The United Nations (UN) celebrates International Youth Day each year on August 12th with themes and nominations. Although it's too late to nominate a phenomenal youth for the UN program, we'd still like to learn more about Roanoke Region tweens and teens who are setting out to change the world! The UN believes that when provided with the right opportunties and information, youth can be a positive force for postive social and sustainable development. Today, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 per cent of the global population .
Per the UN website:
- Half of the people on our planet are 30 or younger, and this is expected to reach 57% by the end of 2030.
- Survey shows that 67% of people believe in a better future, with 15 to 17 year-olds being the most optimistic about this.
- The majority of people agree that the age balance in politics is wrong. More than two thirds (69%) of people across all age groups agree that more opportunities for younger people to have a say in policy development/change would make political systems better.
- Globally, only 2.6% of parliamentarians are under 30 years old, and less than 1% of these young MPs are women.
The 2024 Theme for the UN is From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development
"Digitalization is transforming our world, offering unprecedented opportunities to accelerate sustainable development. Digital technologies such as mobile devices, services, and artificial intelligence are instrumental in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data generated from digital interactions supports evidence-based decision-making. With profound impact across economic, social and environmental dimensions, digital technologies and data contribute to at least 70 per cent of the 169 SDG targets while potentially reducing the cost of achieving these goals by up to USD 55 trillion.
Young people are leading the charge in digital adoption and innovation, with three-quarters of those aged 15 to 24 using the internet in 2022, a rate higher than other age groups. However, disparities persist, particularly in low-income countries and among young women, who often have less access to the internet and digital skills compared to their male counterparts. While there is an urgent need to enhance digital inclusion, youth are largely recognized as “digital natives,” using technology to drive change and create solutions. As the 2030 deadline for the SDGs approaches, the role of young people in digital innovation is essential for addressing global issues.
By celebrating the digital contributions of youth, we can inspire further innovation and collaboration towards achieving sustainable development." (Source: https://www.un.org/en/observances/youth-day
If you know of a youth who is making a postive change in the Roanoke Region, either through creative solutions, technology or not, supporting our environment, or our communities in any way, please let us know about them!
How to submit testimonies:
Send the following bethbell@macaronikid.com
- A few sentences about how they are making an impact
- Why it's important to them- why are they passionate about it?
- Name, age, and school they attend.
- Please include a photo to include in an upcoming article.
Please note: submissions will be published online, first name only. If you do not wish to publish your youth's photo, please do not send a photo and just let us know. Please submit information by August 10th. We will celebrate the month of August, until we are able to share all submissions.
