International Youth Day: Intergenerational Solidarity
International Youth Day is an annual celebration of the contribution of young people to global development, focussing on areas such as education, employment, conflict resolution, social justice and the environment.
The day not only amplifies their voices and opinions on these topics, but highlights the challenges that each may pose to their lives and futures if appropriate action is not taken in time.
This year, International Youth Day advocates for the importance of intergenerational solidarity in the quest for an ethical, sustainable and socially just world; ‘a world for all ages’, as the UN puts it.
This theme recognises that, in order to make the Sustainable Development Goals a living reality, the actions of young people globally must intersect and engage with those of the older generations. It’s not enough for a single generation to mobilise for change; all must be included; none must be left behind.
Much of International Youth Day this year looks to raise awareness about barriers to intergenerational collaboration; particularly ageism. Though commonly associated with the older generation, the Global Report on Ageism published by the UN in March 2021 revealed a distinct lack of research and data on the relationship between ageism and youth.
Despite this, young people consistently indicate that ageism affects their ability to engage meaningfully in society, particularly in the areas of politics, employment and justice. As such, ageism acts as a barrier to governments and communities designing policies and processes that serve the young generation of society - arguably, the generation whose lives will be most impacted by them.
In celebration of International Youth Day, and of breaking barriers to participation for young people, we wanted to highlight a few of the Organisations in our network who are doing just that.
Gen Z Talks
Gen Z Talks are all about giving young people a platform to share their perspectives and opinions with the world. They create video content which centres the voices of young people, whilst also connecting them to companies and experienced professionals around the world, enabling them to build vital connections, confidence, and skills for entering the workforce and driving innovation. They also run mentoring and ambassador programmes to support young people and elevate their voices.
Afrilearn
So much about being able to contribute meaningfully to society comes from having the skills, knowledge and confidence to do so. As Afrilearn’s founder, Isaac, experienced - this isn’t the reality for many young people living in Africa. Isaac was raised in a rural area in Lagos, Nigeria, and his parents sacrificed everything to send him to school. While he gained many qualifications and became a successful businessman, the majority of his childhood friends had no choice but to leave education at a young age, and have remained in the same position. So, Isaac founded Afrilearn - an EdTech platform designed to make high quality education accessible and affordable for Africans across the continent.
Access Ed
Similarly to Arilearn, Access Ed works to equip young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the tools they need to voice their opinions and make their mark on society. They work with students, teachers and universities to ensure that higher education opportunities are accessible to more young people from under-represented backgrounds. They use the expertise and passion of post-graduate researchers to build skills, preparedness and confidence within students, while maximising pathways to higher education and supporting graduate success once there.
This International Youth Day is a great time to focus on elevating and amplifying the voices of young people around the world. If you’re part of our network and looking for an easy way to do so, head to the Matchable platform now to find projects supporting Impact Organisations (like the 3 above) who are working tirelessly to give young people the platform they deserve.
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