International Youth Day 2023

International Youth Day 2023 is celebrated globally on 12th August every year to honor the power and potential of young people who are the future of society. This event provides a platform to acknowledge the critical role of youth in shaping our society and making it better. Along with this, the event focuses on empowering the youth and spreading awareness regarding the importance of investing in youth development and understanding how important it is for the young generation to participate in decision-making. They are the major contributor on the way to a brighter future. Therefore we must understand their significance and utilize their talent as best as possible. International Youth Day was first celebrated in the year 2000 after the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a regulation that accepts the recommendations of the World Ministers’ Meeting on Youth in London.

On this day several events like workshops, meetings involving local and national government officials and youth organizations, concerts, cultural events, etc. take place all over the world. It was designated by United Nations in 1999. This was one side of this day. It also focuses on various difficulties which today’s youth is facing throughout the world. Half of the children who are aged between six to thirteen do not have basic reading and mathematics skills and childhood poverty remains one of the major problems for the entire world. For fighting all these problems we require good awareness, and the right resources for good education, medicine, overall well-being, etc. 

History of International Youth Day

The United Nations General Assembly 1965 started working on a declaration that promotes the ideals of peace, international understanding, and mutual respect among today’s youth population. On December 17, 1999 Meeting on Youth Recommendations, was approved by United Nations General Assembly, and the international youth convention was established. After that day, the 12th of August is celebrated as International Youth Day every year with great enthusiasm. This day is used to spread awareness in society, manage resources, and mobilization of political youth to solve global issues.

Need for International Youth Day 2023

• International Youth Day was celebrated to address various needs and challenges that are faced by youth today. Some of the key reasons due to why there was a need to celebrate  this day are:-
• Recognizing various difficulties faced by youth like issues related to social inclusion, health, education, employment, political participation, discrimination, etc.
• Promoting youth empowerment so that youth can stay motivated and participate actively, take various leadership roles, and most importantly use their skills to address social issues existing in society.
• Supporting them in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Importance of International Youth Day 2023

This whole day is entirely dedicated to the Youth of the entire world. They are the ones who are responsible for making a difference in the path toward sustainable development. Recent data suggest that the youth populating existing now is the largest in history, with around 3 billion young minds under the age of 30. So now we have as much as half the world’s population at a young age, it has unparalleled potential to take care of our society. A good youth population will help in bringing positive change in society and act as a catalyst for peace and prosperity in the world.

Themes for the Past Years for International Youth Day

Every year we have different slogans with different motives to help youth in development and make this place a better world to live in. So below are the slogans of the past year.

Year	Slogan
2016	Youth Leading Sustainability
2017	Youth Building Peace
2018	Safe Spaces for Youth
2019	Transforming education
2020	Youth Engagement
2021	Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health
2022	Intergenerational solitary

International Youth Day Slogans

Some important slogans for youth from the speech of world leaders are mentioned below:-

“You are young only once, it is enough if you work it right.” – Joe Lewis.

“A few heart-whole, sincere, and energetic men and women can do more in a year than a mob in a century.” – Swami Vivekananda

“Arise! Awake! And stop not until the goal is reached.” – Swami Vivekananda

“My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation, out of them will come my workers!” – Swami Vivekananda.

“The youth has to change corruption.” – Aristotle.

“Dream, Dream, Dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action.” – APJ Abdul Kalam.

How can an individual contribute to International Youth Day 2023

Here are some ideas which will help you to contribute to this fantastic day and help youth to grow more in their life and contribute to the world. So some ideas to make this day memorable are:-

• Raising awareness – You can use social media networks and offline networks like school and college friends for spreading more and more awareness about the importance of this day. You can make it more engaging by providing them with relevant statistics and information that will help you in highlighting the challenges and achievements of young minds.
• Organizing events – You can host various interactive events like workshops, panel discussions, exhibitions, etc., and can use this opportunity to promote youth engagement, empowerment, and well-being.
• Advocate for youth issues – Speak about the needs, rights, and aspirations of young people. If possible try writing letters to top policymakers to make them aware of these issues.
• Mentorship and support – You can share your knowledge, skills, and experiences associated with youth with young people and offer your mentorship and guidance. You can choose people from schools, colleges, neighbors, etc. for this work.
• Volunteering – Under volunteering, you can share your time, skills, or resources for supporting various programs running for youth empowerment.
• Engaging in different projects – You can collaborate with young people and do a project that addresses various challenges.
• Fostering inclusivity – You can get in touch with young people belonging to different backgrounds, identities, and cultures and ask them to come together and share their different experiences and learn valuable things from each other.

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