International Youth Day – August 12
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Toronto – August 10, 2017 – Around the world, August 12 is recognized annually as International Youth Day, an event established in 2000 as a means of raising awareness of the issues affecting young people globally.
This year's theme is Youth Building Peace, and is dedicated to celebrating the contributions of young people to conflict prevention and transformation, as well as inclusion and social justice.
As Canada's leading union for young workers, UFCW Canada has developed a number of programs and initiatives aimed at engaging and empowering young people in their workplaces and communities. For example, earlier this year UFCW Canada launched Incite – an initiative that aims to equip young workers with the tools and knowledge needed to effectively address workplace issues such as unpredictable scheduling.
As well, the UFCW Canada Young–Workers Internship Program (YIP) remains the country's premier training and education program for young labour activists, engaging more than 100 young member-activists annually. The Students Against Migrant Exploitation (SAME), meanwhile, educates thousands of elementary, high school, and university students on human and labour rights, and the plight of migrant and temporary foreign workers in Canada.
And this fall, UFCW Canada will be re-launching its young workers blog, known as Think Forward, where members will be discussing the benefits of unionization, how their union has helped them at work, and why more young workers should join the union.
UFCW Canada members and allies are invited to join the celebration of International Youth Day by sharing UFCW Canada's newest poster to honour and raise awareness of this important global event. The poster is available in both English and French.