Welcome to GloCha

Official Side Event to the

UN Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs 2026

Global Challenges Action ID & Global Challenges Action Registry –

Empowering Youth Led Action for Healthy Lifestyles,

Healthy Communities and a Healthy Planet

with Digital Public Infrastructure

Venue:

United Nations Headquarters New York, Conference Room 4

With live and on-demand broadcast on UN Web TV

Date and Time:

Thursday, 7 May 2026, 1:15 – 2:45 PM EDT

Organizer

International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges IAAI GloCha www.glocha.info

In Partnership with

• Permanent Mission of The Bahamas to the UN in NY
• Permanent Mission of Dominica to the UN in NY
• Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat, Republic of Uganda
• Climate Chain Coalition
• Rotary Climate Action Club / Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group
• International Organization of Youth
• Long Beach City College
• UN Office for Outer Space Affairs – UNOOSA
• Music for SDGs

About the Event

This side event will showcase the GloCha Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) solutions stack as an open, interoperable set of digital building blocks that enables people- and grassroots-challenges-focused multi-stakeholder coordination, action documentation, and incentivization for healthy, inclusive, climate-resilient cities and communities (SDGs 9 & 17, with applied use cases for SDGs 3, 11 and 13) with the goal for global community to know who is taking what kind of action for the common good, where, how, with what kind of resources and outcomes.

Thematic introduction: High level Member states representatives will frame DPI-enabled cooperation for the common good in the context of UN system reform (PR of Bahamas) and global impact entrepreneurship markets (Representative of the Ministry of STI from Uganda).

Digital and Organizational Innovations & Pilot use cases: Team members of IAAI GloCha and Rotary will present the GloCha DPI stack and the Rotary Climate Action Club, including the Global Challenges Action ID / Impact Passport, Action Registry, and Challenges Mapping Tool,

Pilot use cases: (1) youth focused community-level climate action documentation, certification and incentivization with Rotary and partners in Uganda; (2) public health challenges mapping (citizen science) and volunteer action certification aligned with the Long Beach City College Public Health curriculum and LA28 volunteering programs; (3) #GoodLifeforAll global youth mobilization campaign for healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet.

Presentations by Partners of the GloCha Global Challenges Action Partnership

Interaction: The event will offer opportunities for Member states and other stakeholders to discuss the presented solutions and to explore engagement opportunities.

Draft Agenda

Welcome

Moderator: Anais Clermont & Jose Negrete IAAI GloCha Youth delegates

Introductory Keynotes:

• HE Amb. Stan O. Smith, Permanent Representative of The Bahamas to the United Nations in NY – Reimagining Global Cooperation for Individual Wellbeing and for the Common Good with Digital Transformation and Partnerships
• David Gonahasa, Team Lead Industry 4.0+, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of Uganda – Digital Public Infrastructure for Climate Entrepreneurship Empowerment and Carbon Market Readiness

Demonstration of Tools – The Digital Public Infrastructure Stack of GloCha (the Global Challenges Action Empowerment Partnership):

• Miroslav Polzer, Executive Director of IAAI GloCha
  • Global Challenges Action ID / Impact Passport
  • Global Challenges Action Registry &
  • Challenges Mapping Tool

Pilot Programs and Partnerships:

• Alberto Palombo, Rotary Club Brasilia International / Rotary Climate Action Club & ESRAG Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action group, (pre-recorded video) GloCha DPI Pilot 1 – Documentation, Certification and Incentivization of individual and community level climate action with GloCha DPI and Rotary‘s social infrastructure
• Ruby Guillen (APHA, NASW-CA & GloCha-CA) & Frank Henry-Ala (Long Beach City College) (pre-recorded video) – GloCha DPI Pilot 2: “Public Health Challenges Mapping and Volunteer Action Certification in the context of the LBCC Public Health curriculum, aligned with LA28 Community Volunteering Programs”
• Ali Mustafa & Lamar Zala Gran, IOY – GloCha DPI Pilot 3; #GoodLifeForAll Global Youth Mobilization for Healthy People, Healthy Communities and Healthy planet

Presentations by Partners of the GloCha Global Challenges Action Partnership:

• Mack Okubo, Music4SDGs, Asia Pacific Financial Forum (APFF) & Nippon Life, Sustainable & Digital Finance expert 
• Lorant Czaran, UNOOSA, Harnessing the Potentials of Collective Geospatial Intelligence through Innovative Partnerships (pre-recorded video)
• Alexey Shadrin, Climate Chain Coalition: Presentation of the COP31 Digital Innovation Pavilion
• Susanna Choe, Bioregional Embassy & GloCha Foundation NY
• Emilie Mc Glone, Peace Boat US, Youth Engagement Innovations and Ocean Citizen Science
• Alexandre Caldas, Kiplomacy.Org & Member of GloCha Fdt NY Board of Advisors
• Nadya Komendantova, IIASA, Cooperation & Transformative Governance Research Group 
• Eric Hansel, Scubaverse & HE Amb. Philbert Aaron, Permanent Representative of Dominica to the UN in NY
• Moran Sol Broza, Be1.Life & Metaverse Platform Maloca of the COP30 Presidency

https://dip.earth

https://unfccc.int/cop30

GloCha UN HQ NY Conference & Exhibit 2025

Local Action for Global Challenges – Harnessing the Power of Emerging Technologies, Innovation & Youth for Our Common Future

Thursday 18^th of September 2025, 10 AM – 8 PM EDT

UN HQ NY, Trusteeship Council Chamber (Venue subject to final approval)

With live and on-demand web-broadcast on UN WebTV (link to broadcast Part I & Part II)

Registration: https://forms.gle/eAytij8JYA3QUJPa7 

Organizers:

• International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges IAAI www.glocha.info 
• GloCha Global Challenges Foundation New York Inc. https://www.glocha.org/ 
• Permanent Mission of The Bahamas to the UN in NY
• UN Habitat Youth Programme https://www.unhabitatyouth.org/en/ 
• International Organization of Youth IYC http://www.iycforyouth.org 
• Climate Chain Coalition
• Evercity

Partners: 

• CODES Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (tbc) 
• Rotary@COP30 Committee 
• Bioregional Embassy
• International Academy for Art and Cultural Studies (IAA)
• COP30 Presidency – Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN in NY (tbc)
• Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of Uganda 
• GIZ 
• Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC) 

Aim 

This conference focuses on engaging citizens/youth, promoting digital innovation, and localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in times of increasing climate crisis and growing uncertainties. It brings together various stakeholders to explore creative solutions and governance innovations, connecting and empowering in a global ecosystem – with a particular focus on the systemic role of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) – local multi-stakeholder action for the global common good, which is essential for a sustainable future and a good life for all.

Draft Agenda 

10.00 – 11.15 Opening session – Thematic Introduction & High Level Panel

Moderator:  Josephine Gore, International Organization of Youth

Thematic Introduction – Miroslav Polzer, IAAI GloCha & Climate Chain Coalition 

Audience engagement with Slido

High Level Panel:

• HE Amb. Stan Smith, Mission of The Bahamas to the UN in NY
• Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of Uganda (video message)
• Representative of the Government/Mission of Bhutan
• Francesco Corvaro, Special Envoy for Climate Change of Italy (video message)
• Yugratna Srivastava, Major Group for Children and Youth 
• Reina Otsuka, Global Lead, Digital for Nature and Climate, UNDP & CODES DPI 
• Amandeep Gill, UN USG and Special Envoy for Digital & Emerging Technologies, UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies

11.15 – 13.00 Digital Public Infrastructure for Global Challenges Action Empowerment and Global Governance Innovation

• Pedro Ivo Ferraz da Silva, Coordinator for scientific and technological affairs and bilateral relations, Department of Climate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil COP30 Presidency – Digital Public Infrastructure for Climate:  COP30 Presidency perspectives & DPI4PP Challenge (video message)
• Alexandre Caldas, President and Chairman of Kiplomacy (International Leader for Humanity, Peace and Development) – Building the enabling ecosystem for all of society engagement in global challenges action
• Douglas Ragan, UN Habitat Youth Programme  (video message)
• Miroslav Polzer, Susanna Choe– GloCha DPI: Empowering Local Action for Global Challenges through Digital Public Infrastructure & DPI4ACE (Digital Public Infrastructure for Action for Climate Empowerment) initiative 
• Hossein Hassani, IAAI GloCha & IIASA and Mirjana Dominovic, EU INTERREG Central Europe Programme Secretariat, Technology Enabled Citizens Engagement – The JETforCE (Just Energy Transition for Central Europe) Challenges Mapping Tool   
• Victoire Mandonnaud, CEO and Founder @ On My Way: real-time SDG mobilization – Startup perspectives on DPI needs and potentials
• Diana Barrero Zalles, Global Blockchain Business Council, Unlocking Global Challenges Action with Emerging Technologies: Web3 DPI Use cases 
• Dino Cataldo Dell’Accio, Chief Information Officer at United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund – DPI Good Practice Case: Digital Identities 
• Björn Sören Gigler, GIZ – Twin Transition Hubs, DPI for NDCs and Carbon Markets Capacity Building (video message)
• UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub (video message)
• Elif Nisa Polat, AI collective, DPI in times of AI and the role of Public Private Partnerships 

13.00 – 15.00 Lunch break

15.00 – 16.30 Digital Public Infrastructure for Local Climate Finance Innovation 

• Alexey Shadrin, Unlocking climate finance for local climate action with emerging technologies – Evercity, Climate Chain Coalition & Bonn GCF project formation workshop report and COP30 Digital Innovation Pavilion 
• Green Climate Fund representative – DPI for Locally Led Climate Action Financing (to be confirmed)
• Gerelmaa Batchuluun, Orda
• Austin Wade Smith, Regen Foundation
• Bhutan project presentation
• Alberto Palombo, Rotary@COP30 Committee – Unlocking the potentials of 1.2 Million Rotary members & 30 000 local hubs for locally led climate action with the help of DPI (virtual)
• John Havens, IEEE Planet Positive initiative – Smart Standards for Smart Sustainable Communities 
• Susanna Choe, Bioregional Embassy 
• Sydney Griffith, Kinship Earth & Planetary Party Protocol
• Eric Hansel, Scubaverse & Lóránt Czárán, UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) – Digital Public Infrastructure for Ocean Action Empowerment 
• Padmini Murthy,  Health Innovation Exchange, Professor Emeritus Public Health New York Medical College, DPI for innovative financing of shared public infrastructure for climate and health resilience

16.30 – 17.00 Youth Perspectives on Digital Public Infrastructure (session led by IOY)

17.00 – 18.00 Spaces, Resources, Knowledge, Edutainment & Tools 

• Samuel Barnes, Gaia AI
• Vincent Area, Catalist
• Giselle Alers – Knowledge Innovation Summit 
• Amy Seidman, Noble Profit – Gamification: Action heroes 
• Long Beach City College – Using GloCha DPI for the LBCC Public Health Innovation Lab’s Global Change (Students) Ambassadors programme 
• COP30 Entertainment and Culture Pavilion 
• Moran Sol Broza, Be.Together

Exhibition & Reception :

9 to 19 September 2025 , UN Conference Building, 1st floor, Curved Wall space

The title of the exhibit is “Mastering Global Challenges with Local Action – Emerging Technologies, Innovation & Youth Empowerment for Our Common Future”. 

The exhibit highlights innovative, citizen-centered solutions that empower youth and local communities to take meaningful action on global challenges, especially climate change and sustainable development. It showcases the GloCha (Global Challenges) Partnership’s pioneering work in building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Global Challenges Action Empowerment.

Furthermore, there will be held a reception on 18  September 2025, 6-8 PM 

Youth Power for our Common Future: Unlocking Community Level Action for Climate & SDGs through Digital Innovation & Art

Date: Tuesday, 12^th of August 2025

Time: 10 AM EDT / 4 PM CEST – 12 PM EDT / 6 PM CEST

Locations: the hybrid event will be held 

in person at ◾UN HQ NY (Conference Room E) ◾UN Office in Nairobi (UN Habitat led UN system wide celebration of IYD 2025) ◾IAAI GloCha office in Klagenfurt and ◾Rotary@COP30 Committee office in Brasilia 

and online on Streamyard, with live and on demand broadcasts on Youtube, LinkedIn, X and UN WebTV (https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1f/k1fftakv0g) 

Registration: https://forms.gle/stbtBEcpstdKhEVq9 (needed for on-site participation at UN HQ NY!)

Organizer and Partners:

• International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges IAAI
• GloCha Global Challenges Foundation New York Inc.
• Mission of The Bahamas to the UN in NY
• UN Habitat Youth Programme
• International Organization of Youth IOY (former IYC)
• Rotary@COP30 Committee
• Major Group for Children and Youth

Thematic blocks:

• Localization, Mobilization and Empowerment of Action Potentials of Youth: UN Habitat programs and GloCha Global Challenges Action Empowerment & Emerging Technologies Partnership
• The COP30 Global Mutirão: Mass Mobilization for Climate Action and the Power of Youth
• GloCha & Rotary COP30 Digital Innovation Pavilion: A space for youth empowerment 
• Outline of a youth focused COP30 legacy initiative: Digital Public Infrastructure for Climate Action Empowerment 

This hybrid event will be a coordinated, globally- linked celebration showcasing youth-led, community- based climate and SDG action, enabled and amplified by Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and anchored in the run-up to COP30.

---

🔗 Conceptual Anchors

1. Local Youth Action = Global Impact: Showcasing that empowered youth at the community level are essential agents of change for climate and SDGs.

As a global community we need to know who is doing what, where, how and with what kind of resources and impact, so that global goals implementation can be coordinated and incentivized more effectively. Digital tools – especially Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) – are the key to success. 

2. DPI as Enabler: Highlight how digital identity, action registries, impact documentation tools, and Web3 wallets can make local youth actions visible, fundable, & impactful globally.

The COP30 presidency is calling everyone everywhere to take action with the Global Mutirão. This is a unique global governance innovation which will thrive with the power of youth.

3. Road to COP30: Positioning the event within the lead-up to COP30, The COP30 Global Mutirão: Mass Mobilization for Climate Action campaign and the Global Challenges Action Day campaign.

---

🎯 Key Objectives

• Celebrate, expand and elevate youth-led local initiatives.
• Introduce DPI tools for SDG/climate youth action.
• Engage global philanthropy, service organizations, universities and public sector leaders.
• Build momentum for youth engagement at COP30 in Brazil.
• Create visibility and start conversation on feasibility of the proposed COP30 Legacy Initiative DPI for Climate Action Empowerment. 

Draft Agenda

1. Opening Segment 

• IOY – (UN HQ New York) 4 minutes & GloCha (Klagenfurt) 2 minutes & UN-Habitat: Doug Ragan & Sabrina (Nairobi) 2+1 minutes & Rotary (Brazil) 2 minutes Intro – Hi and preview of what will be presented during the event
• MGCY – 3 minutes
• Partner from UN DESA Youth Programme – 3 minutes

2. COP30 Presidency Youth Champion Message and Keynote Presentations

• Marcele Oliveira, Youth Champion of the Presidency of the UN Climate Conference 2025 – COP30: Global Mutirão – Call for Action (pre-recorded Videomessage)
• Amb. Stan Smith, Mission of The Bahamas to the UN in NY – Diplomatic keynote, UN80, Global Challenges Action Day initiative et al. (10 minutes)
• Pedro Ivo Ferraz da Silva, Coordinator for scientific and technological affairs and bilateral relations, Department of Climate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil – COP30 Presidency’s Theory of Change and the Systemic Role of Digital Public Infrastructure, Innovation and Youth (8-10 minutes)

3. Audience engagement – Slido (1 word, several entries possible): 4 minutes x2

• “My #YouthPower/#PeoplePower for Our Common Future”
• “What Roads (Digital Public Infrastructure) are Needed to bring my contribution to the Global Table?”

4. International Youth Day 2025 Celebration – Impressions from UN Office Nairobi

• IYD 2025 Video Message Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN Habitat 
• Video Report of the IYD2025 Celebration Event at UN Office Nairobi – prepared by Sabrina

5. Presentation of Event Partners and their Youth Empowerment & Digital Innovation Programs

• The Global Challenges Action Empowerment Partnership GloCha – 
  • Miroslav Polzer, Klagenfurt – GloCha Digital Public Infrastructure for Global Challenges Action Empowerment for the Management of Global Mutirao Self Determined Contributions
  • Susanna Choe & Alexandre Caldas – Planetary Futures Center & Globes initiative 
• Rotary@COP30 Committee – Alberto Palombo & Rotaract/youth representative, Brasília-Brazil – (2×4 minutes)
• International Organization of Youth IOY/IYC
• Long Beach City College – Long Beach City College Public Health Innovation Lab and Global Change Ambassadors’ program partnership with GloCha in the context of environmental health, ecology and humanitarian issues  Ruby Guillen intro 3 min., Frank Henry-Ala, LBCC Public Health Assistant Professor, 5 min)

6. “Call for Partners” Global Mutirão Artwork (& Music) Crowdsourcing Call: #Together #DigitalArt4Climate for the COP30 Digital Innovation Pavilion & Venice Climate Week 2026 – Sol Moran Broza 
7. Discussion and Interventions from additional on-site participants at UN HQ NY

Contact: Miroslav Polzer, IAAI GloCha, https://www.linkedin.com/in/miropolzer/ , polzer@glocha.info 

---

🧠 Communications Hashtags

#YouthPower2030 #IYD2025 #YouthForClimate #DPI4Youth #LocalActionGlobalImpact #RoadToCOP30 #WeTheYouth #GlobalChallengesAction #RotaryCOP30 #DigitalArt4Climate

References:

Rio+20 Global Youth Music Contest in Support of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development 2012, Documentation – presented on International Youth Day 2012 (link), (video)

IAAI Press Conference at the UN Bonn Climate Conference SB62: GloCha X Global Mutirão: Engaging Everyone in Building a Climate Safe Future, 24 Jun. 2025 (video on UNFCCC homepage)

“Resource Mobilization Innovation and Emerging Technologies for Whole of Society Global Challenges Action”

Organizers:

• IAAI GloCha
• Mission of The Bahamas
• UN Environment Early Warning and Data Analytics Branch
• Climate Chain Coalition
• et al.

About the Event

This event addresses the systemic need for securing on a massive scale financial and other resources for the knowledge based and technology enabled multi-stakeholder provision of (global) public goods. The GloCha Global Challenges Action Innovation Partnership is leading with the Climate Chain Coalition (UNFCCC accredited network of organizations harnessing the potentials of blockchain technology and other emerging technologies for climate action), in cooperation with the UN Geospatial network, private sector partners, official technical assistance providers like GIZ and research partners like IRCAI Ljubljana/Slovenia) and IIASA (Laxenburg/Austria) the formation of an ecosystem for innovative, cities and citizens/youth focused resource mobilization for global challenges action empowerment (SDG 9), which aims to complement the efforts of the UN system in mobilizing the means for global goals implementation (SDG 17).

This, resource mobilization and emerging technologies focused GloCha side event to the UN STI Forum 2025 complements the GloCha Partnership presentation, which was held in the context of the UN Partnership Forum in February 2025, where the Global Challenges Action Day initiative has been presented with the vision to build the biggest movement for people and planet in human history, everyone joining forces for the local and global common good. The side event serves also as an invitation to UN Member states and other relevant stakeholders to join the GloCha workshop “Localization of Climate Action, Emerging Technologies and Resource Mobilization Innovation” which will be held in the context of the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Conference SB62, 17 & 18 of June 2025 at the premises of GIZ in Bonn with the aim to form a Green Climate Fund project consortium for emerging technology enabled locally led climate action empowerment.

  The world needs a big vision with a reasonable implementation plan.

Agenda

Welcome

• Susanna Choe GloCha Fdt. NY & Bioregional Embassy (moderator)
• H.E. Amb. Stan Smith, Permanent Mission of The Bahamas to the UN in NY

Thematic Introduction 

• Miroslav Polzer IAAI GloCha (virtual) & Susanna Choe GloCha Fdt. NY & Bioregional Embassy, Presentation of the Global Challenges Action Innovation Partnership and its Blueprint for Super Large Scale Resource Mobilization for Global Challenges Action and Emerging Tech/AI Capacity Building and Invitation to the GloCha GCF Projects Development Workshop in Bonn, held in the context of the UNFCCC SB62 Conference 
• Alexey Shadrin, Evercity & Climate Chain Coalition (virtual)
• UNEP Climate Finance Unit https://financefornature.unep.org/climate-finance-unit (tbc)
• Sören Gigler, GIZ, Official Development Assistance Innovation for Digital Public Infrastructure Development, Data Economy Capacity Building and Data Governance (virtual)

Geospatial info / One Map, Data Science and AI as Enabler of Climate entrepreneurship and Bioregional Finance Innovation

• Guillaume Le Sourd, UN-GGIM Secretariat and UN Geospatial Network 
• Charles Brigham, ESRI, GIS Tools for Interoperability 
• Joao Pita Costa, International Research Center on AI under the Patronage of UNESCO (IRCAI), Ljubljana – AI as enabler of SDGs implementation (virtual)
• Kahlil Calavas, TerraLux, Spatial Network, Place-based Mapping 
• Michael Zargham, Blockscience
• Shawn Anderson & Darren Zal, Gaia AI

Mobilizing Finance for and with Cities, Citizens and (Micro) Impact Entrepreneurs

• Benjamin Life, Allo Capital (virtual)
• Syd Griffith, Kinship Earth, Permatours, Flow Funding
• Scarlett Lanzas, IEEE Planet Positive 2030 – Place Based Policies & Standards
• Makoto Okubo,  Nippon Life, Insurance 
• Nadejda Komendantova, IIASA, Cooperation and Transformative Governance Research Group – Digital Innovations for Participatory Decision Support Systems (virtual)

A group of visionaries, social innovators, creators, youth, impact entrepreneurs, philanthropists and digital solution providers, spearheaded by IAAI GloCha, Climate Chain Coalition, Council of Global Change, bioregional economy networks, the Knowledge Innovation Summit and Revolution Love, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of the Bahamas to the UN in NY are bringing several programs to the UN HQ NY in the context of the UN Partnership Forum 2025, outlining pathways and concrete actions towards whole of society mobilization for the implementation of global goals, based on localized challenges and action and sustainable use of emerging technologies.

Key initiatives of the partnership:

• Global Challenges Action Day (GCAD), https://gcaday.org (work in progress)
• Data and Digital Innovation Consortium (visit exhibit presentation (draft))
• Knowledge Innovation Summit
• DigitalArt4Climate

Events and Exhibit in the contest of the UN Partnership Forum 2025:

• February 4th, 10 AM – 1 PM, Global Challenges Action Day (GCAD) Design Workshop, UN HQ NY, B1, Conference room A with virtual participation option via zoom (draft agenda)
• February 4th, 3 – 6 PM, UN HQ NY, Conference Room 6, Global Challenges Action Innovation Partnership – Public Event on the Eve of the UN Partnership Forum 2025, https://www.glocha.org/global-challenges-action-innovation-partnership-gcad_presentation-un-hq-ny-feb2025/ with live and on-demand broadcast on UN Web TV

• 4th February, 6 – 8 PM, Global Challenges Action Innovation Celebration – Exhibit Opening and Reception, UN HQ NY Curved Wall Space

• 5th February, 1.00 – 3.00 PM, Austrian Permanent Mission, UN Partnership Forum hybrid off-site Side Event Global Challenges Action Innovation, Emerging Technologies & Partnerships, https://www.glocha.org/un-partnership-forum-2025-side-event/ with live and on-demand broadcast on UN Web TV

Events Registration: https://forms.gle/bSh887PSRnV2C4ZR6

Link to submission of Testimonials of Partners, Advisors and Friends:

https://forms.gle/zbHugGiKYDy1VCN29

Addressing Global Challenges through Local Action

Building a Movement towards a Regenerative and Peaceful Future

Date:

Tuesday, 3rd of December 2024, 10.00 – 13.00 & 15.00 – 18.00

Venue:

UN HQ NY, Conference room C, Conference Building, B1 floor  

Virtual Participation:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsdO2vrT4vG9AWAtFPnmBMZJgPdCRGR7xR

Organizers:

• International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges IAAI 
• GloCha Foundation New York
• Council of Global Change
• Bloom Network

In cooperation with:

Permanent Mission of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the United Nations

Context and Goals of the Event

This roundtable & workshop will be building on the outcomes of the GloCha UN HQ NY Conference 2024 “Celebrating the Future with Culture, Youth, Digital Innovation & Localization of SDGs”, the GloCha Global Philanthropy and Impact Entrepreneurship event during New York Climate Week 2024 and recent programs held at the UN Climate Conference COP29, e.g. the session with the UN Geospatial Network & GloCha Digital Innovation Pavilion press conf.

The purpose of this session is to bring interdisciplinary experts together to discuss how we can address global challenges through local action to effectively achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We will present use cases of emerging technologies, exchange insights during a roundtable discussion to frame challenges and workshop the creation of a UN Resolution for localization of the SDGs informed by scientific data and bio-cultural context for place based implementation of solutions at scale. 

The impetus of this gathering is to incentivize cooperation across multiple levels of governance, determine key stakeholder groups and identify critical interventions needed to foster planetary regeneration and local resilience through systemic innovations in a rapidly changing world. During times of confusion and crisis, it is imperative to direct our focus and energy on implementing creative solutions towards a shared vision of a flourishing and peaceful future for all life. 

Envisaged Outcomes:

• Laying the foundation for a Global Challenges Action Day UN GA Resolution 
• Creating a shared roadmap, priority research list and collective goals
• Aligning on plans to develop an inter-regional framework, governance protocols and implementation plan 
• Identify stakeholder groups / subcommittees for MoUs (Pacts for the Future) 
• platform with unique identification and mapping (thematic and geographic) of challenges, stakeholders, action, resources and impact / deliverables 
• Pilot MoUs will be presented at the GloCha conference on 4th February 2025 (the day before the UN ECOSOC Partnership Forum 2025)

Agenda:

10:00-10:30: Welcome: Miroslav Polzer & Susanna Choe

• Opening Ceremony: Chief Dwaine Perry & Lena Cole 
• Miroslav Polzer, GloCha – Systemic Innovation for All of Society Engagement in Global Challenges Action 
• Ambassador Stan Smith, Permanent Mission of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the United Nations
• David Xavier Sánchez, Council of Global Change
• Giselle Alers, Global Economic Sustainable Development Commission – Knowledge Innovation Summit

10:30-11:00: Lightning Talks – Localizing/Mapping Global Challenges, Action and Impact 

• Alexandre/ Caldas / Guillaume le Sourd: UN Geospatial Network – One Map – One Humanity
• Karl Burkart, One Earth: Solutions Framework 
• Dr. Michael Zargham, Block Science
• Matt Moroney: Simulation Modeling: Beliefs, Observations, Outcomes 
• Vincent Arena, Omni Mapping

11:00-12:30: Roundtable Discussion: Perspectives on Global Challenges Action Empowerment

12:30-1:00: Environmental Management for Peace

• Jimena Leiva Roesch, International Peace Institute
• Atossa Soltani, Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative
• Bill Baue, R3

1:00-3:00 – Lunch Break

3:00-4:30 – Workshop: Bioregional Hubs as a Critical Pathway to Peace 

• Florencia Fridman: Opening Ceremony & Ritual 
• Mindahi Bastida: Biocultural Indicators 
• Presentation of Local Hubs 
  • Nic Rotundo, Ripple of Impact, Finca TierraS
  • Joe Brewer, Bioregional Earth
  • Samantha Power, BioFi
  • Benjamin Life, Open Civics 
  • Bill Baue, R3: Bioregional Carrying Capacity
• Breakout groups (TBD) 

5.00-5:45 – Resource Mobilization and Movement Building

5.45 – 6.00 – Closing Remarks

At IAAI GloCha, we are organizing a virtual hackathon as part of the EU Sparks for Climate: Citizen Hackathon Championship program, an initiative supported by the European Commission.

The purpose of the program is to develop a competition for knowledge valorisation and the collaborative creation of technological and social innovation solutions by teams of citizens and researchers to address climate challenges. The Championship unfolds in three stages: virtual local hackathons hosted by 22 locations in Europe, followed by a dedicated training modules and coaching activities for the winning teams of these local hackathons. It culminates in an EU final where teams can vie to be one of the three European Citizens Hackathon winning teams. In addition to receiving cash prizes (5,000€ for each winning team), the winning teams will receive, for example, tailored mentorship, support for a crowdfunding campaign, access to the angel investor network and support to escalate their solution.

EU Sparks for Climate is open to everyone, including committed citizens with a desire to participate in solving climate challenges and researchers who wish to contribute their research and background. No previous experience in hackathons or idea competitions is required.

The Klagenfurt hackathon, organized by IAAI GloCha is focusing on participants from Austria, but open also for participants from other EU countries, provided that the challenges and solutions that will be put forward are relevant also in the Austrian context.

Contributions focusing on challenges and solutions related to EU Mission cities are especially encouraged!

The Klagenfurt Hackathon will take place from 29th till the 31st of August 2024. For more details please visit https://eusparks.eu/klagenfurt-hackathon/ & www.linkedin.com/company/eu-sparks 

We are encouraging potential hackathon participants to register on this website: www.eusparks.eu. 

Calling all visionaries, artists, innovators, musicians, storytellers – calling them all to help our world, our communities, our United Nations to master the challenges of our time

Update regarding contest timeline!!

Due to internal and external factors, the contest core team and partners decided to modify the contest timeline such that the start of the submission phase will be moved to 19th September 2024.

Join the GloCha Contest Community on WhatsApp:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/Dsz1q9VF7IU3NO7TChQxN3

Join our GloCha Contest Community and our weekly GloCha Contest 2024 Community Talks in order to stay informed about new developments regarding the GloCha contest, the GloCha Festival, partnership opportunities, additional GloCha Contest 2024 awards, etc.

Organizer:

• International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges IAAI GloCha

in partnership with

• UN Habitat Youth Programme,
• UN Environment Early Warning and Data Analytics branch, and other partners

Timeline:

• to be announced

Why

Our artists, our musicians, our storytellers are our visionaries who hold the magic ingredient to move humankind into creating positive change, building a thriving future for all life on earth.

Aims

Inspiring and mobilizing, with the power of culture, people everywhere for collaborative action for the common good in the context of UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Summit of the Future 2024 and the UN Climate Change Conference COP29.

Building with the Global Challenges Action network GloCha a global partnership and ecosystem of various stakeholders, who join forces for local, citizens/youth focused, global goals action empowerment with culture, technology and organizational innovation.

Awards – 2 Main Awards

Future Creator Visual Art Award  (2500 USD prize money + participation in events in NY, Carinthia/Austria or Baku/ Azerbaijan, depending on availability of funds and environmental footprint considerations)

Future Creator Music Award (2500 USD prize money + participation in events in NY,  Carinthia/Austria or Baku/ Azerbaijan, depending on availability of funds and environmental footprint considerations)

Additional Awards & Opportunities for Partnerships

The GloCha (Global Challenges) Music and Art contest 2024 offers the opportunity to create multiple sub-categories of awards and individual galleries, based on thematic, geographic or other criteria, which enables the introduction of additional awards.

IAAI GloCha is inviting potential partners like e.g. cities, NGOs, thematic networks, universities et al. to get in contact with us (email to contest@glocha.org) to explore potential additional partner-led award categories, and other potential collaboration towards local global goals action empowerment.

In addition to the Additional awards resources of partners, IAAI GloCha is providing another 2500 USD prize money for submissions that aims to inspire and empower collaborative action in relation to climate change and specific local/global challenges (in the context of the GloCha programs DigitalArt4Climate and Challenges Mapping/Local Pacts for the Future).

Link for Expression of Interest for Partnerships / Additional Awards

https://bit.ly/EoIGloChaContest2024

Identification of Winners through a combination of public voting and jury voting

• Public voting: dates to be announced
• Jury voting: dates to be announced
• announcement of winners: date to be announced

Digital Art / Web3 technology / Resource Mobilization Innovation

Web 3 technology (blockchain, Distributed Ledger Technology) enables the creation of uniquely identifiable digital assets (Non-Fungible Tokens / NFTs) based on creative assets (images, videos et al.). IAAI GloCha has developed in the context of the Action for Climate Empowerment Project ACE_AT the DigitalArt4Climate programme as a creative economy and climate philanthropy framework to harness the potentials of Web3 /NFT technology to mobilize resources for youth and local communities focused climate action empowerment. 

IAAI GloCha will work with those GloCha Music and Art Contest 2024 participating artists and award partners, who are interested to develop with us Web3 technology based resource mobilization programs, but this will not be a prerequisite for participation in the GloCha Music and Art Contest 2024.

launch press conference at the UN Bonn Climate Conference SB60, 10th June 2024:

https://unfccc.int/event/iaai-call-for-music-and-art-glocha-cocreation-digitalart4climateGloChaContest2024_Launch_SB60pressconfHerunterladen

We connect creative community and youth with UN programs and goals – References:

• GloCha DigitalArt4Climate COP26 edition (in partnership with UN Habitat youth programme) https://digitalart4climate.space/#rec374020001 – https://digitalart4climate.gallery
• COP21 Global Challenges Youth Music Contest (in partnership with UN Climate Change and UNESCO Management of Social Transformation Program) https://unfccc.int/news/2015-global-challenges-youth-music-contest – UN CC video report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ4pObZWg5A
• Rio+20 Global Youth Music Contest 2012 – in support of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development  https://www.academia.edu/2401920/The_Rio_20_Global_Youth_Music_Contest_Journey_Towards_The_Future_We_Want_Photo_documentary_presented_in_the_context_of_International_Day_of_Youth_12_August_2012

To learn about GloCha, watch our GloCha Bonn Climate Conf 2024 press conference video:

https://unfccc-events.azureedge.net/SB60_99755/agenda