Image Source: Y20India.in

The Y20 India engagement group and its initiatives under India’s G20 presidency have been an extraordinary odyssey, one that truly kindles the spirit of our times. Y20, the official engagement group for youth of G20 member countries first found itself featured at the global arena about a decade ago. Undoubtedly it found itself at the centre of attention as India with the world’s largest youth population prepared itself to host the G20 Summit this year under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was tasked as the nodal Ministry, the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation with its history of dedicated and yeomen service to the nation, headed by Dr. Anirban Ganguly was befittingly designated as the Secretariat for the Y20 engagement group for this year. 

Right from the word go, Y20 India pushed the resounding message of driving change against merely discussing change. The themes for the tracks under the engagement group that were finalised by the Secretariat reflect the solid commitment towards driving real change upon pressing contemporary issues that concern the youth of today.

First and foremost, “Future of Work: Industry 4.0” was a nod to the whirlwind changes that are expected to impact every single sector of our work lives in the coming days. 

“Climate Change & Making Sustainability a Way of Life” signified our commitment to a greener planet for ourselves and our future generations. 

“Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: Ushering Towards an Era of No War” tapped into our yearning for a more peaceful world, wherein armed conflicts become a thing of the past. 

“Shared Future: Youth in Democracy, Governance” delivered into the need for more active participation of youth in the democratic discourse.

Last but not least, “Health, Wellbeing & Sports” focused upon the crucial need for the overall, holistic development of the youth.

While the Curtain Raiser event at New Delhi was the first event for the Y20 Secretariat as a unit, my journey with Y20 India started with my participation in the Y20 Inception meet that took place at Guwahati, Assam. The confluence of minds from across the country immediately inspired us to do more as I found myself in the Coordination team soon. Tasked with the responsibility as the Y20 Secretariat Associate Coordinator, I was thrilled and equally zest to take forward the vision of Y20 India beyond Delhi’s diplomatic corridors. Organising a few outreach events in Tamil Nadu gave our team a first-hand experience of the challenges involved in pulling together such events. The events that we organised were usually based on the track themes of Y20 India.

Be it a major event, or a concise one within the four walls of a classroom, the message was loud and clear, “to provide an opportunity for every single youth of the nation to be a part of the dialogue”. One such outreach event that took place at Ramanathapuram in partnership with Amrita Vidyalayam, was held on the theme of Climate Change and “Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life.” The relevance of the theme to the coastal city that had already faced the wrath of a deadly cyclone, coupled with an ecologically sensitive coastal zone and rising water levels and sea erosion couldn’t be stressed more. And rightly so, such events gave us the immense satisfaction of imparting awareness to the youth with happenings and learnings from their own surroundings while also reassuring them about the global efforts being taken to tackle what’s happening in their neighborhood.

Through these outreach events, we also had the good fortune to host various towering personalities in their respective fields such as public administration, law, medicine, technology, and so on which made it a huge learning curve for all of us to learn from the best in the business.

Even as this outreach continued across the nation, the crucial Leh Pre Summit took place at Ladakh amidst stiff Chinese opposition and the success of this Pre Summit rightly symbolised India’s commitment towards protecting its own sovereignty whilst also fostering global dialogue and cooperation on the other hand.

After another leg of outreach events, we found ourselves in the historic city of Varanasi for the Y20 Main Summit. The entire Secretariat had worked day and night in anticipation of the grandeur event and the historic summit, much like the other G20 events, rightly echoed the theme of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, i.e., One Earth, One Family, and One Future. It is with this spirit that youth delegations from all the G20 member countries, organisations, and observers gathered at the Rudraksh International Convention Centre at Varanasi. The Convention Center in itself stands tall as a symbol of global cooperation and goodwill as the same was constructed using Japan’s Grant Aid through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). 

And rightly, the summit was a first-hand experience for all of us to engage in global cooperation and dialogue whilst promoting goodwill all along the process. The presence of the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Thakur, and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mr. Yogi Adityanath during the summit’s opening ceremony and the hospitality extended by the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Varanasi District Administration reflected the immense trust and confidence that the Governments had placed in the voice of the youth.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath in particular, whilst debunking those contemporary questions surrounding the capability of the youth went on to state, “It is painful when anyone questions the talent and skills of youth, as youngsters have been providing solutions and directions to society since ancient times.” As the deliberations kickstarter in the breakout rooms for each track, chaired by the respective track chairs, the main auditorium featured various presentations that also addressed pressing issues and themes that concern the youth of today.

From the need for the enthusiastic embrace of technology to making use of the MyGov portal for youth engagement, a wide range of presentations were presented. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of fostering and coupling innovation and entrepreneurship amongst the youth also found resonance in the Y20 Summit as innovators from India’s burgeoning startup ecosystem presented their success stories.

Amidst this, we from the Coordination team also had the pleasure and privilege to be a part of the Organising Committee Breakout Session, wherein we reviewed and contemplated upon the thoughts and experiences pertaining to the entire summit’s organisation and the year-long outreach across the country amidst the presence of OC representatives from other nations.

Two days of intense diplomacy and dialogue effectively moderated by the very able Track Chairs resulted in the official Y20 Communique being adopted during the wee hours of 20 August 2023. The Y20 Communique, officially adopted and signed by all the delegates in the afternoon during a pompous ceremony, had various key points to its success. In particular, those who went on to address and amplify the Global South’s issues and concerns, true to India’s commitment, deserve a special mention.

One such significant resolution was to demand the African Union’s inclusion in the G20 which turned into reality in less than a month as during the G20 Heads of States Summit, the African Union was included into the G20, making 21 member entity thereafter. 

Moving ahead, as far as the engagement and outreach were concerned, it is indeed a matter of pride for all of us at Y20 India as we have emerged as one of the most successful engagement groups, conducting more than 3,500 outreach events in total across universities, colleges, and schools throughout India. From the far-flung villages and towns of Arunachal Pradesh to the borders of Gujarat and from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Y20 India has impacted more than a million young people in terms of direct engagement. 

At length, being a part of the Y20 India has undoubtedly been an awe-inspiring experience. It has reaffirmed the belief in the incredible potential of youth to drive positive change on a global scale. This would not have been possible without the guidance and efforts of various personalities such as Y20 India Mentor, Dr. Anirban Ganguly, Advisors, Abhinav Prakash & Varun Jhaveri, Coordination Head, Mr. Pathikrit Payne, Y20 India Chair, Mr. Anmol Sovit, Special Coordinator, Mr. Priyank Chauhan and the entire Secretariat and Associates who worked tirelessly towards the success of this engagement group.

The spirit of G20 and Prime Minister Modi’s vision, backed by the unwavering enthusiasm and dedication of youth, has undoubtedly laid the foundation for a brighter, sustainable, and equitable future. The outcome and success story of Y20 India is one that transcends borders and generations as it shall continue to remind the world that when the youth unite, they have a voice and they have a say.

From the youth’s perspective, this will continue to inspire fellow youngsters from across the globe to join hands in creating a better world for ourselves and for the upcoming generations. The journey continues and we have miles to go.

(Pascal Sasil R was the Associate Coordinator at Y20 India Secretariat )

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