About the International Youth Network
»Children have the right to be heard when their concerns are addressed.«
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 12
The right to participate is an important tool for achieving democratic, sustainable, child-friendly and intergenerational development within the institution terre des hommes. Our International Youth Network (IYN) creates spaces for meaningful participation and anchors youth participation at the institutional level at terre des hommes.
What does the IYN do?
Exchange and learning platform:
Strengthening the peer-to-peer approach through workshops on youth-related topics, train-the-trainer programs, video workshops, etc.
Mobilization for political campaigns:
Participation in global campaigns such as »Global Action Month«, support for the implementation of UN General Comment No. 26 and youth editorial team.
Advocacy and Lobbying: Supporting international initiatives such as the BMZ International Youth Forum on the implementation of the Action Plan on the Rights of the Child, as well as participating in conferences on topics such as climate crises and conflicts.
Questions & Answers
What are the IYN's goals?
- Content Focus on Strategic Goal 3 »Young Environmental Voices«: Strengthening youths in their role as young environmental citizens: special workshops and trainings, presentation of best-practise youth projects, strengthening the peer-to-peer approach.
- Support with the implementation of terre des hommes' overall strategy for child and youth participation.
- Strengthening the participation of children and young people at the institutional level at terre des hommes.
- Creating more opportunities for youth-led projects.
- Expansion of international youth meeting formats on environmental issues.
- Accompaniment of post-phase activities to the General Comment No. 26.
How is the IYN connected?
- By e-mails and meetings coordinated by Anna Büschemann as contact person at terre des hommes Germany, as well as through many regional focal persons for youth participation in the Co-ordination Offices
- Currently, about 80 young people from all regions are also connected to each other via an IYN WhatsApp group.
What are Youth Delegates?
- Every five years, youth delegates from all of terre des hommes project regions participate in the terre des hommes Delegates Conference, where they have an active say in shaping and deciding on strategy and focus topics for the subsequent five years.
- In every region, they are elected at regional partner meetings and youth platform meetings which are organised by the regional offices.
What is the International Youth Delegates Group / Youth Board?
- The International Youth Delegates Group consists of the youth delegates elected for the previous delegates' conference, and their substitutes.
- The group follows up the previous delegates' conference and prepares the transition to the next Conference with peer-to-peer work.
