Young Australians are identifying the issues that matter most to them and stripping world peace and justice of their beauty pageant ideology.

“A just world sounds a little Miss Universe. But I think a just world is one of those ends that we all strive for. As much as it is an abstract concept it really does underpin almost everything that we do day to day.” That is Anna Carrig, the Convener of the UN Youth National Conference talking about the 2012 Conference theme “Striving for Justice.”

High-school students from around Australia, New Zealand and Japan discussed global issues at the week-long event in Melbourne from their perspective as global citizens. “Having a concept of yourself as a global citizen really helps to come a little bit closer at least to developing some of those solutions that do really drive us towards a better world,” said Carrig. She said that the diversity of participants made the conference a great success. “One hundred students, 10 from each state and territory, 10 from New Zealand and 10 from Japan were brought together for a week of model UN debates, workshops, and other fun social and cultural activities.”

The outcome of the conference was a youth declaration that was passed on to government and the Secretary-General’s office on seven global issues including people in climate and human rights. “Thinking about climate change, and human rights and understanding the conflicts that are going on and the way the United Nations plays a part in negotiating those issues will give students a better tool kit for understanding the significance of these issues.”

By understanding international affairs Carrig said the students' perceptions of local and national issues were also developed. “I think understanding the world abroad gives people a better perspective not only on international issues but also national issues and other concepts that apply to them.”

Looking closer at the local issues of young people is the Australian UN Youth Delegate, Dan Ryan. Ryan is travelling around Australia on a listening tour discovering the local issues and concerns of young people in order to represent the broad spectrum of backgrounds of Australian youth to both government and the United Nations.

“It is a unique opportunity for young Australians to have their voices represented in decision making to politicians and, ultimately, to the United Nations in an address to the General Assembly that the Youth Delegate gives to the Third Committee in New York.”

Documenting his listening tour online, young Australians are posting solutions their communities have made to solve social problems they have faced. “Whether it is to upload a solution, tweet, fan, like or share it is really a place they can have their voices heard and contribute to sharing positive solutions in action’ said Ryan. He added, “before I even go to politicians or the United Nations young people are already helping each other, and one community is learning from another community, one school from another school, and one state from another state.“

The main themes arising from the listening tour are the importance of schools as community builders and issues around health and indigenous rights. “There is a very strong focus on young people being empowered to play a role in their community and to identify what solutions for social problems are working” stressed Ryan. Social solutions featured on the website include the use of dance to breakdown race and gender stereotypes, peer-mentoring programs on drugs and alcohol to offering legal graffiti walls.

Both Carrig and Ryan agree that the energy, enthusiasm and passion for change of young people offers an honest and unique insight into international issues. “Young people can do some incredible things: they are not limited by expectations or what has happened before,” said Ryan.

He reminded, “it’s their future, and as the world becomes increasingly more complicated with issues around climate change especially, the decisions older people are making are influencing young people in a way like never before.”

UN DESA

System Wide Action Plan on Youth Survey

The Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development is developing a System-wide Action Plan on Youth (SWAP). The SWAP focuses on five thematic areas: Employment, Entrepreneurship, Education, including education on sexual and reproductive health, Citizenship and protection of rights and Political inclusion. In late July and early August, the UN reached out to youth and others for their inputs for the SWAP, by conducting an on-line survey. The UN received over 13,500 responses from 186 countries. An overwhelming majority of the respondents were under 30.

Although there are some regional variations youth are genuinely concerned about the lack of coherence between the education that they receive and the demands of the labour market, and they are demanding improved vocational education in the classroom and workplace, including (paid) internships and on the job training schemes. They are also concerned about the quality of education that they receive. The results of the survey clearly demonstrate that young people are dissatisfied with the curriculum that they are offered.  This echoes the findings of the 2011 World Youth Report on Employment, which was based on inputs from young people, where a key conclusion was that the education that youth receive does not adequately prepare them for the needs of a dynamic labour market.

Young people are also concerned about education on sexual and reproductive health, where respondents pointed to a lack of teachers who are adequately trained to deliver comprehensive sexuality education as well as a lack of effective curricula and learning materials. The survey indicates that youth have a strong appetite for increased human rights education, the promotion of a concept of global citizenship and volunteerism. The survey also shows that youth experience a lack of support from authority figures and a lack of trust for government institutions and political parties. Subsequently, the respondents call for the promotion of youth leadership, capacities and skills.

The full results of the survey will be distributed soon.

International Youth Day 12 August 2012

To commemorate International Youth Day 2012, the Division for Social Policy and Development - Youth (DSPD) organized six Google+ Hangouts from 8-10 August around the areas identified by the Secretary-General in his five-year action agenda which identified working with and for youth as a top priority. These areas include: Political Inclusion, Citizenship and Protection of Rights, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Education and Education on Sexual and Reproductive Health.  The Hangouts aimed to share information and good practices and to stimulate discussion on the role of the UN, Member States and civil society in better ensuring and developing partnerships with and for youth. Participants included: UNDP, Forum for Youth Investment, UN-Habitat, MTV, Mexican Institute of Youth, Major Group on Children and Youth, Gap, ILO, USAID, YMCA World Alliance, Cornerstone Global Associates, UNIDO, Digital Opportunity Trust, Kenya, UNESCO, United Natives, Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity, the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the UN, the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, and the Guttmacher Institute.

Young people and other stakeholders around the world were invited to pose questions to the Hangout participants and to share comments using social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Google+ Hangout.

If you missed the hangouts, you can still check them out by visiting:

http://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedNationsDESA/videos?view=0

In addition, why not check out our map of events being held by young people all over the world to celebrate International youth Day here: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/iyd2012.html 

 Or, read our interviews on the topics of the hangouts which we conducted with key UN partners:

http://social.un.org/index/Youth/InternationalYouthDay/IYD2012/Interviews.aspx

UNDP Somalia

Commemoration of International Youth Day in Mogadishu:

UNDP, in collaboration with the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and Center for Research and Development, brought together 80 young Somali women and men from various regions of Somalia to mark the International Youth Day on 12 August in Mogadishu. As part of the celebrations, and to signify peace and signs of growth in Mogadishu, young Somalis planted trees in three key locations—at the Somali Youth League compound, Banadir Administration compound and the National Theatre-- in Mogadishu in the presence of TFG representatives, including the TFG State Minister of Youth, Labour and Sports, Hon Abdullahi Sheikh Ali.

At a workshop held on Monday 13 August, the young Somalis discussed the importance of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and analyzed issues that hampered their empowerment. They also expressed their views on ways in which they could partner with other state and non-state actors to improve their prospects for youth employment and entrepreneurship, political inclusion, exercising their citizenship and educating young Somalis. Through a live radio call-in show that followed the workshop, young Somalis were able to discuss the challenges they face in being able to contribute positively to their society. The discussions held at the workshop and on the call-in show were aired live simultaneously on five local radio stations to increase the general public’s awareness of issues that Somali youth face. This also mobilized several young Somali men and women from across the country to call in to voice their opinions on these crucial issues.

ITU- International Telecommunication Union

1) ITU-TELECOM WORLD 2012 – The Young Innovators Competition
The ITU Young Innovators Competition  is open to socially-committed 18-25 year olds involved in ICT-based initiatives, relevant to one of the issue areas: Education, Youth Employment, Empowerment of Women, Human Rights, Healthcare, Environmental Sustainability, Transparency, Cybersecurity.

Submissions could be concepts: well-researched ideas that have not yet been implemented; or projects at a more mature phase, in need of support to scale their impact.  

A selection committee of experts will identify 12 finalists, who will receive 3 000 - 10 000 CHF, depending on the need expressed in the business plan and the specificity of the concept/project. In addition, finalists will benefit from special visibility at ITU Telecom World 2012 in Dubai, where they will have a chance to pitch their ideas to investors and receive training via engaging workshops on social entrepreneurship and business. The finalists would also have access to a network of mentors to help them throughout the way.

Contact: young.innovators@itu.int

2)TU and telecentre.org Foundation announced a partnership to support “Youth employment & Youth entrepreneurship” through the use of ICTs during the Connect Americas Summit

On the occasion of the Connect Americas Summit held from 17-19 July 2012 in Panama City, Panama, the Development Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the telecentre.org Foundation (TCF)have announced that their two organizations are launching a new partnership to support social inclusion and facilitate the integration of young people into the employment market and create incentives for youth entrepreneurship, through the provision of ICTs relevant to education and training.

Under this new partnership, ITU and telecentre.org Foundation will collaborate to develop and deliver curricula aimed at increasing young people’s ICT skills, effective communication and personal development. The partnership will address the challenges of integrating young people into the employment market by providing them with appropriate skills and knowledge and promoting self-development to help them find employment or develop their own businesses and thus contribute to social and economic development.

Both ITU and telecentre.org will collaborate on developing the “Youth employment and Youth entrepreneurship” training programme.For its part, telecentre.org Foundation, will make its telecentres available to young people, in particular those from disadvantaged socio-economic environments, and will use its proven expertise in the delivery of training by its telecentre managers, including initial materials developed for the “Youth employment and Youth entrepreneurship” training programme, as well as establishing learning and evaluation mechanisms to ensure the participating youth achieve the targeted skills. ITU will also translate the curriculum of the “Youth employment and Youth entrepreneurship” training programme into three United Nations official languages.

The Parties will also join forces to mobilize resource and attract additional partners.
Contact: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/sis/index.phtml

Multi-stakeholder Post-2015 Agenda meeting

Together with Children and Youth Engagement in Post-2015 Agenda

In early August over 40 participants representing youth-led organizations, CSOs, UN, private sector and academia met for two days in New York to coordinate and harmonize their efforts to enhance child and youth participation in the formulation of the agenda that will succeed the MDGs after 2015.

The meeting –organized by the UN Millennium Campaign in collaboration with the UN Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development, the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service, CIVICUS, GCAP and the Beyond 2015 campaign– counted with the presence of Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for Post-2015 Development Planning.

In acknowledging the fundamentalism of youth participation in the development of a Post-2015 agenda, the meeting called for a Child-Youth Declaration on Post-2015.

To read more about the outcomes of this meeting check out the press release, 16 August 2012, here: http://endpoverty2015.org/en/press-release-children-and-youth-august
For further information please contact: Ravi Karkara – karkara@un.org

UNODC

The UNODC Youth Initiative aims to empower and connect youth from around the globe to become active in their schools, communities and families for the prevention of substance abuse. If you’d like to create a Youth Initiative in your community we’d like to help make this a reality by providing financial support. Through funding from the Japanese Drug Abuse Prevention Centre (DAPC), grants of between $4,000 and $8,000 are being considered to support youth groups in low- and middle-income countries. These funds aim to help initiate projects and empower youth to take a more active role in their communities and in drug use prevention. The deadline for applications is 15 September 2012, with more information and application forms available from the Youth Initiative web page: www.unodc.org/yout

UNCDF

YouthStart

YouthStart, a UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) programme funded by The MasterCard Foundation aims to reach 200,000 youth in Sub-Saharan Africa with demand-driven financial services and non-financial services, in particular savings and financial education, by 2014. As of August 2012, US$7.8 million has been awarded to 11 Financial Service Providers (FSPs) in eight different countries. Of that amount, US$2.3 million has so far been disbursed to design, deliver and scale up demand-driven youth financial services and youth-centric programmes in partnership with youth serving organizations 

During the second quarter of 2012, the FSPs participating in YouthStart reached close to 16,500 youth with savings accounts, and provided financial education to more than 19,000. To contribute to the national dialogues on youth financial inclusion, UNCDF hosted four multi-stake holder meetings (Togo, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Uganda) which brought together representatives from macro-, meso- and micro-level organizations.

More information please visit our website at www.uncdf.org/en/youthstart

-        UNIC Tashkent, Uzbekistan

The UN Information Office in Uzbekistan recognized Sayyora Kayumhodzhaeva, coordinator of a peer-education project on HIV/AIDs, drug abuse and sexually transmitted infections.
On 25 July 2012, Ms. Kayumhodzhaeva spoke to the UN Office in Tashkent Uzbekistan about the use of interactive methods to educate young people on social problems and against dangerous behaviours. She said that in order to ensure the most effective trainings, she tries to find a common ground with the students.

“As part of our work we conduct mini-training sessions for high school and college students. Our courses run between 1 to 1 ½ hours, are attended by 25 to 30 students and include games and activities to engage everyone.  The students who have attended often say that although they had been taught about HIV/AIDs at school, they did not always understand or retain the information.”

Even when their participation in activities only show a passive interest at the beginning, by the end of the training they often actively engaged in the material.

-        UNIC Baku, Azerbaijan

Azeri Teenagers Pledge to Remain Tobacco Free

Thirty teenagers from two Baku-based SOS Youth homes pledged to push for a healthy, smoke-free environment.

The UN Office (UNO) in Azerbaijan and the World Health Organization conducted a workshop on 24 July 2012.  As a starting point to tackle multiple issues that the UNO team deals with in its outreach to youth who lack parental care, it taught the teens about harmful tobacco use. This type of workshop is a step in the direction of empowering them to make educated choices.  It helps them with their own wellbeing and trickles down to the importance of a healthy environment.

“We at UNO Baku are really proud that all thirty participants vowed to live a tobacco-free life”, says UNO’s Vafa Safarli. She, along with WHO representative Sevilj Assadova, noted the importance of focusing specifically on teenagers and a smoke-free lifestyle as a stepping-stone to a healthier future for Azerbaijanis young and old. 

Azerbaijani youth celebrate Mandela Day

The UN Office (UNO) in Baku, Azerbaijan celebrated Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July: Madiba’s 94^th birthday. UNO organized students from the University of Languages and youth members of NGO International Eurasia Press Fund to talk about Mandela’s life, share quotes and view the documentary “Nelson Mandela: Son of Africa, Father of Nations”, which UNO adapted into Azerbaijani. 

To inspire and empower Azerbaijani youth to change the world for the better, all participants were encouraged to devote 67 minutes of their time to help others in their families, neighbourhoods and society. At the end of the celebration, students said the event was a rewarding experience, with one participating noting it as “‘one small step in making every day a Mandela Day by ensuring that these lessons stay relevant and tangible to everyone”.

Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN) Advocacy campaign

The Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN) capitalised on the 2012 International Youth Day  to launch the “I am aGYINer” campaign, supported by Phelps Stokes and IFAD. The National Campaign is a series of physical and virtual competitiveevents that will take place in countries that have a GYIN representation.

The aim is to celebrate the spirit of innovation and leadership by showcasing the successful youth entrepreneurs, their businesses and services, identify new talents, equip and promote themwidely. The countries starting the campaign this year are Gambia, Benin, Senegal, Niger, Togo, Zambia, Central African Republic and India. Also, four GYIN members (Ghana, Benin, Cameroon and USA) will be speaking at the 2012 Millennium Campus Conference from 14-15 September and this will be an opportunity to promote GYIN. 

GYIN website : http://www.gyin.org

GYIN  on Facebook :  http://www.facebook.com/GYIN.ORG

GYIN on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GYIN1

e-mail: psamb@phelpsstokes.org or m.abukari@ifad.org