‘Global Voices’ is a project developed by ACT2gether Youth for young people globally. It aims at allowing people from different backgrounds to share their perspectives and talk about the issues that matter most to them, providing safe spaces to raise their voices and acknowledge that some problems and passions transcend borders.

The first Global Voices activity was an online LIVE discussion with four guests held in September 2021; amid various topics, mental health was the one that generated the most interest between both the guests and the audience. Mental health has become one of the most critical topics in light of the pandemic, rates of depression and other conditions in children, young people, and adults have risen. The topic is broad, and there was not enough time  to talk about the many concerns young people had around it; this is why the idea to dedicate an entire Global Voices campaign to mental health came up.

After many discussions among the  Youth Team, the mental health campaign is taking form and is ready to see the light. ACT2gether Youth will create activities to raise awareness and discuss mental health from March to June. 

Mental health is a vast topic; issues already raised by young people range from grief to the anxiety that young people are experiencing because of the lack of job opportunities, depression, eating disorders, and so forth. As such, we recognise the genuine issues many young people are facing. 

A2G Youth team is seeking to partner young people with a range of professionals in mental health to raise awareness and create dialogue around these sensitive issues. The campaign will develop interviews, social media posts, private conversations, workshops, and other activities. While our campaign will not shy away from complex subjects, we would like to provide balance and discuss positive mental health in theory and practical ideas.

Our quest is just beginning. Therefore, if you are a young person and want to help us create this programme, please get in touch with our Youth Participation Officer, Arshad Mozumder. Likewise, if you are a health professional and would like to support young people in this campaign, don’t hesitate to contact our Director of Child Participation, Darren Bird.

Arshad: arshad97@hotmail.co.uk

Darren: bird.darren.j@gmail.com