“Youth Engagement for Global Action” seeks to highlight the ways in which the engagement of young people at the local, national and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as draw lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal institutional politics can be significantly enhanced.
As the United Nations turns 75, and with only 10 years remaining to make the 2030 Agenda a reality for all, trust in public institutions is eroding. At the international level, against the backdrop of an increasingly polarized world, the international system of governance is currently undergoing a crisis of legitimacy and relevance. In particular, this crisis is rooted in the need to strengthen the capacity of the international system to act in concert and implement solutions to pressing challenges and threats (examples include some of the worst contemporary conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, such as Syria and Myanmar, as well as global challenges, such as the COVID-19 outbreak and climate change).
(Source – https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/iyd2020.html )
Many, many groups are involved in ‘youth action’ here are just a very few examples…
Our World Heritage is what we leave behind for future generations therefore we must educate young people to protect it. This year, the World Heritage Centre launched the UNESCO publication Empowering Youth for Heritage dedicated to the World Heritage Volunteers Initiative (WHV). The World Heritage Volunteers Initiative is organized within the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme, led by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC) in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), European Heritage Volunteers (as a branch of Open Houses) and Better World.
From 2008, the WHV has developed into a rich and diverse effort involving the remarkable work of organizations, young volunteers, and communities mobilized around heritage conservation. Every year, the Initiative increases its impact, through the many action camps organized across the globe, involving thousands of volunteers.
The publication traces the journey of the Initiative, which started with just 12 action camps involving 153 volunteers in 2008. By the end of 2017 it had implemented a total of 341 action camps at 138 sites inscribed on the World Heritage List or Tentative Lists in 60 countries, involving 110 organizations and more than 5,000 volunteers. The publication also identifies best practices from each region, delving deeper into their promotion of youth participation and the lessons learnt.
Download the publication here: https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2111
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