What is the livestream about?
International Youth Day 2021 centers on the theme of “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health.” In observance of this event, as well as the Food System Summit convened by the UN, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is organizing a virtual roundtable discussion to allow young people around the world to explore issues in global food systems and to call for action in strengthening youth engagement in creating a more accessible, equitable, and sustainable food system.
What to expect
- Learn all about your role in achieving sustainable development and food systems.
- Engage with young people around the world who share the same passion.
- Get inspired and empowered to take action on creating a sustainable future for all.
Meet our moderator
Dustin Liu (Moderator)
Teaching Fellow, Harvard University
Learning Experience Designer, MIT
Eduardo Garay
Researcher, University of Minnesota, Adjunct Director, Kirchner Impact Foundation
Huiyu Ouyang
Incubator Coordinator and Policy Officer, Good Food Fund
Xinyi Xu
Nutrition Educator and Social Media Influencer
Dustin Liu
Teaching Fellow, Harvard University
Learning Experience Designer, MIT
Dustin (he/his) is the son of two Taiwanese immigrants who have long fostered in him the belief that individuals can inspire social change. He holds a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and a Master’s in Education from Harvard University where he is currently a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University. His achievements do not stop there. Right now, he is also a Learning Experience Designer at Experience Institute, Social Innovation Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is the CEO & Founder of gatherED studio. He was also the 9th US Youth Observer to the United Nations Association USA.
Meet our extraordinary speakers
Huiyu Ouyang
Incubator Coordinator and Policy Officer, Good Food Fund
Huiyu is a Food Policy Officer at the Good Food Fund, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF). He leads the WET (Well-being, Ecology, Transformation) Market Project, which aims at improving urban food environment and governance. He also has rich experience organizing and leading various events such as the #Act4Food and #Act4Change campaign, the United Nations Food System Summit Action Track 2-China Action Hub and the 11th International Youth Summit on Energy and Climate Change. He holds a Master’s degree in urban planning from Tsinghua University and is a graduate of the Human Rights Master Program at Peking University Law School.
Eduardo Garay
Researcher, University of Minnesota, Adjunct Director, Kirchner Impact Foundation
Eduardo has an extensive background in the agri-food sector, experience with co-founding and managing socially impactful projects with small/medium holder farmers, and rural community development. He is a researcher at the United States National Science Foundation (NSF), the Adjunct Director of Kirchner Impact Foundation and the Global Peace Chain Ambassador for Honduras. He holds a Master’s degree in Plant and Soil Sciences and is currently pursuing his PhD degree in Soil, Water and Climate at the University of Minnesota. He is very passionate and motivated about finding solutions that economically empower underserved regions which urgently demand a step-forward towards food security. He also deeply enjoys service that implies a greater good, the reason why he served his country as a volunteer firefighter doing various disaster relief and community impactful projects.
Xinyi Xu
Nutrition Educator and Social Media Influencer, Columbia University
Xinyi Xu (she/her) is the nutrition advisor at Tianyi Nursing Home, research assistant at NYU Langone and the founder of “Little Peach’s Nutrition Class”. As a social media influencer and a nutrition blogger, her slogan is “to help people create a healthy and harmonious relationship with food”. She was born and raised in Suzhou, China, where she developed a keen interest in food as well as the culture and science behind it from a very young age. She holds a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics from New York University and is now pursuing her master’s degree in Nutrition Education at Columbia University. In addition to her passion about food and nutrition, Xinyi is devoted to volunteerism, as she has worked closely with hospitals, cancer centers, US and Czech NGOs to deliver nutrition knowledge to various populations, including children and pregnant women.
Charlene Xia
Researcher and Ocean Engineer, MIT
Charlene Xia (she/her) received her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT in 2017. She completed her master’s program at MIT Media Lab as a joint student with the Future Ocean Lab advised by Allan Adams. During her Master’s, she worked on and contributed to various underwater sensor projects. She combined her passion for a sustainable food system and technical knowledge and skill in Ocean engineering and decided to pursue a Ph.D. in sustainable aquaculture.
Why it Matters
With less than a decade left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there are still about 690 million people going to bed hungry. It is expected to surpass 840 million people by 2030, mainly due to the fragility of the global food system and the exacerbating effects of other interrelated issues like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and more. At the same time, our planet is confronting an alarming rate of environmental degradation.
The food system involves a broad range of activities. These include production, processing, transportation, and consumption of food, which will affect many aspects of humanity including health, the environment, world economies, and culture. Ensuring a sustainable food system is therefore a universal responsibility of all, ranging from the individual to the international level, or from the producer to the consumer perspective.
Youth participation in transforming food systems, particularly in pandemic times, is extremely important and meaningful as they are the best contributors and partners to identify and deliver innovative solutions and implementation strategies.
Who Can Join
We welcome anyone and everyone over the age of 15. Tell all your friends to join us!
When to Join
We will be broadcasting LIVE at:
US Eastern Time
Thursday, Aug. 12
9:00 – 10:30 PM ET
US Central Time
Thursday, Aug. 12
8:00 – 9:30 PM CT
US Pacific Time
Thursday, Aug. 12
6:00 – 7:30 PM PT
Malaysia/Mainland China/Taiwan
Friday, Aug. 13
9:00 – 10:30 am GMT+8
Australia
Friday, Aug. 13
11:00 PM – 12:30 AM AEST
For access from other countries and regions, please check according to your local time zone.
How to Join
RSVP with the form below. You will receive an email with further instructions.
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