Ø       Youth Participation increased to end Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children

Ø       New World Bank Country Director meets the representatives of Youth Organizations

Ø       45 Per cent of Indian girls married off before 18

Ø       Call for greater Youth Participation to Combat Climate Change, Commonwealth Ministers say

Ø       Literacy drive for tribal girls

Ø       Creating awareness on HIV/AIDS and TB: NGOs meeting cum workshop held in Delhi

Ø       Theme of Women’s Day: ‘Ending Impunity for Violence Against Women’

Ø       Indian President to inaugurate Commonwealth ICT Summit

Ø       Winning student essayists to participate in Regional Youth Forum

Ø       Mr. Karayil Sukumaran nominated in Regional cell of Gramin Vikas Andolan

 

Upcoming Events:

Ø       World Bank’s Youth Essay Competition on Corruption

Ø       Symposium – The Youth Parliament

Ø       Regional Meet of Trafficking Survivors

Ø       Int. Leadership Camp

Ø       4th World Youth Congress

Ø       Regional Training Programme in Peace Building & Development

 

 

Rise in Youth Participation to End Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children

 

The First World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CESC) was held at Stockholm, Sweden in 1996, since than governments, civil society organizations and people has more awareness, many laws in place, National Action Plans (NPA) developed. On other side the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CESC) and Commercial Sexual Abuse of children (CSA) are on rise.

 

ECPAT International has analyzed the ten years work progress and published the country ‘Monitoring Reports’ worldwide. In this series, the four south Asian country (Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan) reports were launched in Kathamandu, Nepal on February 8, 2007.

 

The large numbers of programmes and activities to fight against CESC are underway but most significant is the increase of ‘youth participation’ in such activities, said Mr. Mark Capaldi, Deputy Director, ECPAT International while  launching the Reports. According to Mr. Capaldi ‘Global Monitoring Report on the status of action against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children’ will help in developing National Action Plan and further strengthen it.

 

The Report provides a baseline of information on actions taken and remaining gaps for addressing CSEC, in each country based on the framework of the Agenda of Action against CESC, to enable more systematic assessment of progress implementation of the commitment.

 

Dr Tufail Mohammed, ECPAT Board Member (South Asia) said that the trafficking of children for sexual exploitation is a pressing problem in Asia and this region constitutes both destination and transit countries.

 

Earlier, Ms Junita Upadhyay, Focal Person for South Asia of ECPAT Int welcomed the guests. Mr. Biswo Khadka, Director, Maiti Nepal and Mr. Gauri Pradhan, Chairperson, CWIN also presented his views on the occasion.

 

The event was attended by media persons, representative of various international and national NGOs from Nepal, representatives of ECPAT member/affiliate organizations from South Asia.

 

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) represented by its Secretary General Mr. Ravi Narayan.

 

New World Bank Country Director Meet the

Representatives of Youth Organizations

Mr. Praful Patel, World Bank’s Regional Vice President for South Asia, announced the appointment of Ms. sabel Guerrero as the new Country Director for India.  Ms. Guerrero will formally assume office on March 1, 2007 but she visited India in second week of February. On February 13, 2007 she invited the representatives of Youth Organizations in World Bank office in New Delhi.

 

In this information meeting all the NGO representatives including Mr.Ravi Narayan from ICYO gave the detail about  their work. Ms Guerrero also discusses various issue related to young people. Mr. Philip O’Keefe moderated the meeting.

 

45 Per cent of Indian Girls Married off Before 18

 

It's a social ill that continues to shame India. Nearly 45 per cent of women in India, aged between 20 and 24, are married off before they reach 18, the legal age to marry. What's worse, the number is over 50 per cent in eight states. 

 

While 61 per cent of women in Jharkhand were married off before 18, the number stood at 60 per cent in Bihar, 57 per cent in Rajasthan, 55 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, 53 per cent each in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal and 52 per cent in Chhattisgarh. 

 

Lack of education was found to be a major factor fuelling this trend. Over 71 per cent of women who got married below the age of 18 had received no education. 

 

These are part of the findings of the latest National Family Health Survey-III, carried out in 29 states during 2005-06. 

 

The survey, conducted by 18 research organizations, including five population research centres, and designed to collect and provide vital information on population, family planning, maternal and child health, child survival, nutrition of children and status of women, also unmasks another worrying trend. Six states — Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura and West Bengal — which reported a lower percentage of under-18 marriages among women during the NFHS-II survey conducted in 1998-99, show an upward trend in NFHS-III. Officials say more and more women in these six states are being married off at the age of 15. 

 

Call for Greater Youth Participation to Combat Climate Change,

Commonwealth Ministers Say

 

Education on climate change at all levels is key, Commonwealth environment ministers say at 13th Commonwealth Consultative Group on Environment meeting.

 

Young people need to be more involved in the climate change issues, Commonwealth environment ministers have said. Ministers called for greater participation of the youth in international policy debates around climate change issues at a meeting at the United Nations Environment Programme headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi, on 5 February 2007.

 

"Ministers felt that it was important for young people to be present at international meetings to share their views on an issue that will be a critical concern for their generation," Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Director of the Commonwealth Secretariat's Economic Affairs Division, said.

 

"They also stated that young people could develop relevant skills through direct involvement in technical workshops, and that all of this would help to bring greater continuity and resilience in approaches to climate change."

 

Ministers agreed that strengthening education on climate change at all levels would help societies to address the challenges.

 

They asked the Commonwealth to develop a focused and sustained capacity-building programme to address the needs of developing countries.

 

Environment officials also saw a role for the Commonwealth in examining the policy concerns of developing countries, in particular in helping to ensure that small states and least developed countries are not marginalized in future climate change negotiations.

 

Literacy Drive for Tribal Girls

 

Only 34.7 per cent tribal women are literate and that is far below the India’s national average of 54 per cent and fifty-four districts with a tribal population of over 25 per cent and where female literacy levels are below 35 per cent were selected for the literacy drive.

 

The government of Indian plans to come out with a special package to improve literacy levels among tribal women. The plan envisages setting up of 'district education support agencies in tribal areas with low literacy levels to ensure that tribal girls go to school. The volunteers would meet the families of tribal to convince them about the need to send their children to school.

 

Creating Awareness on HIV/AIDS and TB:

NGOs Meeting cum Workshop held in Delhi

 

The TB Association of India organized the NGOs meeting cum workshop on February 20, 2007 in New Delhi with the theme ‘Creating Awareness on HIV/AIDS and TB’.

 

Ms Maya Singh, Member of Rajya Sabha inaugurated the meeting. She emphasized for active role of civil society organization to eradicate the TB. Dr R. P. Vashit, State TB Officer informed that 40 per cent population has the TB virus in the body therefore need of continue programme to check the TB virus and need of complete course of treatment for TB patients.

 

ICYO attended the meeting.

 

Theme of Women’s Day:

‘Ending Impunity for Violence Against Women’

 

A working group of representatives from UN agencies and offices in Bangkok will present the 2007 observance of International Women’s Day on 8 March in Bangkok. The 2007 theme, ‘Ending Impunity for Violence Against Women,’ highlights the critical need to create and maintain a political and social environment in which violence against women is not tolerated. It also emphasizes the particular importance of political will and the involvement of men to achieve this goal. According to the UN, violence against women is a significant cause of death and disability among women aged 16 to 44. One in five women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action includes violence against women as one of 12 critical areas of concern requiring urgent action towards attaining the goals of equality, development and peace. It states that violence against women is a violation of women’s human rights and an impediment to the full enjoyment by women of all human rights.  (UNESACP NEWS)

 

Indian President to Inaugurate Commonwealth ICT Summit

 

Indian President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam is scheduled to inaugurate a major Commonwealth summit in New Delhi. On 23 March 2007, President Kalam will kick off the Commonwealth Connects International e-Partnership Summit, a global information and communication technology (ICT) event.

 

Winning Student Essayists to Participate in Regional Youth Forum

 

Twenty-five university students from 15 ADB member economies will participate in the Asian and Pacific Youth Forum on Sustainable Development, which will take place in Kyoto, Japan on 17 March. The students submitted winning essays to a region-wide essay competition on sustainable development held between September and November 2006. The competition generated more than 600 essay submissions, and was sponsored by ADB and ROAD, a network of Japanese university students concerned about development issues, through ADB's Japan Special Fund, financed by the Government of Japan.

 

Mr. Karayil Sukumaran nominated in

Regional Cell of Gramin Vikas Andolan

 

Mr.  Karayil Sukumaran, Secretary  of Karayil Yuvajana Kalasamithi, Payyannur, Kerala has nominated as the member of the CAPART regional cell  for implementing the Gramin Vikas Andolan programme. 

 

The Gramin vikas Andolan is aiming at awareness generation at all levels, the convergence of all other programmes of Government of India particularly those of the Ministry of Rural Development would enhance the ultimate output and lead to sustainable economic development of the rural community.

 

The central cell, regional cell and the selected NGOs should take all measures at the respective level such as National, state, district, block to ensure convergence of programmes of similar nature.

 

Mr Sukumaran is also the board member of ICYO.

 

Upcoming Events:

 

World Bank’s Youth Essay Competition on Corruption

 

2007 International Youth Essay Competition on corruption organized by the World Bank and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs invites the submission the essay from all over the world. The essay competition is open to students and non-students alike, aged 18-25. The last date of submission is March 15, 2007.

 

For detail information and participation log on http://www.essaycompetition.org/content07_36_1

 

Symposium – The Youth Parliament

 

A grand Youth Symposium – The Youth Parliament will be organized at IIT Roorkee during Cognizance’07, the annual techfest of IIT Roorkee at 23rd – 24th March 2007.

 

The aim behind the symposium is to give the youth a platform to express their views and thoughts on the issues and to invite suggestions from their side, which in turn will lead to the formation of Prabuddha and Samartha Bharat,

 

The topic of the Symposium includes:

1. " India 's first vision dates back to 1857, the vision of a free and independent India , the vision that guided the anti-colonial movement and made India independent in 1947. India then joined the list of the developing nations and needed a second vision urgently to become a developed nation. "

 

2. Is there a need of another vision or revolution which leads to a radical change in our thought process, policymaking and self-actualization or are we progressing steadily towards development? If you believe in the former option, what will be that vision (in respect of the common man / youth) and the path ? If it's the latter, how can the youth accelerate the growth towards a developed and free India ?"

 

For more details log on www.iitr.ernet.in/Symposium

 

Regional Meet of Trafficking Survivors

 

The NATSAP & VIMUKTHI ( Vimukthi is a VOCSET CBO) is planning to conduct a Regional level meet with 250 VOCSET - Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking at Vijayawada in AP on 8th March20 07 on the eve of "International Women's Day". The organizer expected the representative of VOCSET from coastal and Rayalaseem region districts of Andhra Pradesh in the meeting. The State level police officers, officers of Women and child welfare dept, Local MPs, & MLAs will also be invited to participate in this programme.

 

The agenda of discussion includes: to continue section 8 (with small changes) & 20 of ITPA; to make an amendment to the ITPA by adding a new clause " Traffickers shall pay the compensation to the Victims" and sealing of the properties of traffickers; issue of Identity cards; deriving support and collaboration of from Police and Dist Admn for rescuing minors and women from trafficking.

 

For more information contact e-mail: helpap2002@...

 

Int. Leadership Camp

 

The 3rd International Leadership camp will be held from April 18-28, 2007 in Dumaguete City, Philippines. The theme of the camp is "Reuniting the World's Youth of Today for a Safer and Better Tomorrow"

 

The purpose of this leadership camp is to create avenues for participants to be trained as a leader/agent of change. Holistic leadership training is one where the training targets are both cognitive and effective. It is likewise oriented to developing appropriate skills and for formation of relevant values and attitudes.

 

Saceda Youth Lead and National Youth Commission, Philippines will organize the camp. For more detail contact: sacedaleadership@... 

 

4th World Youth Congress

 

The 4th World Youth Congress on the theme “Youth-led Development” will bring together 600 world’s most dynamic young activists in the field of sustainable development, in order to demonstrate that young people are one of the most valuable resources in governments’ and international development organizations’ mission to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

 

The Congress will organize by Peace Child International, World Youth Congress 2008 and Taking It Global (TIG) in Quebec, Canada from August 10 – 21, August 2007.

 

For more information log on http://www.wyc2008.qc.ca/about/

 

Regional Training Programme in Peace Building & Development

 

The Peacebuilding & Development Regional Training Programme provides practical experience and skills for scholars and practitioners working in conflict and post-conflict environments in South and Southeast Asia.

 

The Training progamme will be organized by Peace building & Development Institute in Sri Lanka in Partnership with American University’s Peacebuilding & Development Institute in Washington, DC. The programme will start from April 23, 2007.  Participants choose from one of two training sessions offered weekly, and are encouraged to attend as many weeks as possible. The second week training session will be on Youth and Conflict.  

 

For more information contact: PDIAsia@...

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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