UN drives campaign for youth as COVID-19 pandemic ups anxiety among 90%

United Nations agencies and youth organisations have come together to launch a campaign unique campaign to involve the youth of the world in building their lives impacted by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization (WHO) director-general, and climate change activist Greta Thunberg launched the Global Youth Mobilization Local Solutions campaign April 19, 2021. It is mandated to fund youth in communities impacted by the pandemic to take up innovative programmes to rebuild lives.

It is being supported by six of the world’s largest youth organisations:

• 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
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
• The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

“From today (April 19), young people around the world will be able to apply for funding to support innovative Local Solutions to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of a new initiative called the Global Youth Mobilization,” Ghebreyesus said.

It is slated as a unique fund for youths in communities impacted by the pandemic. It will used exclusive for this campaign and not involve the usual procedures adopted for such funding under the UN systems.

A WHO release claimed: 

A world first at this scale and level of ambition, young people and community organizations are able to apply for funding via one centralised platform, available in multiple languages. These local solutions will be judged and decided on by young people, for young people.

An initial $2 million (nearly Rs 15 crore) be available in four tiers, from $500 through to $5,000 and an “accelerator” programme will scale and replicate the most promising solutions, with further funding lined up over the coming months, the UN health arm said.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) termed the current young population as the ‘lockdown generation’ citing the massive impacts of the pandemic on them.

According to ILO and various other estimates, some 90 per cent of young people have “reported increased mental anxiety during the pandemic” while “one in six young people worldwide have lost their jobs during the pandemic”.