Worldwide pupil competitions have been occurring for the previous six years to assist sustainable causes
Developed by BE OPEN think-tank, they goal to boost consciousness of SDGs and contribute to attaining them by recognizing and rewarding the perfect concepts and initiatives.
In her latest interview, founding father of BE OPEN Elena Baturina speaks in regards to the ongoing Designing Futures 2050 competitors and the hopes to translate the need of pressing motion among the many younger and upcoming professionals, contain them into updating the SDGs agenda within the mild of the realities of immediately, and encourage them to take a bigger half in practical sustainable actions plans.
May you share extra about your motivation behind these competitions?
Elena Baturina, Founding father of BE OPEN: Completely. Our major aim is to boost consciousness of the SDGs and contribute to attaining them. Via our competitions, we acknowledge, showcase, promote, and award the perfect concepts from around the globe. Every year, we obtain a whole lot of modern well-researched initiatives that reassure us that educating and motivating younger individuals is crucial for driving sustainable change. These competitions present a platform for discussions, concept exchanges, and self-education. We goal to spice up younger individuals’s confidence and assist them notice their significance in shaping the long run.
May you inform us how Designing Futures 2050 ties into the SDGs?
EB: Designing Futures 2050 is a contest aimed toward encouraging younger creatives to reframe and replace the SDG agenda based mostly on immediately’s realities. It goals to encourage them to actively take part in implementing practical and sustainable motion plans.
How can younger individuals strategy such an formidable job?
EB: In the mean time we’re trying into futures research which discover different and desired futures, and appear an amazing software for dwelling on this planet that’s turning into more and more complicated. This self-discipline has expanded past merely attempting to foretell the long run—it now additionally investigates the values and views that form potential and most well-liked futures.
Many individuals flip to futures research to mitigate dangers and keep away from destructive situations, however others actively give attention to creating optimistic futures. At BE OPEN, we imagine that constructing a roadmap to a greater future requires addressing key conflicts of immediately. So we wish younger minds to design a imaginative and prescient for shared futures they could be dwelling in.
I don’t imagine future research programs are available at many faculties now. Does BE OPEN have plans to develop the accessibility of future training?
EB: You’re right – presently, only some universities just like the College of Houston and the College of Toronto, supply complete futures research packages. To bridge this hole, BE OPEN is partnering with the World Futures Research Federation to create an open futures literacy course. This system will encompass on-line and offline periods led by world-renowned consultants. Our goal is to achieve learners who lack entry to those important expertise and develop their understanding of future research. We imagine it may be an vital a part of ESD (Schooling for Sustainable Improvement) and we offered this initiative on the MED9 Ministerial Summit for Schooling for Sustainable Improvement and the UNECE Discussion board on ESD: Empowering Youth for Sustainable Futures.
Do your former individuals play any function in BE OPEN’s initiatives?
EB: They play an integral function. We attain out to former individuals and encourage them to affix our new initiatives. We provide them a platform to share their experiences by way of social media, amplifying our message and provoking others. Furthermore, very quickly we are going to carry all of the winners and profitable groups of our earlier competitors to COP29 in Baku, and provides them an precise flooring to talk of the function of sustainability of their training, life and upcoming profession. Simply as we did for final 12 months’s winners on the COP28 in Dubai, and the Pupil Power Summit in Abu Dhabi.
What’s BE OPEN’s imaginative and prescient for the way forward for these competitions and initiatives?
EB: Our imaginative and prescient is to create a basis of information for younger individuals to navigate the challenges forward. By offering alternatives for inventive expression, collaboration, and studying, we hope to encourage them to take possession of shaping the long run. Using digital codecs, strategic partnerships, and credentialing, we goal to develop the impression of our work and equip a brand new technology with the abilities and views wanted for a greater tomorrow.
