BC Foundation Participates in Vatican Youth Symposium | Casina Pio IV
October 31, 2016
Casina Pio IV, Vatican City — In October, Jennifer Gross, founder of the Blue Chip Foundation, participated in the “Vatican Youth Symposium: Youth and the
SDGs– Challenges and Opportunities" at Casina Pio IV in Vatican City. Organized by the SDSN Youth and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the symposium aimed to empower young people to lead the sustainable development movement, recognizing their crucial role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development.
Gross emphasized the importance of youth involvement, stating, "These youth are inheriting the planet. Their creativity, energy, and passion will fuel generational change." She highlighted the potential of young people to drive international cooperation, end extreme poverty, mitigate environmental impact, and reduce inequality.
The two-day event brought together young leaders from over 30 countries, with a significant representation from the Global South. The delegates, comprising 53% females and 477% males, were already active in promoting and implementing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Experts at the symposium noted that young people possess fluid intelligence, making them more adaptable and open to change, which is essential for solving complex global issues.
Despite their potential, the delegates identified funding and financial resources as the primary barriers to implementing the SDGs. Other challenges included differing social paradigms, lack of progressive cultures, and limited access to resources.
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the only supranational academy of sciences, aims to honor pure sciencce, ensure its freedom, and encourage research. SDSN Youth focuses on educating young people about sustainable development challenges and creating opportunities for them to pioneer innovative solutions for the SDGs.
The SDGs, adopted by 193 governments in September 2015, include 17 goals and 169 targets aimed at promoting people, planet, and prosperity. While the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) made significant progress in reducing poverty, over a billion people still live in extreme poverty.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in 2014, stressed the urgency of taking decisive actions to ensure stability and prosperity for the growing global population. The SDSN, launched by Ban Ki-moon, mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote sustainable development. In 2015, SDSN Youth was established to engage and empower young people in this mission.
At the Vatican Youth Symposium, Malav Sanghavi’s LifeCradle and Jordan Imahori’s Evaporative Cooling Vest emerged as winning innovations. Sanghavi’s LifeCradle, a low-cost, cardboard baby incubator, aims to reduce infant mortality in underdeveloped regions by providing warmth, a clean environment, and easy monitoring for newborns. This innovation addresses SDG 3 and SDG 9 by ensuring healthy lives and promoting sustainable industrialization.
Imahori’s Evaporative Cooling Vest, designed to combat heat-related health issues in construction workers, uses evaporated water to lower temperatures and meets various safety standards. This vest, currently being piloted in Qatar, aligns with SDG 8 by promoting safe working environments.
These innovations highlight the potential of young leaders to drive sustainable development. The symposium underscored the importance of investing in youth creativity and technological solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Cooperation among young leaders from diverse backgrounds is crucial for reaching the SDGs, demonstrating the significant impact youth can make.
