TRENDS Research and Advisory has participated
in the Times Forum “Acceleration of actions towards achieving the
Sustainable Development Goal SDG 6", which is hosted by the United Arab
Emirates University in the Crescent Building at Al Ain city Campus.
The forum is held in strategic partnership
with TRENDS Research and Advisory, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi University, Al
Ain University, the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the Times Higher Education
Foundation and the World Meteorological Organization. It was attended by experts
and higher education leaders, researchers and media representatives.
TRENDS Research and Advisory has participated in the forum with two papers on youth-led innovation and "Media clean coverage”. TRENDS had a special Stand that displayed its research publications on the sideline of the Forum.
Sultan Al Rubaei, Deputy Head of Research and
Advisory at Trends Research and Advisory Center, presented a paper on Youth-driven
innovation for social change and the promotion of urgent action and finding
solutions to mitigate the risks of climate change. He called for focus on the SDG
6th goal which is clean water and sanitation.
Al Rubaei said that it is important to stress
on 3 points to drive the youth to take action on climate change issues in
general. First is raising awareness and second using the right resources for
information and third is making the right decisions.
He indicated that the responsibility of
raising awareness about sustainability in general lies on us all. This could be
achieved through the promotion of education about sustainable development goals
in school and university programs, hosting events and forums. There is a need to introduce governments
programs that incentivize for sustainable substitutes. It is also important to
exploit social media platforms which are the norm nowadays for the youth to get
their information.
On to the second point which is using the
right resources for information, Al Rubaei said that there is huge flow of
information from all sources. He referred to the role of thinktanks in disseminating
the right knowledge to the right audience and lead to a better change.
Al Rubaei stressed the significance of making
the right decisions in today’s world.
“Sustainability is a must for humans to
continue living a decent life in the future.” Al Rubaei said. He indicated that
the increasing number of people in the world and the accelerating rate of
depletion of natural resources make it imperative to put an international
action plan of action in place. Here comes the role of the youth as the leaders
to a better future and a better world.
Trends Research and Advisory paper explained
that sustainable water management is vital to the health of ecosystems and
biodiversity. In
addition, Al Rubaie stressed the ability to withstand climate change. He explained
that the issues of water scarcity and sanitation are global challenges and
addressing them requires international cooperation and coordination.
He stated that clean
water and sanitation are fundamental to achieving many of the other Sustainable
Development Goals, including those related to health, education, and poverty
reduction.
Al Rubaei conclude that sustainable
development goal 6 is crucial for the well-being of individuals and
communities, as well as for the overall sustainability and development of
societies worldwide. Achieving the targets outlined in this goal is essential
for a better, healthier, and more prosperous future for all.
Clean Coverage
El-Yazia
Al-Hosani, head of the Media Communications Department at Trends
Research and Advisory presented a paper entitled “Clean coverage: How can the
media provide the most accurate reflection of the challenges around SDG 6?”.
She Stressed that involving the media sector in finding solutions is important
not only for the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals SDG 6, but
also for other related challenges that affect the lives of societies and
countries. She indicated that Think tanks are always extremely mindful of the
importance of an accurate picture of the problem based on good data and
credible information.
El-Yazia said that the narrative that universal access to water is a problem only of the Global South is a flawed narrative. She referred to the relatively weak media coverage outside of the specialist press towards achieving the goals of SDG6. El-Yazia called for the need to benefit from the experience of Think Tanks, which are almost obsessed with finding accurate data and credible information. She said that the media can also seek to improve its understanding of complicated data sets and establish narratives that are comprehensive and accurate on this issue.
El-Yazia
Al-Hosani stressed that the mainstream media has a core duty to inform the
public with reliable and accurate information because only then are we are all
able to envision a path to how these issues might be solved. She said that
there are several dimensions at play concerning how the media sector can become
more accurate and comprehensive in covering SDG 6, and also how media can spark
effective action by individuals and communities. The UN data does a great public
service by providing a consistent framework for SDG 6 on water and the 16 other
SDGs. She said that high journalistic standards and the skill to keep audiences
engaged will be essential in informing the public. El-Yazia encouraged
journalists to reach out to experts in the think tank community for accurate
information and analyses.
El-Yazia said that TRENDS Research and Advisory considers this to be one of its responsibilities, and I am glad to report that journalists reach out to our experts with increasing frequency. She added that the media has a basic duty, which is to provide credible content and accurate information that enables experts to envision a solution to the national and global challenges in this regard.
The head of
the Media Communications Department at Trends called for media
institutions to constantly blends complex technical information with the human
dimension in its reports. They can use technology tools to enhance impact,
focus on youth and the positive aspects of the story.
El-Yazia
conclude the paper by indicating that the media sector is one of the four major
sources of information and analysis, along with academia, the research sector,
and industry. It is also by far the most accessible and widespread source of
information and has a key influence on public opinion. It is therefore of
critical importance that the public be informed reliably, accurately, and
consistently so that action resulting from that engagement will be focused and
beneficial.
El-Yazia stressed that more still needs to be done if media is to be
truly effective in supporting global causes. It will be necessary for media
sectors to align internationally and develop a coherent discourse that provide
the vital spark animating our personal and collective efforts to address these
challenges.
Special Pavilion
TRENDS
Research and Advisory had a special pavilion on the sidelines of the
forum, in which it displayed many books,
publications and studies on climate issues and others.
Rawdha
AlMarzouqi, Director of Exhibitions and Distribution Department, explained that
this participation is in line with the general strategy of TRENDS Center to
enhance its global outreach and promote vision about global issues. This shall
help achieve leadership and innovation and enhance the concept of sustainable
development.
She
explained that the participation came within the framework of Trends’ endeavor
to emphasize the importance of knowledge, scientific research, consultations
and studies in finding solutions to various challenges at the regional and
international levels.
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