[caption id="attachment_113227" align="alignright" width="248"] "UNFPA #showyourselfie event in Kerman"[/caption]
Kerman, Iran – “As young people, we represent a strong human resource and the future workforce of Iran. We embody the future elements of Iranian families and the country,” says Leila Ahmady, a 20-year-old bachelor’s degree student in health studies, and an Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) youth volunteer.


Maryam Silavi, 30: “Young people are in a strong position to come up with new ideas for making our communities better places to live.”
As part of a week-long IRCS training in Kerman on reproductive health in emergencies, funded by UNFPA, Leila and 31 other young Iranian women representing 24 Iranian provinces, took some time off from the intensive training to be a part of UNFPA’s exciting new campaign, #showyourselfie, by taking selfies of themselves and talking about why youth should be central to the future development agenda.
According to 24-year-old SabaBakht, a bachelor’s degree student from Lorestan province, “Young people are creative, strong, and open-minded. We’re the generation that will build the future of our country.” Over the past decade, Iran has experienced a youth bulge. Today, the country’s large cohort of people between 15 and 29 makes up around one-third of the population.


 



Zahra Akbari, 27: “Youth are the capital of Iran, and we have huge capacity. We’re filled with energy, and we are ready to make positive change.”

As the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approach their deadline in 2015, world leaders are debating what the post-2015 development agenda will look like. While young people were not in focus in the MDGs, UNFPA is advocating for youth to be at the center of the roadmap for the world’s development over the next 15 years.

#Showyourselfie is a global campaign launched by UNFPA and Global Citizen, urging world leaders to prioritize the needs and rights of young people post-2015.

 




Leila Ahmady, 20: “As young people, we represent a strong human resource and the future workforce of Iran. We embody the future elements of Iranian families and the country,”

30-year-old social worker Maryam Silavi from Khuzestan province in southern Iran says, “Young people are in a strong position to come up with new ideas for making our communities better places to live.” Adds 27-year-old Zahra Akbari, a school nurse from Tehran: “Youth are the capital of Iran, and we have huge capacity. We’re filled with energy, and we are ready to make positive change.”

"UNFPA #showyourselfie event in Kerman"

By United Nations In Iran

 

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