ICYO

YOUTH INFORMATION

                           No: 2008/12

(E-Newsletter from network of youth organizations in India)

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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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National Youth Convention on Right to Information & Democracy held

 

The first National Youth Convention on Right to Information and Democracy was held on the 11th and 12th of January, 2008 in Beawar, Rajasthan. Over 1,000 young participants attended the convention from both rural and urban areas of 11 states across the country and convention was organized by NCPRI.

 

The two-day convention was held to discuss and focus on the crucial role the youth can play in strengthening Democracy through the use of Right to Information on issues of social importance. The convention was structured with sessions on role of youth in democracy and politics, along with workshops of various concerns like negative impact of globalization, gender, communal politics, agriculture, state of Dalits and Adivasis, budget analysis, Human Rights, Right to Information, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Education and Employment and others.

 

The main objective of these workshops was to create a general understanding on these issues, the challenges and areas, the problems, the role youth could play in addressing these concerns, the role that Right to Information can play in facilitating these problems and finally draw out a plan for action.

 

These workshops were facilitated by eminent resource persons like Jean Dreze, the MKSS team (Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Shankar Singh), Vrinda Grover, Aseem Srivastava, Amit Kanwar, Jogendra Bhagat and others.

 

Shri Sandeep Dikshit, Member of Parliament, was present in this occasion and shared his views on the state of affairs on present Indian politics and the spaces for youth to get involved. In a lively and participative opening panel discussion on youth and political involvement, he said the political parties today are like houses with closed windows and doors, which do not allow any fresh air and light to enter the house. Comparing the present recruitment policy of political parties vis a vis the youth, he said that the political parties are indulging in ‘mind control’ activities. As a result these parties today do not create the space for dissent or disagreement in political thought for the youth joining them. They are unable to differ from the party line. They are then only attracted to the positions and the possibility of getting an election ticket. Another important point emphasized was that the youth today can no longer ignore political spaces or political parties, thinking it is not worth the time and effort to enter a dirty, corrupt and dysfunctional system. Youth should create spaces within the system if we want to change it.

 

Other speakers in the session included Narayan Singh a young ex Sarpanch from Rajsamand District, Jaishankar Pandey an RTI activist from UP, womens rights activist, and Bhanwar Meghwanshi, a young journalist and dalit activist who also coordinated the session.

 

In his closing remarks at the end of the second day Sandeep Dixit reiterated the importance of the youth of India to not get alienated from the political system, and even if youth do not directly get involved in “rajniti” as they know it, they must get involved in “raj ki niti” (issues of governance).

 

The workshops held on different issues highlighted and opened up discussion on important areas. Resolutions for future action were passed in the closing plenary on the right to information, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, and the Role of youth in Democracy. The participants expressed the need for a national forum to take up issues related to the implementation of the Right to Information Act. The need for a website, a campaign to ensure that RTI becomes part of the curriculum in schools and colleges and the need to monitor the decisions/orders of the Central and State Information Commissions were the key issues identified. It was also felt that it was necessary to work out a strategy to challenge decisions of the Information Commission that violate the letter and spirit of the Act and if necessary even approach the Courts.

 

On the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act it was felt that the youth should mobilize and participate in the gram sabhas in large numbers to ensure that the provisions of the NREGA – preparation of list of works, payment of minimum wage, issuing of job cards and carrying out social audit to ensure transparency in NREGA works is implemented. The participants also suggested that an appeal should be made to the Government that RTI and NREGA be made an essential part of the school and college curriculum to maximize the opportunities provided by both the legislations in ensuring the real participation of all citizens in democracy and democratic decision making.

 

The participants also emphasized that the definition of politics should be changed. It should not be restricted to party politics alone. It should be expanded to also include people’s politics which is running parallel to the mainstream political system. With specific reference to electoral politics the participants emphasized that value based politics should also be promoted so that poor people’s voice find a place and are reflected in mainstream politics.

 

Issues related to Dalits, Adivasis and Nomadic tribes were also taken up. The discussion highlighted issues and challenges related to livelihood, atrocities and human rights violations that are faced by these communities. It was decided that a campaign be launched to address these challenges and ensure a life of dignity for these communities.

 

The first day of the convention commenced with a candlelight march, which started from the historic Chang Gate, where the first dharna demanding for the Right to Information was held in the year 1996. The 1000 participants marched single file through the market areas of Beawar, where the members of the market association greeted them with flowers.

 

The second day of the convention started with remembering the contribution and message of Swami Vivekanand towards the youth and the larger society.

 

After which the participants divided to get into workshops of a different

nature. The workshops of the second day aimed in kindling the creative and expressive side of the youth, thus there were workshops on puppetry, theatre, yoga, films, songs, media and journalism, (cartoons and) comics (poster making) and other modes of expression and communication.

 

On this day, Mallika Sarabhai the well-known artist and her team presented a captivating performance. The two-hour performance titled “Unsunee Awazein” drawn from the real stories written by Harsh Mander , an ex civil servant and one of the first RTI activists, put across a strong social message to the youth present through a sequence of short plays, interspersed with dance and music. The episodes addressed various social issues like leprosy, abuse of street children, drug addiction, politics of communal riots, manual scavenging, abuse of dalits and adivasis and so on. The emotive performance depicted the living conditions of these various communities using popular Bollywood tunes that appeal to the youth of today, with lyrics carrying poignant social messages. Mallika Sarabhai concluded the show imploring the youth present to “act now” by beginning with oneself. It is easy to say we will do something one day, but there are many actions like untouchability and discrimination we practice unthinkingly in our daily lives and we could start by changing this right away, she said. (news based on Aid Awareness article)

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Youth Information is published by

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.