Every August 12 for the past 10 years, the United Nations has celebrated International Youth Day, an initiative to promote better awareness of the World Programme of Action for Youth.

In honor of International Youth Day this year, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) has assembled a slideshow and a series of blog posts highlighting some inspiring stories about what people are doing to expand access to public education, teach leadership skills, and achieve other goals under the program. CIPE is a partner with the State Department in the “Democracy is…” campaign.

“CIPE has long understood that democracy and strong economies are mutually reinforcing; a society that provides opportunities for its young people allows them to become proactive, productive, and responsible citizens,” the organization said in a statement.

“Today’s youth are tomorrow’s political and business leaders. For progress and reform to take hold, young people must feel engaged and empowered to advance democratic and market-oriented reforms in their countries. Giving young people a voice helps to ensure their needs are met and helps to develop their abilities as citizens,” CIPE said.

Please take a look and share your thoughts!