Young minds’ sketch of sustainable goals

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) for India and Bhutan had decided to jump-start the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by launching a creative campaign and involving 17 schools in the Delhi-NCR region. 

An art exhibition titled ‘#ARTisTRY4SDG’ involving 17 schools was inaugurated by Louis-Georges Arsenault, Country Representative, UNICEF and Deepak Mittal, Managing Director, Sonalika ITL, the CSR partner of the exhibition, in the presence of Shyam Sharma, eminent artist and Rajiv Chandran at The Indian Habitat Centre on March 2 in the national Capital.

The students had been provided with canvases and paints and were guided with workshops explaining the goals, by the UN. Shyam Sharma on interacting with the students, praised the artworks and said, “The concept of this community project is very unique. These paintings have a good amalgamation of simplicity, spontaneity, art and unique ideas. It is simplicity that is the speciality in children. This project is helping ideate developments among children through visual art.”

The focus of this art exhibition lies on the 17 goals to transform the world, through artistic interpretation of the SDGs by the artworks of the students from the 17 selected schools, who were asked to translate their creative vision of one SDG onto a painting. These painted canvases will be on display at the India Habitat Centre till March 23 to pass on the SDG messages to the wider public.

“If there is one goal that needs to be met in the next 15 years in India, it is that all Indian children must have access to reasonably good education up to grade 10 and 12,” said Louis-Georges Arsenault. He also spoke about the problems of sanitation and gender inequality in India and how the youngsters can change the society gradually. 

The 17 participating schools are American Embassy School, Amity International School (Saket), Andhra Education Society, Bal Bharati School (Ganga Ram Hospital Marg), Convent of Jesus and Mary, Delhi Public School (Gurgaon), Kendriya Vidyalaya (Gole Market), Kendriya Vidyalaya (Pragati Vihar), Modern School (Barakhamba Road), N P co-ed Sr Secondary School (Lodhi Road), Rajmas School, St Columba’s School, Springdales Schools (Pusa Road), Step by Step School, Tagore International School (East of Kailash), The British School and Vasant Valley School. “We contacted 17 schools in Delhi, during December and surprisingly all of them agreed to take part. As I wanted a mix, we have got government schools, international schools, and ethnic language schools participating. 

“The children have explained the SD goals far better than what we see in academics and conferences. The voices of young people always go ignored, but the UN decided to listen to the voice of the youth, hence we came up with this show. We are also going to launch an essay competition for school and college students next month,” said Rajiv Chandran.