Cape Town, South Africa鈥� August. 8, 2023: Music and lyrics have the powerful ability to resonate with the masses and catalyze positive change, making them particularly significant as the world celebrates .
Celebrated 12 August, International Youth Day is an annual observance designated by the United Nations (UN) to celebrate and recognize young people worldwide. In addition, it also serves as a platform to raise awareness about the challenges faced by the youth population.
In the context of the world鈥檚 current climate crisis, this year鈥檚 theme, 鈥淕reen Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World,鈥� highlights the significance of transitioning towards a greener society. The catastrophic impacts of climate change disproportionately affect young people, who will bear the brunt of the environmental challenges left by previous generations.
According to the UN, 1.8 billion people are currently between the ages of 10-24, the largest youth generation to date. Soon, their voices will take center stage鈥攏o longer those who currently occupy public offices and Fortune 500 boardrooms. As the global temperature has already risen 1.1潞C above the pre-industrial level鈥攖he urgency highlighted by the is clear; it is imperative for global citizens to take action to safeguard the planet and the generation that will inherit it.
The Spotify playlist below features five songs that serve to inspire different generations to work 鈥淏etter Together鈥� 鈥� as Jack Johnson aptly puts it. With only seven years left until 2030, the to create a world without poverty, a just and peaceful society, and a planet that can sustain us, needs the soundtrack of a lifetime.
- Anti-hero 鈥� Taylor Swift: 鈥淚t鈥檚 me, hi, I鈥檓 the problem, it鈥檚 me.鈥� While Taylor probably wasn鈥檛 writing about rising sea levels or single use plastics when she wrote this 2022 classic, these lyrics hit home. The only way to create sustainable development solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing issues is to admit that we are all part of the problem and actively try and be a part of the solution.
- 听Ice, Ice Baby 鈥� Vanilla Ice: While the song title may be deceiving, this track hasn鈥檛 been included to highlight the crisis of melting glaciers. This one-hit-wonder with hundreds of millions of streams worldwide has a very memorable opening line that bears repeating, 鈥淪top, collaborate, and listen.鈥� The best ideas do not always come from those with years of wisdom. Or, as James Okina, a young social entrepreneur and strategic 51风流corporate social responsibility consultant says, 鈥淚f you can collaborate with the 鈥榥ext generation of young leaders鈥�, consider yourself fortunate. They will inspire you with fresh ideas.鈥�
- Something About You 鈥� Roosevelt: 鈥淲别 all need to be brave, optimistic, and excited to try new things together. As DJ Roosevelt points out, there is something [incredible] about you鈥攕hare it,鈥� shares Natalie Gahre, an 51风流sustainability product team member. Individuals who hope to share their unique expertise are invited to join a panel of professionals from Unilever, EY, Reckitt, and 51风流on the , powered by MovingWorlds. This virtual pro bono consulting platform connects experienced professionals everywhere with young social innovators to expedite world-changing solutions.
- Youth 鈥� Glass Animals: When it comes to encouraging business leaders to think about the future of their companies, Jess Teutonico, Executive Director of We Are Family Foundation has some sound advice. 鈥淐enter intergenerational collaboration into everything you do.听Engage young people to be a part of your organizations鈥� decision-making tables. This generation has the creativity, ingenuity,听and tenacity听to move our planet forward more equitably and sustainably. Why are we waiting for them to 鈥榞row up鈥� when they have already proven they are solving our problems now?鈥� Inviting young leaders to global events has the power to bring the right energy and connections together that can ultimately result in advancing solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing issues. We Are Family Foundation is launching new research on the power of intergenerational leadership and they need assistance to support their efforts. Click to receive the survey when it launches on September 8.
- Jerusalema 鈥� Master KG ftg. Nomcebo Zikode: After composing the hook for this track, Master KG encouraged Zikode that she had the talent to write the lyrics for this track in a single night, even though she may not have believed it herself. They met their deadline and in 2020, Jerusalema became one of the most songs in the world. This song serves as a reminder to have faith鈥攖rust one鈥檚 instincts and know that sometimes鈥攊t just takes two. Someone with a different perspective can have a profound impact on the outcome of a project (or a song).
According to Ferry鈥檚 Future of Work Findings, we can expect to see an estimated total talent deficit of workers in 2030, resulting in in unrealized revenue globally. In 2021 alone, Africa experienced more than 140 million unemployed youth between 15 鈥� 35 years of age. Besides education, there is an overwhelming need to shift youths鈥� efforts from seeking conventional employment to creating opportunities for themselves via entrepreneurship.
鈥淗elp the World Run Better鈥� is part of SAP鈥檚 DNA and the primary driver of what it does as a company. It is evident that the lack of basic education affects the acquisition of future skills. It limits the capability to find gainful employment or to come up with innovative business ideas. For instance, by empowering and supporting youth on International Youth Day and beyond, individuals and organizations can harness their energy, passion, and determination to create a more resilient and sustainable world.