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e aceful
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ocieties
Championing the voice of youth
Ediola Pashollari, Secretary General, World Assembly of Youth
T
he World Assembly of Youth (WAY) exists to help
both youth and youth leaders to reach their full
potential at a global level. WAY fully recognizes that
young people need support via a strong youth community to
achieve a better education and to maintain good health and
wellbeing. Young people are concerned about study, work,
health and their future and they also want opportunities to
have fun and get engaged in culture, sports and recreation.
WAY was founded to bring the youth population from differ-
ent societies, communities and countries together so that
they can share ideas, thoughts and actions on how to improve
cooperation among young people. Since its formation in 1949,
WAY’s pivotal approaches have been considered and partici-
patory, with the aim of representing young people in the many
situations where they have to make important decisions.
We bring people from different societies, communities
and countries together so that they can share ideas, thoughts
and actions on how to improve cooperation among young
people, wherever they are in the world. As an international
non-governmental organization, WAY not only promotes the
interchange of ideas between youth from all countries, but
also facilitates the collection of information about the needs
and problems of youth. It also disseminates information about
the methods, techniques and activities of youth organizations.
To give young people a pertinent voice, WAY holds a
variety of activities and programmes that provide the plat-
forms that young people need to be able to speak up. We
also provide training to help the youth population develop
their reasoning skills and express their thoughts, ideas and
opinions responsibly and effectively.
WAY never stops in it endeavours to make this world and
today’s society more youth-friendly. It is doing this by ensuring
that young people are included in decision-making processes
and that they have active participation in political, social,
economic, cultural and environmental matters at all levels of
society. As a result, WAY has helped to build a stronger part-
nership between youth, society and all key stakeholders.
The importance of active participation
The terms ‘youth participation’ and ‘youth involvement’ can
be used interchangeably. Essentially they describe the ability
for young people to have active and meaningful involvement
in various activities within their communities, impacting
their wellbeing in a positive way. The very definition of
participation means that they should be free to involve them-
selves in the social and development process in a way that is
active, voluntary and informed. A form of youth participa-
tion is youth adult partnership, in which adults work in full
partnership with young people on issues facing youth and or
on programmes and policies affecting youth.
Only through active participation and empowerment will
young people be able to make safe, informed and respon-
sible decisions regarding their reproductive health and to
contribute effectively to programmes. The capacity for our
societies to progress is based, among other elements, on their
ability to incorporate the contribution and responsibility of
youth in the building and designing of the future. In addition
to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobi-
lise support, they bring unique perspectives that need to be
taken into account.
Youth organisations create important platforms for devel-
oping the skills necessary for young people to have effective
participation in society, promoting tolerance and increased
cooperation. Youth involvement on Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) is crucial. Young people are the leaders of
tomorrow and therefore pivotal players in tackling global
development issues.
Preparing for the future
It is imperative that youth from all parts of the world actively
participate in all relevant levels of decision-making processes
because it affects their lives today and has implications for
their futures. Numerous actions and recommendations
within the international community have been proposed by
WAY to ensure that young people have a secure and healthy
future. We want them to thrive in a high quality environment
with improved standards of living and access to education
and employment.
Showcasing educational information on SDGs, MIYD, Youth issues
celebrating the National Youth Day of Melaka