Youth at Heart - International Newsletter June 2024

Youth never sits still. All the energy for moving things forward leaves us with many great stories to share. Get inspired by the amazing work that is done around the globe.

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The launch of ECO-LEARN Nigeria: climate education for raising climate awareness | Youthatheart

Read about the Dutch role in the launch of ECO-LEARN Nigeria. The initiative is a groundbreaking climate education project aimed at raising awareness and fostering action on climate change in Lagos State.

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Lebanon: Youth Unity and Resilience Amidst Conflict | Youthatheart

How does our Embassy in Lebanon find ways to support ways for supporting local youth, even with these challenges? Read the story by the Youth Focal Point at the embassy

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Orange Corners invites NL ecosystem to meet local partners | Orange Corners

Between 2 and 8 June, all Orange Corners implementing partners and embassy contacts were in the Netherlands for a series of strategic workshops and visits, whilst getting to know each other and the NL startup ecosystem better. 

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Launch National Youth Strategy in the Netherlands | Rijksoverheid (Dutch article)

Several Dutch Ministries came together for the official launch of the National Youth Strategy! The strategy is a long-term vision on issues important to young people between 12 and 29 years old. Aligned with the Youth at Heart strategy, it includes agreements on involving young people sustainably and structurally in policy making.

Another highlight within Dutch politics is the motion Chakor; aiming to enhance youth participation in EU-decision making processes. 

Team Youth, Education and Work is steward of the Youth at Heart Strategy. Together with the Ambassador for Youth, Education and Work, the team works on illustrating the importance of meaningful youth participation, amplify best practices on inclusive programming and contribute to the growing knowledge on how to work with and for youth.

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Youth at Heart at the World Bank | Youthatheart

The team had an opportunity to share their experiences with the World Bank board, which was a remarkable opportunity to highlight how the Netherlands is paving the way for genuine youth engagement. 

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Dutch visibility throughout ECOSOC Youth Forum | Youthatheart

The ECOSOC Youth Forum took place. The Dutch delegation was present, visible, engaging, and energetic over the span of the conference, including the participation of Youth Delegate Kevin across the full program.

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Preparing for the Summit of the Future

On 22 and 23 September 2024, the Summit of the Future will take place in New York, a high-level event bringing together world leaders to forge a new international consensus on how we can effectively tackle current and future global challenges.

When talking about such international commitments, the voices of young people cannot be forgotten. Highlighting the need for meaningful youth participation in the process of the Summit and as a key principle to meet the its goals, the team participated in conferences organized by VNG International and HOPE-XXL, sharing the Youth at Heart principles and engaging with Dutch and international youth on their needs and aspirations.

This interview series gives a spotlight to relevant youth leaders across the world. What are their experiences, their recent thoughts, and their future plans?

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Interview with Nora Ait Boubker, Chair of the UNESCO Youth Committee in the Netherlands | News item | Youthatheart

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The second interview in this series is with Nora Ait Boubker, chair of the UNESCO Youth Committe in the Netherlands. She touches on her tenure with UNESCO; how she funnels the energy of her committee to the places where it's most needed; the importance of heritage in peacebuilding processes; and her future plans.
 

The realization that a lot of people do not only leave the lands that they call home, but also leave behind their culture and the places they express their cultures – that realization has become central to my thinking and my approach towards assessing situations of conflict and peacebuilding.

Telling their stories, recognizing their artifacts and monuments, and creating the story of a human rather than the image of only a refugee – that’s the thing that will be my drive in the future.

After a busy month, next month also brings lots of exciting and new activities from all over the world! What's on the agenda? 
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20th of June, South Africa
The Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) Agenda: Youth As Solution-Seekers On The African Continent

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25th of June, The Hague         
'2024, An Elecotrial Super Year' Lunch reading on Youth Participation in Politics 

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26th & 27th of June, Tunis 
High-Level Meeting - Young People's Learning, Skilling, Social Inclusion and Transition to Decent Work
                                                    
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30th of June, Iraq                   
Orange Corners Graduation Ceremony

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29th of June - 5th of July, Iraq                   
Visit Ambassador Youth, Education and Work to Iraq

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Missing something on the that relates to the Youth at Heart strategy? Make sure to let us know by e-mailing team-JOW@minbuza.nl.