Global Youth Mobilization

Supported by the world’s largest global youth organisations, World Health Organization, and United Nations Foundation, Global Youth Mobilization aims to address the negative impact of the pandemic on young people and support them to build back better. Global Youth Mobilization is a movement of young people taking action to improve their lives now and in a post-COVID-19 world.

A global youth-Led movement for change

The Global Youth Mobilization was launched in December 2020 with one big aim: to change the narrative and highlight the efforts that young people all over the world are making to support their communities to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Young people are an essential part of the solution to pandemic recovery.  Investing in programs, policies and initiatives led by and for young people will bring about sustainable change in the livelihoods and health of young people now and in the future.

Issues the Mobilization will address

There are an estimated 1.2 billion young people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic response measures. Disruptions to education, employment, services and social support have changed the future of an entire generation. It is more important than ever that governments, policy makers, academics, business leaders and civil society come together to find innovative ways of supporting communities and providing hope to younger generations.

With support from the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, Global Youth Mobilization will support and scale-up youth-led solutions and youth engagement programs across the world.

More information

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