Description
As we are a few weeks away of the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar (21 to 26 March 2022), the participation and empowerment of young people is at the core of priorities for the Executive Secretariat of this major event dedicated to water-related issues.  The Senegalese organizers have joined forces with several partners including  the International Secretariat for Water (ISW) – a leading organization in mobilizing, connecting and supporting civil society and youth for water at the global level, the Association of Young Professionals in Water and Sanitation Senegal (AJPEAS), the World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to create a place of convergence of ideas and solutions between generations, sectors and countries: the Youth Space.
A central element of the youth strategy of the 9th World Water Forum, the Youth Space will offer young people from all over the world the opportunity to work together to strengthen their capacities on major water-related themes and to unite to carry out the necessary transformations that our societies and our planet need to guarantee a sustainable and equitable present and future. Indeed, it has never been more urgent for the #WaterGeneration to mobilize and actively participate in the development and implementation of innovative solutions.
In a spirit of co-construction, the Executive Secretariat, young people and committed partners jointly led the reflections that led to the development of this Youth Space – which will be at the heart of the Forum.  The physical design of the space was handed over to the College of Architecture of Dakar. 3 brilliant architecture students – Fatimata Bintou Diallo, Jeanne Moya F. G. Ndiaye and Sorya Marie T. Diene – won the architectural competition. Their concept based on the idea of fluidity and inspired by Senegalese culture convinced the jury, meeting the criteria of sustainability, innovation, sustainability and attractiveness.
“This participation leads me to think more about the issue of water, a ressources which must not be wasted. Seeing my design present at the 9th Forum Mondail de l’eau in Dakar is a unique chance to see hundreds of people circulate in front of the structure that I imagined with my peers. Our inspiration was the fluidity and the colors transposable to the theme of water. »
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– Fatimata Bintou Diallo, architecture student at the Dakar College of Architecture and winner of the Youth Space development competition
In parallel with the architectural design process, a call has been launched to collect the proposals that will make up the programming of this Youth Space. The enthusiasm of the #waterGeneration has been strong, with hundreds of proposals submitted from Senegal, Africa and all other continents.
SEE THE COMPLETE PROGRAM of the YOUTH SPACE
Efforts are all converging towards activities and exchanges that will equip young people with the skills to defend their messages to decision-makers and within the processes of the 9th World Water Forum while defining priorities and a common plan of action.  The Dakar World Water Forum  is intended to be the catalyst for  a global youth movement  for water, which will take the necessary actions at the local, regional and global levels.
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“The creation of the youth space, open to all young people, is a monumental step in the right direction for the inclusion of young people. This space allows for a creative representation of water-related topics that matter to young people. This space strengthens and unifies the voice of young people in the field of water by giving us a space to act together, while exemplifying the diversity within our movement by allowing many diverse voices to be represented throughout the Forum. I am very excited to be part of it and to see the diversity of ideas, people and passions within the youth movement for water. »
– Carolina Tornesi MacKinnon, President of the World Youth Parliament for Water and member of the Youth Steering Committee of the 9th World Water Forum
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