"Youth is an indispensable force in promoting global development," said Yu Tao, vice president of China International Communications Group (CICG), during the online WiseDemo Campaign 2022 Proposal Presentation on July 15. 

Themed "Wisdom and Power of Youth on Global Development," the WiseDemo Campaign, under the Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD), solicits innovative proposals from young professionals from around the world to encourage young people to care about global development, enhance exchanges and mutual learning, and contribute their insights to the building of a community with a shared future around global development. 

Since its launch in late January of this year, the campaign has received more than 100 proposals from young people from 44 countries and regions, with topics covering five major areas, including poverty reduction and inclusive development, the COVID-19 fight and public health, climate change and green development, innovation drives and the digital economy, and open cooperation and interconnectivity.

According to Yu, the highly professional proposals available for reference are presented in diverse forms, including research reports, micro-documentaries, and mobile applications. 

Top 10 proposals

The top 10 proposals assessed by senior officials, researchers, and professionals were revealed and displayed during the presentation. 

Put forward by participants from Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Nigeria, the 10 proposals involve popularizing China's poverty alleviation experience, health cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), urban waste treatment, smart city air monitoring, China’s fashion and urban culture, next-generation change-makers, and China's stories in foreigners' eyes, among others.

Regarding China's victory over poverty, David Blair, economist and former senior business columnist for China Daily, said he was impressed with China's huge success in lifting people out of extreme poverty throughout the country, not only in the big cities.

Blair noted that most of global poverty reduction over the past few decades has occurred in China, which is as part of a more general and widespread economic growth.

"China has given formerly poor people opportunities, and many have taken advantage of those opportunities to build businesses. Those businesses create good lives both for their owners and employees," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of sustainable prosperity for people who have shaken off poverty, the key to which is "continuing investment in local education and healthcare around the country."

Elsbeth van Paridon, a Dutch sinologist and English editor at the Beijing Review, and whose proposal was among the top 10 at the event, hoped to present China to the world from a different angle: through fashion. 

Paridon observed a shift from Western brands to local brands in China and the rise of "China chic" (Chinese fashion trends) over recent years. She believed this reflected national confidence and that fashion could demonstrate what's happening in society.

For Paridon, there is a lot more to uncover about China, and one can tell a lot more about the country through fashion. "I'm a sinologist. I'm a journalist," said Paridon. "It's a very big soft power force that China has not yet really tapped into. So maybe I'm tapping into it for them."

Youth power

While addressing the presentation, Yu Tao quoted the "World Youth Report: Youth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," which underlines that young people could play a critical role in dealing with a host of issues, including climate change, conflict, gender inequality, and forced migration.

He also called on global youth to keep pace with the times, employ new technologies, explore new directions, and make good use of new media to put forward practical solutions to improve global governance and solve development problems.

Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), also emphasized the crucial role younger generations might play in facilitating global dialogue. He believed that the innovative solutions and recommendations in the proposals would make a difference to the world and inspire more young people to join in.

Dr. Mohammed Misbahul Ferdous, whose proposal was also counted among the top 10 at WiseDemo, is a Bangladeshi cardiologist at Fuwai Hospital affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and vice president of the Asian Society of Cardiology. He spoke about the importance of training young doctors in BRI countries.  

"Young people are the biggest asset for any country," said Dr. Ferdous, adding that training in medical skills and technologies should be provided to more young doctors so that they could not only attend to patients but also contribute to disease prevention. 

The GYLD is jointly initiated by CCG and the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS) affiliated with CICG. It is a communication, education, and professional development platform for young achievers with diverse regional, cultural, disciplinary, sectorial, and professional backgrounds across the globe.

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