Young people across Eswatini have been invited to take part in the 2025 edition of the UN Bring Your Fire Live Dialogues, a collaboration between MTN Bushfire and the United Nations. The dialogues aim to spark youth-led conversations on sustainable development and community transformation.
The series kicks off on Friday, 9 May 2025, at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Mbabane. The opening session, hosted in partnership with UNESCO and ESWACOS, will explore the sustainability of arts and cultural festivals under the topic “Creating Synergies in the Creative-Cultural Ecosystem for Sustainable Festivals & Events.”
Held across different campuses and venues, each session will focus on a critical development theme, with panel discussions and interactive opportunities for students to engage experts and representatives from various UN agencies and civil society organisations. These events are designed to empower youth voices on national development goals through open conversation and solution-driven exchanges.
The dialogues form part of MTN Bushfire’s broader campaign, “Bring Your Fire,” which encourages action on social and environmental issues, and aligns with the 2025 festival theme, “Creativity. Unity. Sustainability.” MTN Bushfire will also reward selected participants with festival tickets to allow further engagement in the UN Bring Your Fire Zone during the event in Malkerns.
Other scheduled dialogues include:
- 13 May at UNESWA Luyengo Campus with FAO, UNHCR and WFP, addressing food sovereignty and sustainable food systems;
- 14 May at UNESWA Kwaluseni Campus with WHO, UNAIDS, UNFPA and IOM, tackling mental health, HIV and gender-based violence;
- 15 May at House on Fire, Malkerns, focusing on climate action and biodiversity with input from FAO, IOM, WHO and UNESCO.
Youth interested in attending are encouraged to follow MTN Bushfire’s social media platforms for panelist updates and detailed event information.
| Date | Time | Venue | Theme / SDGs | Topic | UN Agencies |
| Friday, 9 May | 11am – 12:30pm | Limkokwing Campus, Mbabane | Sustainability of Arts and Culture Festivals & Digital Connectivity (SDGs 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17) | Creating Synergies in the Creative-Cultural Ecosystem for Sustainable Festivals & Events | UNESCO, in partnership with ESWACOS |
| Tuesday, 13 May | 11am – 12:30pm | UNESWA, Luyengo Campus | Promoting Sustainable and Efficient Food Production and Distribution (SDGs 2, 3, 12 & 15) | Empowering youth through technology and innovation for inclusive agrifood systems transformation to achieve food sovereignty in Eswatini | FAO, UNHCR, WFP |
| Wednesday, 14 May | 11am – 12:30pm | UNESWA, Kwaluseni Campus | Health & Gender Equality (including HIV): Promoting Health, Gender Equality and Well-Being for All (SDGs 6, 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15) | Mental Health, HIV and Gender Based Violence Impact on Well-Being. | WHO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, IOM |
| Thursday, 15 May | 11am – 12:30pm | House On Fire, Malkerns | Climate, Biodiversity, Pollution: Addressing the Urgent Challenges Posed by Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, and Pollution (SDGs 6, 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15) | Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Through the Systems Thinking Approach. | FAO, IOM, WHO, UNESCO |
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