Reflections from the United Nations Civil Society Conference (Ben Etienne)

What the UNCSC meant to me. 

It goes without saying that we all want a better world. Often times, however, this reality feels out of our control. Thanks to the UN Civil Society conference the ability to lead transformation became much more apparent and actionable.  Focusing on SDG #11 - sustainable cities and communities - the conference inspired one key awakening in me, that the fight against the ‘invisible hand’ we all face starts at home.

The conference had almost too much variety as we were running from one workshop to another. There really wasn’t a shortage of interesting topics to learn about! From the first session, I sat in, where Cesar Fernandez showcased his urban planning projects in the Dominican Republic (RD 2044 check it out, seriously), I was already blown away. Instantly the worries I had of there only being trendy keywords about climate change and development being thrown around were pushed aside as we were immediately met with tangible examples and results from all over. Explaining the hard, varied work of the UNA-Canada to other delegates allowed us to often find common ground and build lasting connections with other groups pursuing similar ideas.

The hospitality granted to us by the Utahn community was comparable to none. The constant, warm, sunshine reflected perfectly how everyone from across the state welcomed us in.  Every time I share my learnings with my friends and peers from the UNCSC I never leave out a recommendation to visit Salt Lake. 

Beyond simply welcoming participants, youth were strongly encouraged to participate in discussions and decision making. Leading ceremonies, presentations, panels and every other type of activity possible around-the-clock were our next leaders. The success, the soul, of the conference everyone fed off of was thanks to the voices and minds of young change-makers.  

From men advocating for women’s rights to high ranked officials sitting down with recent graduates long after their session has ended, it’s clear that we’re all in this together. The conference experience left me with many connections, examples and material that have immediately impacted my work and that of my peers. I’m confident that the waves of change we were able to create will ripple for some time still.

Thank you.

Written by Ben Etinne, delegate at the United Nations Civil Soceity Conference in August 2019.