Vienna’s “Intergenerational Innovation Lab” gathers youth leaders and professionals for SDG dialogues

By Aieshah Balmori, YCF Rapporteur
17 March 2026

VIENNA – The Youth Changemakers Forum (YCF) 2.0 brought together around 160 youth leaders, professionals, educators, and advocates in a hybrid format, where participants exchanged perspectives on how intergenerational collaboration strengthens progress toward the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

“YCF 2.0 created a shared space where young leaders and experienced professionals worked together to develop practical responses to global challenges,” YCF project co-lead Aieshah Balmori said.

Guided by the theme of “Generations in Dialogue,” Ms. Balmori, who is a Gdansk-based Filipino migration scholar, framed YCF as a deliberate effort to bring different perspectives into conversation.

“Dialogue across generations is not optional; it is how we move from discussion to action,” she added.

This year's Youth Changemakers Forum became an “intergenerational innovation lab”, with participants tackling how people from different generations could collaborate to realize the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Photos: Harold Khan, Yichi Zhang

An intergenerational gathering

The second Youth Changemakers Forum gathered participants from 32 countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Lithuania, the Maldives, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Türkiye, Venezuela, and the United Kingdom.

YCF was organized by the European Network of Filipino Diaspora (ENFiD), of which Ms. Balmori is a member. The forum took place at the United Nations Office at Vienna on February 27, 2026.

ENFiD partnered with the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace Europe and Middle East (IAYSP EUME), the Youth Connect Cooperative (YCC), the Youth for Global Peace and Transformation (YGPT), the Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI), and the United Nations Correspondents Association Vienna (UNCAV).

The forum received co-funding from the European Union through IAYSP EUME’s Innov8peace Project. YCC broadcast the program on Zoom and Facebook Live to more than 50 students and young professionals in the Philippines.

Mr. Abdallah Sharief, President of UNCAV, addressed the on-site participants, nearly two-thirds of whom were youth aged 15 to 34, and acknowledged the significance of bringing together youth leaders and experienced professionals in one space.

ENFiD-Austria officer Ms. Zandrine Kocjan briefed the participants on the health and safety procedures within the UN premises.

In his opening speech, Mr. Billy Batware, Programme Officer at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), discussed how intergenerational cooperation can help address cybercrime and heighten digital responsibility, awareness, and resilience against online threats.

“In cyberspace, nobody is safe until everybody is safe,” Mr. Batware said of strengthening collective resilience against cybercrime and online threats through media literacy and intergenerational knowledge transfer.
Photo: Yichi Zhang

Looking beyond the current notion of AI

The speeches and workshops at YCF 2.0 followed a thread of critically analyzing technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and finding actionable ways to ensure that innovations are used in a human-centric perspective.

The first keynote session, delivered by Prague Centre for Media Skills (PCMS) Projects Director Adriana Dergam, asked how AI could pivot away from deepening inequalities, eroding human rights, and weakening institutions toward building fairer, more sustainable, and more inclusive societies.

Emphasizing that technology shapes real lives and systems, Ms. Dergam reminded participants, “AI impacts you directly,” stressing that technology is not neutral and must be governed responsibly.

Prague Centre for Media Skills (PCMS) Projects Director Adriana Dergam told her audience, “the goal is [to have] better AI”.
Photo: Yichi Zhang

A series of lightning presentations by student and youth groups highlighted youth-driven perspectives on education, technology, and intergenerational cooperation in addressing SDG gaps.

In their presentation, titled “Education as Intergenerational Cooperation,” junior high school students Dariia Cherednychenko and Dominik Dovčík from the Bratislava-based Spojená škola Pankúchova 6 expressed their vision of how education is strengthening collaboration between generations in shaping future learning environments

Jakub Schalek and Adam Funtal, also from Spojená škola Pankúchova 6, explored in their talk, “The Future of Our Lives with AI in Europe”, how AI may shape future societies and the importance of preparing young people to engage critically with emerging technologies.

The lightning presentation rounds closed with the introduction of Laurenc Klas of the Peace Designer Program, an initiative by the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace Europe and Middle East (IAYSP EUME). Mr. Klas explained how the program empowers young people to develop peacebuilding and SDG-aligned projects while strengthening values such as responsibility, integrity, service, and empathy.

Meanwhile, in YCC’s accompanying virtual Zoom broadcast, participants joined the forum through parallel breakout sessions and a virtual workshop, titled “Youth Readiness in the Gig Economy: A Guided Self Assessment”.

“Through this session, we wanted to show that youth are not just part of the gig economy. They are shaping how it evolves,” YCC member and online host Loejun Patual shared.

Teepee Gile (pictured right), facilitator of YCC-hosted session “Platform Work, Real Lives: How Young People Use (and Rebuild) Technology in the Gig Economy”, said what emerged from the workshop was that “platform work is deeply connected to how communities function.” Ms. Gile, who is also YCC vice chairperson, added: “Young people are navigating these systems every day, but they are also building more fair, inclusive, and community-centered alternatives.”
Screenshot provided by YCC

The webinar challenged the YCF online participants to reflect on skills, opportunities, and challenges facing young people in emerging digital labor markets.

In bringing these conversations into a global space, Mr. Patual told the audience that local realities would be put into the spotlight, especially about how they could “contribute meaningfully to how we understand work, technology, and community today.”

More than 50 students, youth leaders, and young professionals from the Philippines, Hungary, Ethiopia, and other countries joined YCF 2.0 remotely through the Zoom broadcast organized by YCC.
Screenshot provided by YCC

Youth action, supported by professional engagement

YCF 2.0 also focused on discussions aimed at driving peace.

In her keynote, Linda Tinio-Le Douarin from the UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector shared the lessons from the agency’s Master Class Series against Racism and Discriminations, saying “UNESCO’s mandate extends beyond cultural and historical heritage to promote equality and inclusion”.

Ms. Tinio-Le Douarin and her colleagues at the Inclusion, Rights and Intercultural Dialogue Section have taken on numerous initiatives to address racial discrimination, which she said has strengthened since the pandemic.

According to Linda Tinio-Le Douarin, other UNESCO programs, such as the Youth Bootcamp for Inclusive and Sustainable Cities, “aim to equip young leaders with tools to build more inclusive communities.”
Photo: Yichi Zhang

Their activities, which include the Global Call Against Racism, collaboration with the International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities (ICCAR), and the Master Class Series against Racism and Discrimination developed with cities and partner organizations, are tailored to local contexts.

Meanwhile, Mr. Zoilo Velasco, the consul general of the Philippine Embassy in Austria, expressed support for YCF and its focus on youth engagement and international cooperation.

Philippine Embassy in Vienna Consul-General Zoilo Velasco noted that addressing cyber threats “demands empowered communities and meaningful intergenerational engagement[...], we enhance our collective capacity to build safer and more resilient regional spaces.”
Photo: Yichi Zhang

Breakout sessions

Before the program transitioned into breakout sessions, ENFiD Chairperson Marison Rodriguez asked the on-site and online attendees to internalize YCF’s vision and background, noting that this shared space enables “youth leaders and experienced professionals to dialogue, collaborate, and act on the SDGs.”

The first parallel breakout session, a fireside chat with Ms. Dergam, Mr. Klas, and IAYSP Austria President Peter Deininger, explored the role of technology in peacebuilding and public participation.

ENFiD-Austria officers Ms. Marizel Rojas and Ms. Kocjan co-moderated the fireside chat, during which they discussed digital responsibility, information integrity, and the broader societal impact of technology with the speakers.

In the session, Ms. Kocjan welcomed multimedia journalist and YCC Chairperson Jay-vee Marasigan Pangan, who spoke about integrating AI into youth-led projects. He joined through a live report from The Hague, Netherlands, where he was covering the proceedings against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Taking inspiration from his current coverage, Mr. Pangan said he and his journalist colleague Andy Peñafuerte III have responsibly used AI tools, including Google NotebookLM, to support pre-coverage research, on-the-ground reporting, and strategy for breaking news scenarios.

He cautioned against using AI to write news pieces or generate images, stressing “AI tools can help generate leads, but that editorial judgment and reporting must remain human-driven.”

YCC Chairperson Jay-vee Marasigan Pangan participated remotely, as he was in The Hague to cover events at the ICC. Speaking about the growing use of AI in journalism, Mr. Pangan stressed the need for reporting to remain human-driven.
Photo: Yichi Zhang

Running alongside the fireside chat, the breakout session hosted by YGPT’s Valentin Pfaffenwimmer and Marco Peschak explored the role of personal reflection and inner development in youth leadership. Participants discussed how clarity of purpose and personal values influence long-term engagement in social change.

Reflecting on this approach to leadership, Mr. Pfaffenwimmer framed this process as a foundation for sustained impact.

“Inner transformation is what gives us the stability to become true changemakers, influencing global dynamics more than it influences us, becoming a constant positive influence for the world in all aspects of life,” he said.

Youth for Global Peace and Transformation (YGPT) leaders Valentin Pfaffenwimmer and Marco Peschak (left to right).
Photo: Yichi Zhang

Towards action

The networking lunch break allowed attendees to exchange ideas, strengthen connections, and continue conversations initiated earlier in the program. As this happened, YCC’s Loejun Patual summarized the forum’s key insights and discussions for the online broadcast participants. He also reaffirmed a shared commitment to intergenerational collaboration, inclusion, and sustainable action beyond YCF 2.0.

Following the break, Mr. Andrej Krchňavy from the European Union (EU) Representation in Slovakia presented the EU’s initiatives on education and youth participation and spoke about how educational programs support civic engagement, democratic resilience, and youth empowerment across Europe.

Following his afternoon remarks, EU Representation in Slovakia officer Andrej Krchňavy told YCF organizers that he was "impressed" by the depth of the workshop organized by the YGPT, saying it "captured" his vision for youth leadership.
Photo: Yichi Zhang

Participants then joined interactive workshops designed to translate dialogue into collaborative action. In the Skill Exchange Marketplace session, moderated by ENFiD Poland director Anarose Panaga, participants worked in intergenerational groups to exchange practical skills and co-design solutions to global challenges.

In the parallel session, speakers from IAYSP EUME presented the results of three peace projects developed through the INNOV8PEACE – Design Thinking for Youth Peacebuilders project that were co-funded by the European Union. In the second part of this session, participants were introduced to the core elements of the educational programme developed within the project, the Peace Designer Programme. The session introduced practical tools and methods for designing and implementing community-based peace projects.

Passion projects for change

Before YCF concluded, participants reconvened to reflect and develop actionable ideas, encouraging them to apply key insights to their own communities. As Ms. Rojas noted, “YCF was an example” of how passion projects can serve as a venue to inspire change.

YCF program lead Andy Peñafuerte III and his ENFiD colleague, Ms. Rodriguez, spoke about the organization’s charity gala in November 2025, during which Filipino community members in the Czech Republic raised part of a scholarship fund for the Philippine-Austrian Cultural Education Society (PACES).

During the ceremonial turnover of the donation, PACES President Dr. Jane Gerardo-Abaya thanked ENFiD-Czech Republic for being “the first institutional donor to the PACES Scholarship”.

“ENFID-Czech Republic provides an example to others of what we can do together for our common target to help our talented, ambitious though underprivileged countrymen to a better future,” PACES President Dr. Gerardo-Abaya said of ENFiD's commitment.
Photo: Yichi Zhang

In her closing remarks, Dr. Maria Riehl of the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) Austria recalled the days when she arrived in Vienna from Bratislava, during which she noticed the differences among people.

Nowadays, she said, “there are more young people driving the change”, and she encouraged YCF participants to find ways to involve the older generation in the discussions, learning from and applying their wisdom and experiences to maximize impact.

For his part, Mr. Peñafuerte told the participants that the relationships formed during the forum were “just the beginning”, and that “it is up to you to take these forward.”

“YCF is not only about the conversations we start here, but about the partnerships we continue to build long after the forum ends,” he added.

Photo courtesy: Yichi Zhang, Harold Khan
With additional editing and review by Jay-vee Marasigan Pangan, Andy Peñafuerte III

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