Statement of the Youth
Dear everyone. Today I have the honor to present to you a statement of the youth. How do we, young people, look at the future of international solidarity? Do we still have hope? Or are you here for no reason?
I am not making this statement on my own, but together with almost one-100 young people who made their voices heard in an online survey. Some who are active in the world of international solidarity, others for whom it is still a new concept.
Many young people still encounter many barriers to get involved and participate in international solidarity. They don’t feel heard although they represent very important voices. Even today, during the youth session, we saw these barriers confirmed.
Many young voices were not represented, making us question whether the international solidarity sector really reaches the full diversity of the youth.
Young people notice that even when they raise their voices, they are not nearly enough involved in policy making processes. We hope that this message will reach minister Kitir, who we unfortunately could not address in person today.
The survey and our conversations show that we, young people, demand structural and sustainable changes instead of only crisis support. We have to continue focusing on addressing the roots of structural problems when talking about issues such as colonization, climate change, human rights and war and conflict.
We expect international solidarity to be based upon equity and equality, while addressing structural inequalities and privileges within the system. We believe in fairness and justice from a human perspective. It is urgent. We can NOT wait. Society and policy makers need to address international solidarity issues right now.
As you heard we are passionate about an array of issues linked to international solidarity but the question becomes how and where do we put our passion into action.
The sector claims it want us to be involved but we wonder where is the platform or entry point? Where are the opportunities that respond to our reality? If you want to involve us you really have to get to know us.
We are an extremely diverse group of young people, with different profiles, different privileges and different drives. Making volunteering, engagement and working in the sector accessible for everyone is essential.
This can be done for example by using the right channels to reach us, creating student jobs, valuing passion and motivation, providing volunteer fees and organizing low barrier events. Listen to us! We ask you to take action to radically change our unequal system.
Dare to stand! Take risks! Stand firm! Act now!