Youth

Pixabay | Geralt

GUIDE FOR YOUTH - The Next Generation of Leaders, Activists & Changemakers

Discover the inspiring world of youth empowerment and learn how you can actively shape a better future. Our youth guide offers you in-depth information on children's rights, education, youth activism, and the fight for climate justice.

Connect with hundreds of valuable resources, global initiatives, and youth-led organisations – for genuine social change, amplified young voices, and a sustainable, equitable future.

Jump straight to our resources on ➡️ Youth

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General Information

Young people are often key drivers of change and progress. As such, in society, youth often represent growth, optimism, and the future.

During adolescence, dramatic physical and mental changes take place. It is during this time that people develop their personalities and worldviews. It is also a period of many difficult challenges.

As an important tool for youth networking, the dissemination of reliable knowledge, and raising awareness of important topics, Better World Info supports campaigns such as International Day of the Girl and International Youth Day - learn more about both here.

Explore important topics such as relationsships, guides to youth volunteering, advice services, and resources for girls and boys.

German speakers should visit our sister site Bessere Welt Info and the category ➡️ Jugend.

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Freepik | Pikisuperstar

What Are Children's Rights?

Children's rights are vitally important in upholding the dignity of children and highlight the importance of ensuring their wellbeing and development. All children have the right to health, education, a safe and loving home, recreation time, and to be free from abuse, harm, or exploitation.

Despite this, 60 million children of primary school age are not in education. Twenty million children do not have access to essential health care. Forty-five million children endure severe malnutrition, and hunger is responsible for the death of 3.1 million children every year.

Learn more about the issues that affect those growing up in developing countries and the initiatives working hard to improve conditions. Important issues include street children, children in conflict, child soldiers, child labour, trafficking, prostitution, FGM, hunger, child marriage, and girls' education.

The children of today face rising insecurities in all aspects of society. Children are exposed to racism, sexism, extremism, economic inequality, and discrimination, all from a very early age.

Rising inflation, economic crises, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the global climate crisis are all challenges that weigh heavily on young people's minds.

Flickr | DFID

Youth unemployment is a huge global issue. Informal employment, irrelevant training, low rates of pay, lack of experience, and a weak labour market have all contributed to the 13% global youth unemployment rate. Young people are 3 times more likely to be unemployed than adults.

Explore comprehensive guides on bullying, sexual health education, teen pregnancy, girls' empowerment, partnership issues, childhood obesity, transgender children, and gun violence in U.S. schools.

Having the courage to be different is an important part of growing up. Many young people just want to blend in. While being accepted as part of a group or community is important, accepting and valuing yourself as an individual is equally important.

Be sure to check out our essential help and advice category, which covers various topics and extra resources on empowerment, young people with disabilities, the LGBTQI+ community, migrants and refugees, and online bullying.

Flickr | Fridays for Future Deutschland

What Is Youth Empowerment?

With today's young people facing many challenges, youth empowerment has never been so important. Approximately 70% of people aged 16-25 are very concerned about the climate crisis. As a result, participation in youth activism has never been higher.

Role models such as Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future climate campaign have inspired young people to get involved in the issues that affect them the most. Explore our category on climate change for children for more information.

This increase in youth engagement has forced politicians and world leaders to listen, shifted the focus to sustainability, and improved the political participation of young people.

Learn more about the importance of the youth voice and young leaders. Explore our comprehensive categories on politics, environment, and sustainability, which cover essential information on future-related global issues.

Pixabay | WFlore

Volunteering is an excellent way to make positive changes in your community or further afield. Young people who volunteer tend to be more engaged with society, adopt leadership skills early on, and understand the needs and challenges that we are facing today.

There are many ways in which young people can get involved, explore the options here, and learn the importance of encouraging and supporting young people to get involved in these types of social projects.

Social media is an important part of life for young people today. Through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, they can network with friends and express their personalities.

Explore how you can use social media for campaigning and advocacy, improve your media literacy skills, learn how to navigate through fake news, stay safe online, protect your personal data, and the impact of algorithms and filter bubbles.

Follow Better World Info’s X/Twitter lists, where you can find carefully collated lists on the issues that matter to you, such as climate, environment, sustainability, social justice, peace, and, of course, youth.

Unsplash | Kiana Bosman

An Empowered Youth For A Better World

As the next generation, young people hold the key to shaping our future. We must ensure they are heard, supported, and given every opportunity to reach their full potential. A future-oriented education for ALL children is essential.

Raising boys responsibly is vitally important in ensuring a more gender-equal world ending gender violence, toxic masculinity, and a host of other issues. We must end the ''boys will be boys" culture and ensure early on that they are taught to show equal respect, support, cooperation, and value to girls and women.

If children are taught tolerance, acceptance, kindness, and generosity and know that their opinions count, then we can raise socially, politically and environmentally conscious adults who will play an essential part in helping to make our world a better place.

"The faces of young people are the faces of our past, our present and our future. No segment in society can match with the power, idealism, enthusiasm and courage of the young people" - Children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi

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Author: Rachael Mellor, 27.03.23, latest update 08.07.26, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0