Thank you so much for such inspiring words, and welcome, everyone. It’s really a pleasure and an honor to be with all of you this evening, discussing really, my field of expertise, which is SDGs and youth, with, I think, someone who embodies what youth can do, both in the present and in the future.

I think this is really important. We have to know that young people are not only the future of society, but they are also the present. This is what we are going to discuss, per the sustainable development goals.

Now, I would like to start with one question first. It is, how many of you know what the sustainable development goals are?

Sort of, more or less, right? OK. You know, wonderful. For those who know, would you say, are they really, really, really important? Are they, “OK,” like, it’s something that it’s there, why not? Or not important at all, like, “We don’t care”?

Very, very important. All right, OK. More or less.

OK, we have a good crowd. OK, nice, then. Not important at all, anyone say this? OK, all right. We are on the same page, then. That’s really good.

First of all, of course, I want to acknowledge the institutions and organizations that are a part of this event. Of course, TECO, thank you very much for organizing this wonderful event here this evening. Also, the World Youth Alliance. Now, I’m really biased for the World Youth Alliance, because I’m a member of this organization.

I’ve collaborated with this organization extensively, and they’re doing extraordinary work. Maybe I would like to invite Lord Pomperada to say a few words about the World Youth Alliance.

I believe also Colin Wolfgang from YPFP is here.

Wonderful, so YPFP...

...would you like to say some words about it?

Thank you so much. I believe also Kevin Wong is here. Kevin Wong comes from the organization, TAP. Probably, you can tell us a little bit more about the organization.

Wonderful. Thank you so much. I’d like to start this conversation with the same question I asked the audience. Why the SDGs? Why are they important?

I think you just pointed out the interdependence of these goals. We cannot achieve just SDG 1, just SDG 2. We need to achieve the 17 of these goals. These are the 17 sustainable development goals, and each of the 169 targets, as you mentioned very well.

What is the role of youth in all this? Do we have a role as young people in the implementation of the SDGs?

I believe these networks can help them, groups acting locally, as you were saying, would have then an international influence, because of whatever’s happening in Taiwan, whatever’s happening in any other place. It really can impact what’s...

Also, that goes within the concept of sustainable development. A lot of times, when we think about sustainable development, we just think of the environment. Almost automatically, that’s the initial relation that we do.

It also involves society. It also involves economies, growth, economic growth, with social possibility, and of course, preserving the environment. These three parts are very interconnected in each of the goals.

As you said very well, someone might be interested in SDG 1, but you can collaborate with someone who’s interested in SDG 2. What do you think are the values that youth leadership brings, that young people bring?

You said this idea of the technology, that we’re going to explore in-depth. What else do those young leaders bring to the table?

Absolutely. Also, we were mentioning, we’re going to be around for the next 23 years, so we better take care for what’s happening, for the actions that we’re taking right now.

That’s quite important. Let’s focus on technology, since we have a technological expert here. How can technology shape the completion of the SDGs, and specifically, what is Taiwan doing in this regard?

Absolutely. I think it’s a great idea that you are posting questions from apps. We can resolve them later on. Then you said there were already some question to already get started?

Wonderful. What can you say of the young people that we have here? How can they get involved in these issues or support these initiatives?

Everyone that’s here that is related to technology, you take note of this. One of the questions regarding this around technology is that, obviously, Social Innovation. How many other initiatives are within this realm, and what are these objects in the short, medium, and long term?

Can you give us some examples of this particular social innovation?

Really? That’s really empowering the people.

Absolutely. One question that you should be concerned with this is that these advances are usually gathered, or are usually taking place, in a specific city or in the capital. Usually, they don’t take place in rural areas, let’s say. It’s harder to get those.

Now, you said that it was important to incorporate other cities, other rural areas.

What efforts are you doing in order to expand the Social Innovation Lab?

A lot of times, as you just pointed out, the SDG implementation has to happen at all levels, and especially at the local level, community level, and the city level. How can cities play a role in implementations? Of course, those smart cities sometimes helps out. What is the role that cities can play?

Truly, cities are laboratories for living experiments. I think that’s quite an important idea. What are the priorities of the SDG implementations for Taiwan in the next years? Are there ones, SDGs that are more urgent? We say that often...

Are there any priorities for the SDGs?

Also, you want to be able to use this common language, for everyone?

So everyone can apply to and aspire to. I think it’s also quite important, first of all, is to know what is the background of some of the people here? Maybe we can address some of the questions that they have for different sectors, and how those can interrelate to technology, how they can interrelate with social innovation.

Let’s go a little bit. Let’s see, for instance, who is business here, the business sector? All right, nice. What about law, how many lawyers are out? Good. Do we have any artists? I’m a pianist, so I’m biased up here. OK, good. Wonderful.

Do we have anyone in the technology sector? We were talking about technology. OK, some people. Science?

Teachers, there we go, education. Very important for SDG 4. There we go, guys. Thank you for it. What else? What other backgrounds we have here?

Philosophy?

Extremely important. As you can see, the SDGs are relevant for any of the occupations that we have, for any of the backgrounds that we have. One of the keys, I think I’m going to say, is this collaboration with different sectors, and the partnership for the goals, which is SDG 17.

It’s quite important for the effective implementation of the SDGs. Let’s go to some of the audience questions now. Let’s see.

Wonderful. Let’s go to the next one, then. Biggest strength and weakness?

Actually, what other advice do you have for young people here, to become social entrepreneurs? One of them don’t be afraid, right? Businesses, you might fail once.

Or five.

What are the other advices that you would give young people here?

We must always focus on that mission, never lose that mission...

...that you had at the beginning. It doesn’t matter what failures that you might have. Always persevere for that mission. Let’s go to the next one.

Yeah, and also replicating the solution worldwide. It definitely is knowledge sharing, is knowing from each other, learning...

That’s extremely, extremely important. Sometimes, it’s not so well-known that these solutions can be helpful.

I think we’re experiencing at the SDG implementation a new relevance of youth. This is quite important, because we had the MDGs before. One thing that in which I think the SDGs excels in is involvement in youth, and you talked about these surveys that we’re taking worldwide about what are the most important issues?