On 17 May 2023, young people from communities in the favelas and outskirts of Rio de Janeiro participated in a graduation ceremony for the capacity-building program within the Pact for Youth project, a partnership between the Rio de Janeiro City Hall and UNESCO in Brazil.
The Special Secretariat for Youth in Rio de Janeiro has implemented the Pact for Youth, seeking to build sustainable and inclusive communities in Rio de Janeiro and support the most vulnerable population in the city by creating opportunities for young people through leadership, citizenship and income generation.
The Coordinator of Human and Natural Sciences at UNESCO in Brazil, Fábio Eon, participated in the graduation ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
The project is aligned with three priorities of UNESCO's youth strategy. The first is to prepare young people for adulthood, helping them build essential skills for the 21st century and become productive citizens; the second is to allow young people to participate in society; finally, to make young people the central actors in designing these projects. The Pact for Youth precisely translates it: they are young people working on neighbourhood programs of the project, helping their surroundings, and creating solutions for their communities.
After seven months of the project's implementation, 430 young people completed their training program, which focused on four areas: culture, technology, sustainability, and sport. UNESCO's work in Brazil is committed to youth, supporting innovation, social change and development, and promoting a culture of peace. In this sense, partnerships are essential in elaborating and implementing a national policy dedicated to youth, besides formulating, executing and monitoring youth-oriented programmes.
The project was born to offer more access to study for our young people. When we give opportunity to young people, they can fly very high.
Ana Clara Gomes is an 18-year-old student who lives in the Campo Grande community in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro. She is part of the first group of young graduates from the Pact for Youth. She is currently working at the Rio Youth Secretariat.
