global convening page poster depicting young people as creators of safe and sound cities

The S²Cities Global Convening took place from October 25th to October 28th, 2023! Diverse stakeholders, including young people, implementing partners, city officials, academics, and civil society, joined forces to enhance urban safety and youth wellbeing. The event spotlighted lessons, best practices, and youth-led solutions from Indonesia, the Philippines, Ecuador, and Colombia. The Convening served as the launchpad for the S²Cities Global Learning Network consisting of youth, public and private sector leaders committed to fostering safe and inclusive development.

 

Read the post-event report here.

Pioneering Virtual Reality

What set the Convening apart was our use of Virtual Reality (VR) technology. It unlocked thrilling opportunities for global collaboration, bringing together teams and stakeholders from around the world effortlessly, all while reducing the carbon footprint linked to in-person events.

 

The immersive digital environment facilitated dynamic discussions and cross-regional and multi-sectoral collaboration. Local partners also had the opportunity to set up and design their virtual booths, allowing them to showcase their work, youth initiatives, and impact within programme cities.

 

View here the discussions and events in the Metaverse!

Event Schedule

The Global Convening combined in-person events in program cities with virtual sessions, offering global accessibility. Events built up from October 25-26 to the key plenary sessions on October 27-28. Attendees could pick sessions based on their interests and availability.

 

*Were available for public viewing by livestream | **Online zoom session

Honored Guests and Speakers

The esteemed guests and speakers who joined us at the Global Convening were sector experts, dynamic youth leaders, and government officials sharing diverse perspectives and fresh ideas for creating just and inclusive cities for the future!

Donna Tabangin

Head, City Planning, Development & Sustainability Office, Govt. of Baguio, the Philippines

Benjamin Magalong

Mayor, Govt. of Baguio, the Philippines

Johann P. De La Rosa

Head, City Youth Development Office, Govt. of Naga, the Philippines

Uum Sumiati

Head, Agency of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Govt. of Bandung, Indonesia

Felipe Ochoa

Director of International Relations Department of Cuenca, Ecuador

Andrés Eduardo Mayorga Torres

Economic Development Analyst, Social & Economic Development Department of Ambato, Ecuador

Jose Nicolas Arenas Henao

Secretary of Environment and Agricultural Development of Envigado, Colombia

Raven Mensenas

Youth Partner, Baguio, the Philippines

Julia Maxine Peralta

Youth Partner, Baguio, the Philippines

Almond Gregory Sison

Youth Partner, Baguio, the Philippines

Ellen Nicole Vergara

Youth Partner, Naga, the Philippines

Keylie G. Rombano

Youth Partner, Naga, the Philippines

Edrian Gabriel R. Orbase

Youth Partner, Naga, the Philippines

Fe F. Belale

Youth Partner, Naga, the Philippines

Dheamyra Aysha Ihsanti

Youth Partner, Bandung, Indonesia

Irfan Taufikurrahman Baskoro

Youth Partner, Bandung, Indonesia

Seranti Ninan Nury

Youth Partner, Bandung, Indonesia

Abhi Kurniawan

Youth Partner, Bandung, Indonesia

Eli Sulistyowati

Youth Partner, Bandung, Indonesia

Pedro Coello

Youth Partner, Cuenca, Ecuador

Sebastian Luna

Youth Partner, Cuenca, Ecuador

Daniela Cuadrado

Youth Partner, Cuenca, Ecuador

Samantha Carrera

Youth Partner, Ambato, Ecuador

Evelyn Yucailla

Youth Partner, Ambato, Ecuador

Henry Erazo

Youth Partner, Ambato, Ecuador

Miguel Angel Ocampo

Youth Partner, Envigado, Colombia

Manuela Echavarria

Youth Partner, Envigado, Colombia

Lina María Gil

Youth Partner, Envigado, Colombia

Luisa Osorio

Youth Partner, Envigado, Colombia

Eva Moldovanyi

Programme Manager & Grant Manager, Fondation Botnar

Sedaile Mejias

Placemaking Expert, BUUR Part of Sweco

Louis Downing

CEO, Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation & Programme Director, S²Cities

Lorena Zemp

COO, Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation & Global Programme Manager S²Cities

Estefany Peña Rojas

Researcher, EAFIT University & Mixed Methods Expert, iMEL team for S²Cities

Juan Carlos

Researcher, EAFIT University & Team leader, iMEL team for S²Cities

Rodrigo Perpetuo

Executive Secretary, ICLEI South America

Braulio Diaz

Institutional Relations and Advocacy Manager, ICLEI South America

Victorino Aquitania

Regional Director, ICLEI Southeast Asia

Highlights and Gallery

Catch a glimpse of S²Cities Global Convening virtual environment and the engaging in-person experiences across our 6 programme cities that unfolded during the event.

 

View here the Global Convening Report!

Click to view the photo gallery