Driving forward such progress requires a multifaceted approach that takes into consideration the distinct needs of school-aged children worldwide. Fawziyya Zakariyya, a youth champion from Nigeria, provides insight into how we can “bridge these challenges…[by] substantially increasing our awareness campaigns at the grassroots [level] and do them in languages that they understand. We also have to include after-school clubs for things like climate change, biodiversity laws, clean energy, and sustainable food production.”
The twin crises in education – one of equity and access and one of quality and relevance – compounded by a lack of adequate financing, are having dramatic consequences for learners worldwide, especially the most vulnerable. In the follow-up to the Transforming Education Summit held in September 2022 to tackle this crisis, every effort is being made to promote action on the commitments*.
Sangay Loday, a youth champion from Bhutan, summarises their approach to addressing these twin crises in three words: “Opportunity, awareness, and intersectionality. Opportunity: Assessing platforms that focus on growth, progress, and solutions. Awareness: Happened, happening, will happen. In these three phases, where do you fall? After you are able to answer that question, you will be able to advocate, consult, and dialogue in the SDG where your expertise lies. Intersectionality: Imagine 17 youths representing 17 SDGs. With the proper opportunities and awareness, they will be able to exchange knowledge.”
The UN Joint SDG Fund aims to support Transforming Education and follow-up actions in five key areas: education system transformation; digital learning and education solutions; school-to-future-work transition; greening education; and financing education.
Join the movement using the hashtag #YouthSpeak and make sure to tag @JointSDGFund!
About United Nations’ Youth2030 vision
A world in which the human rights of every young person are realised; that ensures every young person is empowered to achieve their full potential; and that recognises young people’s agency, resilience and their positive contributions as agents of change.
About United Nations Joint SDG Fund’s Youth Corner
The UN Joint SDG Fund’s Youth Corner is a youth advocacy platform where young people’s needs can be addressed, their voices amplified, and their engagement advanced as part of the Youth2030 mission.
About Doha Debates
Doha Debates engages a vanguard of intellectually curious truth-seekers to constructively debate differences in order to build a better future.
For further information about the incredible youth featured, you can connect with them via the links below:
Sangay Loday (Queer Youth Consultant): Website, Instagram
Afruza Tanzi (Manager, Healthcare Ventures, Spreeha Foundation): LinkedIn
Fawziyya Zakariyya (Digital Storytelling and Campaign Analyst): LinkedIn
*United Nations, “Vision Statement of the Secretary-General on Transforming Education: An Urgent Political Imperative for Our Collective Future,” 2022, https://www.un.org/en/transforming-education-summit/sg-vision-statement.
Note:
The Joint SDG Fund's joint programmes are under the prestige leadership of the Resident Coordinator Office and implementing United Nations Agencies. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
