Center for Global Health - Sri Lanka Participates at UNODC Constructive Dialogue - Vienna
The American College of Science and Humanities and its Centre for Global Health Research and Policy in Sri Lanka participated at the UNODC Constructive Dialogue on Technical Assistance at Vienne, Austria, in person, on 30 May 2023 - 31 May 2023. The organization was represented at the meeting by
K.A.S.Y Wickrama, Research Officer and Youth Leader of the Centre.
Responding to the invitation for academic organizations to participate and share experiences and challenges of working in the area of substance use prevention and treatment, the college participated in person at the meeting. A wealth of knowledge was gained by communicating and interacting with the over 30 delegates, diplomats, organization heads, and country representatives that attended the constructive dialogue. The broad challenges and solutions discussed were of significant importance in carrying forward the college's academic programs, prevention and intervention projects, and research agenda.
In addition to academic certificates, diplomas, and workshop trainings, our organization provides clinical and counseling students from postgraduate programs with supervised trainings to further their educational and professional development. In 2022, the college also introduced the Journal of Clinical, Counseling, and Health Psychology, a peer reviewed publication, registered with the US Library of Congress (ISSN 2833-3713). This journal provides a platform for high quality psychology research to be shared with academics and practitioners. Our learnings from the UNODC Constructive Dialogue in Vienna will mold these activities to provide the most cutting edge and impactful education for psychology students and practitioners.
The community extension activities of our College's youth have taken place in two areas; community awareness activities and empirical research on youth substance use behaviors. Youth members worked with community leaders to conduct awareness workshops at community centers, places of worship, and informal outdoor gatherings. In addition, peer-to-peer awareness programs were conducted at the neighborhood level through both formal and informal networks. The college's students have conducted these programs in several communities across Sri Lanka. These programs are conducted under youth leadership and guided by professional counselors. Another major project currently ongoing is the youth survey of substance use and health behaviors in South Asia. This youth survey will be administered in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The stages of the study design as are follows: identification of gaps in knowledge and critical areas of study, formulation of research questions and hypothesis, qualitative and quantitative questionnaire design, cross cultural validation of measures, planning sampling, data collection, and statistical analytical strategy, formulation of study results and conclusions, and dissemination of findings with academics, practitioners, and stake holders. As a result of the learnings from the UNODC Constructive dialogue, both of these areas of community extension work have been revised to better address the needs and challenges addressed at the meeting.
Our organization has engaged in the enhancement of youth developmental outcomes. Through positive psychology, resilience development, sociopsychological resource reinforcement, and risk reduction, our organization has relentlessly pursued the contribution to substance use prevention and intervention. The UNODC Constructive Dialogue was an important experience for the college and its centre in making a significant impact in the academic, community, and research work which it undertakes.
