In September 2024, H2OO headed to New York to participate in the UN Summit for the Future, a high-level event designed to address global challenges and reimagine multilateral cooperation. The summit brought together world leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss solutions for building a sustainable and equitable future. As part of this gathering, H2OO youth representatives engaged in discussions highlighting the critical role of young leaders in addressing environmental and social issues.
Read on to hear more about the experience directly from Amber Ortiz, an H2OO Global Youth Leader who attended the event:
“The UN Summit for the Future was inspiring in its ability to bring together governmental entities to recognize the importance of youth engagement in UN spaces and prioritize stakeholders in panel discussions. I particularly enjoyed attending a session entitled “Inclusive Digital Future for All” due to the session’s dialogue around the intersection of digital technology and youth activism as a powerful tool for driving environmental change.
Equitable access to digital tools can empower young activists to amplify their voices, share innovative solutions, and collaborate globally on pressing environmental issues. However, the session could have benefited from a stronger focus on creating spaces to explore how to engage youth meaningfully and outlining concrete, actionable steps toward achieving meaningful youth inclusion.
It was somewhat surprising to see how few youth were actually present at the panels and the conference overall. The event could be improved by implementing a more inclusive registration process to make it easier for younger individuals to access and participate in these important conversations.” — Amber Ortiz, 19, H2OO Global Youth Leader
