Moscow, Russia—UPF co-sponsored a webinar on “The Role of Youth in the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.”
The webinar was organized on March 31, 2021, together with Youth and Students for Peace, an organization that is affiliated with UPF.
The speeches were not only informative but also touched the soul of the listeners.
Yekaterina Filatkina, an SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) youth ambassador in Russia, spoke about the activities of the SDG Youth Ambassadors program in Russia. She emphasized: “To get such a position, you just need to sincerely love this world and do something useful for it every day. Then the ‘title’ of ambassador will ‘find’ you by itself.”
Peter Jensen, as a true coach, structured his speech according to five points: On the way to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, two components are important: mass movements and leadership. You should start your involvement with education on the SDGs, increasing your awareness on this issue. It is worth digging deeper into the issue and distinguishing between "green camouflage" and the real involvement of companies in the SDG agenda. There is no need to strive to cover all goals and save the world; focusing on one or two goals and consistent steps will bring much greater results! Finally, Peter gave this advice: “Look at all 17 UN SDGs and try to get a feel for which one inspires you. For which of them are you ready to wake up in the morning and, having done at least something, even a small one, fall asleep with a smile? "
Yoga teacher Nadezhda Smokotina, a UPF Youth Ambassador for Peace, suggested that she understands the fundamental reason for the success of every Ambassador for Peace: All great victories begin with small "victories" over oneself. Nadezhda also drew attention to Sustainable Development Goal 3, which indicates the importance of a healthy lifestyle: “It is within the power of each of us to involve our loved ones in this movement for sustainable development, but it’s important to take care of your health first.”
The final speaker, eco-activist and SDG consultant Alexander Lyukshin, inspired the attentive audience with his phrase: “There is no waste in this world—there are resources.”
At the end of the program, the conference moderator, Anna Kazykhanova, separately noted the wide geography of participants from: Brazil, Nigeria, Armenia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh and different regions of Russia!
The conference inspired youth and activists to join forces and advance to a new level in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.