International Youth Day

International Youth Day is observed every year on August 12th; it is a global celebration of young people and their role in pushing social change and sustainable development globally.

International Youth Day 2023 Theme:

This year, the International Youth Day 2023 theme is "Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable Green World." Green skills are "knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes needed to live in, develop, and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society," mentioned United Nations (UN).

Previous Year Themes:

• 2022: "Intergenerational solidarity: Creating a world for all ages”
• 2021: "Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health"
• 2020: "Youth Engagement for Global Action"
• 2019: "Transforming education" to make education inclusive and accessible for all youth”
• 2018: "Safe Spaces for Youth"
• 2017: "Youth Building Peace"

History:

Every year, International Youth Day is celebrated on the 12th of August. The day is meant to serve as a platform for governments and all other concerned parties to discuss global youth matters. There are concerts, workshops, cultural events, and meetings between national and local government officials with youth organizations that are conducted across the globe on IYD. The United Nations designated IYD in 1999 through the adoption of Resolution 54/120.

Importance of International Youth Day:

1. Teenagers’ Day of power: International Youth Day is a day on which the youth are empowered, voices heard, ideas expressed, goals and initiatives supported as they bring about positive change in their societies and communities. The occasion acknowledges that young people can be sources of newness and originality for innovation and social change who can actively partake in democratic governance like civic participation, leadership among others public policy advocacy.
2. Supporting the rights of young people: Advocacy for an inclusive society for young persons, participation in decision making processes and equal opportunities is what this day is focused on. It emphasizes upon human rights to education, employment, access to health care among boys, girls equality etc.
3. Making leaders out of our youth: International Youth Day creates an enabling environment for youth leadership and entrepreneurship through which they acquire skills, talents, and abilities necessary for leading their peers towards innovative solutions to social problems. It fosters capacity building through mentorship programs helping youth reach their full potential hence effective leaders who drive social change at grassroots levels.
4. Addressing youth challenges: This day is about the problems and hardships that young people go through such as lack of jobs, poverty, unfairness, prejudices, violence, mental issues and absence of education and healthcare. The occasion demands that there should be collective will in solving these problems by creating enabling environments to facilitate youth development.
5. Advancing sustainable development: International Youth Day acknowledges the pivotal role played by youths in realizing sustainable development thereby advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this respect, it encourages them to take part in attaining SDGs and address global challenges including climate change, environmental destructions etc.

International Youth Day sees various initiatives undertaken by governments across nations, youth organizations schools, universities community-based groups as well as civil society organizations. Thus on this day different activities are held by governments around the world including those run by higher learning institutions like colleges and universities among other educational bodies thus embodying inclusiveness for a sustainable tomorrow.