The United Nations welcomes 60 Spanish students to listen to their social and sustainable proposals
60 Spanish students were received at the United Nations headquarters in New York so that they could present their social and sustainable proposals to the Youth Department of the international organisation. The expedition read a manifesto with some of the concerns and commitments of Spanish youth on issues such as climate change and social inequality, and shared a package of sustainable projects that they have developed over the course of the year as part of EduCaixa's social entrepreneurship programme The Challenge.
The group of students sent to the United States is made up of 17 teams of 3 or 4 students from 3rd and 4th year ESO, Baccalaureate and FPGM, selected from among the more than 1,546 applications submitted to The Challenge. Their projects focus on social challenges such as mental health and well-being, protection of the planet, peace and prosperity, and are all aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
"We are extremely proud to partner with EduCaixa to provide the 60 students and their teachers with an unparalleled experience to learn about the UN and contribute their voices at the highest level of international diplomacy," emphasised Brighton Mukupa Kaoma, Global Youth Director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
"We know that there is a whole generation of young people fully committed to the social challenges facing the world and we want to put their talents at the service of society. These young people have shown the sensitivity and ingenuity that is essential to address the collective challenges of today and tomorrow, and we want them to be able to represent us beyond our own country. Through this new alliance with the United Nations Youth Department, we are raising their commitment on an international scale and placing them in the debates and in the search for solutions that young people around the world are leading to achieve a better future", said Xavier Bertolín, Corporate Director of Education and Marketing of the "la Caixa" Foundation, who accompanied the group selected by The Challenge of EduCaixa during their reception at the United Nations headquarters.
An educational trip to the United States
For almost two weeks, the group's stay in the United States also includes educational visits to some of the most prestigious universities on the East Coast of the United States, such as MIT, Yale and Columbia. Cultural activities and meetings with several postgraduate scholarship holders from the "la Caixa" Foundation, a visit to Beauty for Freedom, an NGO that raises awareness and funds to combat human trafficking, and a talk with Eli de los Pinos, founder and director of Aura Biosciences, a project that focuses on the search for new cancer therapies, have also been scheduled.
Manifesto for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) During the meeting at the United Nations headquarters, the students read a manifesto that reflects some of the concerns of Spanish youth on issues such as climate change and social inequality. Among the concerns included in the text, misinformation, the passive attitude towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the current consumption model were some of the points highlighted.
The students also shared the commitments they have made as part of their experience within EduCaixa's social entrepreneurship programme The Challenge. The manifesto highlights the need to promote inclusiveness and recognise diversity; to promote an ecofriendly commitment in people's daily lives; to join forces with other people and organisations, and to maintain a persevering attitude in order to achieve the objectives set, among others.
10 years promoting sustainable entrepreneurship
The Challenge is a project of EduCaixa, the educational programme of the "la Caixa" Foundation, which encourages students and teachers to work on innovative projects to contribute to social and environmental change. More than 40,000 students and 1,800 teachers from 1,300 schools in Spain and Portugal have taken part in the 10 editions of the programme. Participation in the programme has proven to have a positive impact on both the methodologies and motivation of students and teachers.
In order to promote equity and equal opportunities, the selection process of the winning teams prioritised geographical diversity and took into account the environment and possible complexity factors of the participating schools. In addition, a minimum of 50 % of the selected projects should be from public schools.