youth-1“What type of world do you want to live in by the year 2030?”

September brought forth multiple events from the Social Good Summit, the Clinton Global Initiative to the mother of them all, the UN General Assembly. Ambassadors, thought leaders, world leaders, media personnel and public figures gathered in New York to take action on the multiple issues we face today.

In spite of the weight of these challenges, we have the ability to take a seat in this global conversation on how we shape the next fourteen years and how we want to see the world we live in by 2030.

“Our issues are connected: Health inequities impact gender equality. Climate change threatens economic development. Displacement affects education levels. Our issues are interconnected, as are the Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve sustainable development, we have to work together and work across issues.” (UN Foundation Blog)

When we build up the architecture to adhere to these issues, we have the ability to create and take advantage of new economic and social opportunities that offer us the ability to frame these conversations and new opportunities.

Throughout the various sessions in September, one of the biggest themes that was brought to the drawing table was youth engagement. How can youth get involved in this greater conversation? Young people have the power and ability to act and mobilize others. Tagged with the ease of connectivity and social media, youth activism is on the rise.  With such a limited timeframe, success of the sustainable development goals depends on the engagement of youth.

A Rise In Entrepreneurship
Today, there is an increasing interest in youth to charge forth on the Sustainable Development Goals through social innovation and impact. From these disruptive methods, they are striving to make a dent in the conversation. With this growing interest, schools are creating more social impact courses, governments and international organizations are starting to use social entrepreneurship as a policy tool, and the number of accelerators and fellowship programs are on the rise.

This new era of collaboration with youth on multiple levels can establish clear pathways for meaningful conversation and participation. When young people are empowered with knowledge and supported to develop leadership skills, they can drive change in their communities and countries. Youth-led organizations and innovative solutions, in particular, should be supported and strengthened, as they contribute to the development of civic and leadership skills among young people.

All we need is to provide the tools to young people and invite them to take a seat on the same table. As Ravi Gurumuthy of International Rescue Committee Stated during the Social Good Summit “It’s the spirit of innovation, of risk taking, of daring that we need now more than ever in the humanitarian world.”

FROM THE EDITOR
At Conscious, we are inspired by stories that cause us to think differently and think big-picture and so we set out to tell stories with the help of leaders and influencers within the social good community. You can read more stories like this when you join as a member.