UN YOUTH FLASH
Vol. 6, No.10, October 2009
WELCOME to the UN Youth Flash, a service of the United Nations Programme on Youth to keep you informed about the work of the UN on youth issues. You are encouraged to use and forward the information below to other networks. This update is prepared with input from UN offices, agencies, funds and programmes, and from youth organisations around the world.
In this issue:
Feature: Focusing the Youth Agenda: Poverty and Hunger
News from UN Agencies
Youth in Action
Publications
Calendar of Events
FEATURE: Focusing the Youth Agenda: the World Programme of Action for Youth
The World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) is a useful tool for local and national Governments, IGOs, and NGOs championing youth issues around the globe. To assist with its implementation, the United Nations has worked with its partners and Member States to develop a set of goals and targets that can help to shape youth-targeted interventions. This month’s feature is the sixth in a 10-part series that will familiarise our readers with the WPAY and its related goals and targets. On the occasion of World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, commemorated on October 16th and 17th, respectively, the focus of this issue is on youth and poverty and hunger.
To read more about the WPAY and to access the full text, please visit http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/global.htm.
Focusing the Youth Agenda: Poverty and Hunger
Poverty has various manifestations. These include hunger and malnutrition, ill health, limited access to education and other basic services, homelessness and inadequate housing, unsafe environments and social discrimination. During their transition to adulthood, young people are at particular risk of falling into poverty as they meet new challenges such as leaving home, finding employment and starting a family. However, estimates about the number of young people affected by poverty are difficult to obtain, as young people are neglected in poverty research and income poverty is usually measured at the household level. Although young people constitute a large part of the population of less developed countries, they are seldom identified as a target group requiring specific support, interventions and budget outlets. Focusing on young people, however, is essential for successful and sustainable poverty reduction strategies and for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, many of which are related to issues affecting youth specifically.
Since poverty is a multifaceted problem, it requires a comprehensive approach. As being poor and young often entail being excluded from decision-making processes, it is of particular importance to ensure that the needs and rights of disadvantaged young people are addressed in national policies and poverty reduction strategies. This holds especially true for girls and young women who are often not granted the same rights and opportunities as men. The first goal of the WPAY concerning poverty and hunger seeks to eradicate extreme poverty among young women and men using a multifaceted approach. It has the following targets:
1. halve, between 2005 and 2015, the proportion of youth-headed households living in extreme poverty, while ensuring that female youth-headed households are not disproportionately impoverished;
2. halve, between 2005 and 2015, the proportion of young women and men without access to water, sanitation, electricity, health care and other basic services;
3. ensure that young women and men, through youth organizations, are involved in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national development and/or poverty reduction strategies;
4. halve, between 2005 and 2015, the proportion of youth without adequate shelter or housing;
5. between 2005 and 2015, increase by 50 per cent the proportion of young women and men with access to microfinance or other financial services.
Although poverty and hunger are often interlinked, it is important to address hunger from additional perspectives. Hunger is the number one risk to health worldwide, especially in rural areas. Access to nutritious food is not only necessary for good health, but also for leading an active life, including full participation in education and employment. Young people are particularly vulnerable to hunger and all its negative consequences, as they are among the groups with the highest caloric needs. In many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa 1-5% of youth are severely underweight and more than one third consume less than the dietary minimum. Nevertheless, many countries do not gather youth-specific data on hunger and malnutrition and do not focus their efforts to reduce hunger on this age group. The second goal is therefore to ensure equitable access to safe and nutritious food for all young women and men, with the following targets:
1. halve, between 2005 and 2015, the proportion of young women and men suffering from hunger;
2. halve, between 2005 and 2015, the proportion of young women and men living without secure access to safe and nutritious food;
3. ensure equal access to timely food aid for young women and men in crisis situations.
To learn more about the goals and targets related to youth and hunger and poverty please read the Addendum to the Report of the Secretary-General A/62/61 & E/2007/7 available at http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/library.htm#reports.
For more information, contact the United Nations Programme on Youth at youth@un.org, or visit http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/global.htm.
NEWS FROM UN OFFICES
(Find out more about the work of United Nations system organizations on youth issues at: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/agenda.htm).
FAO: “Food Security and Climate Change Challenge Badge” inspiring youth to act
During the World Food Day events on 16 October 2009, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Youth and United Nations Global Alliance (YUNGA), the World Association of Girl Guides and Girls Scouts (WAGGGS) and other partners launched the new Food Security and Climate Change Challenge Badge.
The badge covers different topics on climate change, food security and what children and young people can do to reduce their footprint and how they can get involved in their local communities. The badge will be made available to the over 10 million member of WAGGGS and also to schools and youth groups. At the launch event special guests Anggun, Fanny Lu and Valentina Vezalli gave out certificates to the children and young people that completed the badge during the pilot phase of the badge development.
For more information please visit: www.fao.org/climatechange/youth/en/
ILO: Youth employment programmes in sub-Saharan Africa
The ILO and the Danish Commission for Africa, in partnership with the Secretariat of the Youth Employment Network, have come together to address the youth employment challenge in a number of countries of East and West Africa. More specifically, the Programme in East Africa will aim to improve employment prospects of young people by supporting self-employment and entrepreneurship initiatives among young people. Within its first two years, it is expected that a gender-balanced number of 5,000 new youth-led businesses will be established and that overall 35,000 jobs for youth will be created. In West Africa, the ILO programme will promote technical, vocational and skills development programmes, including through upgrading informal apprenticeships, that target out-of-school youth. The proposed multi-level, integrated approach will address, in particular, gender and youth-related issues that impede young women and men’s access to decent work in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It will build youth’s capacity to design, start and grow sustainable enterprises.
ILO: Training workshop on Building Effective Youth Investment Programmes
The ILO held the Inter-agency course on “Building Effective Youth Investment Programmes” at its International Training Centre from 5-9 October 2009.
The interagency team consisted of ILO, UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank, as well as the Council of Europe and the GTZ. The objective of the course was to equip practitioners of countries of the MENA and Eastern European regions with tools and techniques for developing youth policies and programmes in the areas of employment, health, education and active citizenship. Case studies based on policies and projects on youth employment and empowerment ranging from Egypt to Serbia were used. The second edition of this course was highly interactive and allowed networking among representatives of policy makers and practitioners from government agencies and NGOs of different countries.
More information about this course is available from http://www.itcilo.org/en/flyers/2009/a901373/view or email emp@itcilo.org.
UNESCO: High-level regional forum of Best practices in youth policies and programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 4-6 November 2009
The event will gather Ministers, policy makers, intergovernmental organizations, key regional NGOs and young experts from different countries of the region to develop policy recommendations, to award prizes in recognition of successful experiences and practices, and to analyze trends and challenges in the fields of youth policies and programmes in the region.
The event is coordinated by UNESCO's Section for Youth, Sport and Physical Education; with the cooperation of the Inter-American Development Bank's IDB-Youth programme, in collaboration with the Mexican Institute for Youth and the Institute for Youth of the Sate of Jalisco, Mexico. The Forum will take place within the framework of a broad-based inter-agency initiative organized by, among others, 7 UN agencies; the IDB, OECD, CYP, OAS and OIJ.
To find out more or to register on-line to participate, go to: http://youthpractices.ucol.mx/register/form.php?idioma=en or write to b.alcalde@unesco.org
UNESCO: Call for participants
Draft UNESCO SHS Global Strategy on Youth: online youth consultations for the Arab-States region and for Europe & North America.
The UNESCO Social and Human Sciences' Sector (UNESCO SHS) is currently developing a Global Strategy on Youth to guide its action until 2013. The Strategy will be finalized through a participatory process involving a wide range of partners at all levels. Having a convening role in this process, UNESCO is seeking feedback on the Strategy and identifying region-specific priorities.
In this context, two regional online youth consultations will take place in November 2009: one for the Arab-States region and one for Europe & North America. These consultations will enable youth in these regions to contribute to the finalization of the Strategy and to the formulation of regional priorities. To find out more or participate in the online consultations, please contact: m.kypriotou@unesco.org
UNESCO listens to youth: 6th UNESCO Youth Forum, Paris, France, 1-3 October 2009
From 1-3 October, prior to the 35th General Conference of UNESCO, 128 youth from 89 countries and 84 observers representing 68 organizations took part in the 6th UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris to discuss the main theme, “Investing out of the crisis: towards a partnership between UNESCO and youth organizations”. The UNESCO Youth Forum is a unique mechanism, allowing youth to regularly contribute to the highest decision-making body of UNESCO every 2 years since 1999.
In recognition of the role of media in social change, a global call for participants was launched and five youth journalists (one from each UNESCO region) were selected to provide internal and external media coverage of the Youth Forum. These young journalists were selected not only because of the importance of media as an advocacy tool, but also to ensure that youth issues are spoken about by youth themselves.
Further information on the Forum is available at http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.php-URL_ID=10997&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
For information on the youth journalists, visit their blog http://unescoyouthforum.wordpress.com or contact Christopher Hermanus at c.hermanus-reid@unesco.org
YOUTH IN ACTION
Young people speak out at the United Nations General Assembly, New York
Over twenty UN Member States from all regions included youth delegates in their official delegations to the 64th Session of the UN General Assembly. While in New York, the youth delegates delivered statements to the Third Committee of the General Assembly on behalf of young people from their countries. The youth delegates highlighted climate change and its effects as the greatest concern of young people around the world, in particular its impact on the most vulnerable. The lack of youth participation in decision-making processes, youth unemployment and the importance of education and sport in reaching the MDGs were also discussed.
The youth delegates also organized side events during the General Assembly on topics like Climate Justice, Youth in Armed Conflicts, Youth unemployment and Youth participation.
For more information about the youth delegates programme please visit: www.un.org/youth
PLURAL+ Pre-Selection Process underway
The call to action has been heard and youth from around the world (ages 9-25) have submitted their videos on migration and identity for the PLURAL+ Video Festival 2009. The pre-selection process for the festival is now underway and, out of about 200 submissions, 25 will be selected and viewed by the award-winning international jury. In association with the UN Alliance of Civilizations and International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Paley Media Center will be hosting the PLURAL+ Video Festival on 18 December, 2009, as part of International Migrants Day.
The PLURAL+ Video Festival will showcase all of the award-winning videos and one director from each age category will be flown in to New York City to receive their award in person on behalf of the IOM.
All details about the PLURAL+ Video Festival, including our list of exciting awards, are available at www.unaoc.org/pluralplus.
BluMail.org: a “make-a-difference” communication platform
BluMail.org, a global email, education, networking and activism portal for the millions of active youth who are coming online in developing countries, is now building an Alliance of international NGOs, the private sector and United Nations agencies.
The BluMail portal, powered by Google, is available to any youth group or network as an easy to use, free, and content rich communication platform containing word and excel sheets, shared calendars, contact lists, IM, video conferencing, instant translations, and many other action features.
The complete list is available online at: www.blumail.org All interested NGOs, can contact info@blumail.org for more information.
OIF: Seeking youth organizations to support videoconferences during the Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen
The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) supports active youth participation in decision-making processes, in particular in the area of sustainable development. To support youth participation in the context of COP15 in Copenhagen later this year, OIF is organizing a series of videoconferences between 7 and 18 December. These videoconferences will enable youth from around the world to follow the climate conference live and to dialogue with experts and negotiators. To help organize the videoconferences in different countries and cities, OIF is seeking youth organizations working on sustainable development and/or ICT issues. About 30 mini grants of maximum 300 Euro each will be presented to youth organizations to assist them in organizing the sessions. Applications from youth organizations will be accepted until 4 November 2009. For more information on the application process, please visit http://jeunesse.francophonie.org
Online global debate during COP15
Debatewise.com, a debating web site based in London, in cooperation with the British Council and the International Debate Education Association, is in the process of forming a 1,000 strong panel of young people from around the world to engage young people in a global debate on issues around the Copenhagen summit.
As the conference proceeds, Debatewise.com will assign the youth panel debate topics based on the issues that arise, proposals put forward or decisions made. Some members will create the debates, others will vote on the arguments. In this way Debatewise.com aims to provide a sense of what young people around the world think of what is happening in Copenhagen.
Debatewise.com seeks to offer young people a chance to participate in Copenhagen without them needing to leave home. All they need is a computer, an internet connection, reasonable English skills and a passion for the environment.
For more information and to participate please visit: www.debatewise.info/cop15
Rwanda Human Rights Delegation for Young Leaders, Rwanda (28 December- 11 January 2010)
Global Youth Connect, an international human rights organization, is pleased to accept applications from young leaders (ages 18-30) for its winter international human rights delegation to Rwanda. Human rights delegations are a unique, first-hand opportunity to cross cultural boundaries and learn about the daily reality of human rights as experienced in a complex and increasingly globalized world. Each delegation weaves together three core sets of activities: site visits to local organizations, hands-on fieldwork projects, and a human rights training workshop with local youth activists.
This delegation will explore the roots of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, how this legacy of violence has impacted the country and its people, particularly Rwandan youth, and also how the country is attempting to rebuild today.
For detailed information please visit: www.globalyouthconnect.org/participate, or contact GYC Rwanda Programme Director Jesse Hawkes directly at jesse@globalyouthconnect.org.
Multimedia guide on European and International Programmes
The multimedia guide on European and International programmes and initiatives in the fields of youth, culture, education and training; participation and active citizenship; work; and human and civil rights is available online at http://www.right-to-information.eu
The guide contains about 3000 pages of information, official guides, application forms, contacts lists, and web lists. The use of the guide is completely free as is subscription to the newsletter "EuroNews", where information and updates on European programmes and opportunities are posted every second week.
For further information please visit: http://www.right-to-information.eu
PUBLICATIONS
(For UN documents on youth, visit: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/library.htm).
Dreams Deferred: Educational and Skills-building Needs and Opportunities for Youth in Liberia (Women’s Refugee Commission)
The report is based on an assessment in Liberia in July 2009 to gather information to inform efforts aimed at helping young people earn a safe, dignified living and contribute to the reconstruction of their communities. In collaboration with young people and stakeholders in the areas of education and skills training, the Women’s Refugee Commission also took stock of the experience of post-war training efforts to date, documented existing programmes and developed recommendations toward addressing gaps in services and strengthening interventions.
This field assessment was part of the Women’s Refugee Commission’s global research and advocacy project that aims to increase the scope, scale and effectiveness of educational and job training programmes for displaced, conflict-affected young people aged 15-24 years. For more information, please visit www.womensrefugeecommission.org/programs/youth.
The report is available at: http://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/docs/liberia_youth_report_2009_final.pdf.
New Child and Youth Development Note (World Bank)
The Children and Youth Unit of the World Bank has published a new Youth and Development Note. The note “Youth investment in the World Bank portfolio” provides a summary of World Bank projects targeting youth during Fiscal Years 1995-2007. The purpose is to identify trends in lending and grants in terms of loan amounts, the number of projects, sectoral emphasis, and regional distribution. The note is available at:
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTCY/Resources/395766-1186420121500/YDNiii2_InvPortfolio.pdf
Study on global and regional patterns of mortality in young people published in The Lancet (World Health Organization)
The World Health Organization's (WHO) Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development (CAH) has worked over the past few years to develop the first global and regional estimates of mortality in adolescents and young people. This culminated in the publication of a paper in The Lancet on 11 September entitled "Global patterns of mortality in young people: a systematic analysis of population health data".
The study found that 2.6 million 10-24 year olds die each year; 97% of them in low- and middle income countries. The main causes of these deaths are road traffic accidents, maternal conditions, suicide, violence, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
To read the full paper please download it from The Lancet's
web
site: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60741-8/fulltext
CALENDAR OF YOUTH EVENTS
(Please send us information on major international youth events that do not appear below)
16-18 November: World Summit on Food Security (Rome, Italy)
A World Summit on Food Security will be held in Rome from 16-18 November 2009 to address the worsening situation of global food insecurity which is being aggravated by the economic crisis. As part of the summit a Civil Society Forum will be held from 14 to 16 November 2009 to give civil society constituencies their own platform to contribute to the summit. Youth will be a major constituent with other groups such as farmers, indigenous peoples, women and international non-governmental organizations.
For details on the summit see: www.fao.org/wsfs/world-summit/en/ or contact reuben.sessa@fao.org
16-18 November 2009: 6th SAYEN Regional Meet - Managing Climate: My responsibility and I can (Islamabad, Pakistan)
The 6th SAYEN Regional Meet - Managing Climate: My Responsibility and I can, will be organized and hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan and jointly conducted by the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), SAYEN and UNEP.
For further information please contact Gopal Kumar Jain, Programme Coordinator, Youth Programmes, SAYEN Secretariat, Centre for Environment Education, E-mail: gopal.jain@ceeindia.org, Website: www.sayen.org
30 November - 4 December 2009: UNICEF Children’s Climate Forum (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Ahead of the UN conference on climate change in December, children and adolescents (aged 14-17), from 42 countries will meet in the Danish capital to agree on recommendations for world leaders.
For more information visit www.unicef.org.
2-6 December 2009: International Seminar on EuroMediterranean Voluntary Work (France)
This seminar aims to introduce the EuroMediterranean Voluntary service and its impacts and encourage new initiatives in the Euromed Region. The seminar targets promoters, members of NGOs, representatives of institutes and public bodies who are already experienced in the voluntary work and/or European Voluntary Service and wishing to share their experiences and to exchange practices on volunteering.
For more information and to apply please visit http://www.salto-youth.net/euromedevsfrance/
7-18 December 2009: United Nations Climate Change Conference COP15 (Copenhagen, Denmark)
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change entered into force on 21 March 1994. The Convention sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle climate change and recognizes that the climate system is a shared resource whose stability can be affected by industrial and other emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The Convention enjoys near universal membership and has been ratified by 192 countries. A number of nations had approved the Kyoto Protocol, as an addition to the treaty with more powerful (and legally binding) measures. The Protocol’s first commitment period ends in 2012. A strong multilateral framework needs to be in place by 2009 to ensure that there is no gap between the end of the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period in 2012 and the entry into force of a future regime. COP15 (Conference of Parties) in Copenhagen is a vital step in this process.
For more information, visit: http://www.cop15.dk.
24-29 of January 2010: The Hague International Model United Nations Youth Network
The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) Youth Network hosts annual Youth Assemblies in The Hague, The Netherlands. THIMUN is an international network of youth that come together to learn how to create successful projects to raise awareness about different global issues. The network will be hosting its next conference from January 24-29, 2010.
More information about the THIMUN Youth Network and its Assembly can be found here: http://www.thimunyouthnetwork.org/index.php?p=t_conf_14
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