc Candidate at the University of Oxford, has long been educating the masses on topics such as mental health and women’s issues through social media. Her recent videos on Covid-19 awareness have been hugely popular as well. “I research for up to three days to make any content. I try to ensure that the videos I make are all evidence-based and backed by trusted sources. I never planned on making these awareness videos, but I felt that there was a need for well-articulated, accurate information. The people played a pivotal role in disseminating my videos to a wider audience.”

“The internet has both its negatives and positives, but it is up to us how we use it. The internet has taken away the middleman and given us a direct platform to express ourselves. This hands more power to the youth to voice their opinion,” said popular cartoonist Morshed Mishu, assistant editor at Unmad. 

Ahsan Rony, Founder of environmental organisation Green Savers, said “It makes me happy to see so many youth excelling in green entrepreneurship now. Many of them have embraced this non-traditional route and are helping advance agricultural practices in the urban space. I hope this inspires many more to explore small-scale green entrepreneurship.”

“When I started out, I never imagined that so many girls will join our movement. ‘Travelettes of Bangladesh’ is not just a platform for travelling. We have undertaken a project called “Narir Chokhe Bangladesh” where my friend and I went to 64 schools from 64 districts to create awareness on menstrual hygiene and self-defence. We wanted to help young girls explore the liberating nature of travelling and help them break out of the fear of travelling alone,” said Dr Sakia Haque, founder of Travelettes of Bangladesh. 

Peace Talk Café also witnessed the release of Digital Khichuri Challenge’s anthem “Deshta Tomaro”, which showcases the indomitable spirit of the Bangladeshi youth to progress towards a peaceful, diverse and tolerant society. The song was the result of the creative collaboration among UNDP, Tin Drum Studios, and Mighty Byte Ltd, with vocals and music by Palash Noor, lead vocalist of Warfaze. 

Watch DKC’s anthem here:

Deshta Tomaro - The County is Yours Too | Anthem of Digital Khichuri Challenge