What does it mean to be part of a young international community and/or network?

A Mini Series: 5. Being Young Today

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Marilha Balieiro  age. 25 
Brazil

What does it mean to be part of a young international community and/or network?


Youth know what is right and what is wrong. We don’t always have words to explain what we see or how we feel, but we know.  


Because of this, it is so important to have programs like YIP or SOAR to find a way to express these things inside of us and discover that we have the support to put these thoughts and feelings into the world.

Being part of international community, you have this feeling that you are part of something much bigger. Maybe there is a war going on somewhere far away, but you know that you have a friend there that is near to this war. The war becomes closer and much more true for you. You don’t have the emotional distance any more. Everything means something.

 You also know that everything you do matters for the others and that people see and care about you. This network is the most important thing for youth that are doing things in this world. When you meet people that have this same concern for the world, you know that you are not alone anymore.