MTN BUSHFIRE & UN INVITE YOUTH TO LIVE DIALOGUES SERIES

The UN Live Dialogues are MTN Bushfire and the United Nations in Eswatini’s joint outreach programme, aimed at encouraging young people to lend their efforts towards fostering positive change and sustainable legacies in our communities. Each dialogue will be hosted by specific UN agencies and will involve panel discussions, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities. 

Experts, practitioners, and representatives from relevant civil society organisations will be invited to share insights, best practices, and experiences related to the theme. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute valuable insights on key topical issues affecting the Eswatini youth. 

This initiative is a dynamic and inclusive response to igniting collective action towards achieving the national Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and further advancing the impact of MTN Bushfire’s call to action for positive social and environmental change, Bring Your Fire, and in in line with the MTN Bushfire 2025 theme: ‘Creativity. Unity. Sustainability.’

MTN Bushfire will also be giving away tickets to the 2025 festival to offer the opportunity for further engagement in the festival’s creative advocacy space, the UN Bring Your Fire Zone.

The first UN Live Dialogues session will be held at Limkokwing in Mbabane on Friday 9 May, 2025, under the theme ‘Sustainability of Arts & Culture Festivals and Digital Connectivity’. The topic will be ‘Creating Synergies in the Creative-Cultural Ecosystem for Sustainable Festivals & Events’ and will be moderated by Lwandle Simelane, Secretary General of the Eswatini National Commission for UNESCO. Panellists will include Mmeli Hlanze, Executive Director of the Eswatini Copyrights and Neighbouring Rights Society (ESWACOS), renowned artist Mbongiseni “Bholoja” Ngubane, Siphilele Magagula from Batter Branding, Nomathemba Xaba from New Life Entertainment, and Digital Media and Communications Specialist Miliswa Vilane. 

The themes for the other upcoming 2025 UN Live Dialogues are: Food Systems: Promoting Sustainable and Efficient Food Production & Distribution; Health & Gender Equality (including HIV): Promoting Health, Gender Equality and Well-Being for All; and Climate, Biodiversity, Pollution: Addressing the Urgent Challenges Posed by Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, and Pollution.

Participating UN agencies include the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) and the International Office of Migration (IOM).

Follow MTN Bushfire social media for further information, panellist profiles and updates.