The 20s: Really The Best Age To Be (The UNESCO Courier) April-June 2021

Abstract

Young people are in the best position to understand and analyze what they have been going through since the health crisis started. This was the idea behind UNESCO’s Youth As Researchers (YAR) global initiative to explore the impact of Covid-19 on young people. Conceived by UNESCO, the National University of Ireland, Galway, and the Pennsylvania State University in the United States, the youth-led research initiative was officially launched on 4 December 2020. The programme, which brings together some 270 volunteers between 18 and 35, invites young researchers to engage with the United Nations, universities and civil society. Together, they will help generate knowledge about how Covid-19 has affected the lives of young people – in the areas of well-being, learning, youth-led action, human rights, and the use of technology. The aim is to collect and analyse data to find solutions to combat the effects of Covid-19 on young people. The YAR initiative includes training opportunities for participants, and advice and mentoring during the research process. The data collected will be used to contribute to the implementation of measures to alleviate the problems caused by the pandemic, and to promote the adaptation of public policies in favour of youth at national and local levels. Forty teams are currently working on the programme, the results of which will be made public at the end of June 2021.