With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals on Sept. 25, 2015, the global community set for itself an ambitious goal of eradicating poverty, achieving sustainable development and establishing global peace and justice by 2030. The meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development evaluates year by year the progress the global community has made in achieving these goals.
“Addressing Inclusion, Inequality & Institutions, Grassroots Views on Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) & 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) – And the Links Between Them” (10 July 2019)” are the themes of the first of the two events, organized by "Misean Cara", an Irish-based international missionary development movement, together with the Salesians of Don Bosco.
In the first side event, panelists from four of the countries presenting their Voluntary National Reviews at the HLPF this year initiate a conversation regarding their participation with Voluntary National Review (VNR) processes in their countries along with the government and also as part of the civil society. They bring to the discussions their own grass roots experiences and learnings from engaging with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 8, 10, 16 and 17 and explore the intersectionality of these goals and how important these goals are to achieve Inclusion, reduce Inequality, increase accountability to strengthen Institutions and forge effective networking. Wojciech Mroczek, of the "Don Bosco Network", will be in charge of moderating the talks.
“Youth Aspirations & Climate Urgency. A conversation on the hopes and demands of grassroots activists in a world threatened by climate crisis” is instead the topic that will be addressed in the event organized for 11 July.
Organized by youth, this event aims at providing a platform for activists to discuss and explore how are they responding physically, emotionally and economically in a world that faces rising temperatures that will lead to extreme weather events with the potential to wreak havoc on the future of young people. The event will have young grassroots activists from different regions of the world and will be moderated directly by Fr Savio Silveira, SDB, newly appointed Provincial of Mumbai and Founder of the international Salesian movement for the protection of the environment "Don Bosco Green Action".
In addition to the figures already mentioned, the two events will be attended by various representatives of the "Don Bosco Youth Network", the "Don Bosco Fambul" of Freetown, students, past pupils and lay co-responsible for the Salesian mission.
