HÀ NỘI — A series of activities aiming to raise young people’s awareness about the Việt Nam’s implementation of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals will take place in Hà Nội this December.

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a set of targets that UN member states, including Việt Nam, are attempting to reach by 2030. Together, the goals are intended to end poverty and protect the environment.

The first event is the “2017 Creative & Innovative Youth Award”. This is the first time the award has been organised in Việt Nam to honour youth organisations working for community development in the 2015-17 period.

As planned, the award will be given in December 3 with financial support from Irish Aid. The first prize is worth VNĐ17 million (US$750).  The deadline for applications is October 28.

Vũ Duy Kiên, coordinator of the Centre for Sustainable Development Studies—the  organiser of the award—said on Tuesday the award was created after the centre worked with 45 youth organisations and found that the number of youngsters who knew about the 17 SDGs was less than expected.

The second event, “The story of Kiến Village”, is a forum where 70-80 people under the age of 30 will gather to learn about the importance of youth force in the implementation of SDGs in Việt Nam. It will be held on December 1 and 2 on the outskirts of Hà Nội.

The participants will be offered chances to share their initiatives to deal with current social problems in the country. The forum was also designed for young people to build up their professional networks.

Another event, International Volunteer Day, will be organised on December 3 at Hà Nội’s pedestrian streets around Hoàn Kiếm (Returned Sword) Lake by the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee. The event will consist of discussions on the role of voluntary activities in achieving the SDGs in Việt Nam.

Phạm Quang Huy, a first-year student of Hà Nội Culture University said he was eager to join the activities. But Huy said the organisers should do more to promote the activities via mass media so that more young people will learn about them and plan to attend.

Phạm Thị Hồng Nết, Advocacy Officer for Oxfam’s Education Programme, said the organisers are considering developing an alternative phrase to describe the goals, as "Sustainable Development Goals" may sound inaccessible to vulnerable young people living in remote areas. Different terminology, she suggested, might help people in rural communities more readily see the relevance of the goals to their lives.

In May, the Government issued a National Action Plan to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which demonstrates the country’s commitment to achieving the global SDGs. — VNS