The countdown is ticking: World Water Week 2018 is near

Stockholm World Water Week is fast approaching now. In just two weeks, water professionals from all over the world are gathering in the Swedish capital for a week of discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking. Of the more than 3,000 registered participants a large portion are usually young professionals under the age of 35, so of course the Water Youth Network is also going to be present with a team of enthusiastic youth from all over the globe at this conference. And we have a lot planned for you during the week, here is a quick overview for you.

Young Professionals Day: Global Vision to Local Reality

Room: Little Theatre | Sunday, 26th August 2018 | 9:00 – 10:30am & 11:00am – 12:30pm

This is a two-part session on the Young Professionals Day organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute, Swedish Water House, and Arup. It will ask questions such as ‘How can the Sustainable Development Goals be implement at local level?’ and “How can youth be included in these decision-making processes?’ Young and senior professionals are supposed to engage with each other to exchange and discuss their experiences.

The Water Youth Network contributes to the second part of the session. We created an interactive activity exploring the barriers to and issues of implementing the SDGs from global to local and from local to global in the cities. It stress how the human and ecosystem goals could be tackled by individual, community, and administrative actions.

Can Valuing Water Change our Attitude towards Water? Concrete Examples!

Room: NL Auditorium | Sunday 26th August 2018 | 2:00 – 3:30pm

In 2017, the High-Level Panel on Water facilitated a global conversation on valuing water across civil society, academia, business and government. Five principles emerged that capture the essence of valuing water, namely: 1) recognize and embrace water’s multiple values; 2) reconcile values and build trust; 3) protect the sources; 4) educate to empower; 5) invest and innovate.

Come to this session to start the conversation with us and other youth on whether valuing water can really have an impact on how we use water!

Young Professionals Booth: Knits & Knots Supporting Human Development

Norra Latin Exhibition Area | Tuesday, 28th August 2018 | All day

On the Tuesday of the week we will be hosting the Young Professionals Booth in Norra Latin. Ecosystems, just as handicraft knitting, are extremely susceptible to changes. A part is not going to last without the whole. Any modifications, no matter how small, can have an impact on the rest. Knits are secured through knots, protecting them and making the whole more resilient to changes.

At the Young Professionals Booth we would like to explore with you, how knits and knots interact through different activities. Knits are ductile, for instance water is a physical connector that flows across borders and through ecosystems and beyond. There are also non-physical connectors such as human bonding and the use of technology. Knots secure these interactions, for example through agreements like the 2030 Agenda, treaties, laws, and research papers.

We would also like to invite you for the RE-LAUNCH of the YouKnoW! platform at 1:00 pm during the lunch break. YouKnoW! stands for Youth-driven Knowledge in Water. The platform is showcasing information about youth projects and youth organisations on an interactive world map – thus documenting youth actions, inspire, develop, and disseminate knowledge, create networks between youth leaders and connect these local experiences to global efforts related to the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.
The YouKnoW! platform has been newly designed. Now projects and organisations appear in the same map and can directly feature all social media channels, pictures and information related to the project and organization in a new, user-friendly design and much more.

Visit the relaunch of the YouKnoW! to get more information!

 

Netherlands Water Partnership Booth: Bringing Youth Priorities to Water, Ecosystems, and Human Development

Folkets Hus Exhibition Area | Wednesday, 29th August 2018 | All day

What do youth think should be prioritised in working on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related to water, ecosystems, and human development? Let’s talk about your thoughts when it comes to the scope of this year’s World Water Week. Come around the booth of the Netherlands Water Partnership, with whom we have teamed up to focus on young professionals for the day.

Are you wondering what challenges and opportunities are there for youth in transboundary water management? Come around the NWP booth at 10:30am for a short presentation on the research the Water Youth Networking is doing on the role of young people in water collaboration and diplomacy.

The Intergenerational Coffee Club

Thursday, 30th August 2018 | 8:00 – 9:00am

Come and join us for an informal gathering between young and (more) senior water professionals. Chat about the work you do, get some insights into the seniors’ experience, and get some useful career advice – all while having a typical Swedish fika. Sign up for participating in the Intergenerational Coffee Club here so we can let you know where it is going to take place.

 

Netherlands Water Partnership Booth: The Ultimate Pitch

Folkets Hus Exhibition Area | Thursday, 30th August 2018 | 1:00 – 2:00pm

Do you want to improve the way you pitch a project? Do you want to make your next project a success? Join The Ultimate Pitch at 1.00pm for a mock-pitch and get feedback from some experienced senior professionals. Please register to be a part of The Ultimate Pitch here.

 

Trade-offs and Synergies between the Sustainable Development Goals

Room: FH 307 | Thursday, 30th August 2018 | 4:00 – 5:30pm

The Sustainable Development Goals often seem to be conflicting even though they have the same ultimate aim. So what trade-offs and synergies between are there? In this 90-minute session we would like to ignite spontaneous discussions on where the SDGs benefit from each other and where one might create a challenge for another. The session has two halves: First, you will be introduced to a number of case studies. Then afterwards, you will have the opportunity to discuss several questions in small groups in a world café setting.

This is the only session at this year’s Stockholm World Water Week that is organised for youth by youth. We could win over Deltares, IHE Delft, and the International WaterCentre as partners for this session.

You cannot be in Stockholm for the session but you would still like to make your voice heard? You can also contribute to the discussion by completing this survey. Make sure to join the Facebook event where the event is being broadcasted to.

 

Join the Young Professionals at Stockholm World Water Week 2018 facebook group to connect to a large number of the young people at the conference this year and to make sure you do not miss out on anything fun. We are looking forward to meeting you in Stockholm in a fortnight.

If you would like to discuss a possible cooperation and partnership between your organisation and Water Youth Network, we are always open for talks whenever you see us. But the best idea is to reach out to us before Stockholm World Water Week via info@wateryouthnetwork.org or s.abbas@wateryouthnetwork.org so we can make sure we have enough time for you to talk and brainstorm the options.