BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
EZULWINI – Young people, grab the chance to participate in a live dialogue!
MTN Bushfire and the United Nations (UN) are calling on all young people in Eswatini to participate in this year’s UN Bring Your Fire Live Dialogues series.
The first Live Dialogues session will be held at House On Fire in Malkerns tomorrow from 10:30am to 11:30am, and this was confirmed by MTN Bushfire Festival Director Jiggs Thorne.
The topic will be the ‘Role of Education in Fostering Climate Action: Empowering the Next Generation of Environmental Stewards’. This falls under the Education and Climate Action theme, addressing SDGs 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
The Live Dialogues are MTN Bushfire and the United Nations in Eswatini’s joint outreach programme aimed at encouraging young people to lend their efforts towards fostering positive change and sustainable legacies in our communities. This initiative is a dynamic and inclusive response to igniting collective action towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and further advancing the impact of MTN Bushfire’s call to action for positive social and environmental change, Bring Your Fire.
It is also themed around the SDGs and MTN Bushfire’s Bring Your Fire values. The SDGs are global and national development aims that are meant to be achieved by 2030. Themes for the upcoming Live Dialogues also include Gender-Based Violence (GBV); Youth Employability & Food Security; HIV/AIDS Key Population Inclusion & Human Trafficking; and Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions.
The dialogues will cover a range of themes aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and pertinent issues in Eswatini. Each dialogue will be hosted by a specific UN entity and will focus on particular SDGs or issues. The sessions will involve panel discussions, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities. Experts, practitioners, and representatives from relevant civil society organisations will be invited to share insights, best practices, and experiences related to the theme.
These dialogues will help lay the foundation for the forthcoming Summit of the Future to be held in September 2024 at the UN where every country including Eswatini will participate in shaping a shared vision for a global common future. The aim is to inspire EmaSwati youth to engage in advocacy and action to generate grass-roots momentum. The world is in transition, and we need to unite for a better tomorrow for EmaSwati youth – who are the future.
It is worth mentioning that students will have the opportunity to engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute valuable insights on key topical issues affecting the Eswatini youth. MTN Bushfire will also be giving away tickets to this year’s festival to encourage further engagement in the festival’s creative advocacy space, the UN Bring Your Fire Zone.
This first session will be followed by four more which will be held on 21 and 22 May at UNESWA’s Kwaluseni Campus. Young people will be given the platform to engage in pertinent discourse around the burning issues of our time, including challenges facing the youth in present times.
This is an exciting outcome from the festival’s partnership with the UN in Eswatini who join TN Bushfire as the official Title Sponsor for the UN Bring Your Fire Zone social and environmental advocacy space at the festival. The partnership between MTN Bushfire and the UN represents a significant step towards fostering cultural exchange, promoting sustainable development and raising global awareness, with the aim to drive positive change and inspire action towards a more sustainable and equitable future.
Participating agencies include The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Food Programme (WFP), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and International Office of Migration (IOM), as well as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The UN agencies leading the discussions on 16 May will be UNICEF and UNDP. Speakers will be Siphesile Mkhonta from Junior Achievement; Dudu Nhlengethwa, Chief Meteorologist; Zandisile Howe, representing the Youth Parliament; and Dane Armstrong, from the Eswatini Climate Coalition. The session will be moderated by Victor Nkambule from UNICEF.
Follow MTN Bushfire social media for further information, speaker profiles and updates. Bring Your Fire by signing up for MTN Bushfire Volunteer Day!
