Global Convening 2023

The S²Cities Global Convening took place from October 25th to October 28th, 2023! Diverse stakeholders, including young people, implementing partners, city officials, academics, and civil society, joined forces to enhance urban safety and youth wellbeing. The event spotlighted lessons, best practices, and youth-led solutions from Indonesia, the Philippines, Ecuador, and Colombia. The Convening served as the launchpad for the S²Cities Global Learning Network consisting of youth, public and private sector leaders committed to fostering safe and inclusive development.

What set the Convening apart was our use of Virtual Reality (VR) technology. It unlocked thrilling opportunities for global collaboration, bringing together teams and stakeholders from around the world effortlessly, all while reducing the carbon footprint linked to in-person events.

The immersive digital environment facilitated dynamic discussions and cross-regional and multi-sectoral collaboration. Local partners also had the opportunity to set up and design their virtual booths, allowing them to showcase their work, youth initiatives, and impact within programme cities.

The Global Convening combined in-person events in program cities with virtual sessions, offering global accessibility. Events built up from October 25-26 to the key plenary sessions on October 27-28. Attendees could pick sessions based on their interests and availability.

Catch a glimpse of S²Cities Global Convening virtual environment and the engaging in-person experiences across our 6 programme cities that unfolded during the event.