ICYO- Youth Information

No. 2008/ 74

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

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ICYO - Platform of 358 Youth Organizations in India.       

ICYO - India’s largest network of urban and rural youth.

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World Youth Day: 12 August 2008

 

Message of Mr. Mr Koïchiro Matsuura,,

Director-General of UNESCO

 

”Young people and climate change: time for action”

 

In this International Year of Planet Earth, the 2008 International Youth Day, with its focus on the theme "Young people and climate change: time for action", is highly topical. At a time when climate change and, more widely, sustainable development are compelling recognition as major challenges for contemporary societies, young people, more than ever, have a fundamental role to play.

This International Day provides an opportunity to alert young people to a threat that may directly affect them in a few years’ time, to encourage them to become involved on a daily basis in finding innovative solutions, and to take up the development challenges facing their world.

UNESCO’s strategy in this field is aimed at contributing not only to the development of scientific knowledge, but also to promoting practices and policies based on ethical values. Indeed, over and above its scientific aspects, climate change has numerous other dimensions, which are as much environmental as social, economic and cultural.

UNESCO actively supports the role of young researchers who are working on ocean dynamics and links between climate change and biodiversity. By way of illustration, allow me to mention the fellowship programme of our Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, which is aimed at helping young scientists to take part in research and development in these fields. Upstream, the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST), an independent expert body which advises me on ethics, promotes acknowledgement of the social and ethical dimension of climate change in various scientific curricula and in science teaching at university.

But as lead agency for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), UNESCO is also doing much to sensitize the public to the problem of climate change. Young people, as citizens of the world, are at the heart of this educational action. Thus, the joint YouthXchange initiative of UNESCO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommends patterns of consumption and a lifestyle which are respectful of sustainable development.

While climate change is a global problem, each of us has the capacity to change something in that regard. Increasing numbers of local and even individual initiatives will ultimately have an impact at the international level. I therefore urge young people to put all their dynamism, creativity and energy into this global combat, and I call upon governments and their civil society partners to help them to take action in order to build a world that is consonant with their aspirations.

                                               Koïchiro Matsuura

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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);
 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.