International Youth Day, celebrated on August 12th, was first adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999. This celebration of youth was initially recommended by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1998. This day was proposed as a means of spreading awareness on the numerous issues that children face around the world. Generally, it is also a day aimed at empowering young people and is often accompanied by youth-focussed events and celebrations. As the United Nations states, “half of the people on our planet are aged 30 or younger, and this is expected to reach 57% by the end of 2030,” the inclusion and education of younger generations is incredibly important. Over the last decade, International Youth Day has adopted a new theme each year. The theme for 2024 was From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development. This theme focuses on the role of young people in digitalization and technology and how they can help in solving disparities in innovation.
The inclusion of the youth needs to be an increasingly important aspect of Friendship Force’s mission in fostering cultural exchange. In the past, we’ve seen different types of journeys encouraging youth participation.
One such journey, ‘The Global Youth Journey for Japan’ in June of 2023, was a 10 night program in Tokyo and Nara. Eight students and seven adults stayed with host families throughout these areas. When asked how this experience helped to promote global understanding across the barriers that separate people, one student said, “ I didn’t realize that I would have such a big impact on Japanese people and the people there would have a major impact on me. I love their country so much to where I honestly love everything they do – and before that I had no idea what I was missing out on.”
The ALEX program in November 2023 brought small groups of Ukrainians to FF Cedar Rapids-Iowa City and FF Eastern Washington-Northern Idaho. This program focused on themes of service learning, volunteerism, disability rights, equity and inclusion, entrepreneurship, and environmentalism. One Ukrainian participant said, “This unforgettable experience gave me many new opportunities, acquaintances, skills, opened my inner world and potential from different sides. It was a wonderful experience.”
A recent English language learning journey to New Zealand from Japan included three children traveling with their grandparents. This example highlights that exposing young people in our mission can be as simple as including family members in the important cultural exchange which happens during an FF journey.
Here are some ways you could involve youth in Friendship Force club or journey activities:
Organize community events. Projects that align with travel themes, such as environmental clean-ups, cultural festivals, or charity events that support global causes.
Offer a travel workshop. Travel planning, budgeting, and cultural etiquette. Encourage youth to develop their skills in organizing an itinerary for a future trip.
Invite young people you know, including family members, to participate as hosts, day hosts or journey ambassadors.
Reach out to local schools and universities and offer to speak to students about your Friendship Force journey experiences and the cultural education that results from them.
By incorporating youth in your FF club and travels, you play a part in creating meaningful connections to the international scene for the next generation of travellers, workers, educators, thinkers, and decision-makers. You might even find some future FF leaders!