Global Youth Connect

The mission:

Global Youth Connect is dedicated toempowering youth to advance human rights and create a more just world.

We envision a world where the human rights of all people are equally respected, fully protected and universally realized. We also envision a world where all young people – irregardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, class, gender or other differences – are encouraged and empowered to non-violently claim their own rights and serve as advocates for the rights of others.

GYC’s programs provide youth (ages 14-30) from a wide range of ethnic, national, economic and religious backgrounds with opportunities to enhance their ability to take action on pressing human rights issues. Our programs weave together: experiential training programs and workshops; skills development in grassroots organizing, conflict transformation, human rights activism and leadership; mentoring and technical support for on-going organizing efforts; on-the-ground experience in human rights organizations and doing human rights work; and connection to a global community of youth activists.

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world..." --Gandhi

"The young people who do this work are amazingly courageous and passionate. Standing witness and taking action helps shine light on issues and problems that need urgent change. We want to be part of the solution and demonstrate to the world that there are alternatives that work , and work well." --Jennifer Kloes, Executive Director, Global Youth Connect.

The Need for Our Work

Memorials scattered across the Rwandan landscape provide a grim reminder of how the egregious violation of human rights can lead down a dangerous path to genocide. The bones and remnants of clothing laid out for display prompt us to ask how it was possible that the Rwandan government was able to rally neighbor to turn against neighbor. They bear testimony to how the international community has time and again failed to meet its obligations to uphold the standards enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Genocide Convention and other agreements.

Unfortunately, Rwanda is not an isolated case. Similar stories and testimony can be found in other former zones of conflict around the world – from the streets of Sarajevo to the killing fields of Cambodia, from the rural areas of Nepal to the indigenous highlands of Guatemala. Today we are urgently confronting unspeakable atrocities in Darfur, sectarian violence and foreign occupation in Iraq, ethnically motivated killings in Kenya and severe authoritarian repression in Burma, to name but a few notable cases. Furthermore, in communities across the world, rampant social and economic injustices, including discrimination, poverty, exploitation, the destruction of entire cultures, and ethnic and religious intolerance, are creating an increasingly where new conflicts and wars may be far too easily ignited.

There is an urgent need to better understand why war, mass violence and genocide occur. More importantly, there is a clear need to invest in strategic solutions that aim to prevent such atrocities from occurring in the future. There is also a need to ensure that this knowledge is passed on to the next generation of human rights leaders.

In considering strategic approaches to breaking the cycle of conflict it is particularly important to recognize that -- in Rwanda and elsewhere where lives have been touched by mass violence -- young people have been particularly vulnerable to human rights violations. This is largely due to the fact that youth typically lack the knowledge, skills or opportunities to take action for social change or to stand up against intolerance, discrimination and oppression. Insufficient resources are being invested to provide young people with the knowledge necessary to defend their human rights and the rights of others in their communities. Without such support, young people can become disempowered, frustrated, disengaged, and vulnerable as the injustices pile up around them. They are also more likely to be victimized or join in the violence (just like many young Rwandans who took up machetes).

There is a clear need to direct more energy towards informing young people of their rights in tandem with providing them tools for taking action. Youth must feel confident in their ability be part of the solution by standing up to racism, violence, poverty, genocide, torture and other tough human rights problems, preferably doing so before they escalate into widespread violence. Although some schools and organizations are doing great work to jumpstart youth engagement in human rights activism, there is significant need to create additional opportunities to enable youth to develop and strengthen their activism skills, expand their knowledge on current and past human rights crises, exchange ideas with others and take action to test their ideas and see the immediate results of their efforts. If we don’t empower them now and direct their energies to promoting non-violent social change, we will continue to feed the global cycle of violence, oppression and injustice for generations to come.

Additionally, among those young people who are already taking a stand for change, we must provide additional support. Young frontline activists generally lack sufficient opportunities for training and their work and efforts are largely undervalued. There is a need to help them generate new ideas, connections and strategies that will help them provide the breakthroughs necessary to transform problems that now seem intractable. Investing in youth who are already leaders in their communities, especially those who are working with other youth, also makes sense since they are best poised to share what they’ve learned with many other people, creating a ripple effect. Rather than spreading resources thin by trying to reach every single young person, working with youth leaders is an extremely wise strategy to ensure maximum impact of limited resources.

Motivations and Inspirations.

A deep-rooted desire to help put an end to the dehumanization and devastation of genocide and mass violence inspires the work of Global Youth Connect. We believe that investing in youth and enabling them to serve as active bystanders to promote and protect human rights is a critical strategy to help prevent and minimize the escalation of conflict as well as heal divided and traumatized communities seeking to rebuild after conflict. Based on our experience, we believe that the concepts and strategies of human rights education offer today’s youth the most powerful tools of understanding and motivation to take action.

Who We Serve

Our programs serve a global community of youth and young adults, ages 14-30. We support youth who are already established leaders in their community and who are looking for ways to strengthen their skills, expand their understanding, deepen the impact of social justice projects and build a network of supportive allies.
We also serve youth who are at an earlier stage in their activism to enable them to better understand how to use their unique talents to advance human rights. As a global organization with programs in a variety of countries around the world, the youth we work with come from all backgrounds – from the poorest communities to the wealthiest, from the “developed” world to the “underdeveloped” world, and from a wide range of ethnic, national, and religious backgrounds.

Goals and Objectives

-->Increase understanding among youth of both the theoretical and practical context of the human rights framework

-->Build the skills, knowledge and confidence of youth to raise awareness, take action and work collaboratively on projects to promote and defend human rights;

-->Facilitate meaningful dialogue, enable critical thinking and analysis of complex issues and encourage joint problem solving to address shared human rights concerns;

-->Foster personal and emotional growth by testing boundaries and limitations, reflecting critically on our own lives and cultures, exploring how the choices we make affect others;

-->Build strong personal connections and community among youth activists;

-->Provide positive outlets and opportunities for youth to work to promote human rights; and

-->Create, inspire and nurture both new and existing youth-led projects aimed at promoting and protecting human rights.

Human Rights Framework

It is no coincidence that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was agreed upon on the heels of the Nazi holocaust. In 1948, the UDHR was proclaimed as “a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations,” directing all humans to “strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms.”We believe that the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provide us with a guide for action. We also believe that it is critical to embrace the entire spectrum of human rights – the economic, cultural and social as much as the political and civil with a consideration for both individual and collective rights – in order to work towards implementation of the ideals offered by the UDHR.The promotion and protection of human rights needs to be at the forefront of any youth movement dedicated to peace building, reconciliation and violence prevention. At the same time, we also seek to explore the complexity and interconnectedness of human rights challenges as experienced in the real world. And we aim to identify the ways in which nations, institutions, individuals as well as ourselves must take responsibility to act in order to ensure human rights and dignity for all.

Educational Methodology

Our educational methodology is drawn from a mixture of techniques and strategies used by the popular education movement. Our programs are highly interactive and experiential. We promote a “whole person” approach to leadership development as well as understand the importance of providing experiences for participants to connect with others in to engage in meaningful shared work. Our goal is to help young leaders learn about the ideas, concepts and strategies of human rights through engaging in meaningful dialogue, promoting critical analysis, encouraging self-reflection and fostering action. Emotional and psychological development and community-building are just as important to us as intellectual content.

Please contact africaeducation@unesco.co.uk or contact@globalyouthconnect.org for more information on Global Youth Connect.

Peace Education!

The following section supplements the Learning Units offered in the Learner as Teacher section and gives an overview of the broader theory of peace education. Navigate through the three sections on the left (Content and Methods, the Importance of Educational Environments, Challenges and Opportunities) to gain information on the substance and scope of the field. Content & MethodsPeace education brings together multiple traditions of pedagogy, theories of education, and international initiatives for the advancement of human development through learning. It is fundamentally dynamic, interdisciplinary, and multicultural and grows out of the work of educators such as John Dewey, Maria Montessori, Paulo Freire, Johan Galtung, Elise and Kenneth Boulding, and many others. Building on principles and practices that have evolved over time, responding to different historical circumstances, peace education aims to cultivate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to achieve and sustain a global culture of peace. Understanding and transforming violence is central. The following diagram helps visualize the core relationship between violence and peace.

Peace is understood not only as the absence of traditional forms of direct violence, but also as a positive presence. Educating for and about all aspects of peace constitutes peace education. The following diagram illustrates the relationships among the central knowledge, skills, and attitudes of peace education. They are drawn from educational initiatives all over the world.

In the classroom, peace education aims to develop skills, attitudes, and knowledge with co-operative and participatory learning methods and an environment of tolerance, care, and respect. Through dialogue and exploration, teachers and students engage in a journey of shared learning. Students are nurtured and empowered to take responsibility for their own growth and achievement while teachers care for the wellbeing of all students. The practice of peace education is an opportunity to promote the total welfare of students, advocate for their just and equitable treatment of youth, and promote individual and social responsibility for both educators and learners. Through pedagogy and social action, peace educators demonstrate that there are alternatives to violence. Japanese peace educator
The Importance of Educational EnvironmentsCentered on developing the capacities of learners, peace education is relevant in a variety of different educational settings from rural to urban, school-based to community, and within formal curricula or non-formal popular education projects. To a large extent, the social, cultural, economic, and political contexts in which educators work shape the specific content and methods they choose. However, the central knowledge, skills, and attitudes discussed in the Content and Methods section are relevant across educational environments. Many teachers infuse peace education into traditional academic subjects such as literature, math, science, history, language, civics, and the arts. Various aspects of peace education may even serve to enhance learning across subjects, as indicated in a recent conflict resolution initiative in the United States. Ultimately, educating for peace is as varied as the teachers who practice it.
Challenges & OpportunitiesPeace Education does not teach students what to think, but rather how to think critically. In the process, its holistic and participatory approach may conflict with more traditional curriculum design or strict standards-based schooling. Peace education aims not to reproduce but to transform. It consists of people "consciously striving to educate their successors not for the existing state of affairs but so as to make possible a future better humanity." (John Dewey, Democracy and Education) And with this task comes significant challenges and opportunities for all involved.
One way to meet the challenges of peace education is to build bridges of support among key participants. Just as learning takes place in a broader social context and not exclusively in schools or classrooms, so peace education relies on families, communities, and social networks to affect positive and lasting change. The notion "think globally, act locally" is central to educating for a culture of peace in that it links theory with practice, international issues to individual efforts. As a peace educator, you need not work alone. The international peace education community is active and growing through networks, publications, global campaigns, national initiatives, and international programs. Concerned citizens, educators and activists of all ages around the world are promoting and building peace through education.

Here Comes David Suzuki!

The 21st century is an exciting time for young people. Technology like email and social networking websites makes connecting with people easier than before, and Google puts a virtual library on everyone's desk. This current generation of youth has unprecedented exposure to knowledge. And the old adage that knowledge is power still holds true.

I've been approached by different groups to talk to young people at universities this month. I'm speaking at campuses across Canada, either in person or by video, on a tour with the Canadian Federation of Students, about global warming and its solutions. My daughter Severn and David Suzuki Foundation CEO Peter Robinson are also speaking at some stops. I'll also speak to young people in Ontario as part of a campaign called Flick Off, which is encouraging people to consider renewable energy as a solution to some of the serious environmental and economic problems our dependence on fossil fuels has created.

Whenever I talk to students, I'm reminded of the joy I experienced as a college student, surrounded by intellectually curious classmates who were also forming their opinions about the world. Public interest in the environment is at an all-time high today, and that's bound to affect the values students form and the choices they make as they go through life. Attending college is an exciting phase of life, and students should be encouraged to question the way things are and consider the way they could be.

But I don't envy today's students, even though they have great new gadgets such as iPods and digital cameras to play with. They are seeing the effects of global warming first-hand. They can see the mess that previous generations have created by ignoring the natural world and living beyond its limits. Today's university students will have to deal with increased smog-alert days, clear-cut forests, nuclear waste, overfished marine ecosystems, and other environmental problems that older folks have created.

In my college days, I was active in the civil-rights movement. The opportunity to right historic wrongs was a powerful incentive. The people I marched with took action and eventually helped change society and repeal discriminatory laws. Is there still racism and bigotry today? Absolutely. But things have certainly improved since the 1950s.

Back then, many things seemed divided. There were the activist organizations full of young, energetic people demanding change. Then there were older, established groups that constantly seemed to say, "We agree with you, in principle, but..." to any arguments put forth in favour of equal laws for all. Thankfully, things evolved and eventually the excuses for inaction melted away.

I see parallels with the battle against global warming. I hope we are entering a new era in which the old excuses for inaction are no longer given any credence – and students become active in solving some of the serious problems in the world. There's evidence that this is already occurring. Renewable energy is a very realistic part of the solution, not only to environmental problems but to economic difficulties as well, and I think young people can play a major role in pushing for a switch from non-renewable fossil fuels to renewable.

It's heartening to see the number of people saying "yes" instead of "no" to topics such as energy conservation and renewable power. And it's a diverse group. If there is one positive thing to come out of global warming's threat to humanity, it's that it's bringing together different factions to work together for change.

In the not-too-distant past, environmentalists were treated as a "special interest group" and relegated to the fringes of public discourse. But now we're starting to see organizations as diverse as student groups, major corporations, technology companies, Crown corporations, and financial institutions talking to each other to find solutions to issues such as climate change. The environment may continue to be a "special interest," but it's one that concerns us all.

Today's young people know this. And it's interesting to see them use the tools at their disposal, such as email, blogs, podcasts, and social networking sites, to become online activists. Combined with individual actions, this is a powerful way to call for change at all levels of society.

When I see the energy of today's youth, I'm inspired. Although they haven't learned all the answers to climate change yet, they haven't learned all the excuses, either.