International Youth Day 2023

To celebrate the 2023 International Youth Day on 12 August, BWI is calling on affiliates, partners, and young workers to take action along the theme “Just Politics: Better Future!" Let's spread the message that young working people must stand up for democracy, freedom and the planet to build a better and liveable world!

BWI Youth asserts that the world of politics have been dominated for several years now  by right-wing policies and forces. Workers are oppressed by various anti-labour acts, such as new labour law amendments that limit fundamental workers’ rights and criminalise trade unionism. 

BWI Youth believes that a future with decent working conditions, equality, and which is the product of a just transition, is only possible if governments are on side of the people in promoting their welfare, social rights and democracy. 

BWI Youth is against all kinds of right-wing political rhetoric that demonise pluralist and inclusive policies and unjustly criminalise social movements, young people, and activists. We do believe that people deserve pluralist, democratic, and rights-based societies. Every human being has the right to be respected and live with dignity.

With this, BWI Youth would like to mark this year’s International Youth Day theme by reminding ourselves that we need just politics in protecting human and workers’ rights. People’s interests can only be preserved by the movement of people who believe in progressive solutions to tackle the root causes of inequalities and unfair distribution of welfare which will lead the world to an equal and better place for all.

We call for action to demand just politics to build a better future and to demand democracy, freedom and protection of our planet.

In particular, the BWI calls on affiliates, partners, and young members to do the following:

• Download our IYD 2023 materials here.
• Take a photo with our International Youth Day Posters and send it to the BWI regional staff and/or BWI Global Youth Coordinator Gulsah Doruk at gulsah.doruk(at)bwint.org ideally by 07 August or post it on your social media with hashtags #Youth4BetterFuture #IYD2023 so we can repost.
• Change your social media profile picture and/or cover photo with our action posters!
• Record a video message by shouting out to your demands around the action theme and send it to us or let us repost it by using hashtags #Youth4Betterfuture #IYD2023
• If your union will organise an event to celebrate the day, share any visuals and content to announce it.
• Take over our Instagram one day in the week of 07 August to 12 August by contacting us to let our followers witness young workers’ ideas and demands around the action theme and to promote your actions and events on International Youth Day. 

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