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Global Inclusiveness.  Value-Based Leadership.  Collaborative Solutions.

www.InternationalYouthParliament.com

“Guardians of Tomorrow”

Young people in every nation want a peaceful world where they, and their posterity, can thrive. The International Youth Parliament is being created to give the world’s 1.8 billion youth a voice. Through their representatives (IYP Ambassadors) they will have an opportunity to be included in creating and implementing solutions for today’s global challenges.

The mission of the IYP is

“to increase the level of love, prosperity, and peace on Earth through global inclusiveness, value-based leadership, and collaborative solutions generated and promoted by youth from 195 nations.”

The International Youth Parliament will:

• Consist of 4 highly-qualified young people (16 – 29 years old) from 195 nations. These 780 young people (and other youth who can participate but not vote) will be mentored and taught excellent communication and leadership skills, negotiation and conflict resolution skills, etc.
• Be educated and trained; they’ll research well, discuss often, and meet regularly (online and at live IYP Conferences) so they can truly understand the world’s most significant problems.
• Be a resource of knowledge, innovation, accountability, problem prevention and creative solutions.
• Meet with local, national, and international leaders to share their ideas about how to create a more prosperous and peaceful world as they work on the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
• Align with the three pillars of the UN: sustainable development, peace and security, and human rights.
• After consensus, share IYP Declarations (a new one created every 90 days) nationally and internationally, using social media, print media, television and radio interviews, conversations with political and NGO leaders, giving presentations at the highest levels of government, and more.

With the large and increasing number of young people worldwide, it is abundantly clear that it is only by connecting with them – engaging them – working with them – supporting them and creating the conditions that will allow them to actively participate in discussions and decisions about global problems will the international community – the people of the world - be able to enjoy sustainable development, improved security and human rights, and increased levels of love, prosperity and peace on Earth. We believe that today’s problems will be minimized in direct proportion to the percentage of educated, mentored young adults who are working alongside today’s decision-makers to find local, regional, national, and international solutions, and participating in the implementation of those solutions. We believe it is imperative to include our young people in the global conversation. The Objectives of the International Youth Parliament are to:

1. Establish a platform on which the voices of 1.8 billion young people can be heard, and upon which leaders worldwide can rely to receive excellent ideas from tomorrow’s leaders.
2. Embrace inclusivity as the IYP includes all qualified young adults from every nation, studies diverse solutions, and collaborates with individuals and organizations worldwide without preference to any religious or political beliefs.
3. Educate IYP Ambassadors and Participants. Teach them principles of leadership, communication, tolerance, negotiation, integrity, collaboration, human rights, accountability, and much more.
4. Empower them to create problem-prevention strategies and creative, collaborative solutions as they work on the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
5. Encourage them to be enthusiastic, active agents of positive change, using every resource available to them today.

Today’s youth are connected to each other, and aware of global issues like never before. They want to participate in discussions about the problems we all face today and contribute their ideas.

IYP Directors believe today’s youth can propose viable, innovative solutions, drive social progress, and inspire significant political change.

So, we’re giving them a platform.  The International Youth Parliament is a platform on which their voices can be amplified as they actively and thoughtfully participate in the discovery of solutions for the planet’s most significant problems.

IYP Ambassadors and Participants will offer solutions based on careful research, after receiving excellent training by global experts. Their solutions will come after thoughtful discussions with educators, leaders, and other youth worldwide. Their proposed solutions will follow conversations with the most influential individuals in every country.

Yes, our enthusiastic, bright young people who care about positive global change are tremendous, essential assets who deserve our attention and our investment in their future, and the future of their children.

We need to teach them.

We need to listen to them.

We need to take their ideas seriously.

We need to give them an organized way for their voices to be heard.

Today’s young people face incredible challenges and even life-threatening risks, disproportionately carried by girls and young women in many parts of the world.

They suffer interpersonal violence in ways the older generations never did.

Unless something changes quickly, young people and their children will be devastatingly affected by the adverse effects of the damaged environment.

Right now, many of them are experiencing marginalization and struggling with an erosion of human rights and impeded access to justice.

Yes, so many of our 1.8 billion youth are suffering, and the earth’s environment is suffering.

We’re talking about the health of the youth – the future – and the health of our planet. What could be more important to discuss?

Please know that I am not disregarding the thousands of magnificent, solution-focused adults who are working to improve lives and improve the environment.  There’s an army of amazing, wonderful adults in nations worldwide seeking solutions and working to fix the problems.

We recognize and honor them…  I applaud their wonderful efforts and I sincerely thank them.

However, today – like never before in the history of the world – we have millions of young adults who yearn to be heard.

But who is listening – really listening to – and caring about their opinions and suggestions?

Who is taking their pleas seriously?  They have ideas about how things might be done in better ways. They talk about global issues in college dorm rooms and classrooms, at gatherings and in pubs across the world.

Yes, in English and Arabic, in Spanish, Hindi, French, and Punjabi – and hundreds of other languages – our youth are talking with each other – and with adults who will listen – about their concerns and their dreams for a better future.

They’re worried.

They’re frightened.

They want a peaceful world and they have good ideas – but who is listening?

It’s time to listen.

It’s time to gather a well-selected group of educated, globally-minded and solution-focused youth who are organized and empowered with authority to share their ideas with political leaders and caring adults in every nation.

How long did it take the folks at the United Nations to create and come to a consensus before they ratified the 17 Sustainable Development Goals? Thousands of hours. And what about similar goals they created in 2000? They were called Millennial Goals and they were not very successful.

Will the 17 Sustainable Development Goals be more of the same? What’s different?

Should we not include qualified youth in our discussions about our most important global issues?

Should we not hear from those who will be MOST IMPACTED by the failure or success of the Sustainable Development Goals?

And let’s remember that today’s youth will soon be the parents of the children who will be the very most impacted, right?

Of course we should include them! Of course we should listen to them!  Today’s youth will be running their countries very soon! They are tomorrow’s leaders, so they should be the Guardians of Tomorrow!

I applaud the United Nations because they launched the UN Youth Strategy in September of 2018, to include a small group of youth that advise UN leaders. That’s wonderful progress and we’ll collaborate with them.

What we’re birthing is an International Youth Parliament – four young people from 195 nations – that’s 780 youth who will come together to work on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in ways that no one ever has. Yes, 780 brilliant, passionate, globally-minded, and solution-focused young people who will represent every nation on Earth.

Let’s teach them… include them…..support them…. love and appreciate them.

But mostly, let’s listen to them.

Really listen.

For they can be our Guardians of Tomorrow.

For more information, see “IYP Mission and Overview”