SM Cares, together with the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), recently launched this year’s Global Youth Summit. The event, which marks the first of a four-leg series, was launched last August 11, 2023, Friday, at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City.
The Global Youth Summit is an annual gathering of thousands of students and youth leaders from all over the Philippines, where they will be given the opportunity to learn about pressing societal concerns related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and work with each other in addressing them.
This year, guest speakers included the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey, who spoke on how generating awareness and fighting stigma can improve HIV prevention and treatment in the Philippines, while Make A Difference (MAD) Travel Founder and sustainability educator Rafael Dionisio talked about environmental issues such as deforestation and plastic waste pollution and what steps the youth can do to help mitigate these problems and prevent them from worsening.
The Head of Milo Sports Carlos Sampan touched on how community support can positively impact individuals and encourage them to succeed, with the help of video messages from Southeast Asian Games Gold medalists Jamie Lim and Japoy Lizardo, and Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
Angkas CEO George Royeca talked about utilizing digital platforms and social media to develop innovative solutions to existing problems, and shared how meeting the needs of individuals in a micro setting will lead to solving bigger problems on a larger scale.
GPF Asia Pacific Regional President Ingill Ra gave an impassioned speech on how unity in the face of challenges and adversity can help spark the change needed to move towards a better society, and finally, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Philippines Youth Ambassador Nick Chun shared his insights on how critical youth involvement is in social issues, especially in responsible tourism.
“The Global Youth Summit was created to provide young people with a platform to learn about the social issues that affect both them and the world right now and ideate solutions through collaboration,” said SM Cares Program Director for Children and Youth, Royston Cabuñag. “We want to develop leaders who are morally competent, innovative and proactive in coming up with solutions that can help make the world a better place.”
“Youth empowerment is not merely a concept or an idea. It is a call to action, a movement that demands our active participation,” added Global Peace Foundation Philippines Deputy Executive Director, Leonard Faustino. “The Global Youth Summit cultivates an environment where young minds can flourish, where dreams can be nurtured and where obstacles can be transformed into opportunities.”
The program concluded with a Youth Pledge, where participants vowed to continue fostering collaboration in activating their generation’s potential and create a more united and prosperous society. Special performances from Filipino bands Hey June! and Gracenote rounded off the evening.
The Global Youth Summit is SM’s way of showing support for all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Last year’s summit was attended by more than 2,000 participants on site. This year’s objective is to achieve an attendance of 4,000 participants which is double the number from last year.
Future legs of the summit will be held every succeeding Saturday, starting at SM CDO Downtown Premier on August 19, SM City Iloilo Southpoint on August 26, and finally at SM City Baguio on September 2.
SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, supporting initiatives focused on communities and the environment. Aside from Programs for Children & Youth, SM Cares also has advocacies for the Environment, Persons with Disabilities, Women & Breastfeeding Mothers, Senior Citizens, and the SM Bike-friendly initiative.