ICYO – Youth Information Newsletter
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
November 2007 No. 75
Platform of 356 Youth Organizations in India
India’s largest network of urban and rural youth
AIDS Battle Must be Won, Asserts Sonia Gandhi
"IT IS a battle that can and must be won," said UPA chairperson and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as she flagged off the Red Ribbon Express in New Delhi that will carry AIDS messages over 27,000 km across 24 states within the next one year.
UNAIDS-backed data released this year said the estimated HIV-infected population in India was 2.5 million, half of last year's estimate of 5.2 million.
"It continues to be a major public health concern. No single thing has such an impact in the world. Men and women in the prime of their youth have been lost to this disease," she said.
Drugs to treat AIDS are available free under the government programme, but less than one lakh people are registered, largely because of the stigma attached. If treated, a person infected with the AIDS virus can lead a healthy life for many years.
Second-line AIDS drugs for people who develop resistance will be provided free under the government programme in Mumbai and Chennai. These drugs are expensive and beyond the reach of thousands of HIV/AIDs victims in India," said Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss. He said the scheme, which is expected to benefit over 2,000 people in its initial phase, would be extended to the rest of the country by April 1, 2007.
At the flagging off at New Delhi's Safdarjang Railway Station, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yaday said that the government will make another train available for AIDS awareness. "The Indian Railway network is the ideal route to rollout a mass mobilization initiative intended to reach every nook and corner of the nation," he said.
A collaboration between NACO, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Indian Railways and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, the train will become the platform for interactions, plays, films and poster exhibitions in what is being projected as the biggest AIDS awareness campaign in the country.
IAPPD’s National Inter-University Debate Competition held
3rd National Inter-University Debate Competition 2007-08 was held in New Delhi from November 16-17, 2007 and twenty-six universities were participated. They debated on topic “Urbanization Improves Environment”. The debate was conducted first at University level (inter-college) and then at National level.
The debate “For and Against” the above topic was very inspiring and thought provoking and interesting. The participants were, no doubt, talented and prepared the topic very well. University of Mumbai was declared Winner Team and the Runner-up Team was M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara and individual prizes were given as under:- First Prize Mr.Aseem Naphade, Mumbai University; Second Prize Ms.Resham Pandit, M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara and Third Prize Mr.Nachiket Kulkarni, Mumbai Univeristy, Mumbai.
Alliance of Civilizations Annual Forum, Spain
The AoC Annual Forum is a high-level event that will bring together key stakeholders to explore ways to promote cross-cultural understanding globally and will be held 14-16 January 2008 in Spain.
Youth participation is critical to help frame the discussion, identify solutions in order to achieve greater understanding and tolerance between cultures and to carry the work forward after the forum.
A pre-forum orientation session will be arranged on January 14, 2008, for youth participants to get to know each other and to better understand the forum’s objectives. From 15-16 January, youth will have the opportunity to engage in an interactive dialogue with noted world leaders during parallel working sessions.
ICYO will attend the Forum.
UNESCO Policy Paper on
Peer-Group Monitoring and Evaluation
Providing adolescent girls with the learning opportunities they need to develop their full potential was the fundamental motivation for the launch of the 2002 UNESCO pilot project "Breaking the Poverty Cycle of Women".
From its early stages, the project addressed the multidimensional nature of poverty through its broad-based capacity-building programme and work with young people as peer monitors and evaluators. Based on the experience of the peer-group monitoring and evaluation component of the project, the UNESCO Section for Youth, Sport and Physical Education has just published
a policy paper on Peer Group Monitoring and Evaluation entitled "Assessing Youth Empowerment through Peer-Group Monitoring and Evaluation: lessons learned and Perspectives for Replication".
WAY AIDS Fund Launched
World Assembly of Youth (WAY) launched the WAY AIDS FUND, which aims to raise US $ 38 million for its initial campaign.
This campaign aims to develop and implement global HIV/AIDS intervention programmes in collaboration with national youth councils, as well as to launch an international media campaign with messages targeting youth around the world.
Hostel of WYF Inaugurated
The World Youth Foundation (WYF) launched it hostel on 19th November 2007. The hostel is milestone for the Foundation.
The WYF Hostel is located within the Foundation Complex building. The WYF Hostel has a total of 39 apartment units that consist of three room apartments, a management office, a volleyball court and a prayer room. The hostel will start working from15th December 2007.
WHO Developing
an Integrated Approach to Adolescent Health
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a treasure-trove of useful guidance on individual and public health, but is it organized in a fashion to address adolescent health issues in countries?
This was the challenge that WHO's Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development (CAH) rose to meet over the summer. While many departments within the organization work with "children" (defined as under 18), they do not necessarily specify actions for adolescents. The aim of the initiative was to provide better, more comprehensive support to countries by developing a portal to the breadth of resources that WHO has to offer on adolescents' health. CAH will use this as a basis to explore how WHO country offices can use such technical resources to address the health of adolescents in a more integrated manner.
Globalization has not created many real opportunities in South Asia: Report on the World Social Situation.
UNFPA UN Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls
From 28-29 November, the UN Interagency Task Force on Adolescent Girls convened a meeting at UNFPA to discuss three main objectives: (1) formalizing the task force and reaching agreement on its purpose and modalities for working together; (2) developing a joint programming framework for reaching marginalized adolescent girls; and (3) planning for joint programming through fundraising and partnership opportunities. During the meeting, the Task Force defined the essential elements for the joint programming framework and brainstormed on the potential for leveraging and driving resources for more targeted, strategic efforts aimed at marginalized girls as part of national development plans.
Additionally, the Coalition for Adolescent Girls, a public-private initiative spearheaded by the UN Foundation and Nike Foundation to create lasting change in the developing world by driving investments to adolescent girls, launched a draft version of its Impact Girls Report.
This seminal report, is the first of its kind that brings together the evidence base from the economics and social sciences perspectives and makes the case for the key role adolescent girls play in development.
New UN 2007 Report on the World Social Situation Launched
The "Report on the World Social Situation 2007: The Employment Imperative” focuses on the key role of productive employment and decent work in reducing poverty and promoting social development. The report states that in countries that have profited from globalization, adaptable and mobile young people have benefited. However, for countless others in Africa, South Asia and Latin America, globalization has not created many real opportunities. The report urges governments to place productive employment for all, rather than economic growth, or even simply creating jobs, at the centre of economic and social policy making.
For more information, log on http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/social/rwss/index.html#2007
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Announcement
ICYO start new e-newsletter on “Campaign against Sexual Abuse of Children and Youth” which covered the wide range of news, reports, activities on issue related to Commercial Sexual Abuse children (CESC) and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth. ICYO- Youth Information welcome the related materials for the newsletter.
To receive the newsletters write to icyoindia@...
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Upcoming events:
National Integration Youth Camp in
West Bengal, India
National Youth Project will organize the National Integration Youth Camp at Bainchigram, Dist Hoogly in West Bengal from December 22-29, 2007.
The camp is open for Indian Youth age between 18 to 30 years. For more detail and participation contact NYP at nypindia@...
Int. Young Professional Summit on MDGs
The third International Young Professionals Summit, IYPS 2008, will be held from 19th to 22nd August 2008 in Manchester, England and will have the theme "How young professionals can help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals".
The aim of the Summit is to bring together young professionals for networking, capacity building and information sharing around this core theme and specific topics covered will include: Governance, economy and education; Women and gender equality; Healthcare and HIV / AIDS; Environmental sustainability.
For more information, log on http://www.iyps.org.
CIVICUS Youth Assembly the 2008
“People, Participation and Power...”
Building on the success of last year's CIVICUS Youth Assembly the 2008 event will offer an execeptional opportunity to meet and work with other young women and men who are really making changes to things that matter.
The Youth Assembly will offer young delegates a programme and a space to develop and commit to action internationally. The theme of participation in civil society will be explored over the course of the event and delegates will learn about issues that effect billions of people worldwide. The programme will develop not only delegate’s knowledge, but also build personal capacity through a series of workshops and skills development sessions. Participation is key and all delegates will be fully engaged in a programme
Delegates will also have the opportunity to meet a number of Young Scots who are involved nationwide in social justice programmes. These opportunities will help build global linkages and offer both delegates and young Scots opportunities to understand issues from a global perspective.
The age limit is 25 years old. For application information, log on http://www.rnw.org.uk/apply_now.aspx
YES Fund Announces Business Plan Competition
YES (Youth Employment Systems) Fund, the Global Fund for Youth Entrepreneurship announced the launch of the ICT Business Plan Competition for 2007-2008, to support budding young entrepreneurs.
The programme will support youth to identify opportunities, prepare their business plans and compete for the best ideas. The winners will be provided with award money (in the form of collateral or loan guarantee) and innovative business development services to start their enterprise.
Excited about the possibilities that this initiative brings, Gratian Vas, Executive Director, Indo Global Social Service Society, IGSSS commented, "The deserving youth, with drive and initiative but held back due to the lack of adequate financial backing, find an excellent opening to unleash their entrepreneurship with YES Fund."
The competition will run from November 10, 2007 to January 18, 2008. The award ceremony will be held on March 28, 2008. Currently this pilot competition is only open to youth belonging to the YES Networks in India and Kenya. Soon it will add more countries to its portfolio. Interested youth are invited to log on to www.yesfund.org to learn about ways to participate in this Business Plan Competition.
UN Student Conference to Recognize
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
10th Annual United Nations Student Conference on Human Rights (UNSCHR) will take place from 5-7 December 2007 at United Nations Headquarters.
The theme of this year’s Conference, "Recognizing the Rights of Indigenous Peoples", will support the goals of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, which aims to strengthen cooperation for finding solutions to problems faced by indigenous peoples. The participants of the Conference will work to raise awareness about indigenous people and their contributions to society globally, highlighting the significance of this action towards achieving a just and non-discriminatory international human rights policy.
For more information, log on http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/student/2007/about.asp.
UN Special Session/World Fit for Children + 5
The year 2007 marks the mid decade point for the Plan of Action of the “A World Fit for Children". The main events include the Children's Forum on 9-10 December, the commemorative high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly and Roundtable discussions on 11 and 12 December 2007 in New York.
For more information, log on http://www.unicef.org/worldfitforchildren
UN Informal Meeting on
‘Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy’
On 4 December 2007, the United Nations General Assembly will convene an informal meeting to discuss ongoing and future activities of Member States and the United Nations system for the implementation of the UN's Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)
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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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