Youth participation in SDG-Oriented Volunteerism: Insights from Malaysia’s APPGM-SDG Platform

Abstract

Engaging youth is paramount for progressing towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This quantitative research studies the active involvement of Malaysian youth as volunteers in initiatives centred around the SDGs, with a specific focus on the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG) platform. Data was gathered from 323 volunteers who applied as volunteers at the Malaysian Youth SDG Summits, the Young Asian Voices for the United Nations We Need, and the Malaysian Youth SDG Agent 22/23 and 23/24 Cohort initiatives. The objective of the study is to identify the demographic involvement of youths in volunteerism through the initiatives of APPGM-SDG. This research analyses the nature of youth participation in SDG-oriented volunteerism, investigating their demographic concentration in active engagement, including engagement by gender, organisational affiliation, and prior experience in volunteerism and how these factors contribute to voluntary work related to the SDGs. Descriptive analysis was conducted to identify the demographic distribution of youths toward the involvement in SDG-oriented volunteerism. Findings indicated a moderate distribution between males and females, a greater number of participants affiliated in organisations, and a greater number of participants with prior experience in volunteerism. By examining the quantitative nature of these volunteers with the comprehensive study of literature and discussion, we gain valuable insights into the dynamics of youth engagement in localising the SDGs. These insights, rooted in the context of Malaysia, can inform strategies for fostering youth-driven progress toward the SDGs both nationally and globally, providing recommendations to parliamentarians, civil societies, and youth groups as a whole.