Year of youth: Celebrating meaningful youth engagement on International Youth Day

International Youth Day holds a special place in my heart. As someone involved in youth engagement and advocacy, I have the pleasure of seeing the transformative impact that young leaders have on their communities and beyond. This day reinforces my commitment to creating opportunities for young people to lead, innovate, and shape a better future for all.

Whether tutoring in a ballet studio or working at a custom bear retailer, I have witnessed several moments where a simple gesture can make a significant difference in a young person’s ability to feel confident with the decisions they make. From supporting a unique dance move that no one understood to helping create a custom bear that differed from the norm, every one of these interactions was a pivotal opportunity to nurture confidence from an early age. 

In more formal classroom settings, my journey with youth has included remarkable teaching opportunities in China, Fiji and Jordan. Domestically, my fluency in Arabic has allowed me to support newcomers as they integrate into Canadian schools. Each of these experiences has highlighted the importance of creating safe spaces for youth, considering cultural contexts and encouraging the exploration of identity. These experiences, and countless others, highlight the universal need for young people to have supportive adults, organizations, and decision-makers who advocate for their voices and ideas to be equally valued and implemented.

As we celebrate International Youth Day (IYD), I’m reminded of our collective responsibility to nurture the next generation. My involvement with the CanWaCH Youth Working Group has been a powerful example of this responsibility: from providing feedback to enhance the role of youth at various events, programs summits led by other youth-focused organisations, to learning from my peers in the working group—like-minded individuals from across the country—all dedicated to creating safe and meaningful spaces for youth to learn, share, and shine.

Within my involvement with the Youth Working Group, and outside of it, I often reflect on the question: How can we continue to create more spaces that prioritise the voices, needs, and aspirations of young people? In honour of International Youth Day, I challenge each reader to follow the four steps below to engage with youth in a more meaningful way. 

1. Familiarize yourself and your team with the rungs of Hart’s Ladder of Participation model. A global standard for meaningful youth engagement, it is a resource to better understand and promote genuine youth participation. The rungs range from tokenism to genuine partnership and youth-led initiatives. 
2. Evaluate where your current youth engagement practices fall on the ladder. Are young people given genuine opportunities to influence decisions, or are they simply informed without being given the opportunity to voice their opinions? Are their personal experiences and cultural backgrounds respected and integrated?
3. Aim to move up the ladder by setting specific, measurable goals for increasing youth participation. For instance, if youth are currently consulted but not involved in decision-making, strive to involve them in the planning process.
4. Assess the effectiveness of your youth participation strategies. Gather feedback from youth and adjust your approach and efforts as needed to support and improve engagement.

Today, we celebrate the brave voices, impact and innovative ideas of young people. We also recognize how we can better shape tomorrow’s world by listening to and learning from them – and enacting the changes they call for. Together, let us continue to create environments where every youth feels empowered to pursue their dreams and contribute meaningfully to our global community. Together, let us build a world where every International Youth Day is a renewed celebration of hope, potential, and limitless possibilities for generations to come. By investing in their growth and well-being, we not only secure a brighter future but also cultivate a society built on empathy, inclusion, and mutual respect.

Meet the author: Zein Hindawi is an award-winning youth engagement and advocacy practitioner with experiences globally and across Canada. Zein is a proud member of the CanWaCH Youth Engagement Working Group and serves on a number of community initiatives that promote inclusion and newcomer integration. Currently, Zein is the National Manager of the Girls Belong Here Program at Plan International Canada, a global development and humanitarian organization dedicated to children’s rights and equality for girls globally, where she enables the next generation of global citizens in their leadership development and policy advocacy. Connect with Zein on LinkedIn.