Displaying items by tag: Youth

Eurasia Foundation (EF) has announced the launch of a two-year Justice for Underserved Youth with Disabilities (JUDY) initiative, which promotes the full social, economic, and political integration of youth with disabilities in Armenia and Moldova. EF works with local organisations, international disability rights experts, and youth advocacy experts to amplify the voices of youth with disabilities between ages 18 and 30. Lisa Coll, EF president, says, ‘JUDY addresses the unique challenges faced by youth with disabilities, both because of their age and entrenched cultural stigma around disability.’ While both the governments of both countries demonstrate interest in protecting the rights of people with disabilities, the legacy of Soviet-era policies and cultural stigma often complicate the work of disability rights advocates. Many institutions in both countries view disability as a medical topic, rather than a social and political issue that can change through concerted effort. JUDY will approach these challenges by involving organisations and experts with deep roots in the local disability rights communities. This collaboration will foster more open dialogue, build relationships, and provide support for youth-led initiatives.

News that Saudi Arabia is on course to host the 2034 football World Cup is grim. The country might not win the cup, but its capacity for state murder is world class: 112 killed this year so far and counting. However, the news should come as no surprise: its geopolitical power is rising and combining with vast wealth to ensure that objections to its human rights record are brushed aside by those in power. Before he was elected president, Joe Biden declared that Saudi would be treated as a ‘pariah state’ following the state-sanctioned murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. But once he was in the Oval Office, realpolitik intervened. His administration is now most concerned about China’s growing influence, which is why it has agreed to Saudi Arabia’s request for help in building a civilian nuclear programme - which critics fear could lead to developing nuclear weapons. US dollars could end up paying for the defence of a brutal Gulf regime that has undermined Western economies, helped Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by cutting oil supplies and keeping prices high, and continued with the catastrophic war in Yemen. In these terms, gifting Bin Salman the World Cup seems like a minor folly.

The Boys' Brigade, founded in Glasgow in 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith, marks its 140th anniversary as the world's first uniformed youth organisation. With a presence in sixty countries and over half a million members, it has remained committed to instilling Christian values in young lives. Regular gatherings involve Bible studies, prayer sessions, church services, and recreational pursuits. The late Queen Elizabeth II was their patron, a testament to the organisation's royal support. In honour of this milestone, the Boys' Brigade will plant an oak tree to commemorate its founder's legacy in a Heroes of the Faith woodland near Birmingham. This gesture symbolises the growth and steadfastness of the organisation over the years.

Governments in both Iraq and Lebanon struggle to function and pass legislation. Political parties tied to ethnic and religious groups vie for control. Iran-backed militias hold more power than the military. There are many parallels between Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq because the nation-state borders were drawn around them by colonial nations around a hundred years ago. Ethnic groups thrown together by these borders often find it difficult to make their own voices heard and cooperate. It is an ongoing process that is only successful if there has been a dictator or authoritarian government. There is government corruption. Young Iraqis are dissatisfied and  are opening their eyes to opportunities for truth. South Iraq is seeing a time of harvest among the Shia community.  Even though they face persecution by larger religious groups, they are boldly proclaiming the Gospel repeatedly to all peoples and all backgrounds or ethnic minorities or majorities in their communities. God is doing amazing things in the south.

The Church of England has joined forces with Christian charity Youthscape to help parishes connect with young people. The £1.29m project is being rolled out to 450 churches across the country after being trialled in Blackburn, London and St Albans. ‘It's really a hopeful approach to engaging with young people in a parish, looking into strategies and confidence building,’ the Church of England's Vision and Strategy team said, ‘It's about working with the church leaders to help them develop what might be the right next steps in their context.’ Churches will have access to a five-session Youthscape training course to help volunteers and youth workers formulate plans to work with young people in their parishes. Sometimes it's the simplest things that don't require a lot of money but require you to look and have insight into how young people are living in the parish and look at where they might be able to engage with them.

Cheaply-made fentanyl is made and distributed in rainbow colours by Mexican drug cartels to appeal to young children and teens. It is fuelling an addiction among American youth. The Drug Enforcement Administration says it is the deadliest drug America faces today. As Americans move further from biblical values, the effects are showing throughout the culture. Children are dying from fentanyl on school campuses while suicide, depression and anxiety rates are higher than ever before. 154 Americans die from fentanyl every day. Parents need to warn their children that fentanyl-laced pills are out there; more importantly, the youth of America need Jesus. They turn to drugs to fill voids and need to hear that God is the only one who can fill our voids and make us whole again. This is a growing national problem that will not be fixed until there are serious efforts to prevent drugs crossing the border.

This spring and summer across the British Isles, church members have been spending time and energy organising and preparing for youth camps and events in their locality. Now that the schools have closed for summer holidays, we can pray for the young people attending these camps. May they hear the Christian message in their hearts and not just receive head knowledge. Pray for an anointing from heaven to fall on every volunteer running these outreaches. Pray that they do not become fatigued physically or emotionally in the fast-moving environment of youth activities. Pray for God to renew their strength daily as they disciple their various age groups. Lord, be near this generation growing up in an era of stimulation, confusion, and social media. May You be the most real thing to them in a culture that offers temptation with things that look beautiful but are, in reality, empty.

Evangelical churches across Bosnia and Herzegovina will be putting on a series of camps for children, teenagers and young people across the country. Ask God to bless, strengthen, and protect the adults who have cleared spaces, prayed over them, and sought blessing for the young Bosnians. Pray for unity through these efforts, as well as much fruit. Pray for God to move in the young people, and for Him to raise up disciples who in turn also make disciples. Pray that the Holy Spirit would give the adults insight into how to pray for the youth coming to the camps. Pray that Jesus would move powerfully through His people. Ask Him to give the average church attender a desire to join in these prayer camps and that there would be unity in the Evangelical church.

The Public Accounts Committee supported the Department for Work and Pensions as it tried to help young people into work at what was expected to be a downturn in employment opportunities. But the £1.9 billion ‘emergency intervention’ Kickstart scheme has supported far fewer young people than predicted. Early delivery was chaotic and DWP ‘neglected to put in place basic management information that would be expected for a multi-billion-pound grant programme’. Also, despite more favourable than predicted economic conditions, many young people who joined Universal Credit when the pandemic started have remained on the benefit. DWP doesn’t know why these people are not in Kickstart jobs.

Lewis Keogh’s suicide note revealed a secret gambling addiction that he could no longer cope with. After his death his parents wanted to do something to prevent other such tragedies. They and other bereaved families designed a ‘Gambling With Lives’ teaching programme, telling 15- and 16-year-olds the risks of compulsive gambling. The programme pilots in 15 Northern Ireland schools and then across the UK. Its hard-hitting film tells the story of a teenager who starts gambling on arcade machines - as Lewis did. The film shows him becoming addicted and trying to cover up what is happening to him as his mental health worsens. Gambling With Lives is campaigning for tighter laws on gambling advertising, particularly in relation to televised sports events. An estimated 340,000 adults are ‘problem gamblers’, and 55,000 people aged 11-16 have a harmful gambling habit. Gambling compromises, disrupts, and damages family, personal and recreational pursuits.