ICYO - Youth Information
September 2006 –
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News and views from
Indian Committee of
Youth Organizations
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ICYO - Platform of 356 Youth Organizations in
India.
ICYO - India’s largest network of urban and rural youth.
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Youth Voices at
AIDS 2006
From 13 to 18 August 2006, AIDS 2006 – the XVI
International AIDS Conference, a biennial event, took place in Toronto
(Canada). This year’s Conference theme Time
to Deliver focused on the promises and progress made to scale-up
treatment, prevention, and care. UNESCO was one of the organizations supporting
the Toronto Youth Force, a coalition of global youth NGOs, student groups, and
networks (including The Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Taking IT Global,
Family Health International, UNFPA and UNICEF), which aimed to facilitate
collaboration amongst stakeholders committed to youth HIV/AIDS issues; provide
capacity building and skills to young people so that they can participate
effectively/ meaningfully; and to promote intergenerational (youth-adult)
partnerships before, during and after conference.
With more
than 1,000 young people who made their voices heard at the Toronto Conference,
the 2006 Youth Force was an outstanding success and made a substantial impact.
Its key results include: the organization of a Youth Pre-Conference preparing
young people to meaningfully participate in the Main Conference, expanded youth
sessions and young presenters and a sustained media and outreach campaign. (UCJ,
Section for
Youth - UNESCO)
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Key
Successes of the Toronto Youthforce and AIDS 2006 Youth Programme
A.
Background
Since its foundation at AIDS 2002
in Barcelona, the YouthForce has played a pivotal role in keeping youth issues
on the agenda. The 2002 and 2004 YouthForces were successful in increasing the
number of youth participants and raising their visibility, showcasing
youth-adult partnerships, and getting young people on planning committees. The 2006 Toronto YouthForce continued to
build upon past successes, and added new elements: expanded youth activities and initiatives through close
coordination with the Local Host Youth Programme; a highly-successful advocacy
and media campaign; and the creation of a Commitments Desk to encourage leaders
to concretely commit to working with young people.
Due to the
efforts of the Toronto YouthForce and the AIDS 2006 Youth Programme, the XVI
International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2006) witnessed an explosion in numbers of
young delegates and a sharp increase in meaningful youth participation
throughout the Conference. AIDS 2006 also marked the institutionalization of
youth within the Conference Organization structure, through the creation of a
Youth Advisory Committee and a Local Host Youth Programme. The inclusion of
youth at this level led to greater youth-focused programming at the AIDS 2006
as well as meaningful dialogue between youth and adult leaders. The YouthForce
and Youth Programme helped young people move away from issues focused solely on
youth participation toward substantive issues such as the need for
comprehensive HIV prevention.
With half of all new HIV
infections occurring in young people under the age of 25, there is a critical
need for global and regional advocacy efforts to keep youth issues, especially
those surrounding HIV prevention in the developing world, on the table. The
objectives of the Toronto YouthForce were:
·
To
facilitate the collaboration of stakeholders committed to youth HIV/AIDS issues
at the Conference.
·
To empower
young people from both developing and developed countries to be effective
participants in the Conference.
·
To promote
youth participation and inclusion of youth issues in the mainstream conference
agenda, in press generated from the Conference and in HIV/AIDS programmes and
policies in general.
·
To gain
and achieve international and individual commitments which promote youth
leadership and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on young people.
B.
Results
1.
Institutionalization of a youth programme
within the International AIDS Conference and expansion of YouthForce
initiatives
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Increased youth participation in the International AIDS
Conference Local Host secretariat and programme structure: A Local Host Youth Coordinator and five additional Youth
Programme staff were hired, and a Youth Advisory Committee was formed to
provide input into programming.
Young people were selected for all Conference planning committees and
one young person presented as a plenary speaker. Through these ground-breaking
initiatives, the YouthForce was able to collaborate extensively with the Local
Host Youth Programme, and to become part of the official Conference programme
for the first time.
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Increased numbers of youth scholarships: More scholarships were awarded to young people than ever
before at an International AIDS Conference. At AIDS 2004, 100 youth
scholarships were awarded; this year there were 145 international and 239
Canadian scholarship recipients.
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Reduced registration fees and
expanded age range: In part due to efforts of
previous YouthForces, conference
organizers drastically lowered registration fees to $150 USD for non-OECD
countries (compared to $550 for adults) and $200 for OECD countries (compared
to $750 for adults). In addition, the age range for youth delegates was
expanded from 18-24 to 16-25. Sixty delegates at the Conference were under age
18.
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Increased number of youth delegates: Young people attended AIDS 2006 in record numbers, far
surpassing past records: at AIDS 2006 there were over 1,000 youth delegates,
more than double the number at AIDS 2004. This can be compared to 50 youth at
AIDS 2000, 200 youth at AIDS 2002 and 450 youth at AIDS 2004. In order to boost the number of young
people at the Conference, the YouthForce introduced the “Take Two to Toronto”
campaign to encourage organizations and governments worldwide to sponsor
youth. As a result, an additional
117 youth, sponsored by 31 organizations, attended the Conference.
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Enlarged Youth Pre-Conference: The Toronto YouthForce, in collaboration with the AIDS 2006
Youth Programme, organized a Youth Pre-Conference for 236 young people from
around the world. The Pre-Conference provided
young people with information and skills in advocacy, media and communications,
prevention technologies, trade justice and treatment access, research, and
monitoring and evaluation. Youth
participants credited the Pre-Conference with preparing them to fully
participate in the Conference while providing a forum for networking with peers
and experts in the field.
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Highlighted Youth Opening and Reception: The Youth Opening and Reception kicked off the Conference week. Held at the Olympic Spirit Toronto Centre, the party was attended by over 1,000
guests. Special guests included
Keep a Child Alive Co-Founder and Goodwill Ambassador Alicia Keys, UNAIDS
Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot, Bob Haas, Chairman, Levi Strauss & Co,
and Craig McClure, Executive Director, International AIDS Society.
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Expanded youth-focused sessions and
presenters: Over 40 young people presented abstract sessions, poster
presentations, and skills building workshops and/or moderated sessions. This
included 18 youth-specific sessions in the Conference programme, youth opening
and closing sessions. As
part of the Toronto YouthForce, the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA)
facilitated e-courses to prepare young people for the Conference; of
the 94 young people who participated, 65 submitted abstracts and session
proposals with a 35% acceptance rate.
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Enhanced opportunities to reach young people: Youth morning orientation sessions commenced with an
opening orientation on Sunday and continued daily. These breakfast
meetings provided an overview of key sessions and a space to ask questions and
learn more about the advocacy messages and tools available to youth. In addition, a “Youth Pocket
Guide to Navigating International AIDS Conferences” was developed and given to all youth
delegates at the Pre-Conference and Youth Pavilion, providing background
information, advocacy and networking strategies, and young people’s personal
testimonies.
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Showcased youth space - Youth Pavilion/TYF Booth: The Youth
Pavilion, housed within the Global Village, was a youth-focused space to
showcase youth achievements, facilitate networking opportunities,
provide a youth media hub, and continue the momentum from the Youth
Pre-Conference. Forty sessions were held throughout the conference, including
lively performances using music, theatre, and film. The Pavilion was hailed as
one of the most interactive and engaging spaces within the entire
Conference. The Toronto YouthForce
Booth in the Youth Pavilion made available t-shirts, condoms, posters, fact
sheets, postcards, and information about other youth events (see Advocacy
section below).
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Enhanced Web Outreach through the AIDS 2006 Youth Site: The official youth website (http://youth.aids2006.org) served as a
clearinghouse of information on all youth-related activities leading up to and
during AIDS 2006 for youth, adults and media. The website featured articles, blogs, podcasts and articles
by YouthForce journalists and youth delegates. In addition to the AIDS 2006
Youth Mentors Online discussion boards and other helpful resources, the AIDS
2006 Youth Site provided an
invaluable tool for helping young people at the Conference stay connected, and
helping those back home feel part of AIDS 2006.
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Youth Rapporteur Team: AIDS 2006 marked the first time a Rapporteur Team was
dedicated entirely to recording the proceedings and ground-breaking
presentations at the conference from a youth perspective. The Toronto
YouthForce and Youth Programme selected and collaborated with the Rapporteur
Team. At the official Conference
closing, the team presented to 5,000 Conference delegates on youth issues and
involvement at the Conference, including reinforcing the TYF key messages. The youth rapporteur report will form
part of the official Conference record.
2.
High impact advocacy and media campaigns
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Effective Toronto YouthForce Advocacy Campaign: The Toronto YouthForce launched a Conference-wide advocacy
campaign, focusing on the following key messages based on a 3-week
e-consultation with 218 youth from 36 countries:
LISTEN: Involve us in decision making that affects our
lives
MONEY: We need fully-funded programs to protect
ourselves
SEX: HIV is mainly spread through sex. We need access
to condoms to protect ourselves
TRUTH: We need comprehensive sex education to protect
ourselves
ACCESS: We need youth-friendly health services,
including prevention, treatment, voluntary counseling and testing, and access
to harm reduction programs
The YouthForce broadcast these messages at the Conference through
eye-popping t-shirts, large posters, and postcards urging leaders to visit the
Commitments desk. The entire 600,000 square foot conference venue was “postered”,
garnering the YouthForce the highest visibility of any Conference-wide advocacy
campaign. As a testament to the YouthForce advocacy campaign’s visibility and
impact, Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, remarked, “I know more
about the YouthForce than anything else at the Conference.” The materials are
on view at http://youth.aids2006.org/en/action/. Youth delegates used the materials, messages, and extensive
advocacy training to engage decision-makers in dialogue resulting in concrete
commitments to scaling up HIV/AIDS interventions for and with young people. The
advocacy campaign was a clear success, as a wide range of Conference delegates
were impressed with the impact of the messaging, and noted the effects of the
Campaign.
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Expanded Toronto
YouthForce Media Campaign: For
the first time in the Conference history, a YouthForce Media Team, consisting
of 11 youth journalists from around the world, provided excellent coverage of
the conference via articles, blogs,
podcasts, press conferences, and a video documentary. Youth
spokespeople, trained as part of the YouthForce media team, gave
dozens of radio and TV interviews that aired on national radio and
international media including MTV, CBC, and CNN, providing wide coverage to the
YouthForce and youth HIV/AIDS issues. The media team produced 40 podcasts, 140
blog entries in French, Spanish and English, 30 articles in English and French,
and a press release and 6 media advisories; distributed 270 press kits; and
wrote 3 articles for the youth column of the AIDS 2006 daily newspaper. The media showed high interested in the young people
attending the Conference and youth HIV/AIDS issues. For example, over 7 major media outlets each day visited the
Youth Pavilion.
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Continued partnership with MTV: The
Toronto YouthForce Media Team blogged and wrote over
30 entries and articles for the MTV Staying Alive website. In addition, the
AIDS 2006 Youth Programme and Toronto YouthForce partnered with MTV on 48Fest,
a 48 hour filmmaking competition by MTV’s Staying Alive. Eight teams of six youth filmmakers were challenged to
write, shoot and edit a whole film in just two days. The films were screened and judged by a distinguished panel
at the “forty|eight|fest” awards ceremony.
3.
Real Commitments Made from Leaders and
Partners
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Garnered concrete commitments - Youth-Adults Commitments Desk: The
Youth-Adult Commitments Desk was an unprecedented initiative which marked a
step forward in ensuring accountability for promises made to young people and
generated a great deal of buzz. It provided an opportunity for adult delegates
to visit and interact with young people. Featured prominently in the Youth
Pavilion, the Commitments Desk garnered 344 concrete, time-bound commitments to
youth (some of which are highlighted on http://youth.aids2006). Members of existing
global youth networks will follow up with leaders to ensure that promises are
kept. A monitoring plan will be put in place to ensure that commitments are
implemented and consequently, highlighted at the XVII International AIDS
Conference in Mexico in 2008.
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Notable Commitments: o
“I
commit to ensuring that the UN system will get its act together and respond
cohesively to safeguard the rights of young people. I will promote inclusion
of young people at the decision-making table in issues that affect their
lives. I will also start a youth internship program at UNAIDS” - Dr. Peter
Piot, Executive Director and Under-Secretary General of UNAIDS o
“For
AIDS 2008 in Mexico, I commit to double the number of young people” – The
Honorable Dr. Frenk, Minister of Health (Mexico) o
“I
commit to empower youth directly in the decision-making process at City Hall,
including in preparation for Mexico City AIDS 2008” – David Miller, Mayor for
City of Toronto (Canada) o
"I
commit to allocate WHO resources and priorities to make information and
knowledge available to young people, including young people living with
HIV/AIDS, and making health service youth friendly" - Anders Nordstrom,
Acting Director General of WHO |
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Moved beyond words - Youth Leadership Forum: “From Rhetoric to Action,” a
High-Level Youth Leadership Forum,
featured a dialogue between global leaders and 12 youth leaders from around the
world. Global leaders included Dr. Peter Piot, the First Lady of
Honduras Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, Canadian Minister of
International Cooperation the
Honourable Josée Verner, and Chairman of the NAACP Julian Bond.
During the forum young people
discussed issues of pressing concern to them such as the need for comprehensive
HIV prevention.
C. Impact
The YouthForce, together with the
AIDS 2006 Youth Programme, made a substantial impact on AIDS 2006 -- on the
International AIDS Conference structure and programme, on young people, and on
leaders and partners. Continuing
the work of past YouthForces, youth participation moved from being “outside”
the mainstream conference, to being incorporated into Conference planning and
programme, through the institutionalization of a youth programme. The YouthForce model, remarked upon
highly by many delegates, highlighted the effectiveness of youth-adult
partnerships. Young people
participating in the YouthForce and the Conference increased their skills and
capacity enormously. Furthermore,
the focus not only on youth participation issues, but also on substantive key
messages developed and advocated by young people themselves, made a real impact
on leaders and partners, as they recognized that young people have something
meaningful to contribute.
D. Beyond Toronto: What’s next?
The Toronto YouthForce coordinating team (Family
Health International, Advocates for Youth, Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS,
and TakingITGlobal) are currently drafting a final report documenting
experiences and lessons learned, and devising a plan for next steps and
sustainability. Delegates have also been invited to join the Global Youth
Coalition on HIV/AIDS, an initiative stemming from the Barcelona and Bangkok
YouthForces.
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Youth Information is published by
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)
194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjang Enclave
New Delhi 110029, India
Phone: 91 9811729093 / 91 11 26183978 Fax 91 11
26198423
Email: icyoindia@... / icyo@...
Web: www.icyo.in
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Indian
Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit,
non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual
cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth
groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India.
ICYO
functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. It's family
consists of
over 356 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different
corners of India.
Our goal:
To improve and
extend the youth work and services through Youth Organizations;
To enhance and demonstrate youth work in the society;
To promote effective youth programmmes;
To organize network of civil society organizations working towards the
development of youth work;
To organize seminars, conferences, workshops, trainings;
To maintain international relation with organizations promoting young people in
their programmes and activities
Affiliation:
Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations;
Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development;
Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth
Environment Network (SAYEN), Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand;
ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Partner of AIDS Care Watch Campaign;
Steering Committee member of World Bank's
YDP Network;
Working relation with Indian Association of Parliamentarians (IAPPD);
International Medical Parliamentarians Organizations (IMPO);
Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD);
World Youth Foundation, Malaysia.
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