International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations announced that the year commencing on 12 August 2010 (International Day of Youth) will be the International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding. It coincides with the 25th anniversary of the 1985 International Year of Youth: Participation, Development and Peace - a year that brought a lot of global attention to youth participation and mainstreamed the voice of young people all around the world.
This time, the objective of this important international year is to promote youth participation by fostering, developing and deepening the dimension of dialogue between cultures, religions, generations, as well as between policy-makers and young people. Young people, who constitute the majority of population in several regions of the world, need to be listened to and engaged in a sustainable and significant manner, especially when it comes to intercultural dialogue. Youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also today’s agents of social change; there is a strong need for global and official recognition of youth as crucial stakeholders in building a peaceful future.
Youth and youth organizations are encouraged to mobilize around this issue and to start developing ideas for how to make this year-long event a successful and empowering one at the national and local levels. This is an amazing opportunity for young people from all around the world to demonstrate their commitment to fruitful dialogue and concrete actions advancing mutual understanding.
To learn more, visit: http://unaocyouth.org/2010/02/17/international-year-of-youth-2010-dialogue-and-mutual-understanding/
Also, join the Facebook page to learn about other events and ways to participate.
