2021 #YOUNGA Youth Delegate Communiqué

I founded YOUNGA to build bridges—uniting young people around the world to feel seen, heard and valued as co-creators of our future.

Bridges between generations.

Bridges between nations, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Bridges between governing structures and decision-making processes.

To build solutions that last, we must have all stakeholders involved.

With YOUNGA, we aim to foster constructive intergenerational and multi-stakeholder dialogues—for each of us offers different perspectives, lived experiences and knowledge that together create a sustainable solution that serves and supports everyone.

YOUNGA is a global platform to bridge “the future youth want, the action we need” so we can come together as a collective to build a more inclusive, sustainable world.

The theme for YOUNGA 2021 is “Re-imagine a better future”. We live in a time where the state of the world and the narratives surrounding our future are stark. With climate and health crises, doomsday prophecies and fear-based media stories amplifying our concerns, young people are acutely aware of global strife.

To achieve the inclusive and sustainable future we all seek, we must invest in developing the potential of young people and create a new trajectory for our future.

We cannot know light without the darkness necessary YOUNGA 2021, I wanted to bring our attention back to the light—to evoke imagination and creativity among today’s leaders to look not toward the future with wary hearts but instead think of a new world of ideas and possibilities.

Our world needs the renewed hope and wonder more than ever before. We must tap into our ability to imagine, think creatively and act. Through our actions and the decisions we make today, we have the power to change the global “Re-imagine a better future”—one

that is inclusive, healthy, peaceful and sustainable.

The YOUNGA 2021 Youth Delegate Program empowered young leaders across 137 countries to achieve this mission—advocating for and stewarding new solutions for today’s global challenges. The policy recommendations enclosed in this Communiqué were developed by our Youth Delegates and serve as an invitation for decisionmakers to not only re-imagine a better future but to also create it!

This Communiqué outlines the future youth want, but it is my hope decision-makers and current leaders heed the second part of YOUNGA’s mission to identify and implement the action we need to accelerate progress for the collective and co-create a better future for all.

Kelly Lovell CEO, BridgingTheGap Ventures and Founding Global Chair, YOUNGA Forum

Re-Imagine A Better Future

The year 2021, like the year before it, continues to be a defining time in the lives of youth around the world. Young people have rallied for climate action, gender equality, social justice, quality education, decent work, mental health and vaccine equity, to name a few—trying to recover from the mistakes of previous generations while simultaneously learning from their wisdom.

In the chaos of trying times, it can be easy to fall into regular patterns, to want everything to “go back to the way things were” out of a need for comfort, out of fear. We should not simply build back better—that implies what was there before only needs to be improved upon. Instead, let’s re-imagine what’s possible and construct new systems and supports to make that vision a reality.

From opportunity gaps, innovation can emerge to bridge the divide. From a lack of access, inclusion can evolve if there is recognition and willingness to make the change. At BridgingTheGap, we created the YOUNGA Forum to do just that—fostering inclusive innovation by empowering and equipping young changemakers on a global scale.

We asked our 2021 Youth Delegation to re-imagine a better future and this Communiqué is one of the ways they are calling upon decision-makers to take action toward achieving it. This collaboration demonstrates the ethos of YOUNGA: We provide the platform to identify and address the future youth want and the action we need.

A common theme of YOUNGA’s programming and this Communiqué is the intersectionality of many global issues that cross-cut geographies and demographics—highlighting how imperative it is that we work together to re-imagine a better future for all. Our 2021 Youth Delegates understood this and it is our collective hope that their fierce passion, unique lived experiences and the needs they identify not only be seen and heard but also acted upon.

Jaclyn Stief Director of Operations, BridgingTheGap Ventures

YOUNGA Forum

Through an inclusive, forward-looking youthdriven dialogue, YOUNGA amplifies the youth voice, creating a global interactive and participatory platform for the hopes, concerns and ideas of young people to be seen and heard by the world’s top decision-makers.

2021 Youth Delegation

2,000+ young people represented

Four-Week Leadership and Training Program

Youth Delegates received access to a bespoke fourweek leadership and advocacy training program by BridgingTheGap Ventures focused on scaling their impact and enriching their skills, along with curated career advancement and networking opportunities.

Take Action Day

A new initiative to YOUNGA this year, we wanted to motivate Youth Delegates to take further action toward causes important to them while also encouraging new connections with social impact organizations partnering with YOUNGA 2021. On September 17, Youth Delegates participated in Take Action Day—creating real change virtually or in-person in their communities and around the world. We invited partner organizations to submit opportunities for our Youth Delegates to complete so they could further engage with organizations that inspired them at YOUNGA 2021 and propel their shared goals.

Disney Day

On September 9, in keeping with the 2021 theme— Re-imagine a better future—we live-streamed more than six hours of programming from Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Interactive panels, fireside chats and keynote sessions focused on topics like entrepreneurship, leadership, social impact, personal growth, activism, ideation and innovation.

Participating youth were able to not only engage with the speakers themselves but also with fellow changemakers.

Innovation Masterminds

Throughout September, we hosted 40+ hours of live sessions together with programming partners to connect Youth Delegates directly with fellow changemakers, celebrity influencers, industry leaders and decision-makers, including UN officials, in an intimate setting to discuss global challenges and co-create solutions alongside the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Each week, the programming revolved around a specific theme—the first week focusing on storytelling, with the following weeks sequentially focused on innovation, advocacy and, lastly, upskilling.

Organized by BridgingTheGap Ventures, the YOUNGA® Forum is a pioneering annual global youth takeover event uniting young people with decision-makers using VR/XR technologies to co-create solutions for a more inclusive, sustainable world during the United Nations Decade of Action from 2020 to 2030.

VR Networking and After Party

Our 2021 Youth Delegation was invited to participate in four VR networking sessions with fellow Delegates on the BridgingTheGap Galactic Spaceship using AltspaceVR. Delegates were also invited to the YOUNGA 2021 After Party—taking a trip around the world with us through an immersive experience in our spaceship. Everyone had the option to participate in avatar mode in order to interact live with fellow attendees and YOUNGA Youth Delegates from around the world in virtual reality.

Working Groups

We ensure all members of the BridgingTheGap community don’t just have a voice—they have a role in co-creating solutions with serious impact. Each of us has unique life experiences and challenges that we have faced which will influence our thought process and approach—naturally, our solutions should reflect this diversity.

YOUNGA 2021 invited Youth Delegates to participate in Working Groups around our five thematic tracks:

Climate Action and Sustainable Living Equality and Inclusion

Future of Education and Work

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Peace and Justice

Each group was then led by a number of Youth Delegates particularly passionate about its cause— guiding the group members while also liaising with the BridgingTheGap team.

Over the course of six weeks together, the Working Groups:

• Understood the youth priorities and needs as they relate to their thematic track

• Identified the external factors, challenges and opportunity gaps in advancing the change youth want to see in the world

• Summarized results from these discussions and working sessions

• Developed recommendations for action

Through the Working Groups, Youth Delegates explored the questions, considerations and processes that are required to present ideas to decisionmakers, influence and shape important conversations for change and the process of creating policy recommendations.

The BridgingTheGap team then took these issues and recommendations put forth by the Working Groups and summarized them to present to current decision-makers on behalf of the 2021 Youth Delegation.

With an overarching theme—the future youth want, the action we need—the YOUNGA Forum works to not only amplify the voices of young people but also call upon our leaders to act upon the hopes and concerns young people have for our future. To this end, this Communiqué summarizes the recommendations and tangible action steps our 2021 Youth Delegation wants to see our current decisionmakers implement.

The purpose of this report is to uplift and amplify the voices of young people. BridgingTheGap collected and edited the identified issues and proposed solutions written by our 2021 Youth Delegates before designing and publishing this Communiqué. We strived to maintain the integrity of their original intent—we do not claim the opinions expressed herein as our own.

Climate Action and Sustainable Living

Charles Deguimp France

>ISSUES

1/5

Environmental Policy Accountability

The distribution of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is quite concentrated: The top 50 fossil fuel companies in 2015 accounted for half of global industrial GHG emissions.1 In fact, since humaninduced climate change was officially recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988, over half of global industrial emissions can be traced to just 25 corporate and state producing entities, and the fossil fuel industry has only expanded to become more carbon-intensive, doubling its contribution to global warming.2 Every country has different economic and social challenges, and for developing countries, there are increased high-risk and vulnerable areas that are more impacted by climate change. Many workers and labourers for lower-tier suppliers in developing countries who have to gather raw product resources from nature are facing severe consequences—such as lack of environmental resources due to climate change—that will impact financial incentives and increase the risk for unsustainable processes.3

Climate Change Awareness

It is predicted that in 2050, the world population will reach 9.7 billion.4 This expanded population could require the equivalent of three planets to provide the necessary natural resources if most people maintained their current lifestyle5 —which includes a reliance on non-renewable sources with limited reusing or recycling. According to the World Risk Poll, one in five people has no awareness or opinion on climate change issues.6 Moreover, 13% of people stated climate change is not a threat at all, 18% stated that they do not know if it’s a threat, and 28% said they think it is only somewhat a threat.7 In order to

first be awareness and action at the individual level.

Non-Renewable Energy Emissions

Many countries and companies are still dependent on non-renewable energy such as coal, oil and natural gas despite its known negative effects on the atmosphere. These fossil fuels produce greenhouse gases (GHGs) that continuously trap heat in the atmosphere, increasing the earth’s temperature. The earth emits approximately 50 billion tons of greenhouse gases each year, of which 73.2% are created by the energy sector.8 More specifically, energy-related emissions can mainly be attributed to industry (24.2%), buildings (17.5%) and transportation (16.2%).9 The lack of renewable energy resources that are being implemented on a global scale, by both countries or companies, results in firms burning more fossil fuels and adding to the CO2 gas emissions in the atmosphere.

people has no awareness or opinion on climate change issues

By 2050, the world will need to produce about

50%

more food

Agriculture and Food System Sustainability

With the global population predicted to increase to 9.6 billion by 2050,10 food systems and agriculture must be sustainable to ensure global sufficiency as well as provide quality health and wellbeing. By 2050, the world will need to produce about 50% more food—if no changes in food loss and waste are made—to feed the increasing population.11 Currently, the food system—which includes production, processing and distribution— is responsible for one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions.12 When quantifying GHG food emissions, there are four considerations: livestock and fisheries, crop production, land use and supply chains13 —highlighting that sustainability needs to be implemented throughout the food system.

Waste Management

Waste dumping has been a long-standing issue for the environment as it increases pollution within the soil, air and water. Between 9-14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year14 and if this continues until 2050, there would be more plastic waste than fish in the ocean.15 Moreover, 280 billion tons of groundwater is being polluted every year—9,000 tons every second—continuously intensifying the negative effects on human, animal and environmental health.16 Waste management is considered a major issue that is influenced by industrial, household and construction

waste. The COVID-19 pandemic has gravely contributed to this problem as the rate of biomedical waste has increased—harming populations, the environment and affecting the quality of health and living overall.17 A lack of waste management for solid and liquid waste can negatively affect drinking, irrigation and water sources of rural and urban areas. Untreated and mistreated waste—biomedical waste in particular—releases hazardous gases and compounds as well as increases the transmission of infectious diseases.18

RECOMMENDATIONS

Ensure government accountability and transparency regarding environmental policy

• Governments should develop an annual report detailing the status of all general policies and projects to properly track their progress on implementation and ensure transparency for their constituents.

• Policymakers should increase community engagement in policymaking and provide access to policy documents so they can be reviewed by community members—particularly leading environmental activists, non-governmental organizations, women, youth and marginalized groups—to ensure inclusivity.

• Member states should strengthen and implement more ambitious carbon emissions policies in line with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from the Paris Agreement.

• Member states should encourage transparency in green and carbon policies by ensuring organizations provide an annual report of sustainability processes and that governments report on the carbon footprint in rural and urban areas.

• Member states should use monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure policies do not sacrifice sustainability and protection of the environment.

• Member states should create initiatives to enhance measurement, reporting and verification mechanisms within the monitoring and evaluation process.

Member states encourage transparency in green and carbon policies

• Member states should lead climate innovative interventions in local communities to provide a range of environmental benefits such as reducing the carbon footprint and creating employment opportunities for marginalized groups.

• Governments must pursue an integrated response to climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and ecosystem-based adaptation, while also ensuring that these policies are non-discriminatory and inclusive.

• Local governments should ensure that rural communities rally for climate change and planning is done right by carrying out Participatory Vulnerability Assessments (PVAs) and developing adaptation and mitigation plans for these communities.

Create and improve community awareness and actions taken to address the impacts of climate change

• Local governments and related NGOs must increase the participation of youth, women, Indigenous peoples and local communities to act on climate programs they conduct and monitor.

• Educational institutions should integrate a climate action plan within the current curriculum. Primary schools should focus on the basic science, the background of climate change issues and individual to community action on climate change. Secondary schools should focus on a project within the science curriculum to provide students with ways to take concrete actions as well as climate action programs students can participate in voluntarily.

• All schools should organize action-oriented projects—especially for people in vulnerable communities—to spread awareness about the importance of being sustainable.

• Educational institutions should focus on teaching students about environmental human rights and climate education, and ensure that everyone—particularly women, Indigenous peoples, youth, rural people and marginalized communities—has access to climate education.

• Local governments should increase the engagement of their local community in the climate action programs they conduct to ensure that people from all areas, especially those in rural areas, have access to the awareness of climate change impacts.

Chief Jim Knowledgekeeper Foothills Ojibway, Turtle Island

‘ Increase participation of youth, women, Indigenous people and local communities to act on climate programs

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest in clean, renewable energy and sustainable processes

• Governments should promote energy efficiency, fuel switching, combined heat and power, use of renewable energy and more efficient use and recycling of materials at the industrial level as well as recommend industries have low carbon emissions alternatives.

• Governments should encourage corporations of consumer goods that contribute end-products to the environment to carry out activities according to the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) approach in order to make production processes and goods more sustainable.

• Governments should push stakeholders to use cleaner forms of energy through subsidies, a universal carbon tax, legislation that empowers companies to change to a greener approach through investments and growing the market of low-carbon products.

• Governments should increase financial support and resources for research and development and innovation in clean and renewable energy, sustainable packaging instead of plastic and removing pollutants from the environment.

• Governments, research and development institutions, stakeholders and local communities should promote the implementation of solar energy by investing in solar farms to increase power generation with clean and renewable energy in local-level and industrial processes.

• Increase more public and private funding on the national and international level for entrepreneurs and startups in the field of energy, providing financial incentives to research, build and innovate in green technology and thereby pushing the market in an eco-friendly direction— eventually leading to an environment-friendly industrial sector.

Increase sustainability in agriculture and the food system

• Governments should encourage the use of sustainable agricultural methods such as vertical farming, regenerative farming and seaweed farming while also ensuring that the transition to these methods should be done without violating Indigenous peoples and by embracing traditional ways of managing land.

• Stakeholders should recognize and employ the cultural heritage and traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples and local communities to further enhance national and global action on climate change—especially for agricultural and food systems.

• Governments and corporations in agriculture should increase investment in green technology and reduce the costs of organic products with efficient technology since working on organic products may lead to high costs. Chemicals should not be used in agriculture as it not only harms the land and other resources but can also lead to various diseases in living beings.

• Government ministries should transform the conduct of agricultural activity by demanding the use of eco-friendly and sustainable tools and machinery to carry out the necessary activities to sustain life, both immediately and in the long term.

• Governments and educational institutions should provide education in sustainable practices to farmers, producers and other stakeholders in food production.

‘

Governments should encourage the use of sustainable agricultural methods

Develop and enforce a sustainable waste management policy

• Governments should regulate waste segregation and impose fines or penalties on the non-segregation of waste.

• Encourage societies to take care of the waste within their immediate surroundings through recycling activities and transporting waste to local waste banks as well as using renewable products and demanding that all individuals, societies, businesses and local governments do the same.

• Governments must provide guidelines and frameworks for systematic and effective waste management, prohibit landfills and ban illegal burning and discharge.

• Governments must make using styrofoam for food packaging illegal due to its adverse health and environmental effects.

• Governments and related stakeholders should provide financial support and incentives for research and innovation in biodegradable products and packaging, large-scale composting, compostable materials and containers, and replacing carbon-intensive building materials.

• Related stakeholders and NGOs should share knowledge in their local communities about composting and achieving a zero-waste lifestyle, and make resources easily accessible to everyone.

• Academic institutions and the ministry of environment should identify where waste goes in local communities and test water quality regularly to ensure citizens are not exposed to toxic waste.

• Government must ensure and provide facilitation for the segregation of medical waste and other waste to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, specifically for workers in waste segregation.

• Governments and the department of environment should create wastewater management systems and put financial resources into this research and development to create biological filtration mechanisms.

• Academic institutions and their research and innovation departments should encourage residents and manufacturing companies to reuse rainwater through natural ground filtration systems.

• Governments must create binding laws for industries that operate in their respective country so both local and foreign companies are held accountable for the water and soil pollution they create.

‘ Governments and related stakeholders should provide financial support and incentives for research and innovation in biodegradable products

Equality and Inclusion

Ayo-Oluwa MofopefoLuwa Adefuye Nigeria

>ISSUES

8.7%

Youth employment dropped globally by in 2020

COVID-19 as an Accelerator of Existing Inequalities

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly worsened existing inequalities around the globe, particularly around vaccine inequity, youth unemployment and violence against women. Global vaccine rollout has been shockingly unequal, as the world’s richest nations have a surplus supply of COVID-19 vaccines yet only 1% of people in low-income countries have received at least one vaccine dose.19 The pandemic has also triggered one of the worst jobs crises— young people have experienced the sharpest decline with youth employment dropping globally by 8.7% in 2020.20 Furthermore, gender-based violence (GBV) has increased as lockdown measures have left women trapped at home with their abusers and restricted their access to support services.21 Global post-pandemic recovery will not be feasible without measures to reduce these widening inequalities.

Workplace Discrimination and Stigmatized Work

Workplace discrimination has multiple underlying causes which can lead to both a lack of recognition as well as exclusion. These professional inequalities not only affect people from underrepresented groups when they’re being hired but will also follow them throughout their time in the workplace. Nearly one in four countries (24%) continue to have no legal protection from discrimination at work based on race and ethnicity and half of countries (51%) offer no protection from retaliation against workers who report discriminatory treatment based on race or ethnicity, preventing individuals from obtaining justice.22 More than two thirds of countries (68%)

do not guarantee protection from discrimination at work based on sexual orientation and 90% do not guarantee protection based on gender identity.23 Futhermore, half of countries (53%) do not explicitly guarantee equal pay for work of equal value based on sex, which means women who work in gendersegregated occupations have no legal recourse to address pay disparities.24 Beyond exclusion within an organization, some professions are considered ‘taboo’ and the people engaging in such jobs are excluded and not accepted as a part of mainstream society. The so-called ‘dirty work’ has often focused on what stigmatized occupations have in common, implying that it is a relatively monolithic construct—physically (i.e. garbage collectors, scavengers, embalmers/ undertakers/morticians, etc.), socially (i.e. addiction counsellors, psychics, etc.) and morally (i.e. exotic dancers, prostitutes, etc.).

1 billion

There are over people with disabilities

Inaccessible Communities

There are over one billion people with disabilities—15% of the world’s population in 2020, making them the largest minority group.25 Nevertheless, people with disabilities are still less likely to be employed,26 more prone to live in poverty27 and struggle to equally engage in their communities. Being part of a community involves embracing opportunities for socialization, which can only be enjoyed if it’s accessible to everyone. Many businesses and workplaces are not fully accessible to people with disabilities because they have failed to incorporate accessible facilities and technology. Moreover, communities that view the unique needs of people with disabilities as a deficiency create barriers to their inclusion—leaving those with disabilities at the margins of society and reinforcing existing inequalities. People with non-visible disabilities are often overlooked in this context which can affect their mental health and increase acceptance barriers. While some accessibility gaps can be attributed to a lack of funding, the issues surrounding awareness and acceptance require a fundamental rethink.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO) and World Trade Organization (WTO) need to implement limitations on the number of COVID-19 vaccines countries are allowed to produce and have to prevent vaccine hoarding and wastage.

• The UN, WHO and WTO need to promote and support the establishment of partnerships between COVID-19 vaccine producers and local pharmaceutical companies and ensure the waiving of vaccine patent and intellectual property rights to enable local vaccine distribution through the development of national vaccine production centers.

• The UN, WHO and WTO need to implement fair and equal vaccine pricing, and supply additional support and funding to low-income countries to increase their COVID-19 vaccine supply.

• Governments need to verify vaccine suppliers to ensure citizens are receiving approved and verified COVID-19 vaccines amidst the rise of fake vaccines.

• Governments and non-profit organizations need to promote vaccination measures and knowledge about vaccines in local communities to debunk myths about the COVID-19 vaccine such as it being unsafe or containing foreign objects or substances.

Ensure the availability, affordability and accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccine in all countries

‘

The UN, WHO and WTO need

Increase access for youth to resources and opportunities that will advance their professional development and improve employability

• International organizations, governments and educational institutions need to increase youth access to entry-level resources such as computer literacy skills, customer service and communication skills, business communication and professional writing skills, CV/résumé guidelines and templates, and interview guidelines and practice questions.

• International organizations, governments and educational institutions need to increase youth access to entrepreneurship knowledge and resources such as how to start a business, secure funding, write business proposals, advertise and market, create a digital footprint, and manage and track business finances.

• International organizations, governments and educational institutions must provide free, certified webinars and workshops specifically designed for unemployed youth, aimed at enhancing their skills, experience and credibility.

• Governments, educational institutions and non-profit organizations should provide unemployed youth with free mobile data so they can access digital resources such as job websites, recruitment agencies and business networking.

• International organizations, governments and educational institutions need to increase youth employment opportunities through paid internships, remote job opportunities, apprenticeships and traineeships to help youth gain professional experience and build their résumés.

• Governments and non-profit organizations in collaboration with both the public and private sector should create employment empowerment projects to educate youth and provide the necessary work experience for acquiring jobs and retaining them.

Riju Manandhar Nepal

‘ Increase youth access to entrepreneurship knowledge

Prioritize protecting victims of gender-based violence (GBV)

• International organizations and governments need to implement stronger legislation and enforcement measures against gender-based violence (GBV).

• Governments, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations should increase access to resources for GBV such as helplines, shelters and support groups.

• International organizations and governments need to prioritize gender equality and gender parity in all existing levels of political participation on a local, national and international level— such as through equal gender representation in executive government, national parliaments and local governments—to ensure that women’s voices and interests are being represented.

• Non-profit and grassroots organizations need to promote and support emerging female leaders in the political and international relations spheres to ensure women’s voices and concerns are being represented.

Provide safe and inclusive work and workplace environments for all

• All organizations should work on identifying unconscious and structural biases and discrimination stemming from stereotypes and taboos in traditions and cultures along with other causes that lead to exclusion and microaggressions. Research should be conducted by credible governments and international organizations when warranted.

• Any research conducted about safe work and the workplace should also include the perspectives of workers who felt discriminated against in order to get a better insight into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the situation.

• All employers must provide equal learning opportunities to all their employees for their development regardless of their age, gender, social status, ethnicity, etc.

• Governments, international organizations and educational institutions should conduct intensive research to understand the stigmas revolving around the so-called ‘degrading’ or ‘taboo’ professions (i.e. addiction counsellors, embalmers, prostitutes, etc.).

• Governmental and non-governmental organizations should emphasize the human rights of people working in ‘taboo’ jobs and ensure people who take up such jobs, as well as those who engage in discriminatory behaviour, are sensitized through awareness campaigns and social media ads.

• Governments must conduct awareness drives to inform scavengers, garbage collectors and embalmers/morticians/undertakers of the hygiene, mental health and physical health risks of their potentially hazardous work and the appropriate precautions they should take as well as provide safer equipment for such tasks.

• Governments should legalize jobs like prostitution to have the vigilance of proper authorities to prevent trafficking, the spread of HIV/AIDS and maltreatment.

Ensure women’s voices and concerns are being represented

Make communities more accessible for people with disabilities

• Governments and businesses should provide funding to build inclusive infrastructure online and offline, creating accessible communities for people with visible and non-visible disabilities.

• Governments and local leaders should provide recognition and financial incentives to authors, artists, journalists and content creators who position people with disabilities at the center of their stories and increase their visibility in arts and culture.

• Global and community leaders and employers should provide equal opportunities to normalize the inclusion of people with disabilities and nurture diversity through the equal inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace and decision-making processes.

• Governments and local leaders should utilize accountability boards to increase transparency, enable complaints about negligence and misconduct toward people with disabilities and evaluate the progress of policies and projects promoting equality and inclusion.

‘

Provide funding to build inclusive infrastructure, creating accessible communities for people with visible and non-visible disabilities

Future of Education and Work

Mark Chester Tungcul Philippines

87% >ISSUES

Skills Gap

The lack of quality education in many countries results in a large skill gap when students enter the workforce. Young people lack both the soft (i.e. critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, etc.) and hard skills (i.e. technical knowledge and training) which then becomes detrimental to their professional success. This is the result of an outdated curriculum and education system that is focused on rote learning over practical skill-building such as experiential learning, career counselling, personal finance, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and mental health. As technology and the business landscape continue to rapidly evolve, so too do the workforce skills that organizations need to thrive and grow—and the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated these challenges. In a McKinsey global survey on future workforce needs, executives and managers said their organizations lack the talent they will require: 43% report existing skill gaps and another 44% expect to face skill gaps within the next five years—meaning nearly nine in ten (87%) are experiencing gaps now or expect them within a few years.28

Access to Education

In many countries, governments provide limited infrastructural facilities, leading to education being inaccessible for people residing in remote areas— further reaffirming the rural-urban disparity. Moreover, income inequality results in a lack of access to quality education, particularly for marginalized groups such as migrant workers, urban poor, minorities, transgender people and those transitioning, people with disabilities (PWD) and people residing

in remote areas who already face difficulty in accessing education. The digital divide, which only heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic, has further increased the inaccessibility of education. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the internet penetration rate is 87% in developed countries but only 47% in developing countries and 19% in the least developed countries (LDCs).29 Students who are unable to afford the proper technology and internet access are being neglected by educational institutions as well as being left out of upskilling opportunities.

are experiencing skill gaps now or

expect them within a few years

1/5 in education or training (NEET) in 2020

Mental Health in Education

Academic stress is one of the most contributing factors that affect student performance as well as their physical and mental health. Secondary and post-secondary students face a variety of ongoing stressors related to academic demands that can reduce academic achievement, decrease motivation and increase the risk of school dropout, and in the long-term reduce the likelihood of sustainable employment.30 There are multiple causes of stress— grades, peer and parental pressure, workload, social life and future aspirations. An Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) survey involving 72 countries found that two in three students aged 15-16 years (66%) reported feeling stressed about poor grades and over half (55%) reported feeling very anxious about school testing, even when they were well prepared.31 Over one in three students (37%) reported feeling very tense when studying, with girls consistently reporting greater anxiety relating to schoolwork compared to boys.32 Unfortunately, the education system (i.e. teachers and administration) often does not pay heed to these issues.

Experiential Learning

There is a lack of formal and informal mentorship and hands-on training from industry experts in the workplace which leads to young people being unprepared to adapt and thrive to current market needs. Globally in 2020, more than one in five young people (22.4%) aged 15-24 were not employed, in education or training (NEET), and two out of every three of these NEETs (67.5%) were young women.33 From when the NEET rate and targets were established in 2015 to the start of the global

COVID-19 pandemic, the number of NEET youth had already been on the rise.34 Young people are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to decent work35 and this issue has only been further exacerbated by the pandemic. In a 2021 global BridgingTheGap survey, more than one third of young people (35.6%) identified equal access to opportunities, practical training, or mentorship and support as the best way for industry stakeholders to make the world more sustainable and inclusive.36

>ISSUES people aged 15-24 were not employed,

‘

Higher education institutions should invest in and integrate practical learning

RECOMMENDATIONS

Provide a practical, experiential and holistic education to eliminate the skills gap

• Educational institutions around the world need to update their curriculum from the grassroots level and invest in developing both the hard and soft skills of students.

• Educational institutions should initiate a system to test students based on their skills and interests pertaining to their chosen subjects rather than standardized exams.

• Educational institutions should aim to provide a holistic education, including covering topics such as gender studies, self-awareness, finance management, citizenship, and mental health and wellbeing to help them succeed in both their personal and professional lives.

• Higher education institutions should invest in and integrate practical learning (i.e. vocational training, entrepreneurship studies, internships, etc.) for their students to ensure a well-rounded education.

• Policymakers should review the curriculum of vocational training regularly to ensure students obtain updated knowledge based on any technological advancements so they are properly prepared for internships and the workplace.

• Employers should provide a mentorship program for employees of all job levels.

Ensure underrepresented and underserved groups have equal access and opportunities in education

• Local governments should ensure people from underrepresented and underserved groups are given access to better learning opportunities.

• Governments should allocate sufficient funds for the education sector and should frame policies to ensure the availability of modern facilities (i.e. free internet facilities, computers and other devices, multimedia and e-libraries).

• Students should be included in curriculum creation and maintenance to ensure better inclusivity in education.

• Governments should invest in vocational and skill-building programs for people living in rural areas to allow them to gain the necessary skills to combat the competition when applying for a job.

• Governments should provide adequate infrastructural and technological facilities to increase the accessibility of education in rural areas and for other students facing barriers to education.

• Educational institutions need to be established in rural areas and teachers should receive adequate training before they join schools to ensure a high quality of education.

‘ Governments should invest in skill-building programs for people living in rural areas

Increase the focus on mental health and wellbeing in schools

• Educational institutions should have a psychological help department or an expert that students can easily contact when they need help.

• Educational institutions should host mental health and wellbeing seminars and information sessions regularly to ensure students know about the importance of taking care of their mental and physical health.

• Educational institutions should incorporate workshops into the curriculum that are focused on helping those who are struggling or showing signs of struggle–including those who are not comfortable, ready or aware to seek help on their own.

‘ Educational institutions should have a psychological help department

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Celine Bernhardt-Lanier Spain

>ISSUES

Health Systems Don’t Support

Whole Being

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease.”37 The mind and body have been regarded as one for thousands of years, yet many medical communities are still hesitant to recognize the intersection. The difficulty in accessing quality mental health care has only exacerbated this problem. Nearly one billion people around the world have a mental health disorder,38 and of those residing in low- and middle-income countries, 75% receive no treatment.39 Despite this, prior to the pandemic, countries were spending less than 2% of their national health budgets on mental health—struggling to meet their populations’ needs—and mental health still received less than 1% of international aid designated for health.40 The COVID-19 pandemic has either disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries all while the demand for mental health is increasing.41 While more than 80% of high-income countries reported deploying telemedicine and teletherapy to bridge gaps in mental health, for low-income countries it was less than 50%.42 After a humanitarian crisis and healthrelated pandemic, the holistic wellbeing of individuals is again jeopardized. It is necessary to start adapting the concept of body wellness as a whole in order to empower individuals to have agency over their own body and their health.

Health Supports in Schools

Students around the world are lacking the health supports they need in order to thrive in an academic

setting. These missing resources negatively affect the mental and physical health of young people in schools. Even prior to the pandemic, 35% of students in a WHO study reported experiencing at least one mental health disorder—with major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder being the most common.43 By 2021, a Chegg study indicated that more than half of students (56%) reported their mental health had suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.44 To make matters worse, 78% of the 130 countries who participated in a 2020 WHO study reported partial disruptions to mental health services in schools during the pandemic.45 Furthermore, many curriculums are not meeting the needs of students by failing toproperly cover topics focused on mental and physical health, leading to a lack of health literacy— defined as “the degree to which individuals can understand, obtain and process health informations and services”46 —and coping mechanisms for these

of national health budgets are spent on mental health

>ISSUES

By 2030, the cost of poor mental health is to rise to trillion

$6

challenges. Despite the fact that almost 800 million people menstruate worldwide, menstrual health is often still considered a taboo topic, which negatively impacts the quality of life and health outcomes of those who menstruate.47 In low- and middleincome countries (LMICs), poor menstrual hygiene has even been found to interfere with students’ academic performance—an issue brought about by a combination of a lack of menstrual health literacy and access to menstrual health products and resources for proper hygiene (i.e. soap, sanitary napkins, clean water, etc.).48

Desensitization to Mental Health and Burnout

As a society, we have constructed a stigma around the subject of mental health—normalizing unhealthy worklife balances, constant competitive atmospheres and a complete disregard for one’s own wellbeing. Being engaged in the workforce can be good for mental health, but a negative work environment can lead to physical and mental health issues.49 An example of this is the recent uprising of “burnout culture,” though it still remains classified as an occupational phenomenon and not a medical condition.50 Burnout results from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed and is characterized by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased negativity, cynicism or mental distancing related to work; and reduced professional efficacy.51 Lost productivity due to anxiety and depression—two of the most common mental health disorders—costs the global economy

USD $1 trillion each year.52 By 2030, the cost of poor mental health is projected to rise to USD $6 trillion when factoring in poor health and reduced productivity.53 The COVID-19 pandemic has placed additional strains on our mental health—loss of loved ones, social isolation, loss of income, misinformation and fear may have triggered new mental health issues or exacerbated existing ones. Consequently, this structural stigma contributes to individuals’ numbness toward mental health issues, leading to the overall lack of information regarding diagnosis and treatment. This cumulation of self-deprecation and policy that normalizes mental fatigue results in a lower quality of life for all.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Fernanda Bogue Brazil

Equip people to provide agency over their own bodies

• Corporations of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG)/consumer packaged goods (CPG) must supply menstrual health products to underprivileged communities around the world that lack access to proper menstrual hygiene.

• Educational institutions should include menstrual health (i.e. premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, premenstrual exacerbation and menopausal stage) in the curriculum for children and adolescents to deconstruct stigmas surrounding menstrual health and empower individuals to create a society where the menstrual cycle and natural cyclical living is honoured.

• Ministries of education should encourage state and/or national boards of education to include topics such as bullying, body acceptance, neutrality and the decentralization of hegemonic masculinity in health and civics curriculums.

• Prominent social media platforms should increase the monitoring of potentially harmful content that may promote mental health disorders and harmful behaviours. Individuals need to have the agency to view themselves as they want to be viewed, and ultimately have control over their own body image.

‘ Educational institutions should include menstrual health in the curriculum for children and adolescents to deconstruct stigmas

Identify and remove stigmas associated with mental health

• Educational institutions should provide literacy programs that promote knowledge, attitudes and help-seeking behaviour so as to improve public perceptions and stigma with curriculums that are recovery-focused and cognitively tailored to different age groups.

• National institutes of health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other organizations dedicated to healthcare research should research and collect data on mental health issues within health systems and communities to amplify the normalization of mental health issues and destigmatize mental health concerns among communities where it is still considered taboo.

• Utilize existing research along with localized data collection to implement comprehensive and inclusive mental health policies and legislation. This will help create a more robust healthcare infrastructure that will include mental health care support, services and facilities. Keeping the data collection localized will lead to solutions that are inclusive of contexts, cultures and issues affecting minority and/or marginalized communities.

• Train and sensitize health care professionals about the connected effects of mental, physical and menstrual health and the needs of patients.

• Educate healthcare professionals (i.e. physicians, pediatricians, etc.) about the stigmas associated with medications used to treat mental health disorders so they can help to destigmatize these treatments and provide accessible, affordable and quality care.

Increase access to mental health care services

• The certification of allied health fields should mandate and enforce additional mental health training, thereby ensuring medical professionals are equipped with the knowledge to better care for patients.

• Governments, NGOs and educational institutions should create scholarships and programs to incentivize students to pursue careers in psychiatry and the general field of mental wellbeing.

• Non-profit organizations should conduct needs assessments within communities to identify how best to improve the mental health of individuals of underserved groups.

• Schools should offer therapy services and mandate confidentiality between counsellors/social workers/ therapists and students as long as they are not causing harm to themselves or others. Support groups should also be offered and encouraged to students who seek therapy within the school setting to empower them to take control over their own mental wellbeing.

• Medical professionals should prescribe alternative therapies (i.e. sound therapy, art therapy, equine therapy, meditation, yoga, kinesiology, breathwork, acupuncture, etc.) to their patients, when feasible, and not just for individuals suffering from a disease but those who want to maintain wellness.

Utilize research to implement comprehensive and inclusive mental health policies and legislation

Make mental health a priority in the workplace

• Organizations should include in their employee benefits package a budget for alternative therapies so all employees and their families can benefit from the preventative and holistic care they can provide.

• Organizations should integrate accredited mental health awareness programs into the employee onboarding process and require all existing employees to complete the programs.

• Employers should shift to a four-day workweek when possible to promote work-life balance and improve employee productivity. In addition, for industries where it is feasible, consider hybrid models to promote the combination of remote and in-office work, and foster employee autonomy by introducing flexible working hours.

• Organizations and governments should increase the number of paid sick days to incorporate time for both physiological and psychological wellbeing, and encourage employees to take these days off every quarter. Organizations should also promote an environment where taking days off for oneself is not frowned upon or viewed as unfavourable.

‘

Organizations should integrate accredited mental health awareness programs into the employee onboarding process

Prioritize mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Promote government-funded educational programs to schools to increase awareness and anticipate common mental health issues among young people that may be resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Provide counselling training programs for parents and teachers so they can help guide and support young people while recuperating from the drastic lifestyle changes from COVID-19.

• Governments must ensure the availability of funding for healthcare services and essential needs (i.e. quality nutrition, clean water and advanced medical supplies) for the vulnerable populations most affected by the pandemic.

• Organizations should promote ongoing mental health and wellness check-ins for their employees especially front-line workers—by allocating financial resources for alternative therapies as well as providing adequate insurance.

• Educational institutions should provide ongoing mental health and wellness check-ins for their students and teachers by ensuring sufficient funds are available for alternate therapies as well as adequate insurance.

• Integrate mental health care services into routine healthcare clinics and hospital visits.

Recognize wellbeing in humanitarian crises

• Existing trauma centers need to provide adequate treatment for mental health conditions, especially during times of natural disasters, by creating psychiatry wings equipped with medical professionals specialized in trauma-focused therapy, which may require the expertise of Doctors Without Borders or other international health groups.

• Governments and related entities must increase access to clean drinking water, specifically in areas that lack access to filtration systems.

• NGOs should promote indoor and outdoor water use reduction by creating green roofs to help with rainwater management and reduce the heat island effect, as well as using non-potable water (i.e. greywater) and captured rainwater for plant irrigation and flush functions (i.e. toilets and urinals).

• Governments should increase efforts to reduce the overall cost of living by providing adequate, safe, secure and affordable shelter with access to suitable facilities and preventing precarious housing during humanitarian crises as a means to ensure proper health and disease prevention.

• Governments and NGOs should provide funds for countries that take in refugees for the purposes of assessing their psychological and physiological health and providing adequate long-term treatment for any diagnosed medical conditions.

‘

Governments and related entities must increase access to clean drinking water

Peace and Justice

Susan Mute Kenya

>ISSUES

1/2

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking—for the purposes of forced labour or sexual exploitation—is the third-largest crime industry in the world after drugs and arms trafficking, and nearly one-third of its victims are children.54 It is a global problem that involves people being bought, sold and forced into labour. Poverty, political instability, political power clashes in how trafficking is addressed, and territorial disputes within and outside a country increase the potential of human trafficking. As laws weaken during times of instability, a country and its people become vulnerable and susceptible to displacement.

Corruption and Fair Elections

Corruption—which can include bribery, fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and extortion, among others—is imposing political, economic and environmental costs on democracy and societies around the world. Corruption is present in every sphere of social life, but its presence in politics is causing great damage to the values and cornerstones of democracy because it involves the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. One of the ways corruption in the political sphere can surface is during elections—for example, a candidate may come unfairly and unjustly to a position of power through bribery (i.e. by buying the votes of the people). This process harms the democratic system that is based on free and fair elections. The most recent Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that in 2020, countries in MENA and Eastern Europe regions had some of the highest perceived levels of public sector corruption—on a range from 1 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), many of these countries had a score under 20.55 Corruption was also proven to be more pervasive in countries less equipped to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.56

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a global crisis worldwide. It is a public health issue as well as a human rights violation. Domestic abuse, sexual assault and harassment, child and forced marriage, conversion therapy, sex trafficking, honour crimes and female genital mutilation (FGM) are all examples of GBV. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least one in three women—around 736 million women worldwide—will experience some form of physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence by a non-partner during their lifetime; sadly, this number has remained largely unchanged for the past decade.57 In fact, one in two women report that they or a woman they know have experienced violence since the pandemic, highlighting how COVID-19 has intensified violence and resulted in a shadow pandemic.58 Genderbased violence jeopardizes the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims, but it continues to be veiled in secrecy. A greater emphasis must be placed on this problem as a critical front in the fight for peace and justice in modern society.

or a woman they know have experienced violence since the pandemic

women report they

>ISSUES

Human Rights Protection

Thirty key human rights are described in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which has been signed by 192 nations. However, across the globe, these rights are not being respected. Vulnerable communities are suffering abuse at the hands of their governments and/or by other groups that do not believe these minorities are entitled to the same rights. Furthermore, due to the interconnected nature of these social groups, many individuals face concurrent and overlapping forms of oppression. In 2020, authoritarian actors contributed to the 15th consecutive year of decline in global freedom.59 Of the 195 independent countries assessed in the Freedom in the World 2021 report, 73—who represent 75% of the global population— experienced aggregate freedom score declines in political rights and civil liberties and only 28 made gains, the largest margin recorded during the 15-year period.60 Now less than 20% of the global population lives in a fully free country, the lowest level since 1995.61 The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting governmental response has exacerbated the decline in democracy—reduced transparency, the spread of misinformation and heavy restrictions coupled with silencing objections and criticism gave repressive regimes and antidemocratic leaders the opportunity to use the pandemic as a cover to weaken their opposition and strengthen their own power, which could have long-standing impacts beyond the pandemic.62

Hate Crimes and Hate Speech

Hate crimes can include horrific deadly attacks, verbal and physical harassment, bullying and the spread of hate on social media platforms. These crimes are committed on the basis of the victim’s perceived

or actual gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, ability, neurodiversity, socio-economic status, age and/or citizenship. In the last five years, there has been a significant rise in hate crimes across the world. An FBI report on 2020 hate crime statistics shows that in the US, there were 8,263 criminal incidents reported involving 11,129 related offenses motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender and/or gender identity.63 Nearly two-thirds of victims (61.8%) were targeted because of the offenders’ race/ethnicity/ancestry bias— hate crimes towards individuals of Asian descent increased by 73%, due in part to racist stereotypes tied to the COVID-19 pandemic—and one in five (20.0%) were victimized because of the offenders’ sexual-orientation bias.64 Hate crimes that are not reported cannot be investigated and prosecuted so they remain uncounted—and some hate crimes that are reported are not investigated properly or prosecuted—obscuring the true extent of the problem and the urgent need for action.

<20% of the global population lives in a fully free country

Roshni Mohan India

RECOMMENDATIONS

Provide greater awareness, tracking and laws to reduce human trafficking and better support victims

• Health care providers should be educated in identifying sex trafficking victims and providing the appropriate care.

• International organizations should provide increased pressure to identify and track high-risk areas of human trafficking as well as increased surveillance along borders.

• International organizations should provide increased pressure to illegalize both child marriage and child labour where it is still legal as well as enact tougher laws.

• Create shelters to assist victims and potential victims as well as educate them so they have the means to restart their lives.

• Ensure compensation for victims of human trafficking is clearly outlined in the law so they are aware of the support they are entitled to and are not deterred from seeking help.

• Generate awareness of human trafficking through compulsory education courses and social media campaigns.

• Use government funding and increased media awareness to promote support toward human trafficking organizations tackling the issue on the frontline.

• Educate young people in school on human trafficking to garner advocacy support and increase public pressure on governments to hold more world leaders accountable for their attitudes toward the human trafficking movement.

‘

Educate young people in school on human trafficking to garner advocacy support

Ensure fair elections with informed voters

• Before elections, NGOs who work on combating corruption should run campaigns and educational programs about real-life examples of abuse of power and corruption to educate citizens on the impact of fair elections. Youth associations should also be part of these efforts in order to attract and inform as many young people as possible.

• Develop government-funded nationwide voter education programs to create well-informed citizens from an early age.

• Governments and justice systems should ensure and enforce that vote trading (i.e. selling votes and accepting bribes) is punishable by law.

• Ensure corruption is well-reported and the process for preventing corruption as well as the impact of preventable measures is widely available through research institutes and a public database of evidence.

Prevent gender-based violence (GBV) and better support victims

• In collaboration with international organizations, develop an evidence-based policy and programming guidelines on the prevention of violence against women and girls.

• Ensure implementation of stringent laws to prevent violence and strengthen partnerships between different sectors of society to work toward establishing justice.

• Implement institutional and community interventions such as training frontline workers to identify and respond to GBV and curating local awareness campaigns to highlight the necessity of its prevention.

• Promote grassroots-based initiatives for better facilitation of GBV resources among the common masses.

‘

Develop government-funded nationwide voter education programs to create well-informed citizens

Create greater awareness, accountability and supports for human rights

• Establish a network within the UN called Youth Human Rights Watchers to involve youth with a background in law, research, journalism, politics, international relations and activism in solving and tracking human rights abuses as well as making domestic and international organizations aware of these issues by using the media and sending recommendations.

• Use prominent individuals as spokespersons as well as various forms of media and other tools to raise awareness about specific human rights and groups who are suffering.

• Empower international bodies to implement stronger human rights laws with harsher punishments that will protect marginalized sections of society and ensure leaders are held accountable for the abuses occurring in their nations and organizations.

• Assist groups who have and/or are suffering by helping them escape nations where they have been discriminated against by creating more charities and NGOs to support them, directing victims toward a regional human rights court and advocating for the establishment of more human rights courts and/or regional forums to solve these issues.

Samantha Leal Mexico

‘

Assist groups who have and/ or are suffering by helping them escape nations where they have been discriminated against

Combat hate crimes through education and international cooperation

• International organizations should strengthen international cooperation on combating hate crimes by putting it on the agendas of their meetings/assemblies more frequently.

• Governments, in collaboration with schools, should enact and fund school programs to educate young people about the nature of hate crimes and their prevention.

• Governments should support and strengthen the mandates and capacities of intergovernmental organizations that are addressing discrimination by providing funding to train and educate law enforcement to combat hate crimes effectively.

‘

Governments should fund school programs to educate young people about the nature of hate crimes and their prevention

CONTRIBUTORS

Climate Action and Sustainable Living Working Group

Working Group Members

Muhammad Atif, Noor Abaza, Doha Hammadi, Roshni Nagrani, Michelle Muchilwa, Vidya Tahalooa, Aaliyah Noble, Apoorvi Jain, Vridhi Jain, Nour Amer, Chengkuac Awan, Arya Manandhar, Manuel Frank, Mary Ndimba, Preneshree Archary, Tirth Patel, Sakshi M Krishna, Kamogelo Thabana, Audrey Wang, Myat Myo Han, Kashvi Singh, Sila Soysal, Shreya Chaudhuri, Shelot Masithi, Bavana Maharaj, Shruthaalaxmi, Kristie Duff, Ursule Rebecca, Julia Solzmann, Linda Mtare, Meutia Rafa Anandita, Freshta Yousufi, Gupil Garg, Mohammad Ayaz, Jaagrit Gaur, Martin Shiloh Ponce Pabon, Nadia Paleari, David Kitinya, Eva Raphael Mkane, Braeden Miguel, Joselle Smith, Sophia Topacio, Jen Quico, Fabricio Correa, Lylene Belle M. Carcedo, Martin Mojzis, Vipassna Gautam, Nicole Ignacio, Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Rudaba Sarwar, Roshni Mohan, Ayoola Olufemi Orimoloye, Nicolas Sanabria, Rampersad Sivanee, Moiz Mustafa, Liliana Marcela Bonilla Villanueva, Rajshree Dewal, Shannen, Ratu Anindya, Jhoanna Jane Alberca, Alan Valdés, Luciana Carranza, Saranya Mondal, Vanessa Herrera, Shruti Dubey, Divyanshi Darshana, Erol Apo Villacorta, Divyanshi Verma, Aparna Kumari, Ismail Auwal, Nour Mohamed, Damaris Rios Guzmán, Nethmi Muthugala, Gabrielle Cole, Vimbai Zisengwe, Faria Sajnin Tarpi, Claudia Galindo, Ruchi Parli Tirkey, Muhammad Faseeh, Isabella Chevarría, Neha Guinesh, Verah Torres, Leonard Walletzký, Sely Audi Amanda, Kinisimere Saratibau, Shrestha Paul, Simran Sahan, Andrea Abreu, Juan Ortiz, Gwyneth Choi, Hammed Opeyemi Rasaq, Jannat Nasir, Tolulope Gbenro, Alya Andrina Purbadi, Caleb Muendo, Clarissa Janice Noerjanto, Levy Nyirenda, Josephine Oyinlola, Hendri Surya Widcaksana, Ayesha Perveen, Raskha Arun, Dr. Ameegah Paul, Bilikis Sabitu, Katia Shek, Bianca Malfert, Bharati Sahani, Rahuldeep Singh

Seruni Salsabila, Carla Mae R. Toling, Tanish Singh

Equality and Inclusion Working Group

Working Group Leaders

Nerissa Muthayan, Louisa Lönnies, Rutpreet Chadha, Divija Jain, Archisha Singh

Working Group Members

Amanda Díaz Rozas, Md. Moontasir Shahriar Bijoy, Aadya Agarwal, Claudia Galindo, Md. Moktar Hossen, Luna Mercuri, Leonard Walletzký, Tasfia Maisha, Nicolás Sanabria, Ursule Rebecca, Nadia Paleari, Pragya Singh, Verah Torres, Defi Salsa Utariani, Ume Farwa, Moomna Fatima, Aimee-Sophia Lim, Rajshree Dewal, Ishita Singh, Tara Moses, Miray Özmutlu, Azkha Mikdhar, Jhoanna Jane Alberca, Sheikh Sarah Tasmim Moury, Sıla Soysal, Sirene Shaheen, Niamani Knight, Ingrid Maunganidze, Julia Solzmann, Soleman Kumeang, Pallavi Pradhan, Nayan, Safa Haroon, Sangeeta Behera, Nyama Mutondo, Chengkuac Awan, Shruthaalaxmi, Lethiwe Ndawonde, Ayesha Perveen, Isha Korgaonkar, Josephine Oyinlola, Aishwarya Anita Arakal, Olu Heiyanthuduwa, Bavana Maharaj, Shruti Dubey, Martin Shiloh Ponce Pabon, Chaimaa Taib, Yusuf Kawata, Yesha Joshi, Anshika Jain, Preneshree Archary, Lorenzo Lazarus, Lino Unyango, Hiba Abdurahiman, Darshana Rijal, Abdinasir Shariff, Levy Nyirenda, Mohammad Ayaz, Napintakorn Kasemsri, Caleb Muendo, Somya, David Kitinya

Future of Education and Work Working Group

Working Group Leaders

Adedapo Adeniruju, Gulmina Imran, Efobi Lilian Elochukwu, Reese Wong, Shakthi Palraj

Working Group Members

Kambobe Malasha, Innocent Turyahikayo, Syed Zabiulla Hussaini, Ladu Daniel Mike, Lethiwe Ndawonde, Miray Özmutlu, Vimbai Zisengwe, Azkha Mikdhar, Divyanshi Verma, Micaela Arribasplata, Isha Korgaonkar, Seemab Bibi, Faria Sajnin Tarpi, Rajshree Dewal, Shruthaalaxmi, Erol Apo Villacorta, Bame Rhoda Afukeze, J’zara Adams, Bianca Malfert, Arina Polushina, Vidya Tahalooa, Verah Torres, Mika C. Datadin, Meutia Rafa Anandita, Nwabisa Mona, Rahildaris Marchena, Kajal Yadav, Jamicia Mc Calman, Ereeka Huq, Alison Orellana Rios, Muhammad Faseeh, Phasinee Saengthong, Panthipa Suksirisorn, Josephine Oyinlola, Preneshree Archary, Yesha Joshi, Roshni Nagrani, Daniel Tello Munemura, Md. Moontasir Shahriar Bijoy, Nezam Uddin, Alya Andrina Purbadi, Nerissa Muthayan, Audu Jessica, Julia Solzmann, Elizabeth Gerard, Tebogo Molatlhegi, Shruti Nandagiri, Pragya Singh, Gabriella Stephanie, Aatika Asad, Ume Farwa, Irini Lula, Kabsha, Md. Moktar Hossen, Rhea Thomas, Freshta Yousufi, Yesha Gonzales, Riya Yadav, M.W. Nethmi N Muthugala, Martin Shiloh Ponce Pabon, Muhammad Atif, Jully Angelica Uriol Vidal, Isaiah Thomas, Doha Hammadi, Abdinasir Shariff, Kazi Nafisa Sanjana, William Kei, Muhammad Usama Zain, Aadya Agarwal, Brigitta Maulani A.S.P, Sara Khalid Channa, Wisdom Tokame, Lilia Touil, Zura Mustafa Abdallah, Felipe Gómez Gallo, Susannah William Fernandes, Syed Yousuf Ali, Niamani Knight, Vrinda Garg, Chaimaa Taib, Kamogelo Thabana, Nyama Mutondo, Joselle Smith, Opira Bosco Okot, María José Maldonado, Laura Valentina Fernández Parra, Moiz Mustafa, Allison Gabriela Peralta Gamarra, Sania Kalmodia, Suhasini Dokowry, Vaishnavi Kale, Hema Nair, Nicole Ignacio, Khadidja Mahamat Hisseine

Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group

Working Group Leaders

Riddhi Bhagwat, Anika Bukkapatnam, Natalia Fernandez, Radhika Goyal, Mary Nkhoma

Working Group Members

Grishma Paneru, Gopal Thapa, Daniela Lopes, Stephanie Butler, Verah Torres, Jhoanna Jane Alberca, Defi Salsa Utariani, Christie Tan, Soleman Kumeang, Vrinda Garg, Shruti Dubey, Noorie Hoosaney, Faria Sajnin Tarpi, Varuni, Tasfia Maisha, Kajal Yadav, Shruti Nandagiri, Meghana Prakash, Ethel Naa-Eke, Nerissa Muthayan, Safa Haroon, Md. Moktar Hossen, Mary Ndimba, Nwabisa Mona, M.W. Nethmi Nadeendya Muthugala, Shruthaalaxmi, Danielle, Alfonso Yuji Abeleda Cortez, Sanskriti Sharma, Akshaj Singh, Polina (Panthipa Suksirisorn), Sıla Soysal, Fatima Zaheer, Arsene Umuhoza, Paul Akangbe, Syed Yousuf Ali, Gabriella Stephanie, Ayesha Perveen, Uwitonze Aurore, Rudaba Sarwar, Shalomi Devansubhai Oza, Tashinga Alfreda Mubonderi, Hafsa Khan, Gupil Garg, Moiz Mustafa, Emily Wang, Heemal Pandey, Natasha Bwalya, Priscilla Afriyie Adomako, Sebastian Soe, Hema Nair, Šárka Pospíšilová, Khushi Ahuja, Martin Shiloh Ponce Pabon, Valeria Zambrano, Ereeka Huq, Arya Manandhar, Ume Farwa, Aung Thi, Joselle Smith, Martina Khaling Rai, Sangeeta Behera, Audrey Wang, Allison Gabriela Peralta Gamarra, Melinda Xu, Melissa Magidi, Zofia “Zoe” Febrero, Samantha Beatriz Leal Góngora, Bavana Maharaj, Vidya Tahalooa, Moomna Fatima, Roshni Nagrani, Arina Polushina, Megan Phan, Pema Khangdu Tamang, Sara Khalid Channa, Moleboheng Matsepe, Cristian Oller, Lilia Touil, Daniel Matheson, Alishba, Nicole Ignacio, Aatika Asad, Alya Andrina Purbadi, Jamicia Mc Calman, Anshika Jain, Aadya Agarwal, Summer Knowles, Julia Solzmann, Dunyasha Tharindie Senerath Muhamdiramge Yattogoda, Rutpreet Chadha, Jacob Daodu, Molka Ayadi, Aborode Abdullahi, Labonno Amin

Peace and Justice Working Group

Working Group Leaders

Hadzera Selimovic, Alliyha Ahmed, Alison Adriana Berbetty Omiste, Navya Sharma, Hiba Karim, Gianluca Piran Fuselli

Working Group Members

Faryal Jan Azimi, Sibt-e-Ali, Ghezal Azimi, Mir Sadat, Ume Farwa, Syeda Mehmooda, Kelvin Akyea, Dina Moajeb, Sheikh Sarah Tasmim Moury, Muhammad Faseeh, Claudia Galindo, Irini Lula, Kenli Diaz, Jonas Nitschke, Ladu Daniel Mike, Shiv Jain, Joselle Smith, Rutpreet Chadha, Tirth Patel, Aurore Uwitonze, Alyssa Velez, Tara Moses, Here Bharati Sahani, Divyanshi Darshana, Simran Sahani, Nour Mohamed, Chaaima Taib, Divija Jain, Josephine Oyinlola, Adam Skvor, Sanskriti Sharma, Alexander Nakad, Beatrix, Martin Shiloh Ponce Pabon, Aishwarya Anita Arakal, Daniel Matheson, Aimee-Sophia Lim, Rajshree Dewal, Lilia Touil, Isabella Chevarria, Archisha Singh, Pragya Singh, Hrushikesh Patil, J’zara Adams, Phuong Trinh Nguyen Hong, Tadeas Soukup, Mark Jacinto, Shruti Dubey, Mizan Ahmed, Manuel Frank, Shruthaalaxmi

Working Group Mentor and Communiqué Lead

Jaclyn Stief

Communiqué Research and Editing Support

Flavia Marin, Margot Cameron

Design Felipe Lobo

About BridgingTheGap Ventures

BridgingTheGap Ventures was founded with the goal of bringing together young changemakers with the world’s top industry leaders, decision-makers and influencers to usher in a new era for humanity that is more connected, collaborative and empowered than the status quo.

Providing access is central to all that we do—bridging opportunity gaps for underrepresented and underserved groups in order to foster inclusive innovation, prepare for the future of education and work, and co-create solutions to community challenges.

Through interactive, intergenerational and intersectional live experiences, we create spaces for youth-led innovation and future skills development so the next generation can adapt and thrive.

Our policy efforts and research insights not only inform the work that we do but are leveraged and highly valued by partners to understand, engage and amplify the youth voice.

We’ve built a global, curated community of active youth champions and passionate young people that organizations, brands and thought leaders can directly tap into— whether it be to showcase new initiatives, gather youth input or scale social impact.

FOOTNOTES

1 CDP (2017): The Carbon Majors

Database: CDP Carbon Majors Report 2017

2 CDP (2017): The Carbon Majors Database: CDP Carbon Majors Report 2017

3 Harvard Business Review (2020): A more sustainable supply chain

4 UNDESA (2019: Growing at a slower pace, world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050 and could peak at nearly 11 billion around 2100

5 United Nations: Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

6 Lloyd’s Register Foundation (2019): The majority of people around the world are concerned about climate change

7 Lloyd’s Register Foundation (2019): The majority of people around the world are concerned about climate change

8 Our World in Data (2020): CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

9 Our World in Data (2020): CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

10 UNDESA (2019: Growing at a slower pace, world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050 and could peak at nearly 11 billion around 2100

11 FAO (2020): The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020

12 Our World in Data (2019): Food production is responsible for one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions

13 Our World in Data (2019): Food production is responsible for one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions

14 UNEP (2021): From Pollution to Solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution

15 UNEP (2018): Beat Plastic Pollution

16 TheWorldCounts: Tons of waste dumped

17 UNEP (2020): COVID-19 Waste Management Factsheets

18 Environment, Development and Sustainability Journal, Sarkodie, S. A., and Owusu, P. A. (2020): Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on waste management

19 World Bank (2021): ‘Absolutely Unacceptable’ COVID-19 Vaccination Rates in Developing Countries

20 World Economic Forum (2020): The pandemic has damaged youth employment: Here’s how we can help

21 UN Women (2020): The Shadow Pandemic: Violence against women during COVID-19

22 UCLA WORLD Policy Analysis Center (2020): Global Study Finds Critical Gaps in Workplace Protections

23 UCLA WORLD Policy Analysis Center (2020): Global Study Finds Critical Gaps in Workplace Protections

24 UCLA WORLD Policy Analysis Center (2020): Global Study Finds Critical Gaps in Workplace Protections

25 World Health Organization (2020): Disability and health

26 ILO (2020): International Day of Persons with Disabilities: How disability affects labour market outcomes

27 UNDESA (2018): Disability and Development Report: Realizing the Sustainable Development Goals by, for and with persons with disabilities

28 McKinsey & Company (2020): Beyond hiring: How companies are reskilling to address talent gaps

29 ITU (2019): Measuring digital development

30 International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, Michaela C. Pascoe, Sarah E. Hetrick and Alexandra G. Parker (2020): The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education

31 International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, Michaela C. Pascoe, Sarah E. Hetrick and Alexandra G. Parker (2020): The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education

32 International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, Michaela C. Pascoe, Sarah E. Hetrick and Alexandra G. Parker (2020): The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education

33 ILO (2020) Young People Not in Employment, Education or Training

34 ILO (2020) Young People Not in Employment, Education or Training

FOOTNOTES

35 ILO (2018): Interns and outcomes: Just how effective are internships as a bridge to stable employment?

36 BridgingTheGap Ventures (2021): YOUNGA 2021 Youth Delegate Input Survey

37 WHO (2018): Mental health: Strengthening our response

38 The Lancet Global Health (2020): Mental health matters

39 WHO: WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health

40 WHO (2020): COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries, WHO survey

41 WHO (2020): COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries, WHO survey

42 WHO (2020): COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries, WHO survey

43 WHO (2018): The WHO World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Project: Prevalence and Distribution of Mental Disorders

44 Inside Higher Ed (2021): Pandemic Pressures

45 WHO (2020): COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries, WHO survey

46 US National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health (2021): Adolescent Menstrual Health Literacy in Low, Middle and High-Income Countries: A Narrative Review

47 US National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health (2021): Adolescent Menstrual Health Literacy in Low, Middle and High-Income Countries: A Narrative Review

48 US National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health (2021): Adolescent Menstrual Health Literacy in Low, Middle and High-Income Countries: A Narrative Review

49 WHO: Mental health in the workplace

50 WHO (2019): Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases

51 WHO (2019): Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases

The Lancet Global Health (2020): Mental health matters

The Lancet Global Health (2020): Mental health matters

54 EPCAT International (2018): The trafficking of children for sexual purposes: One of the worst manifestations of this crime

55 Transparency International (2020): Corruption Perceptions Index

56 Transparency International (2020): Corruption Perceptions Index

57 WHO (2021): Devastatingly pervasive: 1 in 3 women globally experience violence

58 UN Women (2021): Measuring the shadow pandemic: Violence against women during COVID-19

59 Freedom House (2021): New Report: The global decline in democracy has accelerated

60 Freedom House (2021): New Report: The global decline in democracy has accelerated

61 Freedom House (2021): New Report: The global decline in democracy has accelerated

62 Freedom House (2021): New Report: The global decline in democracy has accelerated

63 FBI (2020): FBI Releases Updated 2020 Hate Crime Statistics

64 FBI (2020): FBI Releases Updated 2020 Hate Crime Statistics