Use Your Voice: Amnesty youth campaign

The right to vote has extended to 16 and 17 year-olds. Now, Amnesty's 'Use Your Voice' campaign invites young people to share their ideas for the positive change they want to see in their communities and beyond.

Find all the resources you need to get involved here.

Amnesty UK is inviting young people to Use Their Voice and share their ideas for the positive change they want to see in their communities and beyond, helping to uplift human rights for all.

Enter the competition - Youth Groups are invited to share their Use Your Voice vision by 1 May via email to [email protected]. The group with the best vision will be awarded expenses-covered places for 5 young people to attend Amnesty UK’s national conference – Amplify over 27-28 June. Read on to get involved.

With the right to vote now extended to 16 and 17 year-olds, young people will have a direct say in shaping our society and in decisions about our lives, education and communities.

But a vote only matters if it’s backed by the freedom to speak out, share ideas, and push for rights-respecting schools, communities, and futures. Use Your Voice is your space to speak openly about what needs to change, share ideas for a fairer world, and work with Amnesty UK to bring those ideas to life.

From a listening campaign in school, to speaking directly with decision-makers and organising for local change, your ideas will then help shape a national Youth Manifesto and campaign led by young people across the UK.

Note: we’ve written these materials with groups in mind. Individual youth activists are also welcome to take part!

To get Use Your Voice started, find out what human rights issues young people in your school care about through having listening conversations and collecting their responses on a postcard. Aim for at least 30.

Resource – Listening Postcard - download your own or request a package be sent out: [email protected]

Resource – How to have a listening conversation

Next, you’ll take what you have heard in your conversations and shape a powerful vision for the human rights change you want to create.

Turn your vision into a colourful and creative poster.

Resource – Vision making guide

Resource – How to facilitate a vision session

Resource – Poster example

Send your group’s poster to [email protected] by 1 May.

The group with the best vision will be awarded 5 expenses-covered to attend Amnesty UK’s national conference – Amplify over 27-28 June.

Amnesty UK’s Children’s Human Rights Network will then review all the visions and build a national Youth Manifesto and next campaign to directly tackle one of the human rights challenges that has been identified by young people across the UK.

We will invite all participating groups to online discussions to refine the campaign and get involved!

Use your vision as a driving force to engage with your community. Reach out to your local MP, host youth-led hustings, ask meaningful questions and champion human rights locally.

To help with planning, reach out to [email protected] to arrange a conversation with the Amnesty Youth Team