Empowering Global Youth Leaders: Madrid Retreat Unites Visionaries to Build Skills and Combat the Global Road Safety Crisis
Empowering Global Youth Leaders: Madrid Retreat Unites Visionaries to Build Skills and Combat the Global Road Safety Crisis
August 29th, 2023. Madrid. YOURS - Youth for Road Safety and the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety will host the first Youth Leadership Retreat on Road Safety from 29th August - 1st September in Madrid, Spain, to build new skills in tackling the biggest killer of young people globally; road traffic crashes. The Retreat is supported by Spain’s Fundación MAPFRE, who will host the training at their Madrid headquarters, and counts on the financial support of YOURS long-lasting partners, TotalEnergies Foundation and MICHELIN Corporate Foundation.
23 exceptional young leaders from 18 countries representing all sectors of society have been selected to participate in the retreat to build on their outstanding leadership qualities and level of local community influence. This 4-day intensive training experience aims to maximize participants’ leadership and practical advocacy skills to demand and deliver road safety and sustainable mobility globally and locally.
The Global Youth Coalition, which consists of over 1700 young leaders from around the world, was set up in 2020 by YOURS to unify a global youth movement for road safety. It takes a unique approach to place young leaders at the centre of organizational decision-making via various youth leadership structures who will undergo a specially-curated learning curriculum using the multi-award-winning YOURS Capacity Development approach.
Executive Director of YOURS, Raquel Barrios, said. "We are excited to bring together 23 talented young leaders dedicated to changing the road safety reality they have inherited and that is affecting their lives. At YOURS, we assert that meaningful youth participation is essential if we want to address the global road safety crisis and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); therefore, we are investing in young leaders, so they can continue acquiring new skills, expanding their networks, and creating stronger connections that will enable them to lead with renewed vigour and passion."
The retreat not only aims to be a transformative experience for the participants but will also be a key contribution to their understanding, dedication, and passion for creating safer roads and sustainable communities globally. The legacy of this retreat will be seen through the initiatives, projects, and innovations that these young leaders will lead long after the retreat is over.
"We are excited to witness the transformational impact that this retreat will have on the lives of these young leaders and the world at large. It is an honor to welcome such an important initiative in our country and our organisation. At Fundación Mapfre, we promote change through education, particularly targeting children and young individuals. Safe Mobility requires an active participation of young leaders in order to reverse current negative trends, achieve a less vulnerable, safer, and more sustainable world,” said Jesus Monclus Gonzalez, Prevention and Road Safety Director at Mapfre Foundation.
YOURS’ mission to amplify the collective voice of young people to lead and deliver road safety and meaningful participation is supported by esteemed stakeholders such as TotalEnergies Foundation, Michelin Corporate Foundation, the World Health Organisation, MAPFRE Foundation, and other notable global and local organisations. Together, they are creating a future where youth voices are at the forefront of shaping the narrative of our communities.
“There is no more deadly threat to young people than a road traffic crash; as such, it is only fitting that young people are at the heart of rethinking mobility and creating safe and sustainable mobility, ” notes Etienne Krug, WHO Director of the Department of Social Determinants of Health. “This first Youth Leadership Retreat on Road Safety will be an excellent occasion for youth leaders from 18 countries to enhance skills, build networks and chart ways to contribute that fully engage them in all aspects of the decision-making process.”
For more information about the Retreat and how to join the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, visit claimingourspace.org
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
About the Participants
Young leaders from 18 countries will be represented at the Retreat, including Argentina, Cameroon, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Spain, Tajikistan, Uganda, the United States, and Zimbabwe. All young leaders are active community leaders leading road safety actions, interventions and advocacy. Most have significant experience in presenting road safety in national and international arenas.
Context on road safety
Annually, road crashes claim the lives of 1.35 million across the globe, making it the biggest killer of young people aged 15 to 29, above HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, or homicide. The Global Goals have two targets closely related to road safety:
Target 3.6 – To halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030
