They number more than a billion and most of them live in developing countries. The world population of 15- to 24-year-olds represents more than a billion hopes for a better future, more than a billion ideas to change the world in constructive ways, more than a billion potential
solutions to the problems of today. With or without academic degrees, free or determined to become free, young people are reinventing culture, taking control of the new media, recreating how we relate to each other. Yet few of them are able to enjoy a carefree youth. Most of them are battling every day against the obstacles of poverty, unemployment, climate change, restricted access to education and health care. How to participate fully in creating the future, when one is excluded from the decision-making process? We must help them and support their ambitions by giving them access to the immense resources of education, science, culture, communication and information.
UNESCO Courier, How Youth Drive Change 2011
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