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#CultConvos

Let’s Revive Local Spaces!

  • Sep 13, 2020
  • 2 min read
Upcycling into the Mindset and Youth Spaces: Combining Affordability and Sustainability by reviving local spaces( dis-utilised, under-utilised spaces, etc. )


An upcycled terrace made completely with upcycled furniture: Old Electricity Cable Bobbins sourced from TNEB costs INR 30 per stool and 50 for painting- Ready to Use, Used Doors converted into Tables: Sourced from Scrap shop at 500 INR.


Should we just throw old things? This question, if honestly answered by scientists and researchers around the World can open up many avenues in the field of sustainability and #ClimateAction. The microplastics problem in the seas is nothing but plastics thrown by us which we almost never give a second look at. Here comes an interesting topic of Upcycling which if used wisely can surely lessen the burden of #ClimateChange. Upcycling works on a simple mantra: Old thing(s) for you might be a treasure for someone else. The general sustainability quotient revolves around the REUSE factor majorly. But it is often not easy or socially acceptable to reuse things that are worn out, needs repair; or simply needs a makeover.


“Upcycling can give second life not just to the furniture or wood pallets, but also give new life to previously abandoned or under-utilised or spaces”

Reviving Abandoned Physical Spaces with Upcycled Furniture and Art:

Integrating upcycled furniture into previously abandoned or disused spaces greatly reduces the start-up costs of any physical space whether residential or commercial. Moreover, many of the Cafes and other commercial spaces have already been starting to realise the creative, cost benefits and environmental impacts of using old things to provide new experiences.We strongly believe in the positive vision for the future of cities and without collaborative spaces for climate action built with inculcation of eco-friendly and self-sustainability practices is the need of the hour!




Unleashing the Youth Power through Cafes!

  • Mar 8, 2019
  • 3 min read

Updated: Nov 15, 2021


Youth Inclusion in Systems: I have been vocal about youth rights, enabling physical safe spaces for youth. Quality Spaces which are dedicated to serving the cause of young engagement and empowerment. Spaces which enable an adolescent in a smooth transition to adulthood while helping in identity formation and proper cognitive growth. There are many institutes for a young person to visit today namely, schools, colleges, skilling institutes, companies, etc. However, all these institutes instill a feeling of competition rather than much-needed collaboration. We all know that India is going to be the youngest nation in the World(with more than 670 million people below the age of 25) for at least the next two decades. According to United Nations World Youth report, as India and many other developing nations move towards industrialization, urbanization, and skill dependent business activities, the fertility and share of the population comprising of children is set to decline. This phenomenon of “Youth Bulge” poses great challenges for the socio-economic condition in India, while at the same time also presents vast opportunities for Young India, only if this share of the population is included in the formal decision-making process and young people are involved in local policymaking. The participation of the Youth is a major feature to be looked upon and how we engage our youth in the community and the World at large and provide leadership skills through informal collaborative activities shall primarily drive the socio-economic growth in our country in the future. The Youth already speaks out, We just need to be heard.

#IndiaNeedYouthCafes: Youth Cafe, a model hugely successful in Ireland have created impact at grassroots and have enabled many young people and adolescents to identify their talents early when they attain puberty. Youth Cafes have also enabled spaces where youth have openly talked about the matters of civic importance on one hand and acted on them, while involved themselves in recreational and collaborative activities on the other. The spaces have played an important role in providing the youth an opportunity to attain much-needed leadership skills as they grow to become a responsible adult. Similarly, We also wish this kind of solutions to engage and empower youth can lead to positive changes around the community and in India at large. Safe spaces designed especially for the Youth in conflict zones such as Kashmir can enable a positive and cohesive environment around the issues they face and enable to realize positive mental growth. If we provide more opportunities for Youth by enabling physical spaces where they can engage in meaningful conversations- a lot of issues over the radicalization of Youth can be solved.

I have always strived to bridge the pervasive offline disconnect among the Youth and break the cultural, religious and caste-based boundaries to enable collaboration among the Youth. I wish to keep doing it until the youth wakes up to realize their full potential in a nation like India.

About the author:

Sehaj Sahni is a social entrepreneur and youth activist from Chennai, India A mechanical engineering graduate who worked with MNC from 2012–15 as a quality analyst and organizational blogger before he parted ways to start, Indian Youth Cafe- an experiential project designed to bridge the offline disconnect. He has been an active advocate for Youth rights and freedom of expression and have worked relentlessly to create Safe spaces for Youth to talk about youth politics, civic engagement, etc. Through his surveys and research into youth, he has initiated a social space, Urban Desi house( a youth cafe) in 2015 and have consulted with various co-working brands to offer them placemaking services such as Cowrks, India. He has personally led highly acclaimed social experiments such as young weirdos meetup- a congregation of creative people from local community and personally involved in more than 250 collaborative cum creative jams, meetup, across the city. He has supported many start-ups across the city by providing them spaces to them jam, co-work and hangout.

Since 2017, he has been aggressively working for UN SDGs specifically for SDG 11, SDG4, and SDG17. He is a registered volunteer at UN and has recently been awarded Youth Volunteer- Vaward by United Nations Volunteers, Ministry of youth affairs and sports, UNDP India for working tirelessly to address social and development issues. He has also worked for many online campaigns like #Youth440, a Youth POC led campaign to bring out unseen youth issues like housing, #NotTooYoungToRun and #ThisisZeroHour. His start-up, Yowan food, and beverages private limited got government recognition as a Start-up in 2017 and ranked as top 3000 start-ups in India by GOI, Department of Science and technology and IIM KOLKATA.





 
 
 

We build Safe Spaces for Youth. #SafeSpaces4Youth #MySafeSpace #YouthDay

  • Jul 16, 2018
  • 3 min read

Updated: May 17, 2020


Social spaces that instill freedom of expression, mutual respect and constructive dialogue as their fundamentals are considered to be Safe Spaces for Youth. Significance of safe spaces in providing opportunities for sport, innovation, empowerment and leisure time activities, while deconstructing barriers of judgment, hate speech, harassment or violence is something that cannot be denied.

"For any nation to be called a truly developed nation, inclusion of youth in the inclusive development that we seek is important. Similarly, a significant investment not only through capital resources but also through time and shared experience has to be initiated not only by government entities but also through private sector investment".

Alignment with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Our spaces directly align with SDG 11 and inter-related goals in solving many youth issues and promote the growth of safe and sustainables spaces that engage youth through the process of rapid urbanization that India faces currently. We also wish to also work on financial inclusion of deprived communities such as fishermen direct selling through markets designed through prospective usage of shipping containers. Through successful, public private partnerships.

 

There are many spaces that a young person visits ( according to NYP India, 2014: Someone between 15-29 years old and according to UN: 15-24 years old) but there aren’t many institutions where a young person can sit without any external pressure that comes in form assignments, appraisals, judgements, stares,harassment, violence, etc.

 

How a Positive Revolution can happen if Youth collaborates for a better future?

For long, the task of accurately structuring our society to fulfil its necessities had been the responsibility of the adults in the community. They had been considered the better preceptor and solvers of the problems that occur in the social order and hence don’t demand the intervention of the youth. But as the civilization advances; the conditions change; and the youth of the country are needed to come strong and take the baton of development. The young and the fresh have more to offer to the society than thought of earlier, with young countries like India where >65% of the population are teenagers.

The youth of today are more active, understanding, responsible and well informed about their social order, more than the adults. They have a better understanding of modern technology and are self-motivated to bring change. One such technology that has helped them to analyse the societal and communal situation is the internet and the use of Social Media.

The young generation has done a splendorous job by speaking up and intervene in matters of civil and national interest. They have established NGOs to carter to poverty and sanitation, they have come into the political sphere to create better communal structures, they have excelled in creating new and decade advanced technologies and products, they have positively affected the economic sphere of the county and have eradicated many social evils and misconceptions. The young minds of today are developing and have become the people that we need to sustain the future we dream of. Truly enough to say that, when they join hands miracles happen!

If you’d like to participate in collaborating with us in creating more safe, social and sustainable spaces for youth. Please write to us at: indianyouthcafe@gmail.com

Otherwise, please use following handles to connect with us

 
 
 
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