Youth is a period of dramatic change, and the journey from childhood to
adulthood can be complex, raising a host of mental health issues.
The theme of this International Youth Day is “Youth and Mental Health,”
under the motto Mental Health Matters. This is an opportunity to raise
awareness about the difficulties facing young women and men, including from stigma
and discrimination, and to support them so that they can fully achieve their
aspirations.
Guided by an Operational Strategy on Youth (2014-2021), UNESCO focuses
on the needs of marginalized young women and men to promote their full
integration into society. We work to support school health programmes, as well
as informal and non-formal learning, and by mobilizing the power of information
and communication technologies.
At the wider level,
we are committed to promoting inclusive integrated policies on youth, in which
all youth voices are meaningfully consulted and engaged. In all this, we seek
to provide opportunities for young people to develop the skills and competences
necessary to transition to adulthood and to make the most of all opportunities
offered by societies that are increasingly diverse and undergoing
transformation.
This requires seeing young women and men not as objects of policy but as
agents of change. It calls for action to promote intergenerational
understanding and partnership, to strengthen solidarity and to ensure the full
integration of all young women and men in society and the economy. In crafting
new policies, we need to draw upon lessons learnt and listen to the needs of
young people so as to help them overcome the challenges they face.
The mental health of young women and men is important for the health of
society as a whole. They are a wellspring of ideas for innovation and leaders
for positive change. We need to support them in every way in order to build
with them inclusive, just -- and healthy -- societies.
Ms Bokova is Director-General of UNESCO.
International Youth Day is celebrated every year on 12 August.
No comments:
Post a Comment