International Youth Day is this Friday!

Friday August 12th is the United Nations annual International Youth Day. While we’d say youth resolution 54/120 and the World Programme for Youth, which in 1999 laid the groundwork for what has become an ambitious  policy framework with clear guidelines for national action and support to significantly improve the conditions and outcomes of youth.

should be celebrated every day, we have to agree with the UN that this Friday is a pretty important one.  International Youth Day highlights the UN’s adoption of

With 1.8 billion young people worldwide, a focus on improving their wellbeing and outcomes is an understandable area of focus for the United Nations. As they put it, while “never before have there been so many young people" (Huge potential for economic growth...), at the same time "never before has the transition from youth to adulthood been so burdened by challenges, yet so blessed by opportunities" (Democracy, Youth, and the United Nations).

The 15 priority areas the World Programme of Action for Youth adopted remain as relevant today as they were  in 1999, reflecting the dynamic challenges and opportunities young people experience worldwide. Today,

the World Programme of Action for Youth plays a prominent role in youth development. It focuses on measures to strengthen national capacities in the field of youth and to increase the quality and quantity of opportunities available to young people for full, effective and constructive participation in society.

Global Theme, Local Applications

At DCAYA we deeply appreciate the importance of elevating youth voice and breaking down the silos that obscure youth policy. Ensuring all young people have access to the opportunities and supports they need to thrive regardless of where they live requires inclusively developed policy, practice and funding changes. Further, we know that meaningful change requires an approach that unpacks and addresses complex root causes, embraces data-driven decision-making, promotes continuous improvement and is always bold and audacious in scope.

So we hope you will join us in celebrating the 2016 International Youth Day, and consider how the theme for this year “The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production” intersects with the children and youth you serve. Based on the UN’s broader “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, this year’s theme explores the unique role young people can play in realizing human rights and equity by balancing economic and social development while also safeguarding our increasingly vulnerable natural resources and environment.

There are a number of ways to get involved; here are just a few:

• Learn more about the goals of the 2030 Agenda here. 
• Explore how other communities are celebrating young people and committing to sustainable development with this event map, and help DCAYA think about how our community can celebrate next year by emailing us at info@dc-aya.org, with "International Youth Day 2017" in the subject line.
• Submit an entry to the Global Youth Video Competition on Climate Change (submissions accepted until 8/30/16).  Be sure to let us know if you submit via twitter using the hashtag #COP22. 

Share the videos (2015 winning submissions here) with your students to spark a dialogue about how their future goals (could be the next five minutes or the next five years) and your programs or services can contribute to a just world and sustainable future.

Finally, talk to a young person and give some thought to what bold and audacious goals we should be setting as a community for the year to come, and share those insights with us at our upcoming  community listening sessions (Make sure you’re signed up via MailChimp to get the invite) and we want to hear from you.

Just like the UN,  we are ready to set some bold and audacious goals, and pursue them with the energy and tenacity you’ve come to expect.

So please keep an eye out for dates for community listening sessions, which will be out in September. And always feel free to reach out to Amy, Joey, JR or Maggie as needed. Finally, if you don't already, please make sure to follow this blog, as well as our Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our email list at the link above, and make sure your membership is up to date.