Youth Force China: Celebrating 15 Years of Social Innovation

January 1, 2030 — “Throughout my life I have been working to promote social innovation through the spreading of ideas and connecting people,” says Mr Haolong Wei, CEO of China’s largest social innovation think tank — Youth Force China.

When Mr Wei began his career more than 15 years ago, many regions of China, particularly the Western provinces, were lagging behind both economically and socially. With a mission to spread the concept of social innovation throughout Western China, Mr Wei harnessed the potential of the youth by establishing Youth Force China in the summer of 2016.

Since its inception, Youth Force China has spent the last 15 years combining the development agenda with social innovation. Using a business model, Youth Force China adapts to meet local conditions to achieve self-help and mutual help, and realize the rapid development of the local economy. By doing this, they guide local entrepreneurs to get fast results.

Using this methodology, Mr Wei and his team have helped to empower and reduce poverty in some of the most remote communities in Western China.

“Over the course of my career, I often traveled to many places, organized teams of young people to support various projects, and taught young people how to make use of the resources around. As a result, the youth from these various communities are more resilient and self reliant,” explains Mr Wei.

Today, through Mr Wei’s foundation, he is excited to open the first ever Centre for Social Innovation in Xinjiang province. The center will be youth led and managed.

“With the opening of this center, we are working to support and cultivate dynamic social innovation, help solve problems facing our respective communities, and continue on a path of sustainable development. This center will not only serve the youth of Xinjiang, but will contribute new ideas and innovations to the whole of China,” Mr Wei proclaimed during the center’s opening.

Today, Mr Wei’s China has not only achieved the SDGs, but with the leadership of people like Mr Wei, China is at the forefront of sustainable development and a global leader for the next global agenda.

“I have always believed, despite being only one in a billion, that I can make a difference in Chinese society. I believed that I could help to build a system of social innovation as a way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” exclaimed Mr Wei.

(There are more than 700 million young people in Asia and the Pacific. Every single young person has a dream and a vision for 2030. What’s yours?)