THE United Nations (UN) in Eswatini is bringing their fire as the official title sponsor for MTN Bushfire’s social and environmental advocacy space, the Bring Your Fire Zone.
This partnership, and the ensuing collaborative activities were unveiled at a media launch held at House On Fire in Eswatini on May 7.
Participating UN agencies in the festival’s UN Bring Your Fire Zone for the 17th edition of the festival which will be held from 31 May to 2 June, 2024 are the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), International Office of Migration (IOM), World Food Programme (WFP) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS).
MTN Bushfire’s long-standing commitment to staging a sustainable event that minimises potential negative impacts and fosters sustained positive legacies in Eswatini’s communities has inspired partnerships with like-minded organisations such as the UN.
This partnership reflects the shared values of the Bring Your Fire mandate and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in addressing global sustainability challenges by encouraging the proactive contribution of the individual towards igniting positive social and environmental change through innovative creative activism and arts advocacy initiatives.
In this spirit, a number of activities will be held in the lead up to, during and after this year’s festival to invite partners, sponsors, traders and the civil society to get involved and support the Sustainable Development Goals for Eswatini.
MTN Bushfire Volunteer Day
MTN Bushfire is excited to present a new, dynamic initiative inspired by this year’s theme, FIREWORKS. “FIREWORKS” represents Fire at Work. It manifests fire as action, dynamically presenting festivalgoers, partners, sponsors and traders with the opportunity to bring their fire for sustained positive impact and legacy for the communities we live in.
This year, the festival will be launching the inaugural edition of the annual Bring Your Fire Volunteer Day in Eswatini. MTN Bushfire is calling on partners, sponsors, traders and individuals in Eswatini with a passion for making a positive difference to sign up for a day of service during the MTN Bushfire Volunteer Day.
Sign up opportunities will be available on the MTN Bushfire website as well as at the UN Bring Your Fire Zone during the festival.
MTN Bushfire Bring Your Fire Zone Advocacy Space Giveaway
Another new, impact-driven initiative that the festival is introducing this year is the MTN Bushfire Bring Your Fire Zone Advocacy Space Giveaway.
MTN Bushfire is giving away a free activation space in the UN Bring Your Fire Zone to an extraordinary changemaker or dynamic organisation from Eswatini aligned with the SDGs and MTN Bushfire’s Bring Your Fire values.
During the festival, the Bring Your Fire mandate finds its strongest expression in the UN Bring Your Fire Zone, a festival space dedicated to creative advocacy where artists, activists, visionaries, volunteers and socially attuned organisations come together, lending their voices, talents, skills and resources to this inclusive vision.
The UN Bring Your Fire Zone hosts a range of civil society organisations that engage in conversations and activations on a variety of themes including the following: Minority Rights & Gender Diversity, Environmental Sustainability, Education, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Sustainable Development, Equality & Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, and Child Social Protection.
This partnership has resulted in an upgraded UN Bring Your Fire Zone experience with a café-style environment, including a stage with a full programme for the weekend featuring a variety of powerfully inspiring musicians and interactive creative activities.
The festival is inviting everyone from different parts of the world to submit nominations for deserving individuals or organisations operating in Eswatini.
To nominate, simply tag the organisation or individual’s name in the comments section of the relevant social media post, then send a detailed overview of the organisation or individual highlighting their social cause with relevant links to bringyourfire@bush-fire.com with the subject “Bring Your Fire Zone Nomination”.
Entries close at 12 noon on 17 May, 2024.
Live Dialogues
To further raise awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals and advance the impact of the Bring Your Fire mandate, 5 Bring Your Fire UN Live Dialogues will be held in Eswatini’s tertiary institutions and at House On Fire starting from next week.
UN agencies and their implementing partners, in collaboration with USAID, will host panel discussions around their respective SDGs.
The themes are Youth Employability & Food Security, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, HIV/AIDS, Key Population Inclusion and Human Trafficking, Gender-Based Violence (GBV)and Education & Climate Action.
For more information on the Bring Your Fire Zone, please visit the festival website, www.bush-fire.com
