Role of Somali Youth in Promoting SDGs and VNR Process

YOUTH AND CIVIL SOCIETY ROLE IN PROMOTING AND IMPLEMENTING/LOCALIZATION OF THE AGENDA 2030/AGENDA 2063 FATHI BASHA SDGs advocate/ Somali regions (Horn of Africa)

How the Somali Youth contributes to the SDGs promotion and VNR Young people have the opportunity to play a central role in the movement to achieve the SDGs and contribute the VNR process. While they are often disproportionately affected by the problems outlined in the SDGs, they are also well placed to tackle many of them. Gifted with great imaginations, energy, and numbers, young people should be considered the key drivers of sustainable development 2

How the Somali Youth contributes to the SDGs promotion and VNR Many somali youth in the Horn of Africa region are prominent advocates and actors in this important movement. They have made significant contributions to the SDGs promotion and localization process, particularly in the following areas: Communication and advocacy: by increasing awareness of the SDGs in local communities, using new communication technologies and modern applications, in order to facilitate effective outreach campaigns. 3

Community mobilisation: by mobilising the community around local developmental and environmental priorities and enabling them to take action towards the SDGs. Localisation process: civil society organizations and youth organizations have played a vital role in localizing SDGs and carrying out inclusive initiatives to identify priorities and bring together stakeholders to cooperate in realizing Agenda2030 aligning Africa s agenda 2063 and translating the whole 17 SDGs into Somali language including targets and indicators as well as the Paris Agreement. They have worked to increase the awareness among the public and decision makers around both Agenda s issues, in both local and international platforms. 4

How the Somali Youth contributes to the SDGs promotion and VNR Identifying whether the countries in the region have volunteered to develop VNR reports and provide some regions valuable data. Informal Education: by providing supplementary SDG education tools (translated tools) for youth, in particular school students, in order to create a deep understanding of the SDGs in schools around Somali regions and preparing the next generation to face and overcome the many challenges ahead of them. 5

Conclusion Young people can play a larger role in the implementation of the SDGs and supporting the VNR process if they are supported in innovation and enterprise efforts, provided with quality education, training and tools to measure their impact, integrated in cross-sector and intergovernmental dialogues, and included as an integral part of decision-making and negotiation processes. A society that cultivates and supports its youth population will benefit from a generation that is highly skilled and equipped to deliver strategies to solve the challenges we face as a nation and as a planet 6

Conclusion This time the change is that the Agenda 2063 is created with the background of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, but the implementation is different and more fitting with the context. What the youth of Africa is in need of is a visionary leadership, regional collaboration, smart planning so that they can take over this continent as the new generation. Political stability in some of the countries like Somalia is important but is still being processed where we can t implement anything until its stabile. Africa is in need of equal rights, human rights implementation, responsive institutions that are focused on achieving prosperity that is sustainable and inclusive. The leaders and institutions need to be accountable for their actions the citizens are asking for transparency and accountability from their governments and political leaders. 7