Addressing the 42nd Session of the General Conference of UNESCO in Paris from 7-22 November 2023, IYCW president, Basma Louis, stressed the importance of raising awareness among young people by providing training spaces to compensate for the failure of public institutions.
She also warned of the dangers of social media.
“Social media have become a space for unchecked information; fake news and historical revisionism have flooded them and are promoted by those who profit from the distortion of history,” Ms Louis stated.
“We are witnessing clear white supremacy and racism in dealing with different conflicts in the world today, which is having an impact on our mentalities, our sense of security and our vision of humanity, questioning our future,” she observed.
YCW centenary 2025
In her address, Ms Louis also spoke of the forthcoming centenary of the IYCW in 2025 and the importance of the movement’s educational work:
“In 2025, the IYCW will celebrate its 100 years of existence, 100 years of space offered to young people from all over the world for their training and education, because our educational mission is one of our essential tasks, which consists in making young workers aware not only of their labour rights, but also of their rights as human beings and respect for one another.”
In her concluding remarks, Ms Louis also praised UNESCO’s contribution to peacebuilding through international cooperation in education and guidance.
“Let’s continue on this path to build a peaceful future for the new generations,” she concluded.
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The IYCW at UNESCO: Let’s Build a Peaceful Future for the New Generations (IYCW)
