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International Youth Day 2017

Let's trigger change

How do you inspire someone else!

On Saturday the 12th of August it is International Youth Day. On this day there is globally a special attention to the contribution of young people to major global problems such as conflict prevention, lasting peace and social justice. Youth unemployment is in many countries one of the biggest problems. Especially young women, are the ones who need to fight many other problems such as child marriages, violence and unequal wages. Oxfam has various programs to solve social and political problems that cause youth unemployment. These youth programs include, for example, training, skills training and entrepreneurship courses. Role models are important for young people for inspiration and motivation. On International Youth Day, Oxfam devotes extra attention to role models.

Celebrate international Youth Day! This is happening around the world.

  • Dare to dream big! Pecha Kucha in the world

    On International Youth Day in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria and Somalia Pecha Kucha's are organised. This is a visual presentations of 20 slides, each slide 20 second, done by role models for the young people in the audience, we target the direct beneficiaries. These role models will inspire! And because they can relate to them, it shows what is possible. Dare to dream big! 

  • Celebrating International Youth Day 2017 Pakistan

    To mark International Youth Day 2017, Oxfam in Pakistan celebrated young people and their achievements on August 10, in Islamabad. We were joined by over 300 young people, policymakers, government members, social enterprisers, young entrepreneurs, private sector, academia and media.  The event featured Pakistan’s first PechaKucha and invited young entrepreneurs, youth activists and digital innovators to exchange their ideas and share their stories. Read more

  • #letstriggerchange trending op Twitter

    The hashtag used on International Youth Day by Oxfam countries during the event #letstriggerchange is was during the events in Nigeria and Lagos trending in these countries. What a great achievement!

  • Blog: Role models

    I like to be authentic. I like to think I am original, and have creative ideas. As a thinker, a reader, a writer, I tend to think that working in isolation works well for me. So I can concentrate on what I think, without being influenced by others and other people’s ideas. They may drive me away from my own thinking, into a direction that I did not plan, that I did not even think of. And that would not be good. 

    Or would it?

    Read the full blog

  • Blog: Working with young people for employment in West Africa. 

    For International Youth Day Marième Soda Ndiaye a young Senegalese leader and Oxfam’s Magalie Laliberté reflect on the process of networking and developing programmes to support active citizenship and youth employment opportunities in West Africa.

    Read the blog.

  • Blog: Is there room on the broom for young women?

     For International Youth Day Sharon Settecasse looks at what lessons the development sector, and especially those working with young women, could take from the popular children’s book, ‘Room on the Broom’.  

    Read the blog

  • Blog: Silenced No More

    International Youth Day is a day to focus solely on our young people. I believe strongly in the power of our young people across the nation and I believe strongly in having all the voices of our young people heard. Further to this, I believe strongly in the power of role-models, role models that inspire one individual to follow their dreams or to have their voice heard.
    Read the blog

  • Oxfams Youth Active Citizen Community

    International Youth Day is not only celebrated in the Empower Youth for Work countries, but around the world, as you can see on the map. Oxfam worldwide is working together on youth issues via the The Youth as Active Citizens (YAC) Learning Community. This group aims to further develop Oxfam’s ways of working in partnership with young people, so they can be better enabled to participate and lead on decision-making that affects them and their communities.

    More about the YAC  

  • Looking back at International Youth Day 2017

    On August 12, we celebrated International Youth Day (IYD) in many countries around the world. Oxfam and partners organised events in countries including Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada (Québec), Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Solomon Islands and Somalia. Among the thousands who gathered to inspire and trigger change were youth, policy-makers, government members, social entrepreneurs and others from the private sector, and members of academia and the media. Read more