11 January 2022
ECO-UNESCO, Ireland’s leading environmental youth organisation, celebrates the European Union’s declaration of 2022 as the ‘European Year of Youth’.
The 2022 European Year of Youth will focus on young people and re-establishing them as active and engaged citizens, following the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Increased efforts will be made to include youth priorities in relevant EU policy areas and to engage young people at every level of the EU’s decision-making process. The European Year of Youth will host conferences and initiatives promoting youth participation in policy making and awareness campaigns for a more inclusive, green and digital EU.
ECO-UNESCO welcomes this initiative following the results of their 2020 Youth Climate Justice Survey in which 55% of young people feel nobody listens to their concerns with 38% of young people feeling more changes in government policy is needed to tackle climate change.
National Director of ECO-UNESCO, Elaine Nevin commented “Young people are the future generation of leaders and will be the ones most affected by the decisions of our current policy-makers. It is essential that young people are given the opportunities to participate in these processes and have their voices heard. It is our responsibility to give them the support, confidence and skills to make a positive difference and it is their right to influence their future. We warmly welcome 2022 as the European Year of Youth.”
“At ECO-UNESCO, we see just how passionate young people are in tackling the issues that affect them most, particularly around climate change. We found through our 2021 Youth Climate Justice Survey, 88% of young people are either involved or want to get involved with climate actions. This European Year of Youth will provide incredible opportunities for young people to get involved and make a positive difference.”
ECO-UNESCO will host a number of events and programmes throughout the year in line with the objectives of the European Year of Youth that will bridge the gap between young people in Ireland and key decision makers at both local and national level as well as continuing to empower young people to take climate action through to their Young Environmentalist Awards programme and Youth for Sustainable Development Programmes.
To get involved or to hear more about ECO-UNESCO’s programmes, please go to Ecounesco.ie
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