Local Young Leader Selected as a 2021 YOUNGA Youth Delegate for it's Annual Global Youth Takeover

  Sharona Lieuw On will represent Suriname as part of the 2021 YOUNGA Youth Delegation and will contribute to policy dialogues as well as co-create solutions with decision-makers to achieve a more inclusive, sustainable future This September, Sharona Lieuw On from Suriname has been selected to represent at the 2021 YOUNGA™ Forum. Organized by BridgingTheGap Ventures, this pioneering annual global youth takeover event uniting young people with decision-makers using VR/XR technologies is focused on a central theme for 2021—re-imagine a better future. YOUNGA will connect 2,030 Youth Delegates from across 130 countries with top-level decision-makers and influencers to co-create solutions to global challenges related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year, partners include The Hult Prize Foundation, Kiss the Ground, IBMZ, AIESEC, Girl Up, The One Campaign, WWF International, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Kode with Klossy, The Resolution Project, the Born This Way Foundation, One Young World, Project Everyone, the UN Foundation and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). 

“ I am excited to voice my views when it comes to co-creating global solutions and to help lay the foundations that will benefit the global youth in the future” states Sharona Lieuw -On. “I believe that Suriname can provide many solutions to global problems if we adopt an innovative mindset. Sustainability is what I wish to manifest when I think about the future of our young citizens As a young leader I strive to create a better future .”

 YOUNGA Youth Delegates hold the important role of representing the voice of young people— along with their region—in key dialogues and interactive sessions. They receive access to a free, bespoke 4-week leadership and advocacy training program along with curated career advancement and networking opportunities, including virtual Innovation Masterminds, Policy Working Groups, as well as interactive VR experiences. Programming focuses on five thematic tracks that align with youth priorities and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Climate Action and Sustainable Living, Equality and Inclusion, Future of Education and Work, Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Peace and Justice. “With our 2021 YOUNGA theme "Re-imagine a better future," our goal is to inspire creativity and innovative thinking, for young people to explore new solutions to pressing global challenges and bring renewed hope. In the eyes of youth we are living in a time of crisis for people and the planet—we are moving in the opposite direction from progress as economic and social disparities continue to widen,” says YOUNGA founder and Global Chair, Kelly Lovell. “To achieve the inclusive and sustainable future we all seek, we must invest in developing the potential of young people and create a new trajectory for our future.” Part of this year’s program will include a special youth activation on September 9 alongside a charity fundraiser live streamed from Disney World presented by the president of Walt Disney World Resorts, Jeff Vahle. YOUNGA was conceptualized upon the belief that the passion, experience, and perspectives young people like Sharona bring to discussions about global problems proves they are not only the leaders of tomorrow but also the leaders of today. To learn more about how the Forum provides young people with an accessible and inclusive platform to voice their ideas concerning the action needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda, visit youngaforum.com Join the global conversation on social media by following #YOUNGA2021 and @wearebridgingthegap (Instagram) and @btg_ventures (Twitter). Media Contact press@btgventures.com About BridgingTheGap Ventures BridgingTheGap™ Ventures was founded with the goal of bringing together young changemakers with the world’s top industry leaders, decision-makers, and influencers to usher in a new era for humanity that is more connected, collaborative, and empowered than the status quo. Providing access is central to all that we do—bridging opportunity gaps for underrepresented and underserved groups in order to foster inclusive innovation, prepare for the future of education and work, and co-create solutions to community challenges. Learn more about BridgingTheGap Ventures: bridgingthegapventures.com