On 22 February, 2023, 17 young people from six Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCEs) in Japan came together at the Global Citizens Exchange Center in Aichi for the 2023 Japan RCE Youth Meeting. The event was preceded by three online sessions where the young participants got to engage with each other and share their individual initiatives.

The series of events were hosted and facilitated by youth from the host, RCE Chubu. The meeting was held in parallel to the RCE Working-level Meeting and Global Citizens Forum on Water and Watersheds for SDGs: The Regional Dialogue Forum 2023 in Aichi. It aimed to facilitate discussions amongst the youth RCE members on their respective initiatives in their regions to further knowledge sharing and collaboration.

The main topic of discussion was the sharing of knowledge and skills in implementing different sustainable development projects in their respective RCEs. The participants were divided into smaller groups to share their best practices, challenges, and solutions. During the in-person session, the group was also joined by an evaluator from Chubu University, Dr Seiko Hanochi, who provided input on the history and development of RCEs in Japan. The highlight of the meeting was the plenary session, where the youths came together to decide upon a collective action point to better synthesize their activities and goals across the RCEs. The final action point will be summarised in a brochure that the youth are collectively working on.

The gathering provided an opportunity for young people from different RCEs to come together and work towards a common goal. Furthermore, it showcased the potential for collaboration and knowledge sharing among youth across regions, and the importance of their contributions towards a more sustainable future. Through the RCE platform, young people in Japan are taking an active role and creating a more sustainable world for future generations.

(Photo credit: UNU-IAS)