Voice Your Mind: Mentoring a New Generation of Youth Leaders
Aug. 12, 2020
Today, on UN International Youth Day (August 12), thousands of young people around the world will focus on ‘Youth Engagement for Global Action’ - with events celebrating the positive effect that youth voices have on influencing social change.
And with trust in governments weakening around the world following humanitarian crises in Syria, Yemen and Myanmar - to name just three global challenges - it could be argued that youth voices are more important than ever. The UN is today calling for more attention to be given to youth voices in decision-making processes.
Voice Your Mind
Our War Child Germany team are responding to the UN call - through a new youth advocacy campaign Voice Your Mind. The campaign sees 15 young people who have grown up with the effects of violence and armed conflict come together to share their stories with the world.
The 15 youth ambassadors represent five War Child programme countries - Uganda, South Sudan, Colombia, the Syrian region and the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). All the ambassadors will take part in expert workshops. This will empower them to tell their own stories as effectively as possible - and inspire people all over the world.
Ambassadors like Victoria and Dalia. Victoria (22) from South Sudan is studying for a bachelor’s degree in Human Rights and already sees herself as an activist - and is particularly committed to helping girls and young mothers. Dalia (23) lives in Bethlehem in the occupied Palestinian territory – where she works as a business coach. Dalia founded her own start-up to give women in oPt an increased economic perspective.
Victoria is committed to helping girls and young mothers
Dalia gives women in the occupied Palestinian territory an increased economic perspective
Mentoring youth leaders
The aim of Voice Your Mind is to give young people a voice and the right tools to tell their story. Through expert workshops, the youth ambassadors will create their own content, which will be published online and presented at a conference later in the year.
“We need to listen to young people and make them feel that they are heard and are important," says War Child Germany managing director Dannie Quilitzsch.
