Let’s get non-cognitive baby! A new approach
We live in a world where youth are “the affected”. They are not the ones who create policies or choose the direction in which our society goes. We do not look to youth for answers.
But what if we did?
I know a group of Red Cross Red Crescent youth leaders who are ready to take on this challenge. They know that the change they want to see in the world starts within themselves. They know that they need to develop skills in order to inspire change and to help others create the change they want to see in their own communities.
Youth from around 40 National Societies have been jointly working on a project with the Principles & Values department in the Secretariat in Geneva to create a skills-based toolkit to empower youth as agents of behavioural change. This is a totally new concept for our Movement. No PowerPoint presenations or teachers giving lectures to students this time.
Instead, these young leaders are using peer education through games, role-plays, sports, music, dance and art to develop the skills to change attitudes, behaviours and mindsets. Their motto has become “Let’s get non-cognitive Baby!”
For those of you who will be coming to the 150th anniversary celebration of the Movement in Solferino, you may very well see many of them. They will be involved in the 5 workshops that Principles & Values will conduct. They will be there to help others develop the skills to become YABC and change their own communities. Each one of them has an amazing amount of experience, ideas and hope. Talk to them. Ask them questions. Share ideas.
Youth are an enormous source of strength for our Movement and they are making their voices heard.
