SELP ASBL RECOGNIZES YOUNG PEOPLE AS TRUE ACTORS IN THE CO-CREATION OF AN EDUCATION CAPABLE OF TRANSFORMING OUR COMMUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
SELP ASBL (Solidarity for Support and the Fight Against Poverty) recognizes that today’s world is facing major crises, for which “education” is our primary source of hope and solutions to survive and thrive in peace and sustainable development within our communities, and that young people are the true educational actors to achieve this.
However, to address these global (community) challenges, we must first acknowledge the significant role of young people in co-creating quality education capable of positively transforming our communities for sustainable development.
For too long, young people have been excluded from political and decision-making processes regarding our lives, our livelihoods, our present, and our future, or they were included only symbolically without any real role in development plans. But thanks to the United Nations through its global platforms, young people have found certain decision-making spaces: such as the platform bringing together young people worldwide, a representation that we should continue to strengthen together.
Thus, as part of transforming our communities, young people must be heard, their ideas and experiences valued, their requests taken into account, and their efforts, leadership, and contributions recognized.
That is why we also want to raise the voice and power of young people based on UNESCO’s 2026 education theme, which recognizes and values the power of youth in co-creating quality education (SDG 4) for sustainable development. And we promote young people not as passive beneficiaries, but as partners and collaborators at every stage of the sustainable development process.
- “Young people are at the forefront of change; they are the pioneers of innovation.”