“Nothing about us, without us.” This was the basis of the message from Professor José Frantz, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research & Innovation of the University of the Western Cape (UWC), this past weekend. She was the facilitator at a workshop about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and youth development.

Prof Frantz said social responsibility and community engagement initiatives could not happen without key role players. She said the University had the chance to become the vehicle through which the co-creation of solutions can happen to address the needs of youth developers actively engaged in communities. Their collaboration would make a more impactful difference to society.

Prof Frantz noted further that UWC’s commitment to community engagement with societal impact is reflected in its history and ethos. As the University embraced its proud history in the anti-apartheid movements, it was committed to link this proud past to an exciting future grounded in excellence, with local, regional, and international relevance. Community engagement was the pivotal point that fed into and from UWC’s teaching and research, and the link between these three roles are equally important based on partnerships and inclusivity. 

Prof Frantz said through UWC’s SDG and youth development workshop it was able to, firstly, identify a common purpose using the SDG framework, recognising the current skill set and build on that together. Secondly, it identified the upskilling needs of youth developers as they aimed to make a difference in our communities. 

She highlighted the importance of partnerships and working together to meet the national policy goals of the National Development Plan and the SA Youth Policy, as well as linking these to the SDGs.

Through the workshop the following SDG goals were highlighted as key to activities that youth developers attending focus on: SDG1 (No Poverty), SDG4 (Quality Education), SDG10 (Reduced Inequality) and SDG17 (Promoting Partnerships).
 

“The workshop was not just informative, but a welcomed, timeous and progressive investment,” said attendee, John Alexander. “It was definitely a divinely orchestrated, beautifully intended gathering. My mind was running with possibilities and seeing pieces of the puzzle fit into place.”

Attendee Jay Wilson said the workshop was extremely informative and refreshing as “we got to connect and network with other organisations geared towards the same goal and missions as our own. Thank you, UWC, for facilitating a space for organisations like ours to connect and work together toward changing the youth for the future”.

Lindsay Goliath said: “It was an enriching experience for me. The ‘buzzwords’ collaboration and not competition still echoes. Although we were from different oganisations, focusing on different SDGs, we were still able to implement SDG 17 which speaks directly to partnerships. In this case SDG 17 simply means to connect with local partners to make a lasting impact.” 

"It doesn't matter where you come from. What matters is where you are going. Opportunities are your stepping stones to greatness. We as youth developers are the stepping stones for the youth by providing opportunities for growth and change in each of our respective fields, and as such, it is our duty to fulfill this obligation to the best of our abilities to ensure the greatest outcome for those in need,” said Houston Erasmus.