What happened during this Youth Empowerment Circle session?
This open session brought together Youth and organisations from the Youth Empowerment Circle to celebrate 1 year since its creation at Catalysing Change Week in 2021. We took a journey through the past year of the Circle, hearing the perspectives of co-leads, Youth Council members, and Youth Fellows!
A lot has happened in the past year, notably the creation of the International Youth Council and an explosion of youth initiatives as part of the Circle.
During the session itself, we heard from some of those who have taken part in its creation, including members of the co-founding networks: LearningPlanet, Catalyst 2030, and Children in All Policies 2030. Most importantly, the floor was given to the youth themselves who played a defining role in the Circle’s evolution, notably members of the Youth Councils and the Youth Fellows.
This event took place during Catalysing Change Week 2022, the world’s largest event led by social innovators and entrepreneurs to share knowledge, exchange ideas and accelerate collaborative systems change during more than 250 sessions and activities in a dedicated annual week.
Get inspired by some quotes from the session:
I feel very grateful to have met co-councillors with the same passion as I am. To and to be with them along with the amazing facilitators and mentors that we have always made me feel inspired that there are lots of people like me who are feeling the strong need to do something about our world’s problems.
Raven Frias, Education Group of the Youth Council and founder of NGO FLCD Circle, Philippines
It’s great to start to see the connections build as well between other projects and other initiatives. It’s something quite incredible that with most of the youth that we have got to know through this initiative they’ve either founded an NGO or they’re part of another network or organization and it is kind of truly quite incredible.
Wiktoria Pernier, Youth Fellow and Co-founder of Refugee NGO Espirit du Corps, Poland/France
From the moment I’ve been here, I’ve learned so many things, as simple as efficient listening to something as complex and important as ‘ubuntu’, making spaces more accessible or eco-anxiety or permaculture and so much more.
Miya Redfrog, Youth Fellow and YuWaah’s Young People’s Action Team, India
At LearningPlanet I’ve learned what it truly means to be a compassionate individual while taking action and bold to take risks.
Sheen Tyagi, Youth Fellow and Young Climate Advocate at UN Foundation, India
I know there was this desire that came across for people to link and for there to be more spaces for young people to speak into, and so I think that’s been a really exciting progression of how the youth empowerment circle has grown over the last year
Dr. Bethany Jennings, Consultant, Children in All Policies 2030, United Kingdom
What is the Youth Empowerment Circle?
The Circle connects organisations sharing the same focuses and ambitions and gives its members a space to share and promote their current work, initiatives, actions towards principal causes, and today’s most pressing issues affecting young people.
Furthermore, it provides learning and feedback opportunities for its members and inspires them by sharing and accessing new ideas and best practices, potentially leading to new ways of working and new projects to support youth.
Institutions, practitioners, scientists, artists, activists, and young people interested in amplifying the voice of youth in the areas of rights, health, and education and working towards the designated topic can get involved in this circle. The participants should be self-driven, willing to work towards the Circle’s designated topic, and ready to contribute to the collective impact, which will make our world a better place.
