By Staff Reporter

Ireland must embrace the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — and young activists have a vital role in making this happen.

That was the message to young people at the Youth Summit on Activism and the SDGs held in Dublin recently.

About 200 young people from around Ireland met to share their ideas and find out what youth activists from Cork to Kenya have been involved in.

The summit featured inspiring youth activists in the fields of development, environment, peace and youth in celebrations for One World Week and World Children’s Day.

Organised by Concern Worldwide and the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), with the support of Irish Aid, the summit aims to raise awareness about development education and how it relates to the SDGs to be achieved by 2030.

“Young people must be at the centre of actions and activism to bring about transformative change if the world is to meet current and future needs for people and planet,” Valerie Duffy of the NYCI told delegates at the event.

As well as forming part of a consultation for reports to the EU Commission and the UN, the summit featured spoken word, music, drama and dance and there were presentations from young people who have taken action on the SDGs.

The event was part of celebrations of NYCI One World Week 2018 and Global Education Week across Europe.

One World Week is a nationwide week of youth-led action on local and global justice issues which takes place each year to coincide with World Children’s Day, the anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, on 20 November.

The 2018 One World Week activities took place from 17-25 November.