We have often heard that our future is in the hands of the youth and that it is difficult to say in which direction the world will develop, especially when we know that it faces so many problems.
The challenge is not to empower them, but to send them in the right direction that will benefit the older generation and the next generation.
How canHow Can We Empower the Youth?
When it comes to youth empowerment, education is always key. While we are taught a wide range of skills in school, there are some things that are less obvious but just as important for us to know. This list is about those things.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Education about the SDGs is a great way to start learning about our global humanitarian and social challenges. The goal of the United Nations is to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger and reduce inequality by 2030.
We all know that with the current world events, extreme poverty is unlikely to be eliminated by 2030, however, it is a good starting point for youth civic engagement in youth organizations (e.g.: Learn about gender equality, World Economic Forum, human rights, etc.).
The SDGs provide a framework for developing countries to work together toward these noble goals by measuring progress against a set of targets and indicators.
They are an incredibly powerful tool for the future generation when discussing issues with governments and other stakeholders.
Ethics
Some say ethics should be the first subject taught in school for everyone – either as part of citizenship or youth group(s), or as a stand-alone subject.
Ethics is not only knowing what is right and what is wrong but also being able to justify one’s decisions and actions. It helps us to look at problems from different angles and learn how to deal with different opinions in a democratic environment.
Young people who learn about ethics at school are better equipped for leadership roles where they have to make difficult decisions on behalf of others.
Real-World Experience
When a young person is motivated to go out and make a difference in the world, it is likely that they will start by opening a door.
Whether it’s an internship, volunteer service, or time abroad, doors open opportunities for young people to grow personally and professionally.
Real-world experiences include internships, volunteering, and studying abroad. Internships offer the younger generation the opportunity to learn more about a career field by working for a time in the industry of their choice. This type of work offers a glimpse into the professional world and helps determine if it is the best fit for a person’s individual skills.
Volunteering is another way to get involved in a cause that is important to you. If you want to make a difference in your community, volunteering is a great way to do just that!
Volunteering can also be incredibly rewarding because it gives people the opportunity to help others without being paid for their services.
Studying abroad is another way for young people to open doors and gain hands-on experience. Studying abroad has many benefits, including academic enrichment through immersion in other cultures and exposure to other languages, which can lead students down new learning paths.”
Youth Leadership Skills
Youth Leadership is the ability to motivate young adults, get them to work together, and lead and guide a team to achieve a common goal. A leader can be any person in any position, including the top of an organization or someone working in a support role.
A leader does not have to be old or have formal authority. The earlier young people learn to be leaders, the more likely they will be able to participate in improving the world on a larger scale.
One of my favorite mantras is “the future is now.” I believe that we must act urgently to address today’s pressing global issues, and that leadership is the key to progress and prosperity. That’s why youth organizations are working so hard to educate tomorrow’s leaders today.
For many young people, leadership starts with getting involved in their communities through volunteering or community building. This can help them gain new experiences and skills, build self-confidence, develop positive relationships with adults, and identify their passions and interests.
The opportunity to work with others who may have different backgrounds also helps them develop important skills in communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and project management. These are all qualities that will set them apart, as their voice and actions will make all the difference.
Mentoring
Mentoring young people has always been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. It is one of the most important things I can do to help shape their future.
I believe in them and want them to make the most of their lives. They are our future, our leaders of tomorrow. We need to help them face their challenges and turn adversity into opportunity by giving them the confidence and the tools to make a difference in their own lives and in the world around them.
So what do we need to teach young people so they have the power to change the world?
We need to give them confidence – confidence that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. Confidence that they can succeed against all odds, even when those odds seem insurmountable.
Confidence is what will enable them to rise above challenges or failures and move toward success.
I have found that mentoring young people is as much about giving them confidence as it is about showing them how to set goals and develop action plans to achieve those goals.
Above all, they need the confidence to communicate their words and positive actions, confidence that they deserve respect and are capable of inspiring others.
Mentoring can help young adults move in the right direction when it comes to positive social change, and sometimes it also teaches them life skills.
Why Young People Have the Power to Change the World
In the face of overwhelming challenges, it sometimes seems as if youth are powerless. But if you look around, you’ll see that youth are taking action in big and small ways.
Young people are often the most creative and innovative actors in society – think designers, artists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. They take risks and try out new ideas, often having no prior experience to fall back on if something goes wrong. They are also very optimistic about their ability to make a difference in the world.
Many people think that youth are powerless and that their voices can not make a difference in the world.
First and foremost, young people want to make the world a better place for themselves and for those around them. They may not have a lot of money or power, but they have the energy and the will to learn. Young people have great potential because they have never been in power before. They are not too bound by the expectations of their families, so they have the freedom to dream big and try new things. They do not yet know what is possible, but they are not afraid to try.
What Are the Challenges of Youth Empowerment?
In my experience, the three biggest challenges to empowering 21st-century learners are:
- Too many options: In an environment where information is always available, where the Internet connects us, and where we can direct our own learning, the challenge is not finding information or resources. The challenge is to filter out what is useful and what is not.
- Attention span: attention span is diminishing because of the rapid pace of technology. There are so many distractions today that it is challenging for students to focus on one thing. That does not mean they can not, but they need to learn how to do it effectively.
- Move on quickly: We have produced a generation of students who move on quickly when something does not work. They expect something to work right away, and when it does not, they give up or move on to something else.
What Are the Biggest Challenges Facing Youth?
The world is changing and so are the challenges. There are many challenges that today’s generation will face, but three stand out for me: climate change, robotization, job loss, and the economic crisis.
The effects of climate change are already being felt by our youth and are causing the biggest changes in decades.
Climate Change
Climate change is a major factor in water scarcity; increasing extreme weather events are causing water shortages around the world. This is already the case in some regions of the United States. Water shortages will continue to worsen. Therefore, it is important to teach your children not to waste water or pollute waterways.
- More natural disasters – Across the world, extreme weather is becoming more common due to climate change. Natural disasters like hurricanes and floods are especially hard on kids because they can cause damage to homes and businesses, as well as physical harm to people and animals. If you live in an area prone to these types of disasters, teach your children what to do in the event of a hurricane, such as moving to higher ground or boarding up windows.
- Loss of Biodiversity – As ecosystems become more vulnerable due to the effects of climate change on the environment, animals are becoming extinct at an alarming rate. Scientists predict that biodiversity could decline by 10% by 2050 due to global warming alone (not counting habitat loss). The loss of these amazing creatures is heartbreaking for adults and children alike, but there are things that can be
Youth Unemployment
Robotization is another challenge we face in this millennium. Robots are creating many jobs, and also taking over many jobs at an alarming rate. They are faster, stronger, cheaper, and do not need vacation or sick time like we humans do.
We may wonder how we will survive with youth unemployment?
Well, there is no easy answer to that, but we must adapt and find new ways to make a living in this ever-changing world, or we will be left in the dust by robots that can do our jobs better than we can.
Mental Health
The rapid development of technology and social media is also affecting youth development, and thanks to the youth culture and youth voice, mental health has become a hot topic, although, like everything, it’s important not to become too extreme about it.
The more engaged they become with their devices, the more they neglect their studies or other priorities in life, such as socializing with friends and family members.
This can lead to them becoming addicted to the Internet and social media, which can lead to depression because they feel lonely even though they are surrounded by people all day (this could also lead to violence against others).
Wealth Gap
The gap between rich and poor has been a growing problem for decades. One of the most important factors determining a family’s financial status is their level of education. This is particularly important in today’s labor market.
This means that young adults from wealthy families have more opportunities to attend college and get a higher education than poorer people. Increasing student debt is largely due to this fact, but it’s only part of the problem.
The wealth gap affects the future of today’s youth, as many will be forced to take on student loan debt, which will affect their credit scores.
The Positive Sides of Our Future
Many people are pessimistic about the future because they see some negative sides, such as globalization and the development of new technologies. I think that the positive things outweigh these disadvantages.
The development of new technologies has changed our lives dramatically. It has created many problems that did not exist before, like pollution or the destruction of natural habitats for animals.
But every negative side also has a positive side, for example: to reduce pollution, we can develop more alternative forms of energy, such as wind power, solar power, social innovation, and so on.
Another problem is globalization. Many people are concerned about it because it means we will lose our cultural identity and most languages will die out. That may be true in some cases, but I do not think it’s a problem because it’s our responsibility to preserve our culture and language as human beings. We will even have more opportunities to learn foreign languages and other cultures than in the past.
Social entrepreneurship. It’s a new buzzword we hear a lot these days: “social entrepreneurship,” and youth participation is on the rise, especially in developing countries, which gives us hope in terms of youth culture and the priorities young people are setting today.
With that in mind, I find it encouraging that the world is moving toward youth empowerment, and I believe that the younger generation currently involved in civic engagement can bring about positive social change, for us and for the generation to come.
Moreover, people used to think that what was a dream yesterday would be achieved tomorrow, but today we know that everything takes time; there are no miracles, only hard work, and patience.
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