Peace Child Hawaii
World Youth Congress
17th to 25th June 2017

Reconnecting to Our Ancestral Roots to Build Sustainable Communities

Our partner Peace Child Hawaii, in partnership with the Stevens World Peace Foundation, called young people from around the world to come and participate in the Hawaii World Youth Congress 2017. 

This event evolves the Peace Child International experience in gathering the most active, most innovative, most capable young leaders from all over the globe into a Peace Child Hawaii experience. Over 10,000 young people have already used our unique platform to advocate their needs to leaders and to support the development of youth-led solutions to overcome these challenges.

Goals

Inspire and empower collaboration amongst young leaders around the world

Build critical-thinking skills, share knowledge and strengthen networks of youth leaders engaged in local community, sharing experiences, ideas and best practices

Create and leverage greater opportunities for meaningful youth involvement in local communities and the wider world

Bring together youth voices to lobby global leaders, highlighting the needs of young people worldwide and enhancing public opinion on the value of youth leadership in achieving global sustainability

Inspire collaboration amongst young leaders in the world and empower them to strengthen the foundations of peace, respect for diversity and human rights for all

Bring together youth voices to lobby global leaders, highlighting the needs of young people worldwide

Hawaii’s strong sustainable roots and cultural values ensured a unique location to lead the discussion and help create a movement of sustainable communities worldwide.  Delegates also had the opportunity to be able to celebrate the Hokulea’s return from her 60,000 mile Worldwide Voyage and learn from her remarkable story in promoting a sustainable future for all.

Overview

The 8-day summit brought together young leaders to share ideas, experiences and develop skills so internationally they could go on to lead the creation of sustainable communities.

Through workshops, round tables, action projects, debates and cultural events, WYC Hawaii delegates discussed and identified actions youth can take to assist in achieving these goals, and developed practical strategies for youth-led development initiatives – and what governments need to do to enable them.

WYC 2017 Delegates explored the enterprises that youth need to create to build the sustainable livelihoods and peaceful communities where young people can thrive. The delegates worked to answer key questions:

  • How do we repair, restore and regenerate our natural environment?

  • What should the green livelihoods that we need to ensure that our communities and planet thrive, look like?

  • How can young leaders better engage with, and influence, local, national and global decision-makers?

  • How can young leaders best help the United Nations and its member governments achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030?

Agreed by the 193 UN member states in September 2015, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals aim to end poverty and achieve sustainable livelihoods by 2030. Designed to ‘leave no one behind’, the goals’ 169 specific targets include providing decent work for all young women and men, combating climate change, education, health and human rights for all by 2030 + peace, justice and a more equal societies.