Bluebuck Youth Sustainability Summit

Recently I attended the BlueBuck Youth Sustainability Summit at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. The BlueBuck Network is a platform where different universities and independent green projects can share ideas, resources and experiences, the organisation also acts as an international sustainability representative for the Southern African youth. The main goal of the conference was to establish the connections and contacts for the network to take into the future.

Two key themes were identified at the summit, themes that would carry initiatives like this forward and ultimately contribute to their success.

Collaboration is key

The need for collaboration was one of the main reasons why the network was initiated in the first place, and it was highlighted as key to the success of any environmental initiative. We are faced with a daunting task trying to build a sustainable future, so sharing knowledge and working together is the easiest and most logical way to move forward.

The role of social media

With a greater number of eyes having access to more information, the accountability and transparency of those in the spotlight can only improve, and sustainability will become a large focus with all of this public attention. Social media plays an important role in the transformation to a greener society, because you’re able to share ideas, experiences and information about sustainability.

All in all, it was an inspirational weekend and a great source of motivation, reminding me that there are so many individuals and groups with positive energy for change.

To see how we are using social media to spread our message, visit our Twitter page.  

Nicholas Wiid

Junior researcher & writer for green24