Like other parts of the world, the United Nations’ (UN) International Youth Day will be celebrated in Pakistan on Friday (today) to recognise the contributions of youth to a global society.
International Youth Day was first observed in 2000. The young people who gathered in Vienna, Austria, for the first session of the UN’s World Youth Forum decided to observe International Youth Day. In 1998, a resolution proclaiming August 12 as International Youth Day was adopted during the world conference of ministers responsible for youth. Almost all the countries of the world observe the youth day.
They hold youth conferences on various issues such as education and employment. Other activities include concerts, speech and quiz contests, sports, parades and exhibitions. The United Nations defines youth as the age group between 15 and 24 years, forming one-sixth of the population. Many of these young men and women live in developing countries while their number is expected to rise.
The aim of International Youth Day is to endorse consciousness, particularly among youth. The World Programme of Action for Youth is working in 10 main fields – starvation, poverty, education, employment, health, drug exploitation, childhood felony, recreational events, children and young women and environment.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message on the day, “Change Our World” is more than the theme of this year’s International Youth Day; it is an injunction that should inspire young people at all times.
Far too many of the world’s more than one billion young people lack the education, freedom and opportunities they deserve. Yet despite these constraints young people are trying to build a better future. Over the past years, they have achieved stunning results, overturning dictatorships and sending waves of hope across regions and around the world.”
He said, “Young people are gifted with open minds and a keen awareness of emerging trends, and are bringing their energy, ideas and courage to some of the most complex and important challenges facing the human family. They are standing up for the rights of oppressed people, including those who suffer discrimination based on gender, race and sexual orientation. They are confronting sensitive issues in order to stop the spread of HIV. And they are often the leading proponents of sustainability and green life-styles.”
“This day marks the end of the International Year of Youth, a milestone in global advocacy by and for the world’s young people. My hope is that this experience will now provide a foundation to go even further in harnessing the talents and energies of young people. To them I say: you have the opportunity to change our world. Seize it,” he concluded.