International Youth Day
12 August, 2010
Dialogue and Mutual Understanding
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Message of the Secretary General on IYD2010
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This year’s International Youth Day is a particularly important day for youth around the world. In December 2009, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/64/134 proclaiming the Year commencing this International Youth Day (12 August 2010) as the International Year of Youth.
In line with the theme for the International Year, the theme for this year’s International Youth Day is “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”. The choice of theme reflects the General Assembly’s appreciation of the value of dialogue among youth from different cultures as well as among different generations.
International Youth Day will be celebrated at United Nations headquarters in New York with the global launch event of the International Year of Youth. The event will be a celebration of young peoples’ energy, imagination and initiatives and will recognize their crucial contributions to enhancing peace and development. The event is an opportunity for the international community and the UN system to demonstrate their commitment to young people. But it will also be a fun occasion with musical guests and performances. A photo exhibit entitled “Visual Voices – Youth perspectives on Global Issues” will be inaugurated in the UN visitors lobby. The exhibit will be open to the public until early September.
In addition to the global launch event at UN Headquarters, there will be celebrations all over the world, which will highlight opportunities and challenges for youth throughout the International Year of Youth in different regions and countries.
Join in the festivities and celebrate the International Youth Day and the International Youth Year with other young people from around the globe!
Background of International Youth Day
In 1999, in its resolution 54/120, the General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day. The Assembly recommended that public information activities be organized to support the Day as a way to promote better awareness of the World Programme of Action for Youth, adopted by the General Assembly in 1995 (resolution 50/81).
Previous Celebrations of International Youth Day include:
- IYD 2009 – Sustainability: Our Challenge. Our Future.
- IYD 2008 – Youth and Climate Change: Time for Action
- IYD 2007 – Be seen, Be heard: Youth participation for development
- IYD 2006 – Tackling Poverty Together
- IYD 2005 – WPAY+10: Making Commitments Matter
- IYD 2004 – Youth in an Intergenerational Society
- IYD 2003 – Finding decent and productive work for young people everywhere
- IYD 2002 – Now and for the Future: Youth Action for Sustainable Development
- IYD 2001 – Addressing Health and Unemployment
- First Observance of International Youth Day 2000
THIS IS YOUR DAY AND YOUR YEAR!
To guide the celebrations of the International Year of Youth, the United Nations has developed the Framework Approach highlighting three key objectives for the Year, namely: increased commitment and investment in youth, increased youth participation and partnerships, and increased intercultural understanding among youth. Use these objectives to guide your activities related to youth. The complete Framework Approach is available at http://social.un.org/youthyear/.
Background of International Youth Day
Think about what you can do in you community and how you can effectively spread the message. Make it fun and relatable and use all your channels to spread the message. Think Facebook, Twitter, university newsletters, local newspapers.
- Educational radio show. Contact popular local/national radio stations to request a slot to have a discussion with distinguished individuals and youth.
- Organize a public meeting or debate to discuss young people’s contributions to global issues.
- Initiate round table discussions among adults and young people to promote intergenerational understanding.
- Organize a youth forum to exchange ideas and discuss cultural backgrounds in order to help young people accept others and popularize a culture of non-violence.
- Organize a concert to promote International Youth Day and the launch of the Year. Invite your local musicians and combine it with a panel discussion or invite a politician or policy maker to hold the key note speech.
- Create an “info point” about youth-related issues in the center of town/village, at high schools, or at university centers.
- Organize an exhibition. Get permission to use a public space for an arts exhibit, which showcases the challenges of young people today or how young people are contributing to development. Try to involve young people in the domains of culture, arts and music, to raise awareness on youth-related issues.
- Write to your Minister of Youth to inform him or her about the challenges young people face in their daily lives and to suggest solutions. A list of Ministers of Youth can be found at www.un.org/youth.
INFORMATIONAL MATERIAL AND MEDIA TOOLS
A variety of informational material, such as the logo for the International Year of Youth, is available on the International Year of Youth website: http://social.un.org/youthyear. If you would like to use the logo for your event, read the guidelines for the logo and fill out the liability waiver form available for download on the site. Please check the International Year of Youth website for regular updates.
Ann
