INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY




"Torchbearers of Tomorrow: Honouring the Power of Youth"

Each year on August 12, the world comes together to celebrate the vibrant force that propels societies forward — its youth. Declared by the United Nations in 1999, International Youth Day was born out of the need to highlight the contributions of young people while addressing the challenges they face across social, political, and economic fronts.

But this day is more than a UN designation. It is a global salute to the minds that dare to innovate, the hands that build, the hearts that empathize, and the voices that refuse to be silenced.

At the Leo Club of Kataragama Bogahapelessa, we believe youth are not just the “leaders of tomorrow” — they are the change agents of today.

Youth — More Than Just an Age Group

What defines a young person?

The UN broadly considers anyone aged 15 to 24 as youth, but that’s just a number. Youth is not a phase — it's a mindset. It’s the space between naivety and wisdom, passion and purpose, energy and empathy. It is a time when every idea seems possible, when courage is stronger than fear, and when the desire to fix the world is still untamed by cynicism.

This fiery spirit, when nurtured, becomes one of the most powerful tools for societal transformation.

In Kataragama and Bogahapelessa, we’ve witnessed this power first-hand — from youth-led environmental campaigns and educational outreach, to community rebuilding efforts following natural disasters.

Youth in Action – Global Impact

Across the world, youth movements have rewritten history:

• In South Africa, young people led the charge against apartheid.
• In Hong Kong, youth mobilized for democratic freedoms.
• In Sweden, Greta Thunberg sparked a global climate revolution at age 15.
• In Sri Lanka, from Aragalaya protests to rural development, youth have been both the voice and the shield of change.

What ties these movements together? A simple truth: young people do not wait for permission to act.

The Leo Movement – Youth in Service

Within the Leo Club movement, youth find a structured outlet for leadership and service.

The Leo Club of Kataragama Bogahapelessa, though rural in origin, is rich in vision. Our projects have spanned:

• Tree planting campaigns across deforested areas
• Organizing book drives for under-resourced schools
• Workshops on digital literacy for school children
• Mental health awareness campaigns for post-COVID recovery
• Blood donation campaigns and food distribution in low-income communities

We have learned that you don’t need millions to make a difference. You just need a few willing hearts and a cause worth fighting for.

The Struggles Youth Face

Celebration is incomplete without acknowledgment of the barriers youth continue to face:

• Unemployment and underemployment
• Mental health issues, often stigmatized or ignored
• Political underrepresentation
• Access to quality education
• Climate anxiety and environmental collapse
• Cultural suppression, especially for LGBTQ+, disabled, or marginalized youth

In rural areas like Bogahapelessa, these issues are intensified by limited infrastructure, lack of digital access, and economic inequality.

It is here that community-based youth clubs like ours fill the gap. We become the bridge between what is and what could be.

Youth as Innovators

Innovation is the language of the young.

From garage start-ups to grassroots social movements, youth think differently. Why? Because they haven't yet been told “you can’t.”

Some of the world’s most disruptive technologies, artistic revolutions, and policy shifts were either created or inspired by youth under 25.

And right here in Sri Lanka, youth are designing agri-tech tools, mobile learning platforms, and renewable energy prototypes that can reshape entire sectors.

The Leo Club promotes this innovation by offering leadership labs, debate forums, and community problem-solving spaces where young minds are encouraged to ideate freely.

The Importance of Mentorship

While youth energy is immense, it is not invincible. Left unsupported, it can burn out.
This is why mentorship matters.

At Leo Kataragama Bogahapelessa, we pair younger Leos with experienced mentors — both within and outside the club. These mentors act not as commanders, but as guides — helping youth harness their fire without letting it consume them.

We don’t just lead the next generation. We walk with them.

A Story from the Field

Let me share the story of Nuwin, a 24-year-old from a farming family in our village. It's none other than me.I  joined our Leo Club with no formal leadership experience, shy even to speak in front of a group.

But  The best project for waste management was done by me and it was because of the experience from this writing society that I got to make the best project.

When they asked me what changed, I said:

"Before this, I thought helping people was only for the rich or educated. Now I know, I don’t need a title to lead — just a heart that feels."

This is the power of giving youth space to rise.

Youth & Sustainability

The theme for International Youth Day in recent years has been closely tied to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Why? Because if the world hopes to achieve sustainability by 2030, it needs its youth to lead the way.

Youth are not just advocating for the climate — they are:

•Building green start-ups
•Leading zero-waste movements
•Pioneering eco-tourism projects
•Reimagining sustainable agriculture

At our Leo Club, we’ve launched projects such as:

•Plastic-free Kataragama campaign
•Tree-planting drives on religious pilgrimage routes
•Riverbank cleanups and biodiversity awareness sessions in local schools

We are rooting the SDGs in local soil — quite literally.

The Way Forward – What We Can Do

International Youth Day is not the end of a conversation — it’s the beginning of a call to action.

Here’s what we propose:

1. Create more youth spaces in rural areas – for art, debate, and tech learning
2. Incorporate civic education into school curriculums
3. Fund youth projects with local government support
4. Train youth in entrepreneurship and financial literacy
5. Involve youth in local decision-making – school boards, community councils

Because inclusion is not a gift — it’s a right.

Final Thoughts,
On this International Youth Day, let us not offer empty praise to the youth. Let us offer platforms, protection, and power.

Let us invest not only in their ideas but in their growth, their safety, and their capacity to build a more humane world.

From the rural heart of Kataragama Bogahapelessa, to every corner of the world where a young person dares to dream — we say:

Keep going. Keep growing. The world is already shifting because of you.

Happy International Youth Day 2025!



Article By:- Leo Nuwin Weerasinghe

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

World Lion Day

Image
World Lion Day Every year on August 10, people around the world come together to celebrate World Lion Day, a global celebration dedicated to raising awareness of the majestic lion, one of the most iconic and revered animals on the planet. Lions symbolize strength, courage, and nobility in many cultures, and they are facing a silent crisis in the wild due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, and climate change. Lions are apex predators and play a critical role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. As top carnivores, they help regulate herbivore populations, which in turn affects vegetation growth and biodiversity. Known as the “king of the jungle,” they truly prefer open savannas and grasslands, but lions are deeply embedded in African and global cultural heritage – from ancient cave paintings to modern flags, proverbs and sports mascots. A century ago, more than 200,000 lions roamed across Africa and parts of Asia. Today, that number has dwindled to around 20,000. Lions now...
Read more

Thai Pongal Day

Image
Happy Pongal Day World Thai Pongal Day is a cultural and religious festival celebrated with great reverence and devotion by Tamil people all around the world. It is a festival closely connected with agricultural life and is observed to express gratitude to the Sun God, nature, farmers, and animals for their contributions to human life. The word “Thai” refers to the new month in the Tamil calendar, while “Pongal” means “to boil over” or “overflow.” This symbolizes prosperity, abundance, success, and fertility. Thai Pongal is usually celebrated in the middle of January every year by the Tamil community.  translate in sinhala The Thai Pongal festival is celebrated over four days. The first day is known as Bhogi Pongal, which symbolizes the removal of old and unwanted things and the beginning of a new life. The second day, Surya Pongal, is the main day of the festival. On this day, Pongal rice is prepared using freshly harvested rice, milk, and jaggery, and it is offered to the Sun God...
Read more

World Soil Day

Image
World Soil Day Every year on December 5th, the world comes together to celebrate World Soil Day, a global initiative to raise awareness about the importance of healthy soil and to promote sustainable soil management. This year’s theme, “Soil and Water: A Source of Life”, reminds us that soil is more than just dirt — it is a living, breathing ecosystem that supports all life on Earth. Soil plays a vital role in our lives. It provides essential nutrients for plants, stores water, supports biodiversity, and helps regulate the Earth’s climate. Over 95% of our food comes directly or indirectly from soil, making it a critical element in ensuring global food security. Yet, despite its importance, soil is often overlooked and misused. Human activities such as deforestation, excessive use of chemical fertilizers, industrial pollution, and poor agricultural practices have led to soil degradation, erosion, and contamination.  According to the United Nations, it takes more than 1,000 years to ...
Read more