UN and University Students in Lebanon Team Up in a Vigorous Debate on SDGs, triggering Young Voices of Change

“The Way We Shop: Is it Sustainable?” A probing question that spurred a flurry of arguments and opposing views from around 100 young students on Thursday 24 November. The debate took place at the heart of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) in a green environment made up of recycled materials and environmentally friendly furniture.  

Two groups of young students, composed of 10 young men and women each, played the role of opponents and proponents of sustainable lifestyles and shopping habits that help curb climate change.

“Each one of us has a responsibility vis-à-vis our mother nature and can take simple actions that help save our planet,” said a third-year USEK student who volunteers in the university’s Green Committee that was established to advance USEK’s environmental management and engage students in sustainable initiatives. “Personally, I’m leading an upcycling initiative of chips and chocolate wrappers that can’t be recycled, and turning them into aprons, pouches, and bags that I eventually sell to help people in need with whatever income I get,” she explained.

Other similar initiatives were enthusiastically shared by other young students as part of preserving Lebanon’s environment and supporting sustainability efforts. “It’s time to become more conscious about our habits in food and fashion, and to stop being intellectually lazy!” asserted another proponent student favoring sustainable lifestyles over unsustainable harmful consumption habits.

The session started with an interactive informative presentation delivered by UNIC Beirut on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a dialogue with the youth on their perceptions of the SDGs and the resulting actions they were taking to implement the Global Goals in Lebanon, such as reducing the use of plastics, shopping consciously, carpooling and others. The learning session featured a video on the UN, an animated video on the SDGs, and a PR stunt on recycling produced under the UN Communication Group #TakeAStep media campaign on the SDGs.

The students’ debate was followed by an engaging discussion and presentation by experts from the UN Environment Program Regional Office for West Asia focusing on climate action, resource efficiency, and sustainable consumption and production. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session that helped expand students’ knowledge of the global goals and explore effective ways to reduce plastic, food, and fashion waste, including through reducing, reusing, repairing, and recycling, as well as taking action on impactful environmental issues.

The session ended with pop quizzes administered by both UNIC and UNEP representatives to test the level of acquired knowledge among the attending students. UN-branded promotional items were awarded to those who provided correct answers.

“We really enjoyed it! It was fun and informative at the same time”, said a few young attendees, expressing their appreciation and interest to have more interactive specialized sessions on the SDGs and to collaborate on advocacy projects with the UN in the future.