Main News Open Youth Debate Marathon was held in the regions

Open Youth Debate Marathon was held in the regions

16 June 2020

In April-May 2020 a series of open regional discussions “The future we want: our ideas and actions” took place in the Republic of Belarus within the framework of the Youth campaign “Towards the future we want” dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Organization.

The participants of the discussions were students of pedagogical classes and schools – members of the Association “Education for Sustainable Development”, Youth Ambassadors of SDGs and students of regional universities, teachers. The topics of the regional discussions covered various aspects of the activities of UN agencies in the Republic of Belarus, current problems in the region and the possibility of including youth in their solution. The most active discussions were raised by the following questions:

Adaptation to climate change and innovation in emergency response as a condition for counteracting and minimizing environmental and socio-economic risks (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Belarus, EE “Polessky State University”, 24 April 2020);
Specifics of interaction with adolescents in conflict with the law: restorative justice, mediation, punishment unrelated to imprisonment, interaction with young people (UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the Republic of Belarus, EE “Baranovichi State University”, May 5, 2020);
Issues related to safe migration, the prevention of trafficking and implementation of joint thematic projects (Office of the International Organization for Migration in Belarus, “Baranovichi State Pedagogical University” enterprise, 5 May 2020). M. Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University”, Minsk Regional Institute of Education Development, 18 May 2020);
Stigmatization and discrimination in modern society, prevention of social diseases (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Gomel Regional Institute for Education Development; EE “Skorina Gomel State University”, 19 May 2020);
Assistance to refugees, reduction in the number of stateless persons, prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, EE “Vitebsk State University named after P.M. Masherov”, GUDEO “Vitebsk Regional Institute for Education Development”, 20 May 2020);
Gender equality and gender stereotypes in modern society (United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), GUDE “Grodno Regional Institute for the Development of Education”, EE “Grodno State University named after P.M. Masherov”, Kupala State University of Grodno, 21 May 2020);
Building the professional competence of graduates, the possibility of creating career centres as a platform for the association of students and potential employers (UNDP in the Republic of Belarus, EE “Mogilev State University named after M. Tank”, EE “Mogilev State University named after M. Tank”, A.A. Kuleshov Mogilev State University”, EE “Mogilev State Regional Institute of Education Development”, 29 May 2020).

A logical continuation of the discussion of the problems raised during the regional discussions will be the inclusion of young people in the implementation of socially important projects and their participation in a series of youth actions and initiatives “Leaving No one Behind” and media festival “Voices of Young People for Sustainable Development“.

For reference:
The youth campaign “Towards the future we want” was initiated by the Ministry of Education and the United Nations Office in Belarus. The discussions were organized by the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Belarus, UN agencies, the Belarusian State Pedagogical University and the Association “Education for Sustainable Development”, as well as regional universities-members of the Cluster of Continuing Pedagogical Education. Integrated support to the activities of the Youth Campaign “Towards the Future We Want” is provided by the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator “Education for Sustainable Development” of the BSPU, on which website you can find detailed information about the marathon of open regional discussions.