SM Cares, together with the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), recently conducted the Global Youth Summit last August 19, 2023, Saturday, at the newly opened SM CDO Downtown Event Hall in Cagayan de Oro City.
The Global Youth Summit is an annual gathering of thousands of students and youth leaders from all over the Philippines, where they will be given the opportunity to learn about pressing societal concerns related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and work with each other in addressing them.
This year, guest speakers included the Make a Difference (MAD) Travel Founder and sustainability educator Rafael Dionisio, he talked about environmental issues such as deforestation and plastic waste pollution and what steps the youth can do to help mitigate these problems and prevent them from worsening.
GPF Asia Pacific Regional President Ingill Ra gave an impassioned speech on how unity in the face of challenges and adversity can help spark the change needed to move towards a better society, and finally, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Philippines Youth Ambassador Nick Chun shared his insights on how critical youth involvement is in social issues, especially in responsible tourism.
The program concluded with a Youth Pledge, where participants vowed to continue fostering collaboration in activating their generation’s potential and create a more united and prosperous society. Special performances from Filipino bands Hey June! and Gracenote rounded off the evening.
The Global Youth Summit is SM’s way of showing support for all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Last year’s summit was attended by more than 2,000 participants on site. This year’s objective is to achieve an attendance of 4,000 participants which is double the number from last year.
SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, supporting initiatives focused on communities and the environment. Aside from Programs for Children & Youth, SM Cares also has advocacies for the Environment, Persons with Disabilities, Women & Breastfeeding Mothers, Senior Citizens, and the SM Bike-friendly initiative.
To learn more about these programs, visit www.smsupermalls.com/smcares
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