When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace~ Nelson Mandela~

Imagine growing up in a country where drinking out of the wrong water fountain might get you thrown into prison; where a man might have the very same job as his neighbour, but because of the color of his skin, they get paid lesser in a year than the other man makes in a week; where the government tells you that your associates and their ways of living were wrong, savage and inhumane.

This sounds like some Hollywood award-winning movie, doesn't it? Well, for Nelson Mandela, this was not a movie but a reality, his story of life. Growing up in South Africa under the Apartheid system of government leaded to many tragedy and worse moments of his life. Despite all of those hardships and challenges, Nelson Mandela was a fighter. Instead of bowing down to this unjust system of government, he became a lifelong warrior in the battle to free South Africa.

‘Youth’ is the best understood as a period of transition from the childhood’s dependence to adulthood’s independence involving a great awareness of our interdependence as members of a community. Youth is a more fluid category than a fixed age-group.

However, age is the easiest tool to determine whether one falls under the group of youth, particularly in relation to education and employment. Therefore, ‘youth’ is often indicated as a person between the age when he/she may leave compulsory education and/or find his/her first employment.

The World Youth Skills Day is celebrated every year on the 15th of July, to highlight at a global level, the importance of youth skills development and to raise awareness on the significance of exploring all the extraordinary skills possessed by young people. The goal is to achieve better socio-economic conditions for today’s youth, as a means of addressing the challenges of unemployment and under employment.

Populations concerns are a major issue among societies and their devastating impacts affect the youth most as they are the larger portion of the world population. There are four major considerations with regard to population; overpopulation; limited natural and environmental resources; awareness and sensitization; and youth as a potential workforce.

World Population day is celebrated every year on 11th July to raise awareness about population growth and related issues. The theme for the year 2015 is “Vulnerable Populations in Emergencies". With the world population crossing a mark of 7 billion, it is very vital for the people to practice healthy living and realize the importance of small families. This event is celebrated to raise the awareness amongst common public about the problem of population explosion and to combat the same.

Drug abuse poses significant health challenges. Injecting drug use is a leading cause of the spread of HIV. In some parts of the world, heroin use and HIV have reached epidemic proportions. Drug control - including prevention and measures to reduce the harmful effects of drug use - is therefore an important part of the battle to combat HIV/AIDS.

Today, marks the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, designated by the United Nations to strengthen global efforts towards a society free of drug abuse. International Day against Drug Abuse and illicit trafficking is observed annually each year. The day serves as a reminder of the on-going war that is being fought around the world on illicit drug use and trafficking, and that unless there is concerted, sustained effort, Asia may be at risk of fighting a losing battle.