International Youth Day

Celebrating Youth And Young People: International Youth Day: 12 August

You are midway through the summer holidays – well, in the UK anyway – and you might be getting a little restless, perhaps a bit bored – and you are itching to get back to learning. Well, on 12 August, you could spend time thinking about International Youth Day (IYD) – a day which celebrates young people the world over.

Facing Forward

IYD came about to do two main things: to recognise the role that young people have to play in the future of the world and also to draw attention to issues that young people face every day. This has been running since 1999 when it was decided that such a day needed to exist.

Across the world, there are nearly 2 million young people aged between ten and twenty-four years old. Shockingly, about half of these live in war-torn areas – and lots are affected by lack of education, access to healthcare, suitable jobs and other potential opportunities.

One of the aims of the International Youth Day is to teach young people how to make a better life for themselves – and to help them become equipped with the skills to do this. One example is knowing how to promote peace and having ideas about how this can help for future generations.

How To Be A Part Of It

So, how might you get involved this year? Well, you can participate on social media using #YouthDay and #Transforming Education. You can find out more at https://www.un.org/en/observances/youth-day – there is a lot more information provided here. This year’s theme is From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development. Technology plays a huge role in how the world works today and young people are often very quick to pick up on new initiatives.

When the 12th of August rolls around, try and get involved with issues that will affect you – and other generations – in years to come. This is how you can make a difference to the world we live in today.