Once upon a time, “changing the world” was just a dream — a vague statement I didn’t really know how to make happen. Maybe at the back of my mind I didn’t really believe it’s something that could be done. Nonetheless, it was a hopeful endeavor that gave me purpose, an optimistic challenge that somehow pushed me to keep trying to be better every single day until I get the satisfaction of having done something that makes a dent in this world.

No wonder I’ve developed some sort of anxiety and found myself in some existential crisis in recent years (but that’s for another post haha). You can ask me now what exactly I want to be, and I still wouldn’t  know the answer. But I can paint a clear picture of what I want to be doing and what my ideal day is like.

In retrospect, maybe I have always aimed for the best. It blows my mind when I realize how I ended up in places I didn’t exactly envision but somehow that’s where I ended up in.

Providential stumble

My journey hasn’t been easy, and surely some luck and grace from the universe played a great part. You see, I got into the University the Philippines, arguably the best university in the country (at least it’s officially our national university, so let’s not argue about that); eventually ended up in ANC, the only 24/7 news channel in the country, broadcasting in English, and perhaps the best network I could be in as a broadcast communication graduate pursuing a career in broadcast journalism in the Philippines; and just about a year ago, I found myself engaged in an initiative started by a United Nations agency.

A little over two years into the workforce, I was looking for something more than my usual nine to six job where I could further hone my skills while making direct impact in the development sector in the country. I knew I had the energy to do so much more. With only my communications background and time on my hands, I decided to write about the development sector scene in the Philippines. What started as a blog became a full fledged website designed to be a one-stub hub for the development sector in the country where you can find causes you may want to support, organizations you may want to be part of, and people you may want to work with. Pinoycatalyst.com was born with the help of my friend Frances.

As we were looking for stories, I stumbled upon the Facebook group then recently started by Jules Guiang, to convene young Filipinos dedicated on working for sustainable development. And as fate would have it, the moment I discovered the Facebook group was also the last day for applications for the initial set of officers who would lead the formation of the 2030 Youth Force in the Philippines, which was initially started by the United Nations Development Programme and UN Volunteers in Bangkok, Thailand

The action platform

Now serving as the head for external affairs for the Philippine chapter, the 2030 Youth Force has provided me a platform to do something bigger than myself. Through partnerships and collaborations, we in the 2030 Youth Force can amplify our impact. Maybe we will not be able to reduce the country’s poverty incidence in a snap, but we can help better the lives of the people around us. We may not be able to stop climate change by next year, but we can help save the planet in small ways through numerous households and neighborhoods we are part of.

For someone who’s into volunteering and social development advocacy, I’ve always believed the UN is the best avenue to make the biggest impact in the world. It’s up for debate, sure, but I didn’t exactly plan to attend UN related events at this particular point in my life, yet I’ve been out of the country thrice this year, all for the 2030 Youth Force. These overseas workshops and conference allowed me to interact with people from other countries, learn from them, exchange ideas, and even collaborate on projects that could contribute to the achievement of the Global Goals.

Until now, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the thought that I am actually taking part in achieving this set of 17 goals set by close to 200 nations to end poverty, conserve the environment, restore and preserve peace, and provide an improved quality of life for all by year 2030. I don’t know if there’s anything that could be bigger and more impactful than that. It’s even too grand a goal to fully grasp, envision, and believe in. But I do.

And just as I always did, I hold on to the hope and the possibility that it could be done. The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development could be fulfilled when everyone and every nation does their part. A 20-something like me cannot change this world single-handedly. But I, together with the over 900 members of the 2030 Youth Force in the Philippines, and us, together with the 700 million youth in Asia Pacific, and billions in this world, can surely do something. And I know, little efforts –consistently and collectively done—can make a huge difference. Together, we stand a greater chance at achieving the world we want by 2030.

From a mere Facebook post asking who are interested to work on sustainable development, the Youth Force community in the Philippines has grown to 942 member-advocates to date, with over 12 major events conducted, over 30 workshops participated in, 30 speaking engagements, and a total of 110 external engagements fostered through partnerships and collaborations with other organizations in the country.

Today, we are moving beyond mainstreaming the SDGs and raising the awareness of the public about these Global Goals. As we enter our second year, we now focus on youth empowerment through organic projects in several communities in the country. We have at least ten activities lined up for 2018, and five community projects are to be rolled out with the participation of the youth in five different regions. We still have a long way to go as we have yet to measure success and specific impact on the ground, and connect with more local government units as we continue our efforts in the regions, but we are sure of one important thing — we have the energy, vigor, and enthusiasm to keep going.

Making a mark

I am fed up of the youth being belittled for “naiveté” and too much idealism. Every generation may have its flaws but in the same vein, each generation also has something characteristically revolutionary that makes a mark in history. I want my generation to be the one that was actually able to “transform our world.”

I write news for a living. I know about typhoons, climate disturbances, nuclear missiles suddenly being fired who knows when, international conflicts, territorial disputes, acts of terror being committed almost every month, discrimination and bullying, crimes, poverty, economic ups and downs, epidemic breakout, and political turmoil. I am tired of feeling hopeless hearing about wars and conflicts in Mindanao, in Syria, in the Middle East, in the U.S., and everywhere else. I am also tired of my own personal problems and drama. There’s no discounting the fact that each one of us has our own personal matters to take care of first before tackling the problems of our country, much less, the world. But nothing’s going to change if we don’t do something.

We may just be a handful of young people thinking we can do some grand things… but what if we really can?

When you have over 900 people who believe in the same vision and are all willing to take action to realize the vision, what things can you possibly do? Imagine the possibilities. Wouldn’t you want to make it happen?

Thirteen years from now, in year 2030, I want to be able to say I did my part and I did my best to help provide a better world and a better life not only for my children in the future, but for everybody else as well. We may or may not succeed, but not for lack of trying.

To think the world is doomed is too sad a way to live a life filled with beautiful and grand possibilities.

I stumbled my way to the best places one foot in front of the other.

When you have a vision, you focus on that, and you keep showing up.

Even when doubt creeps in, you walk by faith and you keep walking.

Like your typical millennial, I am not afraid to hustle for my grandiose dream.

Will you take on the challenge and help us transform our world?

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If you’re a young Filipino age 15-30, join us: bit.ly/yfphmembership

If you’re older, we need you more. We need guidance, wisdom, and support.

Help us make massive impact and achieve the goals.

Contact us at youthforceph@gmail.com

For simple ways to contribute to the Global Goals, visit http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/takeaction/

The future of humanity and of our planet lies in our hands. It lies also in the hands of today’s younger generation who will pass the torch to future generations. We have mapped the road to sustainable development; it will be for all of us to ensure that the journey is successful and its gains irreversible.

– Paragraph 53, The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The 2030 Youth Force is a network of youth in the Asia Pacific region working to help achieve the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development agreed on by 193 member-states of the United Nations. This Agenda is a 15-year plan of action for the people, the planet, prosperity, and peace, which aim to transform the world into one that’s free from poverty, injustice, and environment degradation among others, where no one is left behind.