Global Youth Mobilization

Kids in South Africa holding shoe box, from the School Shoe Campaign

In December 2020, a new ground-breaking global youth mobilization was launched to invest in and scale up youth-led solutions and engagements in response to COVID-19. The initiative was launched by an alliance of the world’s largest youth movements and organizations, together with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Foundation.

The “Global Youth Mobilization” is being led by the Big 6 Youth Organizations (World Alliance of Young Men’s Christian Associations, World Young Women’s Christian Association, World Organization of the Scout Movement, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award). These organisations together actively involve more than 250 million young people.

Through a fund of USD$5 million, the mobilization aims to support young people to engage in and design efforts to turn around the impact of the pandemic by supporting local and national youth organizations. Grants will be made available for youth-led solutions and an accelerator programme to scale up existing response efforts. These measures will directly support young people engaged at the grassroots level to tackle some of the most pressing health and societal challenges resulting from the pandemic.

By joining together with the other five of the largest youth organizations in the world and the WHO, the YMCA has an important opportunity to support young people at a critical moment in history.

“For the past few months, young people have shown courage, solidarity and creativity in facing the pandemic. Let’s keep encouraging and inspiring each other!”

Carlos Sanvee, YMCA Secretary General

Official Global Youth Mobilization website