The Role of Young People and Higher Education to Accelerate the Achievement of SDGs
Written by Sarulchana VIRIYATAVEEKUL (Thailand)
The 4th ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS4) took place in 2021, under the theme ‘Sustainable Development in a Post-COVID-19 World’. It was held alongside the 13th ASEM Summit (ASEM13). Participants experienced a leadership journey focusing both on knowledge building, as well as ‘Leadership in Action’. Here the author writes about her experience as a panellist at the Times Higher Education’s Global Sustainable Development Congress 2022, where she spoke about her experience in ASEFYLS4.
The Global Sustainable Development Congress (GSDC) which was held in November 2022 already ended but I am still reeling with excitement from being a part of the Youth Panel on ‘SDG Futures: The Role of Young People in Galvanising Support for SDGs’. Two participants of the 4th ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS4) were among the five panellists invited to speak about our experience promoting SDG solutions across the world, and explore the ways in which young people can inspire others, including higher education institutions, to take action.
Among the many topics discussed, these were the most memorable takeaways I would like to share:
How can we encourage more young people to take action towards the SDGs?
Seeing the number of the ASEFYLS family growing, and fellow young people present at the panel, it is evident that young people are already taking proactive stance towards the SDGs. Through my work, we frequently use participatory action research to get children and young people involved in the research process — ranging from the design of the questionnaires, youth-to-youth training of enumerators, field data collection, to coming up with solutions following research findings. In Hart’s Levels of Child Participation (1992), we strive for research which mainstream shared decisions with children.
What we need is a platform to strengthen young people’s knowledge and skills, to participate in dialogues with decision makers, and to expand our network for global impact. My experience in the ASEFYLS4 programme ignites and continues to shape my enthusiasm for international development using evidence-based interventions and humility required for inclusive communication.
As I shared in the Global Sustainable Development Congress, I was introduced to the concept of ‘Social Progress Index’ during the Knowledge Building phase of the ASEFYLS4 programme. Having had academic background in economics, it was fascinating to learn that the social progress index is a refreshing, new way to define the success of our societies independent of economic indicators. I took this concept to heart and later shared with a representative of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the Dialogue with ASEM leaders on SDG 3, in which I was one of the moderators for this prestigious event. This is one of the many events where ASEFYLS4ers had the opportunity to interact with world leaders to share the issues that concern us. In this particular event, we called for holistic concept of health and wellbeing, which incorporate the importance of mental health and inclusivity of the healthcare system that leaves no one behind.
How higher education institutions can support students in achieving the SDGs?
Apply localisation agenda in the way universities operate: I came to learn about localisation agenda through one of the projects I evaluated for an international organisation operating in Southeast Asia. Essentially, it is “a process of recognising, respecting and strengthening the leadership by local authorities and the capacity of local civil society in humanitarian action, in order to better address the needs of affected populations and to prepare national actors for future humanitarian response[1]”. But this concept can be applied for beyond the humanitarian sphere.
In the GSDC conference, I proposed that universities can apply the three tenets of localisation which are partnership, financing, and capacity strengthening: Firstly, higher education can be made more accessible by providing scholarships, fellowships, and free online courses for aspiring youth change makers. Secondly, universities can partner with NGOs, CSOs, social enterprises, activists to provide students with real world application of their academic training, while helping small organisations to solve their pressing challenges (as will be elaborated in the next point). Thirdly, build capacity for the next generation of SDG champions. This should include not only technical skills but also life and leadership skills. As part of the ASEFYLS4 programme, we were fortunate enough to receive leadership development training which focus on multiple layers of leadership which comprise: Self, Team, and Societal Leadership.
Practical research and international linkage — Build students’ knowledge on how to solve global issues using evidence-base interventions. This means the use of theoretical knowledge and practical action research. Universities can partner with grassroots organisations or youth groups to solve challenges faced by these entities. Grassroots organisations can benefit from technical expertise of the students and the wealth of knowledge imparted on them by the universities, while universities and their students benefit from learning about local wisdom, real world challenges and practical solutions.
Within the ASEFYLS4 programme, we took part in Leadership in Action projects which foster the cross-cultural collaborative and voluntary spirit to drive solutions on SDG3, 4, 8, and 13. Together with ASEFYLS4 participants from more than 10 countries from Europe and Asia, I created “Little Bubbles” project which aims at promoting the achievement of SDG 3 on Good Health & Well-Being by encouraging a positive culture for children around hand washing and sanitation in a post pandemic recovery. We brainstormed on a weekly basis to come up with a plan to distribute soap as well as soap DIY kits with the objective to redistribute the profits and invest in health (including mental health) and sanitation awareness initiatives in disadvantaged environments.
Now that we hear from the youth, what’s next?
As a researcher by profession, our answers are never ones with absolutes. The next steps to turn the youth voice into meaningful actions is perhaps to ask ourselves a few more questions:
· We have to remember that ‘youth’ are not a homogenous group. We should ask if we have heard from groups of youth who are under-represented in the society. If not, how can we invite them to the podium? How can we remove the roadblocks (be it language, administrative fees, technical support) for their participation?
· Next is to ask how we can measure and ensure accountability of actions from higher education and government bodies after the youth shared their concerns and solutions?
[1] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpos.2021.744559/full
Sarulchana VIRIYATAVEEKUL is an alumnus of the 4th ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYYLS4). Sarulchana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Thammasat University. She has recently been working as a consultant at Levante International Development, where she focused on participatory research to support humanitarian interventions and development projects globally. Sarulchana has volunteered and worked for various organisations and NGOs, such as AIESEC Morocco, The World Bank or Oxfam, and has focused on various projects ranging from the advocacy for LGBTIQ+ rights or the implementation of the Global Wellbeing Envoy programme.
NOTE:
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely by the author(s) and do not represent that of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF).
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