On June 27 and 28, BE OPEN Foundation took part in the panel sessions of the MED9 Ministerial Summit for Education for Sustainable Development and the UNECE Forum on ESD: Empowering Youth for Sustainable Futures, two of the most important education and sustainability focused events in the global agenda.
In her welcome message, the host Dr. Athena Michaelidou, Minister of Education, Sports and Youth of Cyprus, explained the importance of holding these events: “At this crucial juncture in human history, where the urgency to address environmental challenges has never been more abject, it is inspiring to witness such a diverse forum that is dedicated to the cause of sustainability. Our commitment to fostering Environmental and Sustainable Development policies is not merely a directive; it is a moral imperative to safeguard the future of our planet for generations to come. Central to our discussions in these forums will be the pivotal role of youth in driving ESD policies for a sustainable future. Imparting young minds with the knowledge, skills, and passion for environmental stewardship is paramount.”
On June 27, at the Ministerial Summit MED9, Director of BE OPEN Foundation Gennady Terebkov joined Almotaz Aadi, Deputy Secretary General UFM; Christopher Castle, UNESCO; Sylvie Motard, UNEP Deputy Director Europe and Tatyana Molcean, UNECE Executive Secretary; for the session dedicated to strengthening cooperation and networking for ESD. BE OPEN shared its experience of building a network of cooperation for the maximization of the positive impact of the Foundation’s SDG-focused programme.
On June 28, at the UNECE Forum, BE OPEN joined the session named ‘Creating links between institutions and other actors’ aimed at fostering collaborations between educational institutions and governments, businesses and civil society. For both the events, BE OPEN prepared the very relevant results and findings of its SDG-themed student competition programme, demonstrated the positive outcome of cooperating with a number of institutions and its commitment to help integrate sustainability into curriculums of educational institutions globally.
The purposes of BE OPEN’s sustainability work were encapsulated in the address by the Founder Elena Baturina: “Achieving a sustainable tomorrow is the task we have to impose on young people. What we must do today is equip them with the knowledge, skills and tools to help them address these challenges and build the mindset, the inner compass that will guide them through turmoil towards a healthier and more sustainable world for all. We at BE OPEN have always worked to harness the brainpower of younger people, and five years ago, we realised that sustainable development is the sphere that needs their creative potential most. Since then, we have been working globally to support the Sustainable Development Goals and will continue to contribute to achieving them via recognizing, showcasing and promoting the best ideas and projects developed by the young.”
Another contribution by BE OPEN into the UNECE Forum programme was a lecture on the future of education by a world-renown futurist Gerd Leonhard, attended by 300 participants from all over the world: young sustainability leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and activists, as well as policymakers, and representatives from NGOs and businesses interested in fostering youth engagement in sustainability solutions.
