`Dhwani� unites youth to bring social change

Jamshedpur: The second edition of �Dhwani � A Youth Conclave� organized by Tata Steel commenced today at the Michael John Auditorium, Jamshedpur, to mark the International Youth Day. More than 400 youth from Odisha and Jharkhand are taking part in the two-day conclave, the theme for which is �Safe Spaces for Youth�, which is in line with UN declaration for the day.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Guest Tarun Daga, Managing Director, JUSCO, said �Youth hold the key to the country�s future. They should be encouraged to come forward and share their ideas of nation building. With courage and confidence, youth can overcome any kind of blockade and Jamshedpur offers various safe spaces and platforms to the youth to express themselves.�

Vineet Kumar, Founder, Cyber Peace Foundation, delivered the keynote address saying �Cyber crimes are on the rise. Youth should be cautious while expressing themselves in the cyber space. By taking simple measures and following the netiquette, youth can contribute a lot in dealing with such crimes.�
Earlier in the morning, a silent march was taken out from Regal Ground to the Michael John Auditorium, during which the participants carried placards containing slogans related to the theme �Safe Spaces for Youth�.

Niloy Mitter, Head, Health & TQM, Corporate Social Responsibility expressed at the occasion �Dhwani is a platform to unite youth from parts of Jharkhand and Odisha and engage them in finding solutions to the issues that affect the young generation in today�s times. Dhwani gives the youth a safe space to voice their concerns.�

The Conclave witnessed a panel discussion on the theme in which the resource persons who took partincluded Padmashri Sunitha Krishnan, Founder Prajwala (Hyderabad); Mr Kadey Soren, Director, Academics (Kalinga Institute of Social Science, Bhubaneswar), Adv. Mr.Mohammad Asghar, High Court, Ranchi; Dr. Kriti Bharti, Managing Trustee, Saarthi Trust (Jodhpur), and Mr.Binod Singh from Dasra Foundation.

An interactive session called �Life Balance Sheet� was taken by Dilip Patel, Course Coordinator of IofC (Initiative of Change), India chapter. The day concluded with a musical programme titled �Music for the Soul� performed by Vedantha Bharadwaj, vocalist and composer of folk and Hindustani classical music, from Mumbai.

Last year, around 500 participants from Odisha and Jharkhand had attended the inaugural edition of the Conclave. Dhwani was conceptualised as a platform where young men and women could interact with experts on social issues and also discuss their aspirations. The aim was to help them become agents of positive change. The Conclave thus provides a platform for the youth to engage with academicians, development practitioners, spiritual teachers and humanitarians from different parts of India, on topics ranging from peace initiatives, innovative approaches to address adolescent health and ways to address societal problems faced by the youth of today.

On day two of the Conclave, young change agents from Jharkhand, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh will share their life-changing experiences. Also, Bhavesh Bhatia, Founder, Sunrise Candles, will give a motivational talk.