Three cities selected to pilot the Young Gamechangers Initiative
Fondation Botnar strategic visit to UN-Habitat Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.From left to right, Susanna Hausmann (Fondation Botnar), Raf Tuts (UN-Habitat), Shipra Narang Suri (UN-Habitat).
Fondation Botnar strategic visit to UN-Habitat Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.From left to right, Susanna Hausmann (Fondation Botnar), Raf Tuts (UN-Habitat), Shipra Narang Suri (UN-Habitat).
Nairobi, 31 October 2022 - Three intermediary cities, Armenia (Columbia), Jatni (India) and Bargny (Senegal) have been selected to pilot the Young Gamechangers Initiative. Its main objective is to advance urban health and wellbeing of young people and to engage both local governments and youth in governance and urban planning processes.
The Young Gamechangers is a three year project funded by Fondation Botnar- a Swiss philanthropic foundation working to improve the health and wellbeing of young people living in growing cities around the world- and is led by UN-Habitat in close collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Block by Block Foundation, empowers communities to turn neglected urban spaces into vibrant places that improve quality of life for all.
The Initiative was signed at the Youth Assembly of the 11th World Urban Forum and an expression of interest was launched inviting cities to submit pitching videos.
About the cities
Armenia in Colombia is the capital of the department of Quindío, a region that was deeply affected in 1999 by a large earthquake. Armenia is part of the “Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis”, where coffee is one of the main productive sectors in the region and the country. The pressure exerted by the rapid urbanization led to greater occupancy of ravines, consequent loss of biodiversity, land use conflicts and forest fragmentations.
Check out Armenia City Video
Jatni in India is an intermediary city and a major sub-urban area of Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha. The rapid urbanization led to land use change which resulted in massive decrease of dense vegetation along with increasing levels of air pollution, suspended particulate matter and emission of greenhouse gases. Jatni lack defined structures to engage the youth in the development and governance processes.
Check out: JATNI CITY VIDEO
Bargny in Senegal is known for being a coastal city full of fishing related economical activities. Located at 35 kilometres south of Dakar, the city has now been absorbed into the capital’s periphery and transformed into a polluted industrial area. Bargny is suffering from rising sea levels, confiscated land, resource depletion, environmental pollution, lack of engagement and loss of livelihoods, impacting negatively on young people health and wellbeing.
Check out BARGNY CITY VIDEO
The three cities will work in close collaboration with the UN-Habitat country offices in Senegal, Colombia and India over a period of three-year to enhance young people ecosystems including health and wellbeing. Through the process, cities and young gamechangers will receive technical advice, trainings, ad hoc support, and advisory input to address the pressing challenges related to youth.
Theknowledge generated during the project life cycle will be made available for other cities and shared globally via UN-Habitat’s channels.