20 Aug International Youth Day

Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages

International Youth Day is celebrated on August 12 to recognize the influence of young people around the world and to promote their inclusive involvement in building a better future. This year’s theme “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages” highlights how intergenerational relations and partnerships are important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Did you know that the global population is younger than ever? Over 70% of sub-Saharan Africa is under the age of 30 and globally, nearly 1.6 billion people — one quarter of the population  are between the ages of 10 and 24 years old. This means that the youth population is old enough to internalize the pain of inequities that lead to hunger, yet, are rarely consulted on finding solutions and are the most impacted. Without meaningful involvement from young people everywhere, the current global movement to end hunger cannot be successful. This International Youth Day, we aim to highlight the important role youth play in the fight against hunger.

The theme this year is calling for collaboration and solidarity across all age groups – young and old – to work together to create sustainable solutions to end hunger, poverty, inequalities and alleviate the impacts of climate change. Age-related obstacles create barriers to entry for youth to participate and contribute to spheres such as employment, political participation, health and justice systems. Ageism has been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a stereotype and an unaddressed issue in health, human rights and development and has bearings on both older and younger populations around the world.

Partnerships and collaborations with young people around the world are necessary as they are the future stewards of our food systems. Their creativity and progressive thinking are necessary to enact systemic change. Food systems will need this kind of change as challenges of the climate crisis, public health, population growth and poverty increase and continue to stifle progress towards our goal of ending hunger. At The Hunger Project we believe the youth are the future stewards of our food systems.

Youth leaders blaze the trail towards equity.

We are committed to amplifying the voices of youth and uplifting them as active members in their communities. We mobilize entire communities into self-reliance by building people’s skills, leadership and confidence. This means equipping young women and men with the skills, methods and knowledge needed to take self-reliant action to improve their lives and conditions in their communities.

At The Hunger Project, we’ve witnessed the power of young voices in growing our impact around the world. Our Youth Ending Hunger program in Bangladesh, for example, sees an average of 5,000 new young people joining the movement every year. Their increasingly powerful social and environmental activism has the power to transform societies and it is our collective responsibility to elevate young voices.

The Hunger Project-Ghana is working with ISP provider BlueTown, Microsoft and USAID to provide young women with the opportunity to break down digital barriers through the provision of fully connected IT centers. The initial programme will provide 6,000 young women with vital knowledge which can be used to help develop their communities.

The Hunger Project-Benin has formed the Entrepreneurship Promotion Programme, which benefits youth and families alike by supporting individuals through developing entrepreneurship skills and encouraging business growth. The programme is delivered through meetings which are organized for the epicenter’s youth.