Doha: Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) Maker Majlis is now a member of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network - Youth (SDSN), becoming the first platform in Qatar to be part of the said network.
Maker Majlis is under the College of Islamic Studies (CIS) aimed for youth to engage in activities related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The idea behind “Maker” is to inspire youth to make changes in the world through innovative solutions. It is an initiative that is intended to give a space for people to get creative. Relating it to the Muslim world, and Qatar in particular, the Majlis aims to add a cultural touch to the platform.
CIS Associate Professor of Islam and Global Affairs, and Maker Majlis Founder, Dr. Mohamed Evren Tok said: “We’re thrilled to have been accepted as a member of this prestigious global community. I’m confident that this will only further our efforts to find solutions to SDG-related problems and enhance our understanding of global SDG goals.”
SDSN Youth educates young people about the SDG and provides opportunities for them to pioneer innovative solutions to address the world’s biggest challenges. It is a subset of SDSN – an initiative launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2012 and headed by Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University.
It works on mobilizing and utilising global technological and scientific expertise from around the world to nurture practical and innovative solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. The SDSN Youth was established in 2015 to educate young people about the SDGs and provide them with the resources to be at the forefront in initiating and delivering innovative solutions to address the world’s most pressing problems surrounding it.
It is led by many eminent global youth leaders and connects young people globally to exchange ideas, share experiences and collaborate to achieve the SDGs. And a network of over 450 universities and campuses, which span over 100 countries, while the parent SDSN has a network of over 1,500 universities, research institutions, and other knowledge-based institutions. SDSN Youth’s mission statement is ‘Empowering Youth Globally to Create Sustainable Solutions.’
Among many other benefits, members, including Maker Majlis get to attend UN SDSN events and SDSN Youth global, regional, and national events and participate in solutions, initiatives, and practical problem-solving under the SDSN Youth umbrella. The objectives of the programmes are to improve access to information and opportunities for local and regional organizations at an international scale and to create a supportive network and shared learning space for youth-led and youth-focused organizations.
The CIS Maker Majlis platform allows youth to engage in activities related to the UN SDGs. It is a space where the young leaders of the world can unleash their creativity and innovative ideas to contribute to achieving the SDGs. The Maker Majlis hosts workshops, educational programs, and events focusing on the SDGs, and is now working collectively with the SDG Education and Global Citizenship in Qatar project.
The SDG Education and Global Citizenship in Qatar project’s main aims are to cultivate SDG Education and Global Citizenship Education-related capacity and leadership in Qatar’s education system through targeted intervention in primary, secondary and tertiary levels and to identify, design, implement and evaluate educational models and modalities by rescalمing Global Citizenship and SDG Education towards a localiسed, contextually sensitive and human values-centred process.
