Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Applied Research in Business, Management and Economics
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Bridging the Gap: Examining Youth Work’s Role in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals – A Case Study of OpenSpace Foundation in Bulgaria
Ghita Malhi
ABSTRACT:
Sustainable Development involves integrating the two pillars, environment and society, alongside the economy pillar. The focus should not be limited to improving the economy, which can imply unreasonable resource extraction and subsequently lead to resource scarcity for future generations. This implies the need to combine all three pillars: Economy, Society, and Environment. When discussing Sustainable Development, the focus is typically on the role of states and communities, or on Corporate Social Responsibility within a business framework when aiming to achieve these objectives. In this work, the attempt is made to demonstrate how youth work and volunteer projects can also contribute to sustainable development. Through this research, an analysis will be conducted on various practices implemented by the OpenSpace Foundation and their direct or indirect contributions to Sustainable Development Goals. The exploration will encompass how both the management and staff, as well as volunteers, contribute to these objectives, utilizing interviews to gather insights from each group. The results indicate that the performance of youth work has a significant impact on all the pillars of Sustainable Development and helps to achieve its objectives.
keywords: Economy; Environment; Society; Sustainable Development; Youth Work