Youth
The economics of 2033
Barry Eichengreen, Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California,
The economics profession has not had a good crisis. Queen Elizabeth II may have expected too much when she famously asked why economists had failed to foresee the disaster, but there is a widespread sense that much of their research turned out to be irrelevant. Worse still, much of the advice proffered by economists was of little use to policymakers seeking to limit the economic and financial fallout.
Will future generations do better? One of the more interesting exercises in which I engaged at...
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February 11, 2013
The rise of the Millennials
Justin Keeble and Peter Lacy discuss the importance in harnessing youth power
One wonders whether the average age of participants at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos is rising or falling year on year. But now that we have returned to our day jobs, it’s clear we should be making more of an effort to connect with the young.
There was much discussion about building a more resilient and sustainable growth trajectory in Davos. Three themes struck a chord and will continue to resonate for some time yet:
The growing influence of young people, given that over 50% of the world’s...
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February 6, 2013
Why we must close the education gap
Education is crucial to develop the world’s most valuable resource: youth.
In a world where 61 million children are not in primary school and 25,000 girls are forced into marriage and taken out of the education system each day, it is incumbent upon the international community to close the education gap.
Every child and young adult should have access to learning, so they can acquire the right skillset to succeed in their lives. To achieve this, urgent action is needed. Addressing the problem involves financing schemes, training programmes, teacher development and resource sharing. Most...
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January 23, 2013
Training and employing youth, looking to the future
I’m heading off to the World Economic Forum in Davos to talk about training of young people, to me a major challenge that will have profound impacts upon the world we live in if we do not address it properly. This places it at the heart of our work at Friends-International.
Youth unemployment is rising dramatically across the world – 75 million are affected: a rate of unemployment 3 times higher than for adults! 10% of these are categorized as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). With little improvement in sight, there are heavy consequences: immediate negative economic and...
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January 21, 2013
Empowering youth to right the wrongs of society
From gender inequality and lack of education in developing worlds to gun control issues in North America, children today are inundated with images of violence and pain. Instead of fearing, or worse, taking an apathetic stance towards these acts and challenges, we need to encourage and engage youth in topical discussions on how to take tangible, compassionate actions that lead to solutions and, therefore, a better future.
My brother Craig and I started our journey of creating Free the Children after Craig read the story of Iqbal Masih, a former child slave in Pakistan who was shot and killed...
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January 18, 2013
Unemployed or unemployable?
As we think about the challenges we will face in 2013, unemployment remains at the top of the agenda. As a 26-year-old, I keep asking myself whether we are a scarred generation or if society will be able to create the 600 million productive jobs needed over the next decade.
According to the ILO, young people are three times as likely as adults to be unemployed and more than 75 million young people worldwide are currently looking for a job. Yet, the young are not the only ones affected by the deteriorating labour markets. Millions of adults have also lost their jobs as a result of the crisis....
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January 4, 2013
Addressing the 100 Million Youth Challenge
Addressing the Youth Challenge, Perspectives on Youth Employment in the Arab World in 2012 is a collection of essays by members of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on the Arab World. The report is published to provide a direct response to the Arab world’s uniquely high level of youth unemployment in order to help sustain the early economic gains in terms of political stability and economic promise that have followed in the wake of the Arab Spring. These cover the following topics: social innovation and new approaches to the employment challenge, determinants and challenges...
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June 4, 2012
What if frustrated young people see no alternative to terrorism?
Ikram ul-Majeed Sehgal, who has rehabilitated former terrorists, on the risks of allowing hopelessness to take root. The interview is part of the Risk Response Network’s “What if?” series.What is your main field of expertise and current research? I am the Chairman of the Pathfinder Group, which is the largest private security company in Pakistan. Our 18,000 guards provide security for diplomats, banks, commercial properties and multinational organizations and we protect both the American Embassy and the United Nations building which are prime targets for terrorists. I also moonlight...
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May 4, 2012
The new movers and shapers: How a millennial generation came of age
Now that 2012 is in full swing, it is time for a little nostalgia trivia from my favorite of all decades: The ’90s. Where were you on New Year’s Eve, 1999? Think back. When the clock struck midnight, it was the end of an era, the end of a century, and possibly the end of the world as we knew it. In the collective imagination, the New Millennium, like all New Years, held with it the hopeful promise of the unknown. And as a teenager that night, I remember watching and waiting to see how the world would change.I am part of a Millennial generation that essentially came of age after the year 2000...
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April 26, 2012
Empowering youth
I strongly believe that all of the participants that will come together for the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Puerto Vallarta, regardless their age, where they come from or what they do for living, are committed in some way to improve the state of the World, as I am.Youth will be represented this time with a group of 15 Global Shapers from Latin America. As the youngest member of the group and one of the Mexicans, I am aware of the responsibility that comes with the honor of participating in the different sessions that will address our region’s most important challenges. I’m...
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April 17, 2012
What if the unemployment time bomb explodes?
Labour expert Stephen Pursey explores the disastrous consequences of failing to provide jobs for the world’s bulging population of young people. The interview is part of the Risk Response Network’s “What if?” series, which explores various hypothetical risk scenarios.What is your main field of expertise and current research? I study the world of work and how it connects to the global economy. As the Director of the Department of Policy Integration at the International Labour Organization, it is my job to try and connect the work of the ILO with the work of other international organizations in...
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March 22, 2012
Christine Lagarde’s advice to a high school student
Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, offers a few words of wisdom to high-school student “kingalex178″ as part of the World Economic Forum’s Ask a Leader campaign.Ask a Leader invites people from around the world to join the debate at Davos by posting questions for participants on Facebook or Youtube. You can view all the video responses collected so far here.Pictured: Christine Lagarde in the social media corner at the World Economic Forum. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
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January 28, 2012
Advice from the young to the old
Young global shapers are the latest addition to the World Economic Forum population.Young people, with already a great track record. They have a unique podium, a direct interaction with the global leaders. No risk of getting lost in translation, they bring their message loud and clear. Their message is unusually positive.A “can do” mentality and lots of evidence to prove their points.If they want one thing: “Take us seriously. Give us a chance, let us do the things our way”.No complex deliberation of policy and politics, but concrete action on issues that really matter: innovation...
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January 26, 2012
