The 12th Young India Challenge (YIC) was organized by Human Circle with a focus on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 12 and 13, which are Responsible Consumption & Production and Climate Action respectively. The theme of the event was “Sustainable Living” and it was held on 25th and 26th March at the Silicon Institute of Technology (SIT) in Bhubaneswar. Around 100 young professionals, students, and entrepreneurs from more than 25 cities attended the event, where they worked on solutions for the challenges faced by India regarding the UN Sustainable Development Goals 12 and 13 in a creative manner.
On the first day of the event, Kamal Seth, the Co-creator of YIC, delivered the keynote address, welcoming the participants to the #DoWhatYouLove Movement. The day began with icebreaker games – the atmosphere was electric, with the attendees fully invested in the cause of sustainable living and historic YIC rituals such as the ‘Collective Ovation’ and a rendition of Vande Mataram. The attendees pledged to be a #SustainabilityWarrior to fight the climate crisis, and Wioleta, the Co-founder of Human Circle & Co-creator of YIC, discussed how to do it through an exercise ritual that enabled everyone to connect with themselves and other participants.
In the afternoon, Archana Soreng, member of the UN Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change 2020-23, addressed the audience and highlighted the importance of creating forums and opportunities for indigenous people to ensure just transition. She mentioned that the wisdom of the tribal communities around the world for protecting nature must be utilised to reverse nature and biodiversity loss.
The second day began with the introduction of expert mentors for the day to support the teams working on solutions for SDGs 12 and 13. The panel included Sanjog Sahu, Founder of Mati Farms, Durga Prasad Gouda, COO, Nalanda Institute Of Technology, Aditya Panda, Founder of 6 AM CLUB, Rohit Srivastava, Founder, Food Findo and Punyasloka Panda, Founder of TasQ.
The attendees spent the day finding and creating solutions to the challenge given to them, guided by the mentors. After lunch, the teams worked on their ideas for a few more hours and then presented their solutions to the jury. The teams presented practical solutions that made it difficult for the jury to choose the winners. An Awards Ceremony followed the jury presentations, where the hosts, Kamal and Wioleta, welcomed the audience. As the ceremony continued, winners of the ‘You Are The Story’ Contest, Anup Paikaray, Suchitra Satapathy and Mayamugdha Mohanty shared their stories. Some members of the Happiness Team and Delegates were then invited to share their own YIC experiences which was followed by the announcement of the winning teams by the Mizoram Youth Commission – who also distributed the awards and seed funding to the winning team.
Kamal Seth, during his speech, said, “Time has come for the youth in India to step up efforts to become sustainability warriors, adopting a sustainable lifestyle and encouraging others to do the same. We must do the best we can to leave a healthy planet for our children and grandchildren. A collective effort by the people and supported by companies, NGOs, governments, and all civil society stakeholders can make it happen. We must hold each other accountable for our promises.”
Overall, YIC was a massive success, providing a platform for young people to work on sustainable solutions for India’s and global challenges. The event’s theme and the enthusiasm of the attendees showcased a positive attitude towards responsible consumption and production and solving the climate crisis. It was an inspiring showcase of the power of collaboration, with attendees pledging to be #SustainabilityWarriors and finding innovative solutions for collective action.
YIC is a platform created by Human Circle to find solutions to India’s biggest challenges like climate change, responsible consumption and Production and young peoples’ mental health. Human Circle started as a community of people driving #DoWhatYouLove movement and now the community is working with youth that stands for sustainability. Like the recent edition, this year the core theme of the event #DoWhatYouLove was combined with ‘Sustainable Living’ as a part of the larger ‘Youth for Sustainability’ initiative driven by some like-minded organizations.
