'The future we want', Unicef ​​alongside young people, the challenge of post-Covid

On the occasion of the

of

(20 November 2020),

invites children, adolescents and young people to take action in their communities to tell the future they imagine for themselves and for the world after the COVID pandemic. 19.

In recent months, UNICEF has asked this question to thousands of young people through an online questionnaire designed by a group of peers.

From that survey "Future We Want" was born, a manifesto whose 10 points today become an ideal base from which to start again, beyond Covid.

The slogan of the initiative is

Life and family good for children during the lockdown

Teenagers living in Italy declare themselves satisfied with life in general - assigning 6.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. The economic well-being slightly exceeds 6.

Health is below sufficiency (5.9), in the assessment of which the perception of insecurity and fragility linked to the pandemic weighs.

This is what emerges from the Unicef ​​report 'The future we want' - Being adolescents at the time of COovid-19, born to know how the health emergency has changed the perception that adolescents in Italy have of their well-being, the impact that COVID-19 had lessons learned in their lives for a more equitable and sustainable future.

The environment in which adolescents live is the aspect with which they are most satisfied, rated with an 8.1, the family is also one of the aspects on which adolescents are most satisfied (7.6).

One in 3 teenagers think that relationships with family and cohabitants during the lockdown have improved;

however, 16% of respondents to the survey reported a deterioration in family relationships.

An alarming fact also emerges: 64% of adolescents, significantly 73% of girls and 53% of boys, think that home (or the place where you live) is not a safe place for everyone.

Anna Riatti: 'Covid opens new crises and exacerbates existing ones'

"UNICEF has always reiterated the importance of listening to and participating in young people. We wanted to link this message to the idea of ​​a more equitable and sustainable future, which it can be built only by listening today to those who will be its main protagonists, intervening on economic and social inequalities to allow all children and adolescents to enjoy this right, without any exclusion ".

This was stated by Anna Riatti, Head of UNICEF for the response in favor of migrant and refugee children and adolescents.

Carmela Pace, vice president of Unicef ​​Italy, recalled that "on November 20 we celebrate World Children's Day, this year more than ever we want to reaffirm that the rights of all children and adolescents count and must be respected and promoted every day , everywhere in the world. 2020 was characterized at all levels by COVID-19 which opened new crises and exacerbated existing ones, especially for children and young people, the most vulnerable. Poverty, education, access to the internet, psychological distress , health care, climate change: these are some of the priorities that require all of us to make a joint, sustained and sustainable effort, without forgetting or leaving anyone behind - he added - We must concretely help all children and young people in Italy and in the world. of UNICEF we celebrate this Day with the promise to continue to be present in the response to the pandemic and in guaranteeing support to the most

the.

"The pandemic has put everyone to the test, but we have returned to demonstrate for a better future. We are aware that change begins with us and this is the message we want to share with our peers", said Nafissa, a Younicef ​​volunteer and participant in the works for the Manifesto.