A Philippine youth organization won the People’s Choice award in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Action Campaign held last month at the World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany.
The 2030 Youth Force in the Philippines (YFPH) – a community of youth advocating for the achievement of the SDGs in collaboration with various sectors – was also one of three finalists in the Mobilizers category, where 2,000 applications from 142 countries were chosen for all seven categories.
As a Mobilizer, YFPH is one of the organizations that have mobilized individuals, organizations and networks for collective action for the SDGs. The other categories were Visualizers, Storytellers, Campaigners, Connectors, Includers and Creatives.
The SDG Action Campaign by the United Nations recognizes individuals and organizations that advance the global movement for the SDGs in the most innovative, impactful and transformative way.
YFPH is anchored to the 2030 Youth Force of the Asia-Pacific Region, which was organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Volunteers.
In his acceptance speech of the award, YFPH national convenor and 2030 Youth Force Asia Pacific co-founder Jules Guiang expressed optimism of achieving SDGs by going beyond the confines of the organization.
“We should go beyond our circles, beyond the pople that we’re working with, tap the untapped because at the end of the day, in the remaining 11 years, that’s the most important thing – we go beyond our networks right now and go to the grassroots and tap all people who’ve been working in the past decades. [It is important] to recognize also their efforts and make them aware that they are also contributing to the Global Goals,” the PTV host-anchor said.
“We are young today but we assert our role because the future is for us and the future is about us. Yes, we are not superheroes but yes, we are volunteers. We are not paid in this job, but seeing that by 2030 our world will be transforned, that is beyond any compensation that we can get. So the 2030 Youth Force in the Philippines, and the Asia Pacific, we will continue to activate our youth leaders. We will continue to collaborate with sectors and we will continue to educate for impactful action,” Guiang concluded.
Winning the Visualizer award was Safecity of India; Storyteller – Humans and Climate Change Stories, Switzerland; Creative – Make Art/Stop AIDS: Youth Art and Global Health Center Africa, Malawi; Connector – The plastic bank by @IBM – #Haiti, #Philippines and #USA; Campaigner – “A White Dress Doesn’t Cover The Rape” by Abaad, Lebanon; Includer – Transforming Lives Make Senses For Everyone by Paralympic Games; Mobilizer – “Follow The Money” by Abuja, Nigeria.
About UN SDGs
In 2015, 193 member-states of the United Nations, including the Philippines, adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals.
These goals build on the successes and misses of the preceding Millennium Development Goals or MDGs (2000 to 2015). These new 17 goals, also covered by the 2030 Agenda alongside the Paris Climate Agreement, aim to eradicate poverty, protect the environment, promote economic growth, and uphold peace, justice and strong institutions, all through a multi-sectoral approach that calls for collaboration and partnerships.
The SDGs have been incorporated in the Philippine Development Plan 2017 to 2022 and would pave the way for the achievement of Ambisyon Natin 2040.
Interested parties may fill up the membership form at https://tinyurl.com/2030YFPHMembership.
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