International Youth Week at Home
Written by Sabrina Yoong on 07/05/07
Photo by tristandbrand on Flickr
Imagine the opportunity to meet dozens of other young people who share the same vision of sustainable social and environmental development. Young people gathered together, exchanging ideas and talents while having an incredible time doing different activities like swimming, racing, dancing, and fundraising. Crowds of youth from around the world having fun together in celebration of their achievements and future endeavours – sound ideal? These circumstances exist thanks to a group of young people who believe in the importance of celebrating the efforts of youth who work to create a positive future for us.
International Youth Week is a project developed by the Youth Action Network that encourages youth to creatively tackle social and environmental challenges. The Youth Action Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to help young people get involved and volunteer in local and global communities. This week-long event is all about inspiring young people to take concrete action to improve their communities and celebrating those accomplishments.
International Youth Week takes place this year from May 5th to 12th, with a kick off in Toronto on May 6th. Youth Week began in 1995 in Canada with scattered events around the country to showcase the efforts of young people who make positive contributions to their communities. With the intention of creating a national network for youth involved in their communities, this first Youth Week featured three to four hundred events. It expanded in 2000 to celebrate the achievements of young citizens internationally and now encourages activism around the world, year-round.
The theme of Youth Week 2007 is “I am because we are” with a focus on cooperation, action and solutions. Youth Week brings together young people from all walks of life in communities near and far from Youth Action Network headquarters in Toronto. Youth Week celebrations are organized for youth and by youth, and events reflect this unique element.
Events in each community vary but here a few examples from around the country, so you can get an idea of what’s going on around you.
- In Calgary the week starts off on May 6th with a Family Fun fair and a movie in the park. Then there’s a job fair, a 3 points basketball shoot out, a science forum with experts to talk about alien life, a global peace café and daily two-for-one discounts at Fort Calgary for youth week participants. One event planned in Calgary is the Empty Bowls fundraiser, where for $15 you can be served homemade soup in a bowl that you can take home with you to raise money and awareness of hunger in Canada.
- British Columbia’s Youth Week is organized provincially, and a list is available online of all the events happening in the province. In Richmond there’s a Rich City Idol competition, in Abbotsford there’s a Dance Dance Revolution tournament and in Langley you can take your chances at a Game Cube and Xbox tournament.
- In Thunder Bay the celebrations begin on April 28th and include a battle of the bands, bowling and a graffiti art exhibit.
- Events in Toronto will involve Lakeshore Arts and the Foundation for the Advancement of Young Urban Artists, as well as Campaign 2000 to end child poverty and No One is Illegal, an advocacy group for migrant rights.
The point of the entire week is to recognize achievements and positive action, so take the opportunity to celebrate and have fun. Attending Youth Week events is a great way to meet other young people who are interested in effecting a positive change for the future or just to have a good time doing things in the community with friends and making a positive difference while you’re at it.
Links
Comments are closed.