Youth Took a Seat for Dialogue
On 22 August, a true #SITDOWN took place at Brdo pri Kranju as part of the international initiative SIT DOWN – Peace Child. In addition to their intensive rehearsals for the Peace Child musical, young musicians participating in the Summer Orchestral Camp spent three days discussing the role and importance of the UN and how they themselves can become active global citizens.
During the workshops, they reflected on the Declaration on Future Generations, their fears and hopes for the future, and how they can express – and even demand – their rights as citizens of a world whose future is under threat. The debates also touched on current crises, including the wars in Palestine and Ukraine, as among the participants were peers coming directly from these conflict areas.
On 22 August, the young participants were divided into five thematic groups. Together with ambassadors, academics and youth experts, they discussed international peace and security, safe migration, sustainability policies, inclusive societies, and intergenerational justice. In the afternoon, a major panel discussion followed, where young people presented their ideas directly to diplomats and decision-makers, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, Ms. Tanja Fajon.
Their message was clear:
Minister Fajon emphasized at the meeting:
The first step has been made. The voices of youth – their demands and visions – will also come alive on stage in the Peace Child musical, to be performed on 23 August in Ljubljana’s Križanke and on 23 October at the Konzerthaus in Vienna.
The SIT DOWN initiative is held under the honorary patronage of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Ms. Tanja Fajon. Through the power of art, it connects young people from around the world, fosters dialogue and builds bridges between diplomacy, culture, and sustainable development.
