The extraordinary power of youth to change their own worlds and the world around them strikes me anew every day. I see this power manifest in diverse forms and settings – from the Russian program participant [15] who created a break-dancing school to engage at-risk youth in her small town, to the two teenagers from MetroTeenAIDS who, last week [16], addressed more than 70 international development professionals about their role in educating thousands of other youth in Washington, DC, about STDs and HIV testing.
Despite the disparity in backgrounds and experiences of these young people, their successes all draw on a similar theme. If youth are given support, and a platform to address the issues that they themselves identify, they will make a much greater impact and in a more innovative way than most policy-makers or program leaders could ever imagine. Comprising more than half the world’s population, youth are essential to making development work. Youth contribute their priorities, innovations, and amazing energy and commitment to the development process at all levels. Ignoring youth perpetuates a cycle of disengagement and, without fail, causes youth to turn to marginal, or even destructive activities.
Highly valuing the incomparable contributions that youth can make to development of communities and nations, IREX recently created a Youth Community of Practice, allowing us to examine, consolidate, and share our expertise in engaging youth to shape their own futures and the future of their communities and nations. In addition, we would like to regularly share their exceptional accomplishments. To recognize United Nations’ International Year of Youth [17], IREX will highlight some of our youth participants and partners, and our work in youth development. Over the next month, please keep your eyes out for blogs from IREX staff and stories about:
- The young media professional and NGO leader in Somalia who works to foster dialogue in communities on peaceful means to resolve clan conflict through video.
- A young Armenian who promotes inter-ethnic understanding between Armenians and Turks through cultural exchange.
- Youth in Kyrgyzstan who develop their leadership skills at a technology camp, and subsequently engage in community strengthening activities.
I hope that you find the stories of IREX’s youth [18]participants as inspiring as I do. I encourage you to contact us to learn more about their accomplishments throughout the world.