BWI Call for Action: International Youth Day 2025

Fists up for peace!

This 12 August, on International Youth Day, we raise our voices and our fists in unity and solidarity to call for peace.

A call from young workers of the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) across the globe, demanding an end to violence, war, occupation, and injustice, even as we share this message, people continue to lose their lives due to acts of violence by authoritarian regimes. See our global statement here.

From Gaza to Iran, from Israel to Ukraine, from Sudan to Colombia — we are now witnessing how conflict destroys lives, displaces communities, and steals futures. And it is young people who often pay the highest price. As young trade unionists, we know that there can be no decent work without peace, and no peace without justice.

The right to live is the most basic human right — and it is under constant attack. Every bomb dropped, every shot fired, every act of repression and every life lost in war is a violation of that right. As workers and unionists, we are not only defenders of labour rights — we are defenders of life, dignity, justice and humanity.

It is our duty to speak out and to organise until every person can live in peace and freedom.

Join us on 12 August 2025 and beyond and raise your fist for peace!

Here’s how you can take action starting from July to September:

• Share a photo or video with your fist raised with our action poster. Use the hashtag #BWIYouth4Peace #IYD2025 so we can repost your posts or send it to us to post!
• Organise a peace action in your workplace, school, or community – a discussion, a flash mob, a group photo or join a peace demonstration and tag us
• Speak out online: tell the world why young workers demand peace and solidarity, not war and division – by posting your own sentences or reposting our social media posts
• Create and share art, songs, or performances calling for an end to violence and militarisation
• If your union will organise an event to celebrate the day, share any visuals and content to announce it. 
• Download our campaign materials

Use our hashtags: #BWIYouth4Peace #IYD2025

Tag us: @BWIGlobalunion on Instagram and Facebook and X

Let’s make International Youth Day a global show of solidarity. Let’s remind the world that young workers are not silent — we are loud, united, and organised.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any other ideas or questions.