Our aim is that young people around the world do more, do better, and reach further—all while contributing to safe and resilient communities. To reach this goal, we believe that young people need to be fully and meaningfully involved in our programs and governance.
About youth engagement:
Young people play a vital role in humanitarian action and development around the world. They represent the majority of our volunteer base, delivering lifesaving and life-changing work within their communities every single day.
We see meaningful youth engagement as essential to delivering effective and principled humanitarian assistance and transforming our organization for the better.
It’s important to remember that while youth can be loosely defined by age, young people are not one singular group. Factors such as gender, socio-economic background and ethnicity all affect their access to equal resources and opportunities. We must listen to and consider this diversity of young people’s experiences and needs in all that we do.
How we engage young people:
- Youth as leaders: We support young people to participate in decision-making at all levels of our management, governance, and service delivery. We advocate for and with them, tackling emerging humanitarian and development issues together. And we prioritize and invest in personal and professional development for young people in current and future leadership roles.
- Education: Education is a fundamental human right and an essential public service. The Silent Cry International and our National Societies worldwide work to ensure that all people have safe and equitable access to quality, inclusive education.
Education is a fundamental human right for all children and youth. A quality education provides children and young people with the skills and confidence they need to allow them to live lives that they have reason to value. Education creates the voice through which other rights can be claimed and protected.