Spotlight: 1.8 Billion Young People for Change Campaign during Raahgiri Day

18 June 2023 - The 1.8 Billion Young People for Change Campaign kicked off in Delhi, India during Raahgiri Day coordinated by FIA Foundation and Raahgiri Foundation. According to the World Resources Institute, Raahgiri Day was initially launched in 2013 as India’s first sustained car-free event. Every Sunday during the Raahgiri event, streets are closed to all motorized vehicles from morning until noon. 

As with the UN Global Road Safety Week’s message to #RethinkMobility, Raahgiri Day encourages people to walk, cycle, and take on other active modes of transport to promote cleaner, healthier, and more liveable cities. 

Youth Coalition members Deepanshu Gupta, Ritu Jain, Pradeep Patange, Pankhuri Jain, and Anjali Tripathi were present during the event as the youth delegation for the G20 1.8 Bullion Campaign.

The 1.8B Campaign holds that youth and adolescent voices must be at the center of the decision-making process for their own health, well-being, empowerment, resilience, education skills, and connection to people and the planet. 

“Young people in India are saying, ‘Listen to us on the climate crisis, listen to us on mental health, listen to us on sexual and reproductive health and rights listen to us on road safety, listen to us on mental health and nutrition,” That’s what we need to do - not talk about what young people need but listen to what young people want” - Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (PMNCH) Chair Helen Clark. 

The Campaign is the world’s largest-ever gathering for adolescent well-being, bringing together youth, adolescents, advocates, and decision-makers. It calls for leaders to support, protect, and empower youth ahead of the G20 Summit happening this September.

The G20 or Group of 20 Summit takes place through the Indian Presidency. This year, it will focus on the theme; ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’. According to the SDG Knowledge Hub, the Indian Presidency will also spotlight environmental sustainability and responsible choices at the individual lifestyle and the national development level. 

“We were in the lead of advocating for the Global Forum and have been helping to really build a strong coalition globally, with young people at the forefront of that coalition. We’ve been calling for action on all of the major priorities affecting young people with road safety as a central part of that agenda,” - FIA Foundation Deputy Director Avi Silverman 

The G20 is expected to adopt a Leaders’ Declaration at the conclusion of the Summit towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the Ministerial and Working Group Meetings (SDG Knowledge Hub, 2023).