Young people, engaged in building a better society

Marking International Day of Youth, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that no one knows better than young people the issues at stake in today's rapidly changing world or the best way to respond.

 “That is why I am calling on young people to speak out – and I am urging leaders to listen”, he declared.

 “Youth movements and student groups are challenging traditional power structures and advocating a new social contract between States and societies”, he said.

“Young leaders have contributed fresh ideas, taken proactive measures, and mobilized through social media as never before”, added Mr. Ban.

YOUTH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

The 2015 International Youth Day theme is “Youth Civic Engagement”. Youth Civic Engagement, a main goal of the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan on Youth (Youth-SWAP), seeks to promote young people’s effective inclusive civic engagement at all levels.

“From social entrepreneurs to journalists, from voluntary workers to members of community organizations, young people contribute to shaping society to lead it towards political, cultural and economic renewal”, Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), stressed.

In support of their aims, the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi, is working to mobilize the “largest generation of young people in history to turn the world we want into the world we deserve.”

YOUTH DAY EVENTS AND INITIATIVES

At the UN Headquarters in New York, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), with the support of the UN Inter-agency Network on Youth Development, is organizing an event to commemorate International Youth Day.

In twitter, during the whole day, the UN will be sharing inspirational stories of youth driving change in their communities, featuring reports on youth civic and public participation, and sharing ways that young people use to get involved in celebrating and supporting youth engagement. The hashtag is #youthday

During the entire month of August, , the Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth is partnering with the UN Millenium Campaign on #YouthNow Driving Change, a one photo-a-day digital exhibit to feature youth from around the world driving change in their community!

Running until 17 August 2015, #YouthNow Driving Change will be featured on the LG Screen in Times Square in New York City.

 Every 7 minutes, a 30 second video featuring pictures and stories of youth actively making a change in their community will play in Times Square, for the whole world to see.

WEA: REACHING THE NEW GENERATION FOR CHRIST

Celebrating the Youth Day, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has explained in its website , the way the WEA works with the youth, , in a time of  ”unprecedented challenges and opportunities for the global church to serve young people with the love of Chris.”

Since 2012, strategic gatherings have been convened across the globe to develop innovative and fruitful grassroots practical partnerships. These culminated in a global practitioners gathering at the end of last year called Converge.

“Never has the task of reaching and discipling global youth for Christ seemed so overwhelming and yet so possible. Together, we can do even more than any of us singly can dare to believe or imagine," says Colin Piper, Executive Director of WEA Youth Commission.

As leaders of global youth movements we commit ourselves to partnership, strategically, prayerfully and sacrificially, to see this generation reached for Christ’s glory”, he added.