YOUTH FOR SUSTAINABILITY DIALOGUES

WHAT IS IS ABOUT?

We see that many young people around the world have brilliant ideas and outstanding talent, carrying out social impact projects with local communities at the grassroots level. They are making an invaluable contribution towards reaching the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Youth For Sustainability Dialogues (Y4SD) will offer these young people a platform to share their work with a wide audience of age peers and experts – educators, journalists, entrepreneurs, development professionals – around the world.

This platform that will help the youth examine challenges in their local environment, showcase their projects and initiatives, and come together as a youth movement that is truly ‘glocal’ towards the achievement of SDGs. Mentors and expert panels will be available to the participants for their guidance and help.

300

300+ young people have joined to discuss their work in local communities

Youth from 90+ countries come forward to share-learn-grow

10+ partners have joined to shape the work towards the SDGs

HOW WILL WE DO IT?

Every two weeks, we will hold a Y4SD session dedicated to specific SDG, which is chosen in alignment with the UN’s SDG Planning Calendar, Annual International Days or any other relevant or significant event. As many of the goals are interlinked and depend on each other, each session will include 2-3 secondary SDGs that provide a unique perspective on the main topic of the session.

Each Y4SD session will bring 2-3 young people, who give a short presentation on their project idea, implementation and impact. An invited expert from the field will listen and share their feedback with the teams.

JOIN THE DIALOGUE!

PREVIOUS TOPICS

The 16th of October is World Food Day. This year, the UN’s World Food Program received the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat a surge in global hunger during COVID19. How can we ensure that local communities have access to nutritious and healthy foods, producing it in a sustainable manner? How does this contribute to building peace? And finally, how might we empower women in the process?

When the UN created its global goals, various equality groups pushed for the rights and needs of lesbian, gay, bi and trans people to be taken into account. These groups can experience multiple discrimination and violence, due to their intersecting LGBT status and gender. What can the youth do to change this? Can a focus on employment and (social) entrepreneurship be the solution?

Practising arts that is handed down over generations is often not an economically viable option for artisans. New age materials, technology and cheaper rates are often drivers for the exodus. In absence of any organized activity in this sector and the products not being adequately remunerative, more and more artisans are taking up alternate employment. What can we do support traditions and creativity while generating income? How can we marry the goals of sustainable income and safeguarding the world’s cultural heritage?

The UN has proclaimed that education “plays a key role in building sustainable and resilient societies and contributes to the achievement of all of the other Sustainable Development Goals", including improved health, gender equality and reduced inequalities.

In this session, we’ll hear from two teams who are committed to providing quality education to hard-to-reach communities. What are the barriers for ensuring that all children have access to education, which is indeed one of their basic rights? How can we overcome resistance and barriers by authorities and teachers, and bring more innovation to educational spaces?