Celebrating UCLG’s new initiative, the Local4action HUBs: Local actions transforming global dynamics From local hubs good practices to transform the world Sulla Via della Seta nasce un Hub per l’educazione dei giovani ed il dialogo Qiang Sheng, Director of International Affairs, Xi’an, China OVERVIEW • Xi’an is the capital city of Shaanxi Province in Central China. • It is one of the four major Chinese capitals and the eastern starting point of the Silk Road. The pandemic caused by Covid19 is challenging countries and cities around the world and risks slowing down the implementation process of the 2030 Agenda. The Local4Action Hub initiative launched by UCLG is particularly important because it creates an international platform for the exchange of local best practices that can transform global policies. Xi’an’s experience is particularly relevant because the city has been a hub for as long as I can remember. It has been an important crossroads on the Silk Road and a meeting and passage point for people from all over China, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Past and future intersect here, where 63 universities have sprung up, and the ability to stand together in diversity is an integral part of the city’s identity.
launched, taking as reference goals 11 and 17 of the 2030 Agenda, and focused on creating quality educational programs capable of initiating dialogues between the different social and cultural contexts of society and creating new partnerships at the global level. The hub will help strengthen the capacities and skills of local governors and civil servants involved in policy making activities. Thirty officials from the Asia-Pacific region will benefit from scholarships provided by the city of Xi’an and will be able to participate in master’s or doctoral programs at the university. A youth leadership training program on a specific SDG will be organized each year, because localizing the Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda is a task that requires the efforts of multiple generations, and training young people from diverse cultural backgrounds can ensure their sustainable and effective implementation in the long term. With the Silk Road University Alliance, we have asked universities and colleges to include the SDGs in their educational programs through seminars, courses, and publicity campaigns so that students can discuss and research the topic and identify innovative solutions to the current challenges facing local administrators around the world. Finally, the city of Xi’an has launched a High Level Dialogue Forum for young officials to discuss local issues and exchange ideas. The goal is to bring young people into the dialogue, forge their political leadership, and ensure that their voices can be heard at every level of government.
Together with UCLG and the local and international community, a hub dedicated to youth education and dialogue is about to be 101
