As the World Academy for Local Government and Democracy (WALD), we value and support the integration of modern technologies into democratic spaces and, in particular, the participation of young people in platforms created within these spheres. In this context, through the "E-Parliament" online platform established under the WALD Young Leaders Academy, university students from Turkey and various countries around the world come together with policymakers and leaders to discuss a range of topics.
3rd WALD E-Parliament Youth Session: 'SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production' and 'SDG 13: Climate Action'
WALD encourages young people to raise awareness of current and social issues—acting as informed individuals guided by the principle of democratic participation—and promotes an understanding of democratic methods and processes so that they may contribute to solving today's challenges.
Accordingly, the E-Parliament sessions aim to foster democratic participation among youth and cultivate an awareness of democracy in light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through this E-Parliament model, young people have the opportunity to share their views and proposals on contemporary issues that affect them directly, such as sustainable cities, the circular economy, the environment and climate change, climate migration, gender equality, and the reduction of inequalities.Young people—the leaders of the future—gain the opportunity to meet with today's leaders on common ground; fueled by innovative thinking, these E-Parliament sessions are conducted through both in-person and online participation.Through the hybrid method offered by the E-Parliament, young people from various parts of the world gain the opportunity to share experiences on a common platform.This approach fosters communication among youth regarding current social issues while also contributing diverse perspectives to the resolution of global challenges.The E-Parliament sessions are planned as a series of 12 events to be held in various cities throughout 2022 and 2023. Each session is designed around selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and linked to the specific characteristics of the host city.
In this context, the first WALD E-Parliament Youth Session took place in Balıkesir on November 12, 2021, themed "The Green Deal and Youth," while the second was held on May 11, 2022, at the Turkish-German University in Istanbul, themed "SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. "The third E-Parliament event is being organized in Konya as a session within the framework of the "Sustainable Development, Urban Agriculture, and Biodiversity Forum."
The WALD E-Parliament Youth Session aims to enable young people to benefit from the experiences of current leaders, exchange knowledge on contemporary issues, and contribute to shaping the future.
At this session, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Turkey Alvaro Rodriguez, Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and President of the Union of Agricultural Cities (AGRICITIES) Uğur İbrahim Altay, and Rector of Konya Selçuk University Prof. Dr. Metin Aksoy... It will address questions from young people regarding making local and national production more efficient and resilient to climate change, preserving biodiversity, and raising awareness about responsible consumption.
Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, this session aims to raise awareness among young people about minimizing the harmful environmental impacts resulting from production and consumption processes.In this session, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Turkey Alvaro Rodriguez, Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and President of the International Union of Agricultural Cities (AGRICITIES) Uğur İbrahim Altay, and Rector of Konya Selçuk University Prof. Dr. Metin Aksoy will answer questions from young people regarding making local and national production more efficient and resilient to climate change, preserving biodiversity, and raising awareness among youth about responsible consumption.
Within the scope of the Sustainable Development Goals, this session aims to raise awareness among young people about minimizing the harmful environmental impacts resulting from production and consumption processes.
The forum will facilitate the exchange of ideas on how international institutions, local actors, and citizens can adopt the principles of sustainable production, consumption, and agriculture in today's world; additionally, young people will contribute from the perspective of "SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production" and "SDG 13: Climate Action" within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.
National and international students from Selçuk University, Karatay University, and Konya Food and Agriculture University are expected to attend the program in person. The session will include youth members of the Youth Councils from the Selçuklu, Karatay, and Meram municipalities in Konya, as well as young participants joining online from the USA, Belgium, Georgia, North Macedonia, Mexico, and Romania.
2nd E-Parliament Youth Session – SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
At the first E-Parliament session hosted by Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality on November 12, 2021, the Republic of Turkey... The topics of "Green Future" and the "European Union Green Deal" were discussed with the participation of Prof. Dr. Şükrü Karatepe, Deputy Chair of the Presidential Local Administration Policies Board; Alvaro Rodriguez, Acting UN Resident Coordinator for Turkey; Tsvetana Stoycheva, Programme Manager for EU Policies at the EU Delegation to Turkey; and the Mayors of Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality (Yücel Yılmaz), Bağcılar (Lokman Çağırıcı), Beykoz (Murat Aydın), and Gölcük (Ali Yıldırım Sezer).
Purpose and Scope
WALD promotes raising awareness of democratic methods and processes to enable young people—as informed individuals—to develop an understanding of current and social issues based on the principle of democratic participation and to contribute to solving problems. Accordingly, the E-Parliament sessions aim to enhance democratic participation among youth and foster an awareness of democracy in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through the developed E-Parliament model, young people have had the opportunity to share their views and proposals on current issues relevant to them, such as sustainable cities, the circular economy, the environment and climate change, climate migration, gender equality, and the reduction of inequalities.
Young people—the leaders of the future—will have the opportunity to meet current leaders on common ground. Driven by innovative thinking, the WALD E-Parliament Youth Sessions are conducted through both in-person and online participation. Utilizing a hybrid approach, these sessions provide a shared platform for young people from around the world to exchange experiences. This initiative fosters communication among youth regarding current social issues and contributes diverse perspectives to the resolution of global challenges.
A total of 12 E-Parliament sessions were planned for the 2022–2023 period. Each session was organized with in-person participation by youth from Turkey and online participation by youth from various other countries. Each session focuses on a specific SDG and is linked to a city in Turkey. In this context, the inaugural session took place in Balıkesir on November 12, 2021, focusing on the Green Deal and Youth. The second WALD E-Parliament Youth Session was held at the Turkish-German University in Istanbul, focusing on the theme of SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Young people participated in a hybrid format, joining both online and in person. Participants from an international context joined from the USA, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Romania.
