During the “Youth, Power & Future” youth exchange, which took place in mid-August on the sunny island of Gran Canaria, the GEYC team had the opportunity to celebrate International Youth Day together with hundreds of young people from different parts of the world.
International Youth Day Statement – Gran Canaria
The celebration took place in Parque GrancAventura, situated in the northern part of the island. There, our colleague Mădălina Ifrim read the International Youth Day Statement for all the young people gathered in the park.
The statement was written by the participants of the “Youth, Power & Future” youth exchange and was read in both English and Spanish. We are sharing it below to spread the word about this special day.
English Version
Good morning, everyone:
Today, we all are here in order to celebrate the International Youth Day. As you know, 12th August is our official day to celebrate our rights as part of the society. Young people are still victims of the great changes in our society and very often the youth sector is not seen as a first priority. Every day should be a youth day – full of great ideas, proposals and objectives to achieve.
In order to accomplish them, we propose four main topics that affect us as part of Europe.
Regarding youth employment, we know that in the past years it has been a problem for the EU, given the fact that 30% of young people find it difficult to get an appropriate job. To solve this situation, the EU has some helpful initiatives, such as the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), the guidelines of Europe 2020 and several programmes to involve young people in learning activities (Erasmus+, Eurodesk, traineeships). However, many young people do not know about their existence.
Our hopes for improving youth employment are the following: creating more jobs for people with little or no experience, regardless of their background, having policies that support entrepreneurship among young people and making sure that every graduate gets a chance to have a job or to do an internship in their field of study.
The current situation in Europe in the field of human rights is getting better because of institutions, laws and non-governmental organisations working to moderate hate speech and discrimination, which may affect equality in many ways. Equality is promoted by European Union institutions and funding programmes, such as the “No Hate Speech” movement.
The main challenges are raising awareness about the issues that women, sexual and religious minorities and people with disabilities are facing, and aiming for an equal society by respecting everyone’s rights.
Even though Europe is mostly a peaceful place, the effects of international conflicts such as the Syrian war are also felt here due to globalisation. The main challenges facing Europe nowadays include terrorism, organised crime, extremism and far-right movements. Overall, it is our duty to be part of the peace-building process.
The refugee crisis affects the whole of Europe and the world. Young people who have faced war, hunger, persecution or the lack of basic needs are seeking help in Europe. If we were in their place, we would also need solidarity.
It is difficult to leave your country and your life behind to start again somewhere else, especially for young people who are on their own. International structures such as the European Union and the United Nations can contribute to solving this humanitarian crisis, and young people are ready to be part of this long-term solution.
A while ago, young people around the world knew cities such as New York, Madrid, Brussels, Istanbul, London, Ankara, Nice, Izmir, Paris, Berlin or Barcelona as dream destinations of culture and opportunity. Today, many of these places have been targeted by radical groups seeking to spread fear and terror. As young people, we refuse to be victims of terrorist propaganda. Together we stand, divided we fall.
Spanish Version
Buenos días a todos:
Estamos hoy aquí para celebrar el Día Internacional de la Juventud. Como saben, el 12 de agosto es nuestro día oficial para celebrar nuestros derechos como parte de la sociedad. Los jóvenes seguimos siendo uno de los sectores que más sufren los grandes cambios sociales y, a menudo, no se nos considera una prioridad.
Todos los días deberían ser el día de la juventud, llenos de grandes ideas, propuestas y objetivos que cumplir.
En cuanto al empleo juvenil, sabemos que en los últimos años ha sido un problema para la Unión Europea, teniendo en cuenta que para el 30% de los jóvenes europeos resulta complicado conseguir un trabajo decente. Para hacer frente a esta situación, la UE cuenta con iniciativas como la Iniciativa de Empleo Juvenil (YEI), los objetivos de Europa 2020 y programas educativos como Erasmus+, Eurodesk y becas de prácticas.
Nuestros deseos para mejorar el empleo juvenil incluyen la creación de puestos de trabajo para jóvenes con poca o ninguna experiencia, el apoyo al emprendimiento juvenil y garantizar oportunidades laborales o prácticas en el campo de estudio de cada joven.
La situación actual en Europa en el ámbito de los derechos humanos está mejorando gracias al trabajo de instituciones, leyes y organizaciones no gubernamentales que luchan contra el discurso del odio y la discriminación.
Los principales retos son concienciar sobre los problemas que afectan a las mujeres, minorías religiosas y sexuales, así como a las personas con diversidad funcional, y avanzar hacia una sociedad más igualitaria.
Aunque Europa es un lugar mayoritariamente seguro, conflictos como la guerra de Siria tienen repercusiones en Europa. El terrorismo, el crimen organizado y los movimientos extremistas están interconectados, por lo que la construcción de la paz es una responsabilidad compartida.
La crisis de los refugiados afecta a Europa y al mundo entero. Los jóvenes que huyen de guerras, hambre o persecución buscan ayuda y solidaridad en Europa. Todos los países deben implicarse en esta cuestión.
Hace algunos años, ciudades como Nueva York, Madrid, Bruselas, Estambul, Londres, Ankara, Niza, Izmir, París, Berlín o Barcelona eran consideradas destinos ideales para los jóvenes. Hoy en día, muchas de ellas han sido objetivo de grupos radicales que buscan sembrar el miedo y el terror. Como jóvenes, rechazamos ser víctimas de la propaganda terrorista. Unidos venceremos.
Don’t forget to share this statement so it can be seen by as many people as possible.