How do you change the future? By freeing the Future!
This is actually a lot easier than it sounds! By investing and empowering our future generations we are directly impacting the future! Youth Led Development or YLD, is doing just that. By giving, inspiring and supporting youth of communities, cities and nations that make up almost 40% of the worlds population, YLD ensures that upcoming generations will steer society closer and closer to a better tomorrow.
YLD a powerful tool
- in the war against many crises the world is facing like poverty, violence, hunger, inequality and more. While mainly young people benefit from these programs through the gaining of skills, funding, infrastructure to work in and out of, so too do the communities these future generations belong to.
- By empowering the youth of communities you are literally sowing the seeds for a fruitful and better society in the years ahead.
For years, youth have been looked and dealt with like an "issue" rather than a solution. Then people began to believe that youth could help what adults were doing. Now, it has become clear, that we simply can not accomplish many of these huge goals without directly involving youth.
Many of our youth care just as much about world problems as we do, they also have much more drive and motivation in some cases. Youth have energy, and idealism to specific knowledge and experience that adults tend to lack. Youth tend to be less biased about things in life too, leaving them open to all sorts of ideas. They are passionate about their work and their communities. Many youth led programs are complex with multiple goals not just raising money for a single purpose but for many reasons, with many outcomes. Like adults, youth see the necessity of having a lasting impact in what they do in order to help make a positive change.
One such Organization is the AIESEC.
One of the largest youth led organizations comprising of students and higher education graduates, it sets its aims on tackling many of the problems facing tomorrow. By creating the leaders of tomorrow AIESEC's mission is to achieve peace and prosperity for all mankind. How do they do this you ask? By providing tens of thousands of practical leadership experiences all around the world to youth in over 100 countries!
By having the confidence to learn and the freedom to fail, members soon understand their potential and uncover the direction they want to take in life. Started in the 1930's and only containing fewer than a hundred members, AIESEC today is comprised of hundreds of thousands of globally minded members. Each one goes to AIESEC with their own goals and sets out with their newly found skills and insights to tackle these goals and make their mark on the world.
By having the confidence to learn and the freedom to fail, members soon understand their potential and uncover the direction they want to take in life. Started in the 1930's and only containing fewer than a hundred members, AIESEC today is comprised of hundreds of thousands of globally minded members. Each one goes to AIESEC with their own goals and sets out with their newly found skills and insights to tackle these goals and make their mark on the world.
Again the weakness once seen, has now become a solution and source of strength. How governments, societies and organizations choose to incorporate youth in their policy making, decisions, and actions, will undoubtedly determine their success.
The concept of disregarding authority or previous beliefs is really crucial to keep us away from a society controlled by geriatrics. The spirit shown by youth to rebel for what's right is really awe inspiring. AIESEC investing in youth is just a snippet of a demographic revolution that will surely lead to even more youth involvement in major issues. With youth and the freedom to fail, how can we go wrong?
ReplyDeleteA thought provoking piece! If only every society could view the youth as a resource rather than a burden. Things would be so much more different! Your discussed organisation AIESEC is a great example of how to allow the youth to live up to their full potential.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I loved the line ‘For years, youth have been looked and dealt with like an "issue" rather than a solution.’ I think this is so true and the effects are been seen all around the world today. It used to be that your age was (along with others things obviously) what earned you respect and got people to take you seriously. Today, however, I think that we look a lot more at what people have done and how they act.
ReplyDeleteIn my blog post on http://engage25.blogspot.com.au/ I wrote about Boyan Slat who, at 19 years old, is leading a team of 80 scientists, marketing experts and other professional to test a concept he conceived while at school! I honestly cannot imagine this happening 30, 40 or 50 years ago where there was a much more strongly defined ‘right’ way of doing things.
I think its fantastic how society is changing and opening up and it will provide and opportunity for much more growth and progression.
P.s. love the blog title ‘Disorderly Conduct’ and concept behind it!