INTERGENERATIONAL CONVERSATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
On the evening of 11th of August at the Center for arts and culture at 22 Hang Buom, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports in collaboration with UNESCO Viet Nam Office organized a talk show “Intergenerational conversation for sustainable development”. The event is a opportunity for young people express their creativity to contribute to the action program “Creative City” of Hanoi.
It is an open, frank conversation of generations with different perspectives and organizations directly related to young people. It created opportunities for young people to speak up about issues they care about.
Giving speed at the talk show, Mr. Do Dinh Hong, Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports affirmed that young people play a very important role for innovation, construction and development of society in general and of Hanoi Capital in particular. Hanoi has issued a plan to implement the initiatives, in the dossier to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network until 2025, including many programs, contents and opportunities for young people to participate in the program “Hanoi – Creative City”.
Specifically, the city always creates conditions for young people and expects them to participate more in creative cultural activities such as: Unleashing Creativity Week 2021, Creative Design Week 2022, Hanoi Design Contest for Creative Space 2020, the contest ” Creative Hanoi” or “For Hanoi to be beautiful in every centimeter” 2022… At the same time, establishing a network of young creative designers; developing a project to form Hanoi Creative Design Center – where young people can learn, seek opportunities and participate in the city’s common creative activities.
In addition, the city has a lot of cultural spaces and always creates opportunities for young people to coordinate and participate in activities and organize events. The city also pays special attention to promoting the development of human resources to build a creative city and develop cultural industries in the Capital. There are programs on building creative ecosystems, creative education, forming a generation of global citizens.
“In the future, we hope that the community, especially young people, will participate more actively in city’s activities on the basis of taking cultural resources and cultural creativity as the foundation for sustainable development. We also call for cooperation from domestic and foreign partners to organize useful programs to Hanoi”, Mr. Do Dinh Hong said.
According to Pauline Tamesis, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam: Young people play an important role in the education transition. They are both supporters and beneficiary of this ongoing transition. “We look forward to learning from them and receiving recommendations for specific actions that focuses on academic recovery after Covid epidemic and educational transformation. For example, how to ensure inclusion and equity for youth from all backgrounds, especially those from vulnerable groups; how to popularize the digital and give them the skills they need for a good career and bright future. Moreover, we would also like to listen to your ideas on how to deal with inevitable emergencies, such as climate change or new diseases”.
Mr. Christian Manhart, President of the United Nations Thematic Working Group on Youth, UNESCO Representative in Viet Nam emphasized that youth represent the country’s valuable resource, and youth are the main key for innovation and social change. From his personal story as a young man in a small village in the mountains of Bavaria, and then doing archaeological work in Munich and Paris, Christian Manhart made his way to becoming a non-conventional UN agent. He had 1 failed application but was not discouraged. Then, with a 3-month unpaid internship in the Cultural Heritage department, luck smiled on him.
He sends a message to young people: “Follow your dreams! Don’t give up! Try to broaden your horizons by studying or working in another country. Learn a foreign language! And when you get the chance, work hard and show your motivation! Then you have a good chance of success.”
At the talk show, guests representing all sectors from disabilities and ethnic minorities discussed the best way to ensure equitable and inclusive access to quality and sustainable education, equipping young people with 21st century skills. In particular, in the face of extreme climate change and increasingly complex epidemics, the role of schools in equipping young people with knowledge and skills so that they are environmentally responsible as well as become more resilient to all different complex situations…
Also, Deputy Director of Department of Youth Affairs under Ministry of Home Affairs – Luong Thi Hai Anh; member of Youth Department in Rural, Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union – Duong Anh Quang; Secretary of the Youth Advisory Group – Tran Quang Tho has brought diverse and practical perspectives by who are developing and making policies for young people. Also because of today situation, the guests offered solutions to mobilize the participation of youth in the processes of building and making policy, especially policies related to youth.