International Youth Day 2023- August 12th

2023-08-09

August 12th is International Youth Day! 

Go here for more info:
https://social.desa.un.org/issues/youth/international-youth-day-main

International Youth Day is commemorated every year on 12 August, bringing youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrating the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.

Youth, young professionals and emerging leaders are connected to each other like never before. In eagerness to learn and grow, young professionals want to and already contribute to the resilience of their communities. They propose and integrate innovative solutions that drive social progress and inspire political change in communities they live in. Young Professionals are a tremendous and essential asset worth investing in for succession planning-- development early on in their careers will reduce turn over, and should be a large part of your legacy and sustainability plan. 

The shifting demographics in the world are leveraged in a way that the way young people navigate their futures are critical for progress and the survival of the planet. With large numbers of young professionals (and young people generally) across the globe, it is clear that engaging and working with young professionals (emerging leaders, and youth) supporting them in standing up for their rights and creating the conditions allowing them to progress and play an active role in change, that the international community will be able to achieve peace, security, justice, climate resilience and sustainable development for everyone. 
Think about what you can do in you community and how you can effectively spread the message. What are you doing to celebrate and create sustainable inclusion of youth and young professionals and how they connect to the world? Some ideas could be to:
  • Organize a (virtual) public meeting or debate to discuss young people’s contributions to global issues.
  • Initiate round table discussions among adults and young people to promote intergenerational understanding.
  • Organize a youth forum to exchange ideas and discuss cultural backgrounds in order to help young people accept others and popularize a culture of non-violence.
As countries reassess their policy in the recovery phase from COVID19 and a dip in the employment market, and education, they need to invest in longer-term transformative approaches and overhaul past structures to make them more inclusive, sustainable and resilient.
When designing and implementing active skills development policies to help workers move into or on to new occupations and jobs, it is important to ensure that young professionals and emerging leaders are actively engaged.
The transition to greener and more digital economies calls for a broad‑based approach to digital literacy coupled with promotion of technical and digital skills for young professionals so that they can take full advantage of the new opportunities. Efforts to shape a more sustainable future require the active involvement and meaningful contribution of young people.