August the 12th is International Youth Day. It came about because the United Nations General Assembly wanted a day to celebrate the young people of the world. On December the 17th, 1999 the General Assembly declared International Youth Day at the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon, Portugal. The aim of the day is to focus on youth issues around the world. The idea is simple. The world’s youth make up over a sixth of the world population, therefore they need a special day. The UN defines a youth as anyone in the age group between 15 and 24 years old. Experts predict the number of youth in the world will greatly increase over the coming years, especially with a decrease in child mortality.

Many different things happen on International Youth Day. There are activities and events all around the world. These are run by youth and for youth. The day promotes the benefits that young people bring to our world. There are youth conferences on issues like education and finding a job and many charity events. Other things include concerts, parades and educational workshops in schools. There is a different theme each year. The first was “Addressing Health and Unemployment”. Other themes have been on youth and sustainable development, youth and tackling poverty, and youth and climate change. The more this day is celebrated, the more responsible our young people will be.

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