As regular readers of this blog know, we are officially looking for new people to join Beyond Borders. If you know anyone between the ages of 18 to 25 who might be interested in the work we do, Please forward the following information and help us spread the word.
Three themes: Identity, Diversity and Active Global […]

Beyond Borders kicked off the inaugural session of a series of  a study circle meetings on the ethnic conflict for young people who are interested in the issues related to the ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka. The Colombo study circle is part of a larger initiative by Beyond Borders which aims to strengthen youth voices […]

My latest post for the Beyond Borders blog is on youth participation on policymaking, where I argue that what is required is more of an attitudinal change rather than an institutional change, which say allocate “youth quotas” in governance bodies, whic…

I cringe every time I hear that self-patronizing statement. Ever so often, well-meaning people get up on stage and utter these revered words , ” Friends, young people are the future, they are the future leaders of this nation”. Now many variations of this same speech exists, but for each one of them, my response […]

The official publication of Beyond Borders India is out now. From the inside cover:
Beyond Borders India are young change makers who have resolved to challenge the existing restrictive order. As the decision-makers of tomorrow we should not only be aware of our own responsibilities but should remind others about their duty as well.
As […]

I wrote this post on prioritizing funding for global development issues on the Beyond Borders blog. The post is based on the Bjorn Lomborg’s work at the Copenhagen consensus and this highly recommendable TED Talk. The key insight from Lomborg is basic…

One of the most controversial videos at Unreel, the documentary festival organized by us a few weeks back, was this one, a A Ted Talk by Bjron Lomborg in which he talks about prioritizing global development issues based on his experience with the Copenhagen Consensus.

I’m not going to comment much on the video (I […]

From the Lakbimanews Magazine “Unreeling views and Ideas of Youth”:
The expression of every member of the audience changed as the presenter went on to state that global warming had not made it to the top of the priority list of the most serious problems that the world is currently facing.
As the clip came to an […]

There are many pressing issues in the world today, some directly affect us while most are indirect and thus ignored. Young people have a thirst for knowledge and an acute interest in voicing viewpoints and thoughts on most issues but there isn’t a space for them to do so which is constructive as well as […]

A few BB-ites in Pakistan have set up a Beyond Borders Pakistan Blog, to reactivate Beyond Borders in Pakistan.
Here’s a few key paragraphs from the Sunniya’s post outlining why she started the blog:
Beyond Borders Pakistan started under British Council in 2003. Several projects were conducted for the welfare of the society and to create awareness […]

First appeared in the Sunday Times Mirror Magazine on 30th March 2008.
One in every six people in the world is a young person. And all over the world, young people almost always have been the first to speak out on issues that are affecting them, and their communities. Be it in the form of a […]

1. Appoint a committee
of professors, such-like.

2. Do extensive consultations and research for years.
Copy-pasting from Youth Policies which have been drafted following extensive consultations and research, also qualifies as “extensive consultation and research.”
3. Launch the policy
If you’ve done the extensive consultation and research as mentioned in step 2, the launch of the draft should be followed […]

Young people in South Asia and in particular Sri Lanka are disillusioned with both mainstream and alternative spaces for political action says K.Guruparan speaking at the International Conference on Youth and Democracy in South Asia in Pune, India.
Guru was presenting a paper on youth participation in decision making and policy making processes using Sri […]

Are you a drama queen/king? Are you between the ages of 16-26? If you If you answered yes to both questions, then we would like you to be a part of the Beyond Borders Forum Theatre outfit. We are a voluntary youth led youth run organization who use Forum Theatre as a tool to help […]

Through the looking glass, I heard music, saw laughter and color pass by.. Life is a whirlwind of joyous moments. Then, I opened my eyes…
BB India presents.. Conversations

So what’s this fuss about young people trying to change the world? Is it my sense of social responsibility? Or am I caring for it because I’m going to live in it? Or is it a guilt I’m catering to? Why would I step out of my room, my comfort zone? Willing to come out […]

The Sunday Times has an article about the recent Peace Camp facilitated by Beyond Borders; it talks about participatory learning, change and the viability of this sort of interventions. Here’s from Thinking Beyond :
The 3 day camp had a combination of sessions on issues related with peace – identity, stereotypes, conflict transformation, critical thinking, social […]