Obama lauds young people, says they have the ability to improve the future of humanity

By Winston Muleba JR, Zambia 

United States President Barack Obama says US is committed to providing opportunity for young people to ensure they are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also change agents today. 

He says whether it is ensuring boys and girls have equal access to education, building skills to strengthen youth leadership in civil society, business and academia, or providing a young entrepreneur with the capital and network to grow a start-up, US is investing in the potential of the next generation. 

“Through our Young Leaders Initiatives, nearly half a million young people are working together to learn from one another and effect change in their communities,” President Obama says. 

In a statement issued Today (yesterday), on International Youth Day, President Obama stated that youth are often the voices at the forefront of advocating for societies to advance and improve, whether on issues of human rights, technology, climate change, or healthcare. 

He added that youth should be celebrated because they have potential and power to shape the future of increasingly interconnected world. 

“With over half of the global population under the age of 30, young generations will find the solutions to some of our toughest global challenges. 

“From the activist in Nigeria fighting for disability rights, to the human rights advocate in Egypt defending the fundamental freedoms of all Egyptians to speech, assembly, and association, and the Paraguayan manufacturing low cost prosthetics, young people see a world of endless possibility and are not waiting to take action to do what is right,” President Obama stated. 

Meanwhile, President Obama described International Youth Day as the day of commemorating the energetic spirit of young people worldwide and their ability to improve the future of humanity.