The Youth Engagement Committee (YEC) is a team of young changemakers from across the ICYE Federation, committed to strengthening youth participation and leadership within the network.
At ICYE, we believe that youth are not just beneficiaries of our programmes — they are leaders, innovators, and drivers of change.
The YEC ensures that young voices are heard, valued, and reflected in everything we do.
The Youth Engagement Committee is a global team of young people from different regions, officially founded on 6 March 2024. Bringing together representatives from Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe, the committee is united by a strong commitment to volunteering, youth empowerment, and intercultural work. Through reflection and collective action, the YEC promotes anti-racism, gender equality, and decolonisation.
The YEC was created to ensure that youth voices are heard, valued and reflected in how ICYE grows and evolves. ICYE recognises them as active contributors to decision-making, campaigns and organisational development. Members of the YEC are current or former volunteers, youth leaders, or young staff within ICYE National Committees — all committed to making volunteering more inclusive, equitable and impactful.
The YEC is made up of passionate young people from ICYE National Committees around the world.
Members are current or former volunteers, young ICYE staff, or youth leaders who are actively involved in their national organisations and committed to inclusive youth participation.
By creating space for youth leadership, the YEC helps ensure ICYE remains responsive to the needs and aspirations of young people. YEC members bring fresh ideas, critical perspectives, and a deep commitment to intercultural learning, global justice, and solidarity.
Beyond strategy, the YEC connects young people across borders through campaigns, workshops and collaborative initiatives that centre youth perspectives and voices. They work to expand youth engagement within ICYE’s governance, influence policies, and build partnerships that strengthen intercultural learning, solidarity and global justice.
A defining moment in YEC’s development was its first face-to-face meeting in Nairobi, Kenya in August 2024 — a historic gathering of young representatives from around the world. There, they deepened intercultural dialogue, shared experiences, and co-created an Action Plan to guide the committee’s work in the coming years. This plan reflects young people’s priorities, including increasing diversity in volunteering, addressing inequality in the sector, and advancing efforts to decolonise volunteer narratives.
If you are an active young person within the ICYE network and want to contribute your ideas, energy, and perspective, you can get involved. Contact your National Committee or reach out to the ICYE International Office to learn about current opportunities to participate.
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