During the 2014 JCI Area Conferences, JCI members took action to engage young active citizens and surrounding community members in the MY World campaign during each of these unique events in Medellin, Colombia (April 23-26), Lome, Togo (May 21-24), Yamagata, Japan (June 4-7) and St. Julian’s, Malta (June 11-14). JCI adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2004 as a way for young active citizens to take targeted action in their communities to create a global impact. The MY World Campaign presents a unique opportunity to continue the commitment and engagement for setting the next set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the post-2015 process.

In Medellin, the Area Conference featured a unique Expo Social, which was a project originally launched in Mexico. The 2014 Expo Social in Colombia served as way to unite stakeholders from all sectors of society to take action and create sustainable impact. The event also provided young people an opportunity to get involved and take ownership of their community and their future. Local stakeholders in all age ranges united with community organizations, and together contributed their voice and the priorities of their community through the MY World survey.           Lome, Togo brought together delegates from across Africa and the Middle East. During this Area Conference, members went out into the villages of Djagble and Togblekope to hear the voices of the Togolese. Members conducted a community needs analysis and distributed surveys to identify the greatest priorities for members of the community and potential solutions. The JCI European Conference in St. Julian’s, Malta provided an opportunity for young people to take action for a better future. Surveys were collected in the members lounge and during the JCI Morning Show, as well as throughout the entirety of the conference. The MY World campaign provided attendees with the opportunity to voice their opinions, share their community challenges and inspire action. In Yamagata, Japan at the JCI Asia-Pacific Conference, JCI delegates launched the MY World Campaign by taking personal responsibility with a unique commitment card, where they pledged to collect surveys from citizens once delegates returned to their communities. The Conference had a great turnout with more than 8,000 delegates from 23 countries. As the UN member states discuss the crafting and details of the SDGs in New York City, USA, the voices of citizens from around the globe take on increasing importance to show leaders the true wishes and concerns of ordinary people. Organized in the style of a pledging ceremony, the various JCI National Presidents from Asia-Pacific each committed to collecting a certain number of votes from the people of their respective countries. The event included keynote speakers such as Sering Falu Nije, Deputy Director of Policy for the United Nations Millennium Campaign. Booths were also set up so that all the Conference delegates could contribute their own votes toward the post 2015 global development agenda. The positive energy throughout this meeting united all attendees to think about the future and continue the forward movement of MY World and its initiatives at this critical juncture in decision-making surrounding the SDGs. The inspired delegates also took their positive energy outside the meeting rooms to turn their commitments into action. The MY World launch in the Yamagata community took place in large tents that were cleverly modeled like refugee camps, creating an environment that encouraged people to consider the challenges some people face in our world today. The launch, which was open to the public, provided a platform for people to participate in the MY World voting process and to discuss their priorities. The creativity of the event continued with an exhibition area right outside the train station, inviting passerby’s to learn about MY World and contribute their voice to the post 2015 global development agenda.             Throughout all of the JCI Area Conferences, JCI members, delegates, partners and friends completed unique MY World commitment cards to further their excitement and dedication to share the voices of their local communities in the creation of the post 2015 global development agenda. For more information:

• Junior Chamber International: www.jci.cc
• JCI International Events:  http://www.jci.cc/ourevents
• Vote using JCI’s unique partner ID
• See the JCI specific data results

By Carlos Suarez, External Relations Manager with contributions and edits by JCI Communications Manager Bonnie Stack and JCI Growth and Development Coordinator Emily Anderson. Input also by Natalie Gardner, MY World Global Youth Advocate