Young people are the world’s hope for the creation of a dignified, fair and sustainable future. Aware of this, the British Council decided to celebrate its 90th anniversary by bringing together in the UK 90 young leaders from 43 countries to build a global youth network called #90YouthVoices that will drive positive action to solve global issues. Here Lízbeth Díaz, one of the participants, describes the programme in action.
Who are the #90YouthVoices?
We are 90 diverse young activists, journalists, content creators, artists, technology experts, researchers, and entrepreneurs, who have been previously involved in British Council programmes worldwide. We are young women, men and non-binary persons, with visible and not visible disabilities, with different cultural backgrounds, but with a common strong commitment to social, technological and climate justice, leading positive change in our home communities in our different fields.
However, as young people, we are facing shared issues such as violence, lack of opportunities and discrimination based on stereotypes. Sometimes we feel afraid and anxious about the future. But despite all the challenges and inequalities, we do not want to be viewed merely as a problem to solve, but as valuable social agents for developing solutions. We are deeply concerned about several pressing issues in our societies and we are interested in learning new skills to take action to improve our realities.
After a selection process by the British Council, we had the opportunity to meet each other in the UK to set the basis of this global youth network, and to develop, alongside policymakers, representatives of youth organisations, civil society, local authorities and experts, how we want to shape the future of our communities.
Here is how the #90YouthVoices adventure began…
Study visit to the UK: The land where diversity finds common ground - for many of us, it was our first time travelling to the UK:
“It was a dream come true, I come from a peripheral community in the heart of urban Amazonia. Travelling to another country for youth like me sometimes seems impossible.” (Walleska, Brazil)
One month before our study visit to the UK, we began our preparation in online workshops about intercultural leadership, content creation for social purpose and safeguarding. During these virtual sessions, we started interesting discussions that made us realise that it can be difficult to achieve a common solution when people have different perspectives about a topic, but, even if it takes more time, it is worth developing inclusive solutions that allow everyone to participate and contribute.
“I learned that diversity is the ability to recognize differences and transform them into strengths rather than weaknesses.” (Mykhailo, Ukraine)
The date of the study visit to the UK arrived, and we packed all our dreams, fears and emotions in our luggage. Some people travelled from one city to another, others, from one country to another, or in my case, from one continent to another, but all the 90 youth voices finally met in the incredible and diverse town of Stratford, in East London.
We were warmly welcomed by Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council, Maria Nomikou, Organiser of the 90 Youth Voices event, and the rest of the amazing staff, and we heard an inspiring welcome speech about the importance of youth action in the solution of global issues. From the first moment, we felt we were in a safe space where we could be ourselves; with tolerance, empathy, and respect we worked on language barriers, were aware of our peers' different needs, and encouraged multicultural teamwork during the entire week. We were ready to experience memorable moments and learn important lessons that will change our lives forever.
Learning new skills to develop innovative solutions
During the first two days, the 90 Youth Voices team went deep into London's daily life to learn about Community Research and Deep Listening. Thanks to a ‘Treasure Hunt Research’ activity, we explored the Stratford streets and learned about the transformation, gentrification and hyper-urbanisation of East London. This resonated with many of us, as the same processes are taking place in our home cities.
One of the most relevant learnings was understanding from the inhabitants' testimonies that the jewel of any territory, city or community is the people. Therefore, they should be the centre of any public policy or social project. The inclusion of youth and all citizens during planning is essential for guaranteeing that nobody is left behind in any social transformation.
“Youth are the backbone of every society, and should be included in decision-making processes.” (Hamza, Nigeria)
But if we want to become young leaders of social change, it is not enough to be youth voices, we also need to become youth listeners. During the Deep Listening workshop, we learned the importance of being aware of people's needs, desires and opinions. Even if we don’t agree all the time, as young leaders we must become bridges capable of connecting different points of view to common goals to achieve inclusive solutions.
During the next three days, the 90 Youth Voices split into smaller groups to discover the four nations of the UK. Groups travelled either to Manchester in England, Edinburgh in Scotland, Cardiff in Wales, and in the case of my group, to Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was so meaningful to learn along with policymakers, members of the Parliaments, civil society organisations and local people, about the history of the nations, the current challenges they face and how they are developing innovative solutions to empower young people.
For me, it was an amazing experience to learn from all the inspiring and kind people I met in Belfast how a society can embrace conflicts through art, community projects, participatory budgets and inclusive policies, encouraging the collaboration of all sectors of the population.
“Leadership, creativity, resilience, teamwork, problem-solving, empathy, adaptability and communication are youth skills that spark innovative ideas that drive fresh solutions for societal challenges.” (Ayah, Jordan).
Building a brighter future
After a week full of learning, the 90 Youth Voices returned home, full of motivation, with many challenges to work on, but with a firm commitment to keep building peaceful societies. From the 90 Youth Voices programme the most important learning was that we are not alone, because now we are part of a global youth network that will work together to build a brighter future.
“It was such an inspiring study trip to meet young change-makers across the globe.” (Jose Mari, Philippines)
During our time in the UK, we realised that many young people around the world are equipped with the motivation, values, skills, innovative mindsets, energy, and technological expertise to bring fresh and effective solutions to address the needs of our generation and beyond. However, we still face many inequalities, and society and stakeholders often underutilise our potential.
We call on diverse young people around the world to join us and take action to improve our communities. If we work together, we can develop innovative solutions for global issues and achieve worldwide social and climate justice.
We also call on society and stakeholders to recognize young people around the world as active subjects with rights, who can act as drivers of positive action, and to meaningfully involve youth in decision-making processes and invest in youth projects to ensure inclusive transformations.
Probably, there is more than one young leader taking action close to you! Click on a pin on the map to find out more about the #90YouthVoices around the world.