International Youth Day (IYD) is an awareness day designated by the United Nations. It is an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change, as well as an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges and hardships facing the world’s youth. The purpose of the day is to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth. It is meant as an opportunity for governments, youth organizations, and others to draw attention to youth issues worldwide, and to organize activities to raise awareness about the situation of youth in their country.
International Youth Day is observed annually on 12 August. Some of the previous themes that were selected for the international day were:
§ IYD 2013 – Youth Migration: Moving Development Forward
§ IYD 2012 – Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth
§ IYD 2011 – Change Our World
§ IYD 2010 – Dialogue and Mutual Understanding
§ IYD 2009 – Sustainability: Our Challenge. Our Future.
§ IYD 2008 – Youth and Climate Change: Time for Action
§ IYD 2007 – Be seen, Be heard: Youth participation for development
§ IYD 2006 – Tackling Poverty Together
§ IYD 2005 – World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY+10): Making Commitments Matter
§ IYD 2004 – Youth in an Intergenerational Society
§ IYD 2003 – Finding decent and productive work for young people everywhere
§ IYD 2002 – Now and for the Future: Youth Action for Sustainable Development
§ IYD 2001 – Addressing Health and Unemployment
§ IYD 2000 – First Observance of International Youth Day
§ IYD 1999 – Designated by the United Nations
The theme of International Youth Day 2014 is “Youth and Mental Health” under the slogan ‘Mental Health Matters’. The theme was chosen to raise the issue on how youth with mental health conditions can often experience stigma and discrimination, which in turn can lead to exclusion and/or discourage people from seeking help for fear of being negatively ‘labeled’. Therefore, efforts to overcome this stigma are needed to ensure that young people with mental health conditions can lead full and healthy lives free of isolation and unnecessary shame, and that they openly seek the services and support they need.
As part of the commemoration of this day on a local level a committee comprising of the Department of Youth Affairs, Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO, the Collective and Preventative Services (CPS), Mental Health Foundation and the Inspectorate of Public Health have decided to collaborate and organize a panel discussion on ‘Youth and Mental Health’ and create brochures on this topic for elementary and high school students. Workshops and activities will also be organized for early childhood development. The goal is to hold these events and have the brochures available for the schools in October, since October 10th is World Mental Health Day.
On behalf of the Organizing committee, we would like to wish all the children and youth of St. Maarten, I wonderful and safe ‘International Youth Day.’ (see below and attached the picture of the committee members)