UNITAR CIFAL Jeju

Home > Programs > Youth Engagement

As critical thinkers, change-makers, innovators, communicators and leaders, the young generation is increasingly engaging with each other on a number of platforms both online and offline. Provided with the necessary knowledge and opportunities needed to reach their potential, young people can be a driving force for promoting sustainability in this new era of globalization.

CIFAL Jeju / JITC organizes a number of programs including international youth workshops, forums, and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) to invite Korean foreign students alike to understand the commonality of the global issues and to become active promoters of more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure, and sustainable societies.

Jeju International Future Generation Forum
The Forum aims to foster youth global leadership by promoting actionable engagement in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. Participating young leaders take the in-depth discussion on up-to-date issues such as youth employment, education development and health and well-being. The youth are given unique opportunities not only to build collective minds but also to vitalize city diplomacy by building a hub of social networking through cultural exchange.

Jeju International Youth Forum
CIFAL Jeju organized Jeju International Youth Forum from 2016 to 2021 with the aim to promote Jeju to the world and to connect talented teenage youth across the globe. The event was conducted with a focus on strengthening the leadership skills of the talented young people, exchanging different perspectives on critical global issues and enhancing the cultural understanding of each other.

[The 12th Youth Workshop 2018.5.4~6] Green infrastructure for Climate Resilience

2018.08.08

04 May 2018, Jeju, Republic of Korea – UNITAR’s Affiliated International Training Center for Authorities and Leaders in Jeju (CIFAL Jeju) co-hosted a Youth workshop on Green Infrastructure for Climate Resilience in Jeju from 4th July to 6th CIFAL Newcastle and Global Inner Peace at Jeju Booyoung Youth Center in Jeju, Republic of Korea. 56 youth participants from 20 different countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Congo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Iraq, Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, China, Malaysia, Panama, Poland, Russia, Senegal, South Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam, participated in the youth workshop.

This workshop was aimed at providing undergraduate and graduate students with an opportunity to act as advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the area of climate resilience and disaster risk reduction. The workshop began with Mr. Young-sam Ma, the director of CIFAL Jeju by delivering a keynote speech on ‘Climate Change, Green Growth, and Youth Role. Subsequently, the lectures were led by two experts: Professor Byung-Wook Lee at Sejong University and the Former Vice Minister of Korean Ministry of Environment and Ms. Wade-Apicella Sarah from the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

On the Second day, youth participants had a few field visits: Sunrise Peak designated as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, Renewable Energy Center to give a better understanding of renewable energy production with a high efficiency and adequate to the Jeju climate; Jeju Haenyeo Museum to introduce the history and culture of Haenyeo female divers in Jeju.

The sessions for group discussions were organized to create youth-led advocacy for SDG 9 on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation and SDG 11 on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. During the workshop, six innovative youth-led advocacies were invented: Yellow Dust, Reduction of Plastic Usage, Optimization of Energy Consumption in our Universities Using Smart Appliances, Addressing air quality and the heat island effect in Seoul, Importance of Waste Management, and Citizens awareness about carbon footprint reduction. These youth-led advocacies will be implemented by youth participants and a couple of advanced projects will be financially supported by CIFAL Jeju based on the progress on the implementation of their advocacies.

copy_area