Nothing about youth, without youth: Empowering Youth for Livable Cities program launches in Vietnam

Image Caption: Students using the AI&Me Youth Engagement App to report high-risk roads in their community in Ho Chi Minh City (Image credit: AIP Foundation)

Original article from AIP Foundation

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam – November 18, 2024

Building on the success of the AIP Foundation ’s innovative Big Data and AI road safety program that recently concluded,?AI&Me: Empowering Youth for Safer Roads, we are now proud to launch the newest program championing youth rights in Vietnam: the?Empowering Youth for Livable Cities?program. This new program harnesses the power of youth and empowers youth to drive positive changes in the development of their communities and ensure their voices are not just heard but are actively contributing to shaping their future.

The?Empowering Youth for Livable Cities program will run throughout Vietnam from 2024 to 2027 and is a collaborative effort between AIP Foundation and its key partners, Fondation Botnar , FIA Foundation , iRAP , and YOURS - Youth, for Road Safety, focusing on the following areas:

–?Digital Tool Activation:?The tools piloted in the first phase will be enhanced to create more accessible, user-friendly platforms that amplify youth voices in mobility issues.

–?Youth Agency Promotion:?The program will empower young people to translate their ideas into effective solutions and confidently present them to decision-makers.

–?Stakeholder Engagement:?The project will strive towards creating enabling environments where young people’s voices are heard, respected, and accounted for in decisions towards improving road safety and building liveable cities.

The?Empowering Youth for Liveable Cities?program encourages policy-makers in Vietnam to meaningfully engage with young leaders at all stages and levels of policy and decision making.

Youth acting now for a safer future: The world today has more young people than ever before in our history. 1.8 billion young people, 90% of whom reside in developing countries, define today’s world’s demographics. City planning has always been a top-down process driven by governmental bodies. Now, youth’s growing numbers and demands are forcing a shift towards more inclusive urban development.

In Vietnam, cities are yet to be made for young people to live healthy and fulfilled lives. Motorized transportation is dense, the noise level is high, the air is polluted, and green spaces are lacking. Overall, city planning has been the domain of authorities, leaving out the voices of young people – an ever-growing demographic with distinct desires for the spaces they inhabit. This leads to policies and infrastructure that do not reflect youth needs, with road crashes as the second leading cause of death for children and young adults.

The?Empowering Youth for Livable Cities?program will tackle this by empowering young people with the knowledge and skills about safe and sustainable mobility and amplify their engagement in shaping their communities into vibrant, livable cities.

Useful resources:

– To read more about the successes of the AI&Me program, please click?here.