ICYO

YOUTH INFORMATION

                           No: 2008/21

(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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Event highlights the International Year of Sanitation 2008

Better Sanitation Focus of

UN World Water Day Observance in Bangkok

Bangkok. More than 1.5 billion people in the Asia-Pacific region still lack basic sanitation, such as access to a toilet—leaving them vulnerable to preventable diseases such as cholera, worms, diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition. Globally, one child dies every 20 seconds as a result of poor sanitation.

In order to raise awareness of this issue, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2008 to be the International Year of Sanitation (IYS) and adopted the theme “Accelerating progress on sanitation to help save lives and foster economic and social development”.

The Year will be highlighted at the observance of World Water Day (which falls on Sunday 22 March) in Bangkok. The event, organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), will take place at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) on 20 March and will feature a panel discussion, workshops and an exhibition.

The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of the Sulabh Sanitation & Social Reform Movement, which has so far set up 7,500 community toilets in India. A special presentation will be given by Mr. Jack Sim, founder and CEO of the World Toilet Organization.

The panel discussion will feature experts from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and the Philippines who will share their first hand experience in sanitation initiatives and community projects. The panel will focus on strategies and lessons learned in the provision of sanitation.

The workshops will look at the East Asia Ministerial Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene 2007 and how UN agencies, governments and civil society can work together to implement IYS 2008. In addition an exhibition highlighting the work of Thai and intergovernmental agencies’ on sanitation will run from 19-21 March.

Each year, more than 200 million tonnes of human waste go uncollected and untreated around the world, fouling the environment and spreading diseases. Poor sanitation affects 2.6 billion people globally, forcing them to live in deeper poverty and indignity. But investment in sanitation pays big dividends. According to a recent study by the World Health Organization, for every one dollar spent on sanitation there is an economic return of nine dollars, and that halving the number of people without access to clean drinking water would result in a gain of $66 billion annually.

 
For more information please contact: ti.unescap@...

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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.