“Change the World” Youth Summit on the Global Sustainable Development Goals

Ireland must embrace the new Global Goals for sustainable development, and young people have a vital role in making this happen. That’s according to young people attending the “Change the World” Youth Summit. Almost 500 young people from around Ireland met at the Youth Summit in the RDS, Dublin today (19.11.15) to work with business, politics and global development organisations to look at implementation of the Global Goals for Development here in Ireland.

Organised by Concern Worldwide and the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), the event followed on from a major UN agreement in September 2015 where 193 world leaders committed to 17 Global Goals to achieve three extraordinary things in the next 15 years: end extreme poverty; fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change.

Speaking at the event Valerie Duffy of the NYCI said: “Young people are key to achieving these goals. We can be the first generation to end extreme poverty, the most determined generation in history to end injustice and inequality, and the last generation to be threatened by climate change. This is a really important time.”

Concern Worldwide’s Head of Active Citizenship Michael Doorly said: “This is the start of a 15 year marathon, if we are to achieve the global goals then all of us will have to play our part…but it will be up to today’s youth to finish the job.”

Brian Hayes, MEP also addressed the summit, as did representatives from business, politics and global development organisations including Concern and Trócaire.