Blogs Discuss International Youth Day

The theme of International Youth Day, recognized on August 12, was “Youth Migration: Moving Development Forward.” The following blog posts discuss youth and sustainable development issues.

  • Cate Lane, USAID’s IMPACTblog: “Migration displaces and separates youth from their homes and the protective structure and guidance of families and communities,” Lane, youth adviser for the Bureau for Global Health, writes, adding, “Developmentally appropriate reproductive health and family planning information and youth friendly services can prevent poor health outcomes, and can ensure young people receive adequate care and support for pregnancy, unsafe abortion, STIs/HIV, and violence.” She discusses USAID and U.S. government health programs impacting urban youth worldwide, and she concludes, “The U.S. government’s Action Plan for Children in Adversity recommends that U.S. government assistance support and enable families to care for their children; prevent unnecessary family-child separation; and promote appropriate, protective, and permanent family care” (8/12).
  • Bisola Ojikutu, USAID’s IMPACTblog: Ojikutu, a senior treatment officer with AIDSTAR-One, discusses the importance of communication and information in adolescent HIV care. “AIDSTAR-One, in partnership with Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI), created ‘Teen Talk: A Guide for Positive Living,’ a resource written for teens to use on their own, or for use in consultation with medical providers or caregivers. Covering issues such as adherence, nutrition, and safe sex, ‘Teen Talk’ helps youth living with HIV think through their concerns and make healthy decisions,” she writes, adding, “Living with HIV will always be a challenge. However, with tools such as ‘Teen Talk,’ youth living with HIV can thrive and remain healthy in their adolescent years, bringing us one step closer to reaching the global goal of an AIDS-free generation” (8/12).
  • Zeenat Rahman, State Department’s DipNote: “Young people are key drivers to solving some of the world’s most pressing strategic challenges, from rebuilding the global economy to peace building and creating sustainable democracies, and will play a prominent role in shaping the 21st century world,” Rahman, the secretary of state’s special adviser for global youth issues, writes. “Addressing the challenges that youth face around the world — in education, employment, health care — is smart foreign policy,” she says, adding, “But it is also an opportunity; young people represent a pool of human capital whose potential has yet to be tapped. I am inspired by the energy and passion of this generation and am committed to working in partnership with them to solve some of our biggest global challenges” (8/12).
  • Maryanne Yerkes, USAID’s IMPACTblog: “Many USAID programs support young migrants or potential migrants. This includes our anti-trafficking and human rights programs, which help mitigate the risks associated with migration,” Yerkes, acting agency youth coordinator in the Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning, writes. “However, I would like to draw attention to our broader youth development programs, which aim to provide youth with the support structures, skills, knowledge and opportunities they need to navigate the challenges they face while growing up,” she says and describes several programs in this area (8/12).

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