Talking About Our Generation

With some 1.5 billion young people between the ages of 12 and 24 in the world, we represent a tremendous opportunity to accelerate economic growth and reduce poverty worldwide.

In general, there is greater access to education and greater prevention of childhood diseases. More children are reaching young adulthood. With Internet and other technologies, we are also more aware of possibilities beyond the borders of our own communities, and have higher expectations about life.

In recognition of our increasingly crucial role in addressing global challenges like universal education and healthcare, employment, and poverty reduction, the World Bank's annual and highly influential report on development focuses for the first time on young people and our role in societies and economies.

Youthink! readers and young people from around the world submitted ideas and recommendations, many of which were included in the report. So, your input has directly impacted this year's World Development Report (WDR).

Invest Today, Benefit Tomorrow

Not surprisingly, this year's WDR concludes that countries who invest in their youth—of every age—can expect to see significant economic growth in the future.

Entitled Development and the Next Generation, the report also warns of the escalating costs and social unrest in ignoring young people's need for education, healthcare and jobs. It also encourages governments to create "youth friendly" policies that go beyond the traditional approach to services.

Programs should be developed that enable young people to invest in themselves by providing them with information and incentives to make good decisions. For example, in Bangladesh, monthly stipends encourage girls to delay marriage and stay in school.

Of paramount importance is the creation of "second chance" programs for those who have fallen behind, such as school dropouts, or youth who have been involved in armed conflict. Governments should invest in such programs, and provide vocational training, psychological help, and other forms of support.

• Getting an education. Many young people have trouble getting an education and staying in school. In Brazil, early school leavers cost the GDP a loss of $1.8 trillion.
• Staying healthy. Youth accounts for nearly half of all HIV infections. This age group is also vulnerable to substance abuse and early pregnancies.
• Starting to work. Unemployment rates for young people are 2–3 times higher than those of adults, and they constitute 47 percent of all unemployment.
• Beginning a family later. Mothers who have some secondary education have fewer children, and better educated parents have children who tend to be healthier and better educated. These factors lift families out of poverty in the long term.
• Becoming good citizens. Many young people do not have the opportunity for community engagement in their countries. They feel alienated and excluded from their societies, and often the need to belong is what drives young men to join gangs. 500,000 people under age 18 are recruited by military and paramilitary groups worldwide.