Dated August 12th, today marks the observance of International Youth Day, an occasion to applaud the potential and contributions of young individuals to society while simultaneously addressing their global challenges. The inception of this commemorative day dates back to 1999, when the United Nations laid its foundation. On this annual event, diverse activities, conferences, and events are orchestrated globally to engage young minds and amplify youth-led initiatives. The focal theme encapsulating International Youth Day 2023 is “Green Skills for Youth: Paving the Path to a Sustainable World.” These green skills encompass the know-how, competencies, values, and attitudes indispensable for thriving in, evolving, and sustaining a resource-efficient society.
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The chosen theme for International Youth Day 2023 mirrors the pressing urgency of addressing the environmental crisis and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the year 2030. Within today’s world, a staggering 1.8 billion individuals fall within the age bracket of 10 to 24, collectively constituting 24% of the global population, as reported by the UN. This segment is particularly susceptible to the repercussions of climate change, pollution, diminishing biodiversity, and natural calamities. Paradoxically, they are also at the forefront of innovation and creativity, consistently devising solutions. This underscores the critical importance of equipping them with green skills, enabling them to adapt to shifting realities, spawn eco-friendly jobs, and revolutionize their communities.
The United Nations has pinpointed four pivotal domains where young individuals can cultivate and wield green skills: education, employment, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. In the realm of education, green skills can be seamlessly integrated into both formal and informal curricula, extending to vocational training and continuous learning avenues. In the sphere of employment, these skills stand to augment the employability prospects and career trajectories of the youth across various sectors encompassing renewable energy, agriculture, tourism, waste management, and manufacturing. Within the entrepreneurship domain, green skills nurture innovation and ingenuity among the youth, fostering the genesis of eco-conscious enterprises and social ventures. In the arena of civic engagement, green skills empower young individuals to actively partake in decision-making processes, while advocating for environmental equity and action.
In honor of International Youth Day 2023, an array of events is being orchestrated across the globe to spotlight the triumphs and aspirations of young individuals fortified with green skills. Noteworthy among these events are:
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– A worldwide webinar titled “Green Skills for Youth: Navigating a Sustainable World,” featuring a constellation of speakers from the UN, governmental bodies, civil society entities, academia, and youth collectives.
– A virtual exhibition titled “Youth Voices for Climate Action,” serving as a platform for showcasing narratives, imagery, videos, and artwork from young champions spearheading climate action within their respective communities.
– A social media campaign under the banner of “#GreenSkills4Youth,” enticing young individuals to share their anecdotes and encounters involving green skills across platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
International Youth Day 2023 embodies an opportunity to acknowledge and exalt the contributions of young trailblazers in the endeavor to erect a more sustainable and eco-friendly world. It simultaneously serves as a clarion call to all stakeholders, urging them to endorse and invest in the growth and empowerment of the youth through the prism of green skills. Echoing the sentiments of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, “Young people constitute our most valuable resource in the pursuit of SDGs. Their ardor and determination hold the potential to transform our planet into a more harmonious habitat for all.”
