8th Global Youth Summit Goes Virtual on August 29-30

This year's Global Youth Summit, an annual gathering in Manila that convenes thousands of inspired young delegates from all over the country and abroad, will be held virtually on August 29 and 30 via Zoom and will be shown through live streaming at select social media channels. 

Spearheaded by international non-profit organization Global Peace Foundation, together with SM Cares, Consuelo Foundation, PLDT, and SM Youth, this year's Global Youth Summit will contribute to the UN 75 Dialogues, the world's biggest conversation on building a better future. The views and ideas generated in the virtual summit will be presented to world leaders and senior UN officials on September 21, 2020, at the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Now on its 8th year, the Global Youth Summit will have discussions focusing on five critical topics that matter most to the Filipino youth: Health amid the COVID-19 pandemic; Protection and conservation of the environment and natural resources; Educational system reform; the impact of new and digital technologies; and inequality across different aspects of life.

Mental health issues are also a significant concern affecting countless Filipino youth. The 2015 Global School-based Student Health Survey report by the World Health Organization reported that about 17 percent of Filipino high school students aged 13 to 15 had attempted suicide at least once in that year. Health experts also see this concern continues to be worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming months.

Environmental issues are another primary concern among Filipino youth. Many of them are now participating in initiatives toward environmental protection and preservation, such as the International Coastal Cleanup organized by SM by the BAY and SM Mall of Asia, and other community-based recycling or tree-planting initiatives.

These and other topics will be at the forefront of the talks during the two-day online summit, which hopes to educate the youth and encourage them to think of solutions for these pressing concerns.

Industry leaders and prominent personalities make up this year’s roster of Global Youth Summit speakers. These include Head of PLDT Corporate Communications Group Cathy Yang, Environmentalist and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, President and CEO of Consuelo Foundation Greg Auberry, National Chair for Youth for Mental Health Coalition Dr. Raymond Naguit, Director of OECD Paris Andreas Schleicher, television host Kim Atienza, and Agon Hare of popular YouTube Channel “Project Nightfall.”

This year, five outstanding alumni of the Global Youth Summit will be recognized. They embody the spirit of the program and who have actualized concrete initiatives that spark change in their respective communities. They shall receive a grant of Php250,000.00 for their selfless dedication and contribution to the betterment of society.

Interested participants may sign up for this year’s virtual Global Youth summit through www.globalpeacephilippines.org. To know more about the Global Peace Foundation and SM Cares, visit www.facebook.com/gpfphilippines and www.facebook.com/smsupermalls.

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