International Youth Day

Today, August 12th, is International Youth Day and I wanted to share some of my knowledge and experiences about youth and young people.

Youth is actually defined as those aged between 12 and 25 but most people see youth as the loitering louts that wield knives on the streets and like to stab people to death. There is very little good things reported in the news to do with young people which is totally unfair because I know, myself, as young person, that there is a lot of good that young people participate in.

I know this because I was lucky enough in my life to experience not one but two youth clubs which provided me with support and friends and experiences that have influenced and made me the person I am today. For example, One of the groups I participated in organised an exchange event with a german youth group and we got to go to Berlin to meet them and attend one of their festivals, they then came here and we taught them about Northern Ireland, we even made a video touring them round our part of the city. We also organised a formal for the youth of our part of the city where we invited all the youth groups and even individuals to come and participate and we gave out awards to those who we felt were deserving of them.

And then there is the fact that at least 5 young people I know give up their summers to volunteer at their local community centre and take other peoples kids out on day trips. None of this good stuff that young people are doing is ever reported in the news and it's unfair because if half the people were aware of what is on offer to them, then they wouldnt have to end up wielding knives on teh streets to feel safe and protect themselves.

I grew up in my local community centre, moving from the mothers and toddlers group straight through to the youth club. I made some of my current friends there and we'll be friends for life (I hope!) and I even found my first love there and while that involved plenty of petty fights and drama, it was nothing newsworthy, just part of life. I'm not saying that it's all good, because you will have to listen to drugs and drink talks and you will have to do personal social care stuff but it's worth taht one night of opening up to your friends and maybe admitting things you don't really want to talk about to recieve all the good in return.

So, if you're young enough and there are local groups near you then I highly recommend that you go and join them. It's worth all of the fear and nervousness you feel right now. You'll have experiences and make friends so easily and it will help you as well for stuff to put on your C.V saying you know how to work as a team with other members of your group. So go. Celebrate the fact that you are a young person and enjoy it.

Until tomorrow,
Sami

Italian phrase of teh day= Ciao, bello! = Hi, Handsome!