GUYANESE environmental sustainability activist, Lalita Gopaul has been named as a finalist in the 2020 Commonwealth Youth Awards which recognise excellence in development work on achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Gopaul is among 16 others who were shortlisted around the world from over 40 countries. Soon, a top candidate from each region will be named as a regional winner and one of these four regional winners will become the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2020.
The Regions are divided as: Africa and Europe; Asia; Caribbean and Canada and Pacific. Within the Caribbean and Canada region there are three other persons — two from Jamaica and one from Canada — apart from Gopaul.

The Guyanese finalist has worked for some time addressing SDG 13 which speaks to Climate Action. She is a researcher by profession and the founder of ‘Eco Club’ which mentors young people on environmental education.

Her research work covers eco-friendly agricultural methods, clean energy solutions and green technologies which have been used in Guyana.

For her efforts, the Commonwealth noted that she has educated more than 100 farmers in the country to adopt more sustainable and environmentally-friendly farming methods to boost production and improve livelihoods in a changing climate.

Meanwhile, her club also hosts coastal clean-up activities, tree planting sessions and climate-action walks.

The young woman has a strong track record of implementing innovative ideas and has been engaged in development work for more than 12 months.
The Commonwealth stated that all 16 finalists will each receive a trophy, a certificate and £1,000 to expand the scope of their projects.

Added to this, should Gopaul come out as the region’s winner she can earn a trip to London to attend the awards ceremony on 11 March 2020 and will receive £3,000. Meanwhile, the overall Pan-Commonwealth winner will take home a total of £5,000.

She will first be judged against Sowmyan Jegatheesan of Canada who focused on SDG 15 – Life on Land.

Jegatheesan is the founder of ‘SystemaNaturae.org’, one of the largest online information sources for global wildlife projects, research and datasets.

The platform creates awareness and helps communities build resilience by better understanding global activities around climate change, migration patterns and human-wildlife conflict through the sourced material.

Also in the contest from the Region are Jamaicans Stephen McCubbin and Samuel Neil who focused on SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and Focus: SDG 4 – Quality Education respectively.

McCubbin is the founder of ‘Cheer Sensation JA’, a youth non-profit organisation which works to foster holistic development through the sport of cheerleading.

Through its cheerleading programmes and competitions, the organisation provides a safe space for children and adults to become physically active while working as a violence prevention tool in volatile communities in Jamaica.

Neil, on the other hand, is the founder of ‘The Aviation Club of Jamaica’, a national initiative which encourages young people to enter the aviation sector.

Through the programme student members are provided with scholarship opportunities and training programmes coming from partnerships with training institutions.

Speaking on the Commonwealth Youth Awards, Head of Social Policy Development, Layne Robinson said: “Their talent paired with tangible solutions sends a strong signal that they should be equal partners in the development agenda, not passive allies.

With now only 10 years remaining to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Commonwealth takes great pleasure in bringing these young people’s invaluable efforts to the global stage so their leadership can inspire others and accelerate meaningful youth participation.”