We need people who can dream, and who are bold enough to take that dream and make it into something real and profound. We need people of enterprise who can be creative and move issues forward. We need people who can offer new paradigms and new frameworks that can shape and address problems that currently exist in society or this nation. Those are going to be the movers and shakers of tomorrow.
Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon (Global Youth Summit 2017, the Philippines)
The Global Youth Summit (GYS) is an annual program that has been gathering thousands of young people in the Philippines for over a decade to promote moral and innovative leadership and bring youth to the forefront as creative problem-solvers for the country’s most pressing issues.
GYS 2024, a collaborative effort between SM Cares and the Global Peace Foundation, offered a groundbreaking experience for Filipino youth by uniting over 12,000 emerging leaders from across the nation to tackle some of the country’s most urgent issues. Spanning 17 key locations throughout the Philippines, this year’s summit created a remarkable opportunity for innovation, critical thinking, and collaborative leadership, all geared towards advancing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This event featured a range of activities aimed at addressing global issues in technology, health, education, and sustainable development. The summit’s main goal was to cultivate a network of empowered Youth Leaders dedicated to fostering ethical and innovative leadership, advancing sustainable development, and enhancing cross-cultural understanding. This was notably showcased through the eagerly awaited Seed Grant Competition, which inspired participants to develop and execute solutions aligned with the SDGs.
The regional president of GPF Asia Pacific underscored the summit’s broader vision of global impact and collaboration saying that he hopes the young leaders will create a nation where everyone can reap the benefits.
In a pioneering move, GYS 2024 was held concurrently at 17 different locations nationwide, with each site concentrating on a particular SDG. This setup allowed discussions and activities to be customized to address the specific challenges of each area and ensured that youth from every region could actively participate in the global dialogue.
Representatives from GPF Philippines emphasized the need to work together, empowering each other and actively engaging in creating a sustainable future.
The program was carefully crafted to motivate and prepare the next generation of leaders with the skills and insights necessary for creating a better world. Interactive elements, such as Q&A sessions following each speaker’s talk and the highly anticipated #GYSTakeaways, provided participants with opportunities to explore the issues more deeply and consider practical solutions.
A program director for SM Cares reinforced fairness and equity as central to sustainable development.
Cultural performances opened each summit location, showcasing the Philippines’ rich heritage and enhancing participants’ cultural awareness. This lively celebration of local traditions provided a vibrant start to the ensuing discussions.
Attendees comprised members from accredited youth organizations affiliated with local government units, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the Philippines, student council officers from state colleges and universities, and engaged youth advocates from various groups. These participants represented a broad spectrum of the nation’s youth, all united by a common dedication to sustainable development.
The success of #GYS2024 was greatly facilitated by the devoted volunteers from the Global Peace Leadership Corps, who were crucial to the event’s success. Many had previously participated in past summits, while others were experiencing it for the first time. Their steadfast dedication and enthusiasm were vital in fulfilling the summit’s goal of empowering youth leadership.
Aligned with the UN SDGs and reaching across the Philippines, the Global Youth Summit 2024 emerged as a vital platform for young people to engage with and address global challenges. This summit represented a major advance in empowering youth to lead efforts toward a sustainable and prosperous future for everyone. The Global Youth Summit 2024 was more than just an event; it marked the start of a movement, positioning the youth at the forefront of shaping a sustainable future.
The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, which promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God. GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peacebuilding models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.