IYF President Julia Blocher participates in the Vatican Youth Symposium in Vatican City, 2018
IYF, Vatican City: On 31 October, over 50 young leaders and experts met at the 2018 Vatican Youth Symposium in the Vatican City to discuss innovative ways to accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s edition of the annual Symposium - organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (PAS) in collaboration with the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Youth) - was framed by the SDGs, Pope Francis’ ecologically-minded encyclia Laudato Si’, and other key tools to foster more human, more social and more integral global development.
“The current generation of leaders will not achieve sustainable development - ours will. We need to hold responsible parties accountable and support SDGs champions,” noted Ms. Julia Blocher, IYF President. “It is extremely encouraging to see so many of us fighting for inclusive, sustainable development.”
She added: “I’m thrilled to be attending the Vatican Youth Symposium more focused than ever on accelerating progress towards the SDGs, especially combatting climate change and efforts to end slavery.”
During the Symposium, some SDGs solutions were discussed and generated, with a special focus on raising global awareness for the SDGs, education and entrepreneurship and innovation for SDGs, and Philanthropy and Financing for SDGs. The Symposium provided a space for young leaders to share experiences, success stories, and best practices to empower participants to commit to concrete solutions and deliver meaningful change in their local communities.
SDSN Youth educates young people about the challenges of sustainable development and creates opportunities for them to use their creativity and knowledge to pioneer innovative solutions for the SDGs. SDSN Youth creates platforms for young people to connect, collaborate, and integrate their ideas and perspectives within the public policy field.
Read more via the SDSN Press Release.