The CityNet Yokohama Project Office (CYO), in collaboration with the City of Yokohama, hosted an SDGs seminar in Yokohama on Friday 13 January. The seminar was attended by over 200 online participants, alongside the Director of CYO and representatives of Yokohama’s Development Cooperation Division. The seminar and the programs it presented were conducted using subsidies granted by the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) and by the City of Yokohama. Ms. Yukiko Kudou and Mr. John McCorstin of CYO moderated the event, which constitutes the first official project of this term’s SDG Cluster.

The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR)

In the seminar, following an introduction of activities related to environmental problems conducted by the students at the Ulaanbaatar No.23 School, Mongolia, students from Yokohoma Municipal Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School presented their school’s SDG introduction programs, which included a collaborative discussion with students in Mongolia and a new school song calling for world friendship. A lecture was also given by Mr. Ryo Honda, an illustrator known for his approachable work on SDG awareness-raising.

During the second session, four university student teams from Japan, the Philippines, Nepal, and the Republic of Korea respectively each presented their Youth SDG Action Plan projects calling for change in specific fields to create a better world for youth.

The team from the ROK preparing for their presentation in the second session.

The Republic of Korea team, facilitated by the CityNet Secretariat, indicated a gap in SDG 4, Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education, and introduced the challenges that youth face within Korea’s public education and university entrance systems. The students asserted that they require diverse educational opportunities in high school to better prepare them for the workforce and avoid excessive competition from standardized university entrance procedures.

The team from Japan, consisting of students from Kanagawa University, Yokohama, also discussed SDG 4 with a focus on raising awareness on the need for gender-equal and non-discriminatory education. The Nepal team confronted the lack of mental health targets in SDG 3, Good Health and Well-being, and relayed the low awareness and availability of mental health resources in Nepal for the disabled. The Philippines team, from the John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University in Iloilo, introduced an extensive community based DRR project to minimize natural hazard risk, which included capacity building training for youth and local communities as well as costal clean-ups.

The team from Japan receiving their certificates at Yokohama City Hall with the teams from the Philippines and Nepal joining online.

The session concluded with a certificate presentation ceremony. Mr. Toru Hashimoto, Director General of International Affairs Bureau, City of Yokohama, presented the certificates. The four student teams look to continue their pursuits in SDG advancement and raising awareness of youth needs and voices. The City of Yokohama would like to thank the CityNet Secretariat and those concerned in this project for their cooperation and for aiding in rallying young people from member cities to participate.

The Youth SDGs Action Plan team from the ROK at the CityNet Secretariat office, pictured with CityNet Program Officer Chris Di Gennaro.