With the ambition to become the Davos for the youth sustainability movement in the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions, the ReGeneration Week expects hundreds of youth participants and a range of senior power holders to its hybrid event on the Åland Islands. Highlighted by several governments, liaised with UNEP, and attended by the EU Commissioner Mr. Sinkevicius, the ReGeneration Week invites the general public to its inspiring sessions on 28-31 August.
To reach the goals in the UN Sustainability agenda by 2030, drastic change is needed, and the ReGeneration 2030 movement believes youth are the pioneers for this change. That is why the ReGeneration Week, with its bold mission, is a key event in the Nordic and Baltic Sea Regions. The theme for the ReGeneration Week 2021 is “ReThinking the System'', which highlights the need for a fundamental sustainable recovery after the pandemic. The diverse 4-day program is built upon the United Nations Environment Program’s toolkit Anatomy of Action and its five domains: Food, Stuff, Move, Money & Fun.
The Anatomy of Action with the ReGeneration 2030 team and working under the theme Rethinking the System has allowed for awareness-raising and invaluable holistic conversation among the next generation of consumers and change-makers and on what responsible and sustainable consumption and production looks like in the region and beyond. Our collective future is dependent on the cumulative outcome of our actions today and ReGeneration 2030 offers a powerful platform that fosters positive climate action and solutions for a sustainable future, - says Lilah Gafaar from the United Nations Environment Program.
The ReGeneration Week is not an event that only focuses on youth, like many other similar events, but is rather a high-level summit with intergenerational dialogues between youth, ministers, business leaders, politicians, and other power-holders. The Week has an impressive guest list of speakers and decision-makers attending, such as EU Commissioner Sinkevičius, Greenpeace, Fridays for Future, and Fairtrade, among others.
We are at a point in time where we must create a sustainable way of co-existing with the planet, respecting its boundaries that we are pushing and trespassing with our activities for a long time now. It’s not easy to change habits in our everyday lives. Yet being inspired and learning from each other can help us question our choices and try new, planet-friendly, alternatives. On that journey, the ReGeneration 2030 brings together motivated young people that want to be part of the green transition, build it, share it and mobilise others, including businesses and politicians, to think inclusively. These are the type of initiatives and dialogues our societies need right now. For a future where the climate crisis doesn’t threaten us anymore and nature, and biodiversity become part of our lives again, says EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius.
“Any decisions that we take with a view to a more sustainable future must build on open, democratic, and inclusive principles. This makes promoting youth participation crucial, says Thomas Blomqvist, Finnish minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality.
Due to the current covid-19 situation, the event will be a hybrid version, having both physical attendees and people participating through a streaming tool from all around the world. The Finnish public broadcasting company Yle will be on-site and stream highlights on its digital platform Yle Areena. We welcome everyone to join us digitally through the streaming tool Coeo - you can still sign up by clicking here.
One of the main outcomes of the ReGeneration Week is to adopt a Declaration that will be handed to Commissioner Sinkevičius and other decision-makers during the Monday evening program.
‘’ Our vision and demands will be gathered in the declaration that will highlight the important role of young people as agents of change. The broad participation from high-level senior change-makers illustrates that they value listening and learning from the young generation that refuses to live in the shadows of past decisions. Therefore, this is a unique opportunity to make our voices heard and become a part of the ReGeneration network”, says Ella Turta, Secretary General of ReGeneration 2030.