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| Briana Booker competes to be a UNESCO youth delegate in Paris Fall 2011. |
By Briana Booker
Here is a brief essay I wrote for a competition to be a UNESCO youth delegate in Paris fall 2011! Wish me luck! I hope I am able to attend. Here are my thoughts on the following question UNESCO asked of me. What do you believe is the greatest global challenge facing youth?
“What is the greatest global challenge facing youth, and how can American youth help to address it?”
The greatest global challenge facing youth is viral poverty and unemployment, predominately in semi-peripheral and peripheral nations. It is estimated that more than 50% of the world population is under the age of 30. Roughly 35 percent of the world’s unemployed individuals are the youth. The youth live in a fast-paced, challenging environment revolving around Information communication technology systems (ICTS). ICTS have formed a global atmosphere of over globalization that youth are having difficulty thriving within. ICTS were made to speed up, expand and deepen global partnerships and interconnections. ICTS have shifted the economy in favor of the elite through trade, production and distribution of wealth. The youth are not part of the elite.
For example, in America the elite make up 1% of the population but control about 90% of the wealth through policies, division of labor, and investments in favor of its own securities. This trend is seen throughout the world but the youth are told by the elite a liberalized economy will benefit everyone through economic growth, higher employment availability and higher wages for all. But the result is that the elite are financing deficits and enormous debts for the youth. The youth are dependents based on their lack of resources to quality education and health that could promote livelihood opportunities if these services were adequate. Most of the world’s youth still labor in agricultural environments and can not meet requirements of the labor market run by ICTS.
American youth can help address this global challenge of poverty and unemployment of the youth through promoting our policy makers to pass policies that promote sustainability of youth adequate employment by establishing Enterprise funds in developing countries. America can use some funds we already provide to foreign military aid to forward the establishment of Enterprise funds. Enterprise funds can provide job opportunities and excellent public health and education services for a reasonable fee. The result can be peace and stability in regions known for social unrest,if American youths help empower youth globally through skill training and reciprocated data exchange programs. Skill training will create indigenous movements towards healthier economies, democracy and positive reforming of social structures to sprout. It can be done working closely with non-state actors.
Knowledge is power. Let American youth give global youth a voice by promoting entrepreneur mindsets and health and wellness of communities. Let’s help the global youth become active participates in policy and law reforms. This will help them be informed about the practices of the labor market as well as give them the ability to establish youth programs of empowerment. If we can educate the youth technically and financially, their quality of life will improve. We need to build strong relationships between international/local institutions and the youth. It will be a slow process but nonetheless rewarding. It is time to do. The new order is approaching.
