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Children are our future

The significant drop in the world's child mortality rate as reported on our front page yesterday may give cause for cheer among the various funding agencies and other world bodies dealing with the subject of children.

For the first time in modern history the number of children dying before the age of five had fallen below 10 million per year. The survey conducted by UNICEF shows that child deaths had reached an all time low of 9.76 million, down from almost 13 million in 1990.

It is also hoped that the trend would add momentum to the Millennium Development Goals adopted by world leaders in 2000 for a two thirds reduction of the 13 million under five child deaths recorded in 1990.

While we can all rejoice on the drop in the infant mortality rate can the world be happy with the overall fate of the world's child population who survive? Is there a proper mechanism in place to ensure the safety, protection, and the advancement of the child in an increasingly volatile world wracked with violent upheavals and mass displacements?

How can a child expect to reach its full potential under such an environment?

Can the world merely sit by and be happy with the reduction in the child mortality rate alone when there are other deadly prospects confronting the child population in Third World countries such as war and the scourge of child slavery not to mention AIDS.

True, world bodies such the UN have done much towards the welfare and emancipation of children under its mandate but as events show our children still continue be the victims of war and poverty. They are being exploited and forced into slavery.

Children are sold to prostitution and driven to other vices out of poverty. Ironically the very survival of children that will add to the burgeoning child population of the world can only exacerbate the existing problems affecting the child.

The survey does not mention the countries where the drop in child mortality is most manifest. Certainly, developed countries may not have figured in the UNICEF study which may have made the disparity more pronounced.

While many factors such as the advances in medical science, improved welfare and increased overseas funded projects may have contributed to the drop in child mortality one has to admit that the world has to go a long way in totally addressing issues confronting the global child population.

The UNICEF Executive Director while calling the figures historic has stressed that much work needs to be done.

Obviously, the loss of 9.7 million lives each year is unacceptable. The evolution of the world into the modern era has wrought virtual 'miracles' in many spheres and today many countries which were backward in health indicators too have marched forward providing a high quality of life to their citizens.

Sri Lanka too figures under this category going by the various welfare measures that have been introduced particularly with regard to maternity and child care.

It would be appropriate here to mention that Millennium Development Goals in respect of child mortality could be better achieved by an equitable distribution of wealth by the rich nations among the poorer countries. There is an immediate need to take cognisance of the larger picture.

For, a mere drop in child mortality is not the ideal index to measure the development and advancement of the child.

Even if one could be happy with the drop in child mortality there is an immediate need to keep the world a safer place for our child population above anything else. Today war has caused killing and maiming of thousands of children as one would often come across in gruesome scenes on television.

There is also the issues of child labour in countries such as Brazil where children as young as six years are forced to work in coal mines. One can hardly harp on child mortality reduction in the face of growing malnutrition and deformed children in some African countries.

Reducing child mortality by itself will not guarantee the future of the surviving children.

What is needed is Social Responsibility on the part of the rich nations to address the plight of the teeming millions of children in the world who face starvation, lack of education and basic necessities.

He found 'gold' in mountain streams

The story of Wimalasurendra who performed the 'miracle' of turning water into electricity goes back to the early days of the last Century when the British had interned Boer Prisoners at Diyatalawa, following their defeat in the South African war (1899-1902). Sri Lanka's central hills were then dense jungle except for the tea plantations.

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Biofuel: cheaper, more environmentally friendly

The recent surge in increase in environmental issues affecting our planet coupled with the increasing costs of fossil fuels such as oil and gas have led to an increase in interest in biofuels. All across the globe countries are now taking a new look at the potential of Biofuel technology to help supply them with cheaper, more environmentally friendly fuels.

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'Colvin, Unitary State and APRC Baby'

We have been meeting for one year and three months and had 46 meetings. Fifteen political parties have been associated with our discussions, of which two have now dropped out. One is the JVP and the other is the UNP.

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