Young Voices in our Global Movement
Did you know that more than half of the volunteers in our global Red Cross Red Crescent Movement are young people under 30 years of age?
Young people – often in the forefront of humanitarian actions and social change in communities – does not only take on key responsibility and tasks within the RCRC Movement; we also carry the potential for new ways of thinking and acting for our entire Movement.
This site contains the voices of young volunteers, giving our inputs on how to strengthen youth engagement locally, nationally, and globally within our Movement. This is us highlighting the importance of our newly adopted Youth Engagement Strategy!
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1. Dedicate resources for youth led community engagement
The potential of youth lead community engagement is unfulfilled, and needs dedicated financial allocation, supporting structures and risk willingness from senior management.
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2. Strengthen the capacity of youth volunteers
By fostering cultures of continues learning and exchange amongst youth volunteers and leaders we can build a solid platform for stronger capacities and better leadership rooted locally.
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3. Promote good mental health practices
The promotion of good mental health practices and safeguarding mechanisms for youth as members of affected communities, volunteers and leaders are key to locally based community engagement and mental health.
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4. Ensure a strong transition from youth to adult volunteering
An enhanced focus on the transitional period between youth volunteering and adult volunteering has the potential to build a stronger, more competent, and more efficient response in humanitarian crisis.
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5. Consult the youth – ask us!
Design and implement representative youth consulting structures and youth programmes, where youth in affected communities, volunteers and leaders are in charge.
How did we do?
The inputs and recommendations are developed during consultations with more than 100 young RCRC volunteers from Asia, MENA, Europe, and Africa gathered at youth academies as well as online during 2023 and 2024.
Each of the five statements include elaborated and specific recommendations and action points on the following four levels:
- What can be done at IFRC level to address the issue?
- What can be done at National Society level to address the issue?
- What can be done at local community/branch level to address the issue?
- What can we do as youth of the Movement to address the issue?
You can download the extended version elaborating all five statements at all the above four levels here
YELL Academy 2024, Nairobi
#OneMovementCountlessVoices
Want to meet the young volunteers behind the five statements? Do so through the youth-based campaign #OneMovementCountlessVoices.
The #OneMovementCountlessVoices campaign is made as a warm-up for the new Youth Engagement Strategy for the entire RCRC Movement. Our youth-based campaign will show the importance of adopting an ambitious Youth Engagement Strategy and will make sure as many young volunteers as possible know about the strategy.
- Hear their voices through numerous presentation videos
- Read their suggestions to enhance youth engagement through volunteer profiles
- Click through the interactive map to visit each volunteer at their national society
YELL Academy 2024, Kathmandu