The World's First Commemoration Of International Youth Day In History Today, 12 August 2000

Illustration (Source: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - August 12 is celebrated as International Youth Day. The commemoration was first celebrated in 2000 after the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution accepting the recommendations made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon.

Citing the Business Standard, the idea of International Youth Day was proposed earlier in 1991. A group of young people gathered in Vienna, Austria, for the first session of the United Nations World Youth Forum. The Forum recommended that an International Youth Day be declared, primarily for the purpose of fundraising and promoting and supporting the United Nations Youth Fund in partnership with youth organizations.

In 1998, when the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth took place in Lisbon, a resolution declared August 12 as International Youth Day. The recommendation was later adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1999 and in 2000 International Youth Day was actually celebrated.

According to the United Nations, International Youth Day is dedicated to the role of young women and men in bringing about change in addressing global problems and achieving sustainable development. Today is also an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges and problems facing the world's youth.

Illustration of a group of teenagers. Chang Duong/Unsplash

Young activism

The commemoration of International Youth Day is also to emphasize the rights of young people to have full access to education, health care, employment, monetary services and full participation in public life. Young activists are expected to drive positive change around the world as young people act as catalysts for peace and prosperity, not only in their local communities but also on the global stage.

Usually, International Youth Day is celebrated with the opening of art exhibitions, concerts, conferences, cultural events, seminars and other gatherings involving governments and youth organizations. However, due to this COVID-19 pandemic, International Youth Day with online seminars.

The current generation of youth is the largest in history, with more than three billion young people under the age of 30. As half of the world's population, healthy young people have unparalleled potential to contribute to the betterment of our society.

The theme of International Youth Day 2021 is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health,” with the aim of highlighting that the success of global efforts to improve food systems will not be achieved without the participation of young people.

According to a UN report, with the world population expected to increase by 2 billion people in the next 30 years, it has been recognized by many stakeholders that producing more healthy food in a sustainable manner does not guarantee the well-being of people and the planet. Other important challenges must also be addressed, including poverty alleviation, social engagement, health promotion, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation.

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