Adolescence

Voices of Youth

© UNICEF / 2003

Voices of Youth (VOY) has provided young people around the globe with an opportunity to explore, discuss and take action on complex human rights and development issues since 1995. Its mission has consistently focused on exploring the educational and community-building potential of the Internet to facilitate the active and substantive participation of young people.

Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Voices of Youth draws strength from Articles 12, 13 and 19, which articulate young people's rights to participate in decision-making processes, to express opinions freely and to be equipped with the knowledge and skills that will empower them to bring about change in their own lives and in their communities.

Through online discussions, interactive quizzes, real life stories, youth activist profiles, photo essays, live chats and more, Voices of Youth provides young people with the opportunity to confront and grapple with issues such as HIV/AIDS, gender inequality, child rights, girls’ education and protecting children against violence, abuse and exploitation.

The website is updated regularly to dialogue and peer educate by 15-24 year olds from over 180 countries, more than 70% of whom are from developing countries and over half of whom are girls.  This gives VOY a unique connection to young people who are traditionally under-represented on the Internet and in the international community.

Voices of Youth also recognizes the urgent need to ensure that national and international policy and decision makers hear what young people have to say. Acting as a two-way communication hub, VOY enables young people and decision makers to interact and impact one another in a consistent and substantive manner, setting the foundation for youth-friendly and informed policies.

In their own words

With more than 250 million children employed under the age of 15, I think it is imperative that we as a society step in and intervene. During this time children should be in school learning, instead of working in a factory.
 J. Thomas, 14, Djibouti

I know for a fact that all over the world, children are being abused both sexually and physically. This is not right and something needs to be done to fix it. Children are young and their minds are still developing. If you perform violent acts around them, they will grow up to be juvenile delinquents, or even worse abuse their own kids. Some people just don't realize how special every child is, because they are all creations of God. I respect parents who know how to discipline without bad abuse. That is how I am going to be when I get older. Just remember that abuse is not right, and no one ever gave permission for it to happen. Thank you.
Susan, 15, USA

l am a Sudanese from Yambio and I have so much concern for my country the Sudan. Girls' education is a big issue which l hope our leaders will solve. l see so many girls drop from school because of so many factors. What can we do to stop this?
Christine, 17, Sudan

I believe that fathers should talk to their daughters about sex and take active interest in their daughters’ well-being. By this I mean, they should talk to their daughters about other men and trying to build their girls' self-esteem. I believe that this is an integral part of preventing girls from contracting HIV which leads to AIDS. My final point is that we should be allowed to ask exactly what we want to know concerning AIDS and sex, even though it may seem ridiculous or unusual to the adult or conservative person.
C. Wright, 15, Trinidad & Tobago

Hailing from the country of India, I have seen a lot of poverty around me and especially a lot of street children. Besides these there are also many problems related to the self esteem of young teens. I believe that young teens who have various facilities should get together and start forums and clubs in their own country and link them on an international scale to help their friends and counterparts of the world who suffer and cannot avail even the basic facilities of education. Also young teens can help other teens with their self esteem related problems and help to boost their self confidence because I believe every individual born on this planet has the right to achieve success whether the child is a boy or a girl, whether the child is rich or poor.
Nandini, 16, India