Global Youth Service Day

Programme Summary:

Since 2000, each April young volunteers from more than 100 countries around the world have been gathering for a weekend-long event in their own communities to celebrate their role in, and mobilise for continued action around, community service. Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is a public education campaign that highlights the contributions youth make to their communities through year-round by volunteering to address community problems such as school reconstruction, environmental degradation, ethnic and religious conflict, HIV/AIDS, and violence. It is organised annually by the United-States-based non-profit organisations Youth Service America and the Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) in collaboration with a consortium of international organisations and more than 100 National Coordinating Committees. Key goals are to:

create, and build the capacity of, an international network that promotes youth participation, service, and learning;
educate the public, the media, and policymakers about the contributions young people make as community leaders around the world;
inspire youth and adults to meet the needs of their communities through volunteering; and
learn about and share effective practices in youth service, youth voice, and civic engagement.

Communication Strategies:

This initiative draws on community participation and interpersonal communication strategies in an effort to engage and inspire young people - whose "energy, idealism, and ingenuity" (in the words of Steven A. Culbertson, President and CEO of Youth Service America) are envisioned as a collective spark for new ideas and action to help solve various local problems. As part of an effort to discredit the myth of youth apathy, GYSD highlights the power of youth action by connecting with so-called "National Lead Agencies" around the world that work to involve youth as full participants in social change in their communities and countries. Here are a few recent examples of projects spotlighted by GYSD, which feature varied communication strategies:

Young people in Iran are coordinating community beautification campaigns in 57 local villages while learn about the importance of recycling and environmental problems stemming from pollution (these projects are organised by the Center for Advancement of Rural Women).

The Association for Volunteer Services in Lebanon, the United Nations (UN) Youth Association of Sudan, and Sudanese Youths Against Drug Abuse are engaged in service projects with the aim of fostering a promising sense of community and volunteerism to pave the way for future youth volunteerism endeavours. Projects in these countries include educational forums on community health, nutrition and first aid, environmental preservation campaigns, HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, and drug abuse prevention campaigns.

During the 2007 GYSD, Natal Voluntarios in Brazil predicted that over 100,000 young people would take part in hundreds of projects around the country, with a common focus on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. As with past years, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva officially commemorated Brazil's GYSD events in 2007.

Relief International - Schools Online (RI-SOL)'s GYSD initiative incorporates youth-driven activities in Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, and the Palestinian Territories. Under the theme "Education for All" and in partnership with high schools in the United States, as part of the 2007 GYSD RI-SOL facilitated youth projects by uniting its partners worldwide. Participants worked to serve their own school communities by increasing awareness about education in the wider community and developing access points to education for community members through activities such as: tutoring a younger group of students, raising money for school improvement projects, creating study opportunities for a high-need population in the community, working towards a literacy programme, raising money for libraries, and holding a read-a-thon to raise money for schools, libraries, or other educational institutions within the community or abroad.

In China, the regional office of TakingITGlobal (TIG) is coordinating activities designed to increase youth awareness and activism towards global warming. The TIG China regional office plans to increase effective engagement of students in decision-making on the climate change issue, conduct awareness surveys, distribute educational booklets on college campuses, and collect signatures for a petition calling for actions to prevent the impact of climate change. It hopes to use these activities as a starting point for continued advocacy and increased awareness in the region.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are one tool used to connect local, national, and international organisations planning community-based events around GYSD. The interactive GYSD website is designed to link young volunteers interested in GYSD with resources, ideas, and contacts for either planning a GYSD project of their own or - throughout the year - connecting with like-minded peers through online forums. To view these toolkits (e.g., a peer educator handbook related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), AIDS, and pregnancy, or a Earth Charter declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society) - as well as to access various tip sheets for GYSD planning, logos, posters, and additional information about specific annual events and contacts, click here.

Development Issues:

Youth.

Key Points:

GYSD has grown from 27 participating countries since its inception in 2000 to more than 100 countries in 2007.

Partner Text:

Youth Service America, GYAN, and various international organisations. GYSD receives primary funding from The Walt Disney Company.

Contact Info:

Benjamin Quinto

Youth Service America, GYAN, and various international organisations. GYSD receives primary funding from The Walt Disney Company

Source:

Email from Ben Quinto to The Communication Initiative on April 19 2007; and GYSD website.