By IDA

 - August 12, 2021

“For decades, young persons with disabilities have remained quite underrepresented in civil society movements as well as in other youth movements, but, luckily, this is a change in progress, and, in order to push this to move forward, IDA has created, together with its members, a network of young persons with disabilities. It is a unique platform to exchange experiences, and to talk about our practices and knowledge and to strengthen our strategies towards a better inclusion of ourselves into the SDGs.” – Güler Koca, Youth Project Assistant at IDA.

"...We join the rest of the world to commemorate the international day of youth. This year's theme is transforming food systems. Food systems are a very pertinent issue for young people with disabilities. We have observed during the pandemic how young people with disabilities have struggled to access food. Even when food has been distributed in some countries, young people with disabilities have been left out." - Peter Ochieng, a youth with disability from Uganda and a disabilities fellow at IDA.

This year’s International Youth Day theme was rooted in Sustainable Development Goal 2 – Zero Hunger – and is an opportunity to examine how governments, young people, and youth-led and youth-focused organizations, as well as other stakeholders, are transforming access to food and how these efforts are contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development without leaving anyone behind.

Young people with disabilities and mostly those with intersectional identities like young women with disabilities, indigenous youth with disabilities, etc. often face additional challenges to access food in a way that respects their rights and diverse requirements as well as it reflects and embraces their unique realities and identities. Studies show that “nutrition and disability are intimately linked: malnutrition can directly cause or contribute to disability, and disability can lead to malnutrition.”

Over the next week, IDA’s Youth Committee and the Youth Network will be showcasing video messages from young people with disabilities worldwide and sharing them across different platforms. Please like us on Twitter and Facebook to see more.

Read the concept note in Word and PDF.

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