(hell, yeah) Scarleteen

The French have a saying: “Si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait” which roughly translates as “If only youth knew, if only age could”. It’s a take on the world which is definitely on the side of “glass half-empty”. If I’ve translated it correctly, it’s saying that the young know nothing and the old can’t do anything, so we’re all doomed. Which is rubbish.

At the end of September, I enjoyed one of the most invigorating gatherings in my career at IPPF. Summits, conventions and conferences often offer participants little more than an extended near-death experience, but to my delight this was lively, dynamic, challenging, provocative, positive and full of hope.

It was staged by IPPF and its member association in Norway (Sex og Politikk) with support of the Norwegian government. It was titled the Emerging Leaders’ Summit and it brought together 40 people, all under 30.

Together, they set out the biggest challenges limiting the lives of young people in the 21st century. Together, they agreed on the action they would take and formulated a “Roadmap for the 21st Century”.

They weren’t focusing solely to a sexual and reproductive health and rights agenda. It’s long been IPPF’s contention that ensuring that young people are informed about sex and sexuality and have open access to the services they need is about far more than personal health.

Knowing about one’s body, understanding about one’s rights, learning about how relationships work, discovering that sex is about shared pleasure, and becoming aware that sex – in the profoundest way – is based on respect and tolerance. These lessons have ramifications far beyond any individual relationships. They are lessons which, once learned, turn young people into mature and active citizens.

Read the rest at The Guardian here.