The Implications of Religious Engagement at Policy and Practice Levels in Development

Although world leaders recently reaffirmed commitments to achieving the SDGs, disaggregation of by G7 and G20 yields insights into how policymaking is impacted by population age structures. All G7 countries have older populations. The world population is youthful. The G20 contains a mix of population types. The integration of youth leaders into decision making processes has been promoted to improve SDG implementation because youthful populations are the primary beneficiaries of a sustainable and healthy planet. The interfaith movement has given rise to a youth leader interfaith movement that has produced a set of ten Interfaith Development Goals to compliment, and support the implementation of, the SDGs. A youth climate movement that is rooted in moral identities rather than faith-based identities has emerged from the G7. Interfaith engagement with the G20 would benefit from better integration of youth leaders from both movements to strengthen political will for implementation of the SDGs.