Young People Must Be Heard: An International Message of Solidarity
The International Federation of Settlements and Neighbourhood Centres (IFS) stands in solidarity with the young people mobilising across France and with our colleagues in the French Federation of Social and Sociocultural Centres (FCSF).
At a time when many countries are asking why young people seem disconnected from public life, events in France offer a different perspective. Young people are engaging. They are organising, speaking out and making their views known about issues they believe will shape their future.
The FCSF captured this challenge powerfully in a recent statement:
“It is not up to young people to find their way back into the democratic framework. It is up to the democratic framework to find its way back to young people.”
That message reaches well beyond France.
Anyone working in a settlement house, neighbourhood centre, social centre or community organisation will recognise the tension. Young people are often encouraged to participate, but when they do, the response is not always to listen. Genuine participation means more than providing opportunities to be heard. It means taking what is heard seriously.
Message from the IFS President
“Every day, across our global network, we see that when young people are given the space to lead, they do so with courage and clarity. The events in France remind us all. We cannot celebrate youth leadership in principle while ignoring the concerns young people raise in practice. IFS stands alongside the FCSF and supports the right of young people to have their voices heard and respected.”
Melissa Aase
President, International Federation of Settlements and Neighbourhood Centres
Young people are not simply future leaders. They are members of our communities now. Their experiences, ideas and perspectives matter, and communities are stronger when they have a real say in the decisions that affect their lives.
Across the IFS network, community-based organisations create spaces where people come together, build connections, address local challenges, and help shape their communities’ future. Supporting young people to do the same is vital to that work.
The strength of a democracy is measured not by how often it speaks about young people, but by how seriously it listens when they speak for themselves.
Today, we extend our solidarity to the young people of France, the FCSF, and all those working to keep participation, dialogue, and respect at the heart of community and democratic life.
