Fairplanet partner Code Sustainable has been chosen to speak at the “Sustainable Futures: Accelerating Progress on the MDGs through Youth Innovations” event at the Rio+20 conference to present their vision and their game Game Change Rio (www.gamechangerio.org) to a high level panel.
The panel was discussing ways to engage the youth stronger into the progress of achieving the MDGs and tap their innovative potential. Code Sustainable’s games, especially Game Change Rio, served as a showcase on how to leverage the potential of serious games and social networks to reach a broad young audience. Game Change Rio is build on the same simulation model that was used to create the UNEP Green Economy Report, a fundamental document for the Rio+20 summit. The game challenges the player to come up with strategies to lead the world into a sustainable future.
The event was hosted by secretary general Ban Ki-Moon who was accompanied by several of his MDG advocates such as Jeffery Sachs, Muhammad Yunus, Ted Turner, Marina Silva and Amb. Dho. As Ki-Moon stated, over half of the world’s population is under 25 years of age and “the youth is not the leader of tomorrow, but of today”. The UN has recognized that there are many innovative and great ideas among young people that just need to be enabled. Ki-Moon further added that he will appoint a special advisor on youth and will mobilize the UN system around an action plan. Furthermore this event shall lead to an MDG Advocate Youth Innovations Fund. This fund will identify key projects in partnership with UN agencies, and will help “kickstart” the jobs of the future.
The event was followed by lunch where the young innovators from the panel could further engage in discussion with the advocates. During lunch Muhammed Yunus enjoyed playing a quick round of Game Change Rio and added “this is a really great project and an excellent way to reach out to the youth, now you just need to add a social business idea to it”.
