International Youth day: August 12th : History and Background

Why do we celebrate International Youth Day?

The International Youth Day is celebrated and observed every year on 12 August across the world. The day is marked for giving new initiatives and action taken by the youth. Also, on this day, the government and citizens come together to bring attention to the problems faced by the younger generation.

What is the theme of International Youth Day 2021?

Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human Every year there's a theme on which International Youth Day 2021 is celebrated. The theme for this year is "Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health ''.

International Youth Day (IYD) is an awareness day designated by the United Nations. The purpose of the day is to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth.

Who started International Youth Day?

International Youth Day, observed on August 12 every year, was based on a recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon to the UN General Assembly.

The first IYD was observed on 12 August 2000. International Youth Day is observed annually on August 12th.

It is meant as an opportunity for governments and others to draw attention to youth issues worldwide. During IYD, concerts, workshops, cultural events, and meetings involving national and local government officials and youth organizations take place around the world.

IYD was designated by the United Nations in 1999 with the adoption of Resolution 54/120. International Youth Day's Slogan for 2014 was Youth and Mental Health. For 2015, it was Youth and Civic Engagement.

The theme of the 2016 International Youth Day was “The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production." For 2017, the theme of IYD is "Youth Building Peace".

The theme for IYD 2018 was "Safe Spaces for Youth". In this way, it will go on which recognises the contributions of young people to preventing conflict, supporting inclusion, social justice, and sustain peace.

For 2019, the theme of IYD was "Transforming education" to make education inclusive and accessible for all youth. And for 2020, the theme of IYD was "Youth Engagement for Global Action".

The theme for 2021 IYD is "Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health" .

Message From UN for Youth

THIS IS YOUR 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 (virtual) 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 (virtual) 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 policymaker to hold the keynote speech.

Create an “info point” about youth-related issues in the centre of town/village, at high schools, or at university centres. Organize an exhibition.

Get permission to use a public space for an art 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.

A variety of informational material, such as the logo for the International Year of Youth, will be made available on the International Youth Day Trello board, which will be made public ahead of International Youth Day.

If you would like to use the logo for your event, read the guidelines for the logo and fill out the liability waiver form, which will also be made available for download.