Vatican Youth Symposium Goes Virtual In 2020!
Ban Ki-moon Institute for sustainable development at KazNu took a part in traditionally held at the Casina Pio IV in Vatican City, the 2020 VYS which took on a virtual format due to the constraints of the global pandemic. The seventh annual symposium, but first of its kind as a digital space, created access for those who otherwise may have not be able to participate or attend such a momentous event. The theme, “New Encounters on Humanity’s Path Forward: Youth, Education, Nature, and Culture” would frame sessions devoted to the dimensions of youth empowerment and intergenerational leadership with discussions on how COVID-19 presents both an enormous challenge and opportunities for advancing the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The global pandemic has caused major hardships for citizens around the world, especially for young people who are grappling with the constraints placed upon their futures, including that of access to education and employment .
Core sessions have been categorized into thematic areas split over two days:
Day 1 focused on Education for Sustainable Development from primary schools through professional settings and include the launch of Mission 4.7.
Day 2 hosted discussions on Human Rights, Dignity & Fratelli Tutti, Sustainable Cities & Communities, and Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Technology presenting inspiring messages of how the synergy between the creativity of younger generations and the expertise of older ones curate progressive change.
The 2020 Symposium was opened by Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, the Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Monsignor Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Ban Ki-moon, Chair, Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens (BKMC).
The solutions discussed and generated at the Vatican Youth Symposium were wide-ranging and multifaceted. It had a special focus on the following themes:
- Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development
- Education for Sustainable Development, Global Citizenship, and 21st Century Skills
- Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Human Rights, Human Dignity & Fratelli Tutti
- Role of Universities and Academia in Sustainable Development
- Sustainable Cities & Communities
