SDG 8 Youth Ambassador on the role of gender equality in building a sustainable future

SDG 8 Youth Ambassador, student of the Faculty of Economics of the Belarusian State University Anastasia Korshek told about the areas of work within the framework of achieving the SDG 8 “Decent Work and Economic Growth” and what segments of the population this activity is aimed at.

How did you know about the activities of SDG Ambassadors?

I found out about the activities of the Youth Ambassadors of the SDGs at the first student SDG forum held at our university. The organizer of this forum was the SDG Youth Ambassador of the second and third convocations, Stefania-Vitalia Vinnichek, who shared her experience and spoke about the role of ambassadors in promoting the SDGs. All Youth Ambassadors of the third convocation were invited to the forum, and we had the opportunity to talk to each of them, learn about their activities and get advice.

In what areas is work being carried out within the framework of your Goal?

The work towards achieving my Goal is focused on several areas. Firstly, these are educational activities aimed at raising awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals, mainly among young people. As SDG Youth Ambassador, I aim to not only help young people understand the meaning of the SDGs, but also to inspire them to take action and make positive changes in their lives. Secondly, I am engaged in scientific activities in this area. In particular, I study aspects of the implementation of the SDGs in the world and Belarus, I study the social and economic effects of the green economy, the closed-loop economy, sustainable development programs in general and separately. Research activities help to better understand the challenges that exist in the field of sustainable development and economic growth, and successful examples implemented by other countries can be adopted. In addition, speaking at conferences and forums on the SDGs also helps to expand the circle of people interested in sustainable development and involved in studying it.

What segments of the population are your Goal aimed at?

My activities are mostly aimed at young people, including students and schoolchildren. First of all, these are students of my university, especially the economics department, where we give lectures, organize events and discuss current issues of sustainable development. I strive to interest my classmates and students from other majors in topics related to sustainable development. Since the Youth Ambassador is still a student like everyone else, the principle of peer teaching peer applies, which has proven its effectiveness in conveying important and sometimes complex information more than once. We also hold an annual student SDG forum at the Belarusian State University, where the most interested students of our university gather. In addition, educational events are held with schoolchildren, most often in the format of lectures on the SDGs, which we reinforce with interactive games in order to better assimilate the material and interest the children.

What organizations do you collaborate with to achieve the Goal?

As a student, I actively collaborate with student organizations of the Belarusian State University, which allows us to hold joint events and forums. In particular, this is the student council for the Sustainable Development Goals at BSU, of which I am a member, the student scientific society of the economics faculty of BSU and others. In addition, we maintain partnerships with business representatives such as Sberbank and A1, which help expand the scope of our work and bring practical experience and knowledge to our events.

What information work is being carried out with the population?

Outreach work includes holding educational events such as forums, lectures and trainings on the SDGs in universities, schools, gymnasiums and lyceums, where we introduce students to the SDGs and discuss their importance for each of us. I try to actively engage participants through interactive formats so that they can not only learn more, but also understand how sustainability principles can be applied in everyday life.

How do you find interested event participants and like-minded people?

Since the most significant changes start with yourself, being a youth ambassador means not only talking about the principles of sustainable development, but also practicing them in your daily life. By changing ourselves, we also change our environment, so a significant portion of interested participants are found through personal contacts. My example inspires friends, classmates and acquaintances who are becoming interested in the SDGs and want to make their contribution. Interest in the topic of sustainable development is also demonstrated through events that we hold at the university and other educational institutions. For example, after my lectures or presentations, there is usually interest from students and schoolchildren who want to learn more about the SDGs and take part in further events. Also, the SDG forums that are held annually at our university attract the most motivated and interested participants.

Why did you decide to become an SDG Youth Ambassador and choose this Goal?

Since my first year at university, I have become actively interested in the topic of sustainable development. This topic attracted me with its relevance and the opportunity to contribute to global positive changes in the world. Even then, I took part in the first SDG forum, which was held at the Belarusian State University. This forum was an important starting point for me. Later, within the framework of the second SDG forum, I acted not only as a participant, but also as one of the organizers, responsible for coordinating the project teams. As a facilitator, I helped participants in developing and promoting their ideas in various areas of sustainable development. After the second forum, I finally decided to become a SDG Youth Ambassador, because I realized that I wanted to continue to engage with this topic on a deeper level, inspire others and help students and schoolchildren understand the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals. I chose the SDG 8 “Decent Work and Economic Growth” for myself. As an economics student, I know that the economy underpins the well-being of a country and its citizens, influencing areas such as employment, income, and opportunities for youth development. Economic growth stimulates business development, investment in innovation and new technologies, and creates more jobs, which leads to a reduction in poverty and an improvement in the socio-economic situation.