United Nations celebrates International Youth Day, Wednesday, August 12, 2009

August 12, 12:42 AMPhoenix Progressive ExaminerDebbie Jordan

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Today, August 12, members of the United Nations recognize the importance of young people throughout the world. This year, they’re linking the observance with the topic of sustainability, which involves everything from fighting global warming to providing for the basic needs of people all over the planet.

One way to honor the important role of young people in building a fully functioning and successful society is to invest in an educational system that trains each person to the limit of their abilities and interests. That will take money, of course, which many people consider a problem. But studies show that for every dollar invested in education, many more dollars are returned to the economy in taxes and other benefits.

On the other hand, saving money by cutting the educational budget leads to higher costs in unemployment, underemployment, welfare, health care, law enforcement and prisons, among other things. Another area of social investment that is sadly underfunded is child care, especially for children in single-parent households, housing, nutritious food, health care. The more that is invested in these areas, the higher the return.

These are all basic needs to which everyone is entitled. Yet too many young people around the world, even in our own country, are denied full access to these benefits. That’s why I wrote my book, The World I Imagine: A creative manual for ending poverty and building peace, and continue to write about creative ideas for solving these problems.

Following is the official statement from the United Nations website announcing the purpose and goal of International Youth Day:

International Youth Day

12 August, 2009

SUSTAINABILITY: Our Challenge. Our Future.

Sustainability does not only refer to maintaining environmental balance and renewal. Sustainability encapsulates three facets of life: the environment, society and the economy. We live our lives in the overlaps and intersections of these facets, and our actions and attitudes help shape them. Their changing shapes in turn affect the way we are able to live our lives. The negative effects of unsustainable behaviour are not easily contained. As has been proven by the global crises in food, the economy and the environment, the concept of the global village has gone beyond being a useful analogy to being a hard reality, making clear the need to adopt a global sense of social responsibility.

With these things in mind, as the energizers of today and the holders of tomorrow, it is imperative that youth embrace the challenge of sustainability in its fullness as they help pave the way forward through the 21st century and beyond. Youth action, inclusion, and their full participation are key to developing today’s world for the generations of today and tomorrow and central to a sustainable existence.