The HundrED Youth Ambassadors Program is a small, yet integral part of the HundrED Community, designed for young people looking to further improve education.
As part of our one-year programme, we are to take part in a project that focuses on the UN Sustainable Development (SDG) Goals, having many global challenges that we must contemplate and address. During this time of instability, both through the actions of nature as well as humans, we have come to realize both the strength and the fragility of society. However, one thing for certain is that strong connections and community care are vital.
In a recent article about the Youth Ambassadors’ thoughts about the current outbreak of COVID-19, I had mentioned that the situation is neither desperately lost nor decisively won, and this indeed is the case with many other global challenges, such as climate change and racial injustice.
Many young people like myself feel that past generations have brought us into such an imperfect world, but to blame others is easy. Brooding about the past is useless, as it can not be altered, but the future is a different story altogether.
It was brought to the attention of my fellow Youth Ambassador Alice and I that due to this current situation we, as youth, lack multicultural understanding, in the sense that we may find it difficult to understand and thus accept another’s point of view. We have multicultural conversations but lack the connection.
To address this issue, we decided to create an online international debate championship called Mundo Debates that will not only provide youth with the opportunity to share their perspective and understand others but also to defend their opinions through concrete argumentation, building their elocution and stimulating critical thinking.
To think clearly is a big step, but to be able to voice yourself effectively is even greater. To accomplish this larger step, one of the best methods, is through debate, which combines formal argumentation, analysis, and facts with your own thoughts and opinions. It takes us deep, but isn’t that what is required whilst seeking solutions to various global challenges? Moreover, the intensity and hard work are well worth it, as debates can produce concrete ideas and actions. For example, parliament, which is a debate in action, creates laws for our lands, which enables us to live just lives with dignity.
Debate empowers, but just like laws, we need to transform arguments into action and for this reason, we wish to create small projects related to the topics discussed in our debates. These projects are meant to be simple, for example, debating on the topic of immigration and then hearing the story of an immigrant in your country. This is something that broadens our horizons and can have a lasting impact.
Through these debates, we are seeking viable solutions for the diverse challenges we face, both as individuals and as a society. Our goal is to have eight to ten teams of five, with the unique rule that no two members of the same team will be from the same country. This will empower us to collaborate interculturally and develop our ideas with people who have different perspectives and realities than we do.
In a modern world with such a diverse society and activity, it becomes important to develop a sense of understanding and compassion for others, particularly those who we may see as different from ourselves.
Get Involved
We are asking for your help to find youth between the ages of 13-20 to join us on this journey to explore our planet. Through introspection, connection, and creation, we hope to fulfil our true potential and enable ourselves to step up for the MUNDO, the world, that so very much needs us to make responsible decisions.
During these unique times, it is all the more essential to stoke our inner fires towards the positivity and empowerment of both ourselves and society. For the situation, it is neither desperately lost, nor decisively won.
If you or someone you know is interested in joining you can register your interest here.
For more information, you can contact us at:
- Email: mundodebateonline@gmail.com
- Instagram: @mundo_debates
