The 2021 theme for International Youth Day (IYD) is: Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health, calling attention to the need for development of more equitable and resilient food systems, to restore the planet and protect life, while integrating biodiversity in the transformation of food systems.
PAHO commemoration of IYD 2021
Since 2015, PAHO has organized actions on IYD, related to the year’s theme and applied to PAHO’s scope of technical cooperation.
Some considerations related to this year’s theme:
- The connection between food systems and young people with indigenous roots and ancestors. Indigenous people have valuable expertise in sustainable processes and the use of local resources.
- The use of local resources boosts local trade and employment, which is critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery.
- The Red de Jóvenes Indígenas (RED-LAC), as part of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, have actively engaged in advocacy and global discussions related to sustainable and resilient food systems, including organization of a Global Forum on Indigenous Youth, co-organized with FAO, where indigenous youth made recommendations for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021.
THIS IS YOUR DAY!
Think about what you can do in your 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 policy maker to hold the keynote speech.
- Create an “info point” about youth-related issues in the center of town/village, at high schools, or at university centers.
- Organize an exhibition. Get permission to use a public space for an arts 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
Please join for the webinar on Intergenerational Dialogue on Youth Innovation and Resilient Food Systems
Date: August 11th, 2021
Time: 11:00 (EDT)