Delegate: Ms. Yarden Holzer (24 years)
33. Ms. Holzer (Israel), speaking as a youth delegate, said that in order to enact social change, States needed to go beyond legislation and focus on the youth, who represented the future of any nation. Cultivating social consciousness and active commitment from a young age was the most effective way to achieve a society based on equality and mutual understanding. To that end, Israel raised youth awareness about social development needs and empowered young people to challenge conventional paradigms and bring about change.
34. One of the key social issues impacting youth was the rigid definition of family, which could lead to struggles with identity formation and social acceptance. Though international civil society increasingly recognized the family unit as a fluid structure, the struggle for acceptance was ongoing. Israel strove to combat intolerance by instilling acceptance at an early age for the many types of family units that existed within its borders.
35. Intolerance of people with disabilities represented another challenge. Israel remained committed to upholding the rights of people with disabilities by fostering a more inclusive society, in addition to providing legal protection. Integration of people with disabilities at a young age was crucial. Many Israeli organizations worked to achieve that goal, such as Krembo Wings and Israeli Scouts, which had programmes that enabled youth with disabilities to participate in activities with other young people.
36.The social exclusion of older persons was also a global concern. Israel viewed its ageing population as an asset, both for their contributions to the past and their importance to the future. Therefore, the Israeli government and civil society strove to foster engagement between the youth and the elderly through various programmes and organizations that offered young adults the opportunity to learn from the knowledge and experience of older generations. That type of interaction engendered greater social awareness and more comprehensive social development. Israel was making far-reaching and varied efforts to educate and inspire the country’s youth to a life of social action in order to create a better future
UN Doc.: A/C.3/70/SR.3
Cite as:
UN Doc.: A/C.3/70/SR.3, 7 October 2015, p. 6, Youth Delegate Search: https://youthdelegatesearch.org/israel-2015/, doi: 10.17176/20221018-193212-0.