Young people are changing society: 3 winners of the "Dream it. Do it. »

In line with our changing times and considering contrary to some that young people are hyper active, inventive, and agile actors to change the economy and society on a more empathetic, collaborative and much more human and ethical basis .... I invite you to discover the Ashoka Awards, June 2012 "Dream it.Do-it" whose press release follows.

The first edition of the Dream it, Do it! » d’Ashoka has just chosen its 3 laureates among the 9 pairs of young people accompanied since March. On June 6, a colourful evening, these leaders of projects of a societal nature, who are less than 22 years old, were rewarded. This competition is part of the "Young Changemakers" programme, the French version of the "Jeunes Changemakers" programme. YouthVenture (5,000 accompanied young people in 20 countries since 1997), and is only the beginning. In 2012-2013, 200 young people will participate throughout France, and more than 10,000 will be made aware of social entrepreneurship.

The three awards:

- Hope Prize : Viveka Anandane & Oviya Latchoumanassamy (17 and 15 years old), Project "Feed The World", intend to fight against food waste, by collecting / redistributing food with people in rehabilitation, and by raising awareness of this problem among school children/families.

- Coup de Coeur Prize: Karim and Hassen Belal (18 and 14 years old), Project "Move Human", want to change society's view of youth and fight against discrimination and stereotypes, by giving young people throughout France the opportunity to express themselves through videos made particularly in working-class neighbourhoods.

- Grand Jury Prize: Arnault Martin & Quentin de Jerphanion (16 and 17 years old), "Music For All" Project, offer free music lessons to underprivileged young people, to give them access to the self-esteem and self-fulfilment they find in this practice.

Given the desire expressed by 70% of young French people to act to change things in society, but their low rate (15%) of taking action, it seems important to help them to make this desire a reality. The Young Changemakers programme aims, by empowering them, to transform society's vision of young people and young people's vision of themselves.

In France, this programme adapts the YouthVenture programme launched in 1997 by Ashoka to enable young people to discover at an early age that they can "change the world" close to home. The idea is to encourage them to take action on the problems they see in their immediate environment, and to support them in the development and launch of their project. Active in 20 countries, in particular the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Germany, YouthVenture is aimed at 12-24 year olds and already involves more than 5,000 young people. Its ambition is to create an international movement of "young actors of change".

{Jacuzzi on}