YOURS has just presented to the IDB Youth Event in Calgary, Canada. The event is focusing on pressing youth issues in a global age. YOURS’ director, Mr Floor Lieshout presented information about the global epidemic of road crashes and the panel he sat on offered solutions of global collaboration to combat developmental issues.
The Youth for Development – Development for Youth event coordinated by the Inter-American Developmental Bank (IDB) with Microsoft and partners is currently taking place in Calgary , Canada and has already brought together global leaders working on social and developmental issues facing young people in the modern global world of today.
Mr Floor Lieshout joined panelists, Charly Alberti, President and Founder of R21 Foundation (Argentina), Tim Straka, Education Program Director , Students on Ice (Canada), Ignacio González Nappa, Director of Development for Latin America and the Caribbean , Un Techo Para mi País (Chile) and Mario Cader-Frech, Vice President of Public Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility, MTV Latin America.
The focus of the panel was Social Innovations for a Sustainable Planet and each respective organization presented their solutions to developmental issues facing young people. The debate was lively, energetic and very passionate and gave participants at the event a feel of how to go about tackling issues facing them.
A key theme that emerged from the debate was a common perspective that young people are inhabiting an exciting point in history whereby new technological solutions are paving the way for creative and alternative methods in combating social developmental issues.
The panel reiterated the point that in order to change the world we live in, we must escape from our individual working silos and work together through cross-sectoral, cross-cultural collaborations to meet social needs together. Mr Lieshout gave a clear example of how road safety solutions benefit the goals of many sectors of society in that the reduction of road crashes could lead to the increased use of public transport resulting in fewer cars on the road, greener and healthier cities. This illustrates how efforts in one sector can have a positive impact on other sectors and ultimately offer positive outcomes for society.
The theme of the panel was that young people are more powerful now than they have ever been. The solutions to problems are everywhere and when young people come together, anything is possible.
The final word from the panel went to Mr Floor Lieshout who said, ‘A wise man once said, be the change you want to see in the world and isn’t is quite cool that everybody in this room can be a road safety role model by acting to be safer straight away?’ This was met with applause and cheer.
You can continue to watch the event live here.