Our Annual Youth Summit on Sustainable Development
AYUDH holds an annual youth summit called The Ripple Effect with an international Youth Parliament every year to develop initiatives, entirely youth-driven and youth-envisioned, for each academic year towards the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Ripple Effect is a platform for youth to come together in a series of discussions and workshops lead by renowned leaders of social change and to unite to explore and create solutions to universal issues that affect humanity across the globe.
building leaders
At the center of The Ripple Effect lies our core belief that youth must become strong, loving, and compassionate leaders to create long-lasting and sustainable change when they return to their community. This is why the summit is carefully woven to train youth in leadership, team-building, personal, and a variety of other important life skills-- skill sets which will will build multi-talented and abled youth, setting our AYUDH members apart in the realm of social service.
MUSIC & ARTS
Music and arts are imperative to all social development, and we at AYUDH pride ourselves in including creative elements in all that we do. Our summit features world-renowned musicians and music makers who tap into the talent of our members and allow them to use their talents for the better of our world.
VALUE-BASED SERVICE
Spiritual values are vital to AYUDH's message of selfless service for all and form an integral part of our projects. At The Ripple Effect, we give AYUDH members the space to reflect personally. We offer a variety of mindfulness programs including IAM meditation, Amrita Yoga, nightly interfaith prayer, and many interactive sessions with Amma's long term disciples.
Inspirational Speakers
Speakers from all over the world come to inspire our participants. From the "world's most deadly woman," Lucia Rijker, to U.S. Youth Observers to the United Nations, Donya Nasser and Nicol Perez.
Leadership WORKSHOPS
With a variety of workshops from speaking skills to martial arts, AYUDH members leave the summit with new skills that set them apart from the rest.
Mindfulness & Self-Reflection
We believe the first step in changing our world is changing ourselves. Each day, we give participants the option to engage in meditation, self-reflection, and interfaith prayer.
Our Annual Youth Parliament
Each year, our chapter leaders from across the North, Central, and South America gather to discuss issues most pertinent to their local areas. The discussion is guided by an interdisciplinary panel of experts. The discussion results in a vote in which AYUDH members decide on three issues to focus on for the year. After a series of break-out sessions and discussions, three initiatives for the year are launched at the conclusion of the summit.