Youth Leading the Way: UNDP and MJDAC celebrate International Youth Day

Celebrating the power of youth in driving a digital and sustainable tomorrow

August 12, 2024

Dili, 12 August 2024 - UNDP Timor-Leste partnered with the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts, and Culture (MJDAC - portuguese acronym) to commemorate this year’s International Youth Day featuring a week-long series of activities designed to engage young people in digital innovation and sustainable development.

On August 12, the world celebrated International Youth Day (IYD) with the global theme of From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development which highlighted digital innovation's transformative role in advancing sustainability. UNDP in partnership with MJDAC, UN agencies, UNICEF and UNFPA, and other key development partners such as Plan International and World Vision, organised a week-long series of events that included digital competitions, a seminar on Youth Digital Skills in Sustainable Development, a Healthy March, and more.

UNDP Timor-Leste’s contribution started with the launch of the Ha’u mak #TLVizaun2034 digital campaignon multiple online platforms, a dynamic initiative designed to empower young people to articulate their aspirations and visions for their future and how they contribute to Timor-Leste. Alongside this digital campaign, a TikTok competition was held, to encourage all young people to share their ideas, and contribute to national development discussions. The competition highlighted the potential of digital tools to inspire change and foster a culture of innovation among Timorese youth.

A pivotal component of this year’s celebration was the Co-Creation Session held on Saturday morning, August 10th, at Fundação Oriente. This event brought together 25 young leaders and key stakeholders, including representatives from the National Parliament, the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, private sector and beneficiaries of the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills (YEES) project, jointly funded by KOICA, Gov-TL, and UNDP, to discuss and propose solutions for enhancing employment opportunities for recent graduates. The collaborative dialogue aimed to bridge the gap between youth and policymakers, fostering meaningful engagement in decision-making processes.

a colorful bus parked in front of a building

During the International Youth Day celebrations on August 12th in MJDAC, UNDP proudly showcased Demokrasia Bis, a mobile citizens lab packed with a podcast studio and survey equipments, designed to bring Youth Conversations Project to youth in rural communities across Timor-Leste. This project aims to amplify youth voices and increase their engagement in democratic processes, emphasising the value of inclusive conversations in shaping the nation's future. To commemorate this occasion, UNDP was honoured to host H.E. Nelyo Isaac Sarmento, Minister of Youth, Sports, Art, and Culture, as the first guest speaker of the Viajen Politika podcast to be recorded inside the bus. There he discussed the power of digitalisation as a tool for youth's participation and national development. Also on August 12th, at MJDAC’s celebrations, UNDP organised the Festival Kor, a vibrant event in which powder colour was thrown to the air, commemorating the colourful contributions of young people to the progress of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Timor-Leste.

Ms. Katyna Argueta, UNDP's Resident Representative, opened the speeches on behalf of the United Nations, stating, "There is an urgent need for all of us, as society and as a country, to work together to accelerate digital inclusion and support an ethical and sustainable development process. Timor-Leste is brimming with youthful enthusiasm and skill. On this International Youth Day, we encourage all young people to embrace digital technologies as a means of positively transforming their lives and communities. As a means to take control of your own development and destiny. As a means of transitioning from access to technology to empowerment while leaving no one behind."

On the same occasion, National Director of MJDAC, Mr. Firminio Quintas Dias, thanked UNDP for the unweavering support in ensuring the success of these celebrations.

This year's International Youth Day in Timor-Leste exemplifies the potential of teamwork in enabling young people to pave the road for a sustainable future.