JANUARY- 2004

 

ICYO - Platform of 350 Youth Organizations in India.          

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

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Poverty Reduction and Income Generation are the Key issues to end the CSEC

 

The prevention is the key to end the CSA/CSEC said Mr Raavi Narayan, Secretary General of Indian Committee of Youth Organization while speaking on ‘ Role of Young People to stop CSEC’ in the orientation and validation seminar against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). He further added that NGOs can intervene through information, the information to common people especially risk groups may be spread by community based organizations. The intervention through poverty reduction programmes and income generating activities may be useful in reducing the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

 

‘Being sexually exploited at a tender age damages more psychological than physical damage. The sexual abuse and sexual exploitation force trafficking for sexual purpose is an outright attack on the most fundamental rights of child and human being. It is a common thought in the Indian society – that this phenomenon is limited to some red light areas or urban areas only. But this is not so’ Mr. Raavi Narayan added. He also gave the brief about the activities undertaken by young people to combat the sexual abuse and trafficking for sex purpose.

The Seminar jointly organized by ECPAT International Bangkok and Plan India and was held on 18 -19 December 2003 in New Delhi.

In Delhi - Teen Abortions on the Rise

 

According to report published in leading newspaper of Delhi, the abortions in teen are on rise. Parents may not want to believe this but, according to report, school children in Delhi seem to be experimenting with sex much more than they can imagine.

 

There are no official surveys or studies to reflect the changing sexual habits of adolescents. The only indicators, if they may be called so, are spiralling pregnancy queries at hospitals and a rise in the number of adolescents seeking abortion.

 

Doctors confirm that school children seem to be open to physical relationships. "The number of school girls coming to us with pregnancy queries has increased remarkably. And the kind of questions they ask definitely reflect increased physical intimacy," said gynaecologist consultant.

 

The attitude of the youth towards sex and pregnancy seems to be rather brazen. Girls are approaching to doctor to know what they do.  The girl was looking for information about abortion.

 

According to report, at least 8 per cent of 3,700 abortions conducted by a chain of abortion clinics during a four-month period earlier in the year were of adolescents.

 

A study conducted by a counselling agency revealed 95 per cent of adolescent abortion seekers in the Delhi are in the age group of 17 to 19 years.

 

In India - Young People and Abortion

 

Abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy is legal in India. Despite this, there are 4 million unsafe abortions every year. There are a number of different reasons for this.  Of these, social stigma is a major cause. The discussion of sexual and reproductive health is considered taboo. This is especially so in the case of adolescents and young people.

 

Adolescent girls do not know about their bodies and cannot discuss their ongoing physical changes with anyone.

 

In urban areas, a large number of abortions stem from lack of awareness about contraception.  Some sexually active young people are shy about broaching the subject of contraception with partners. In light of these issues, the immediate need is for widespread education on sexual and reproductive health for adolescents as well as their families. [Arushi Singh, Youth Volunteer, FPI/X-press newsletter/vol5/No2]

 

In Asia - Adolescents are uninformed about its Sexual Health – WHO

 

Asia's adolescents are turning increasingly to risky sexual behavior, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, urging governments to do more to promote the sexual health of younger people.

 

WHO regional chief Shigeru Omi said that while "social norms regarding sexual activity and sexual behaviour have changed... (the) environment to support the adolescents to face these changes has not."

 

The organization's studies showed adolescents were uninformed about how best to avoid risky behavior that leads to unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, pregnancy-related complications and sexually transmitted diseases, it said.

 

India signed the Declaration to end the Polio in year 2004.

 

The governments of the six countries (including India) in which polio is still endemic declared their intent to stamp out the last cases of the disease by the end of 2004, a year ahead of the deadline set by the World Health Organization.

 

The surprising announcement came at the end of a summit of health ministers that was called by WHO officials in response to recent reverses in the 16-year campaign to eradicate the paralyzing infection.

 

Since the campaign against polio began in 1988, the annual number of cases has fallen from 350,000 to about 700. In the last two years, however, the effort has encountered a spike in cases in northern India.

 

"We have a unique window of opportunity in which to end polio forever," Indian Health Minister Sushma Swaraj said.  "We will seize this opportunity by reaching each and every child with vaccine, particularly in western Uttar Pradesh and any other corner of India where transmission has not been stopped.  There is no room in India's future for polio."  

 

Int. Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World

 

On 29 November 2000, the General Assembly recognized that the objective of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World, 2001-2010, was to further strengthen the global movement for a culture of peace, and invited States to place greater emphasis on promoting a culture of peace and non-violence (resolution 55/47).

 

Proclaiming the Decade in 1998 (resolution 53/25 of 10 November), the Assembly invited NGOs, religious bodies and groups, educational institutions, artists and the media to support the Decade for the benefit of every child of the world, but unfortunately even after three year, the activities still to gear-up. 

 

UNICEF pledges for 2004 to focus on child survival

 

On 31 December, UNICEF pledged to focus its efforts in year 2004 on helping the young to survive in a world where they are often caught up in war, ravaged by HIV/AIDS, imperilled by exploitation, and under-serviced by society.

 

"Each of these issues alone poses heartbreaking challenges for hundreds of millions of children," UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said. "Together, they represent a global imperative to do more for children in 2004."

 

Abuse, exploitation and violence extinguish the childhoods of hundreds of millions of children, with 246 million working, 171 million of them in hazardous conditions. Some 1.2 million are trafficked every year, and 2 million, mainly girls, are believed to be exploited through the commercial sex trade. At any given time, over 300,000 child soldiers, some as young as eight, are exploited in armed conflicts in over 30 countries around the world.

 

Ms. Bellamy also charged that too many governments _ in both rich and poor countries _ fail to recognize that investing in children means investing in the future of their countries.

 

Education is the single best way to tackle all these problems over the long term, she added. "By making sure that all boys and girls get a basic education, we will not only give them a chance of growing into independent adults who can protect their own health and rights, but we will give the next generation of children a better chance of escaping a life of poverty and hardship," Ms. Bellamy said.

New UN protocol will cut surge in human trafficking – Pravin Patkar

 

Each year criminal gangs smuggle thousands of women and children across South Asia, taking advantage of lax local laws to force people to work in the sex industry or as slave labourers. But Mr Pravin Patkar is optimistic that a new United Nations protocol on organized crime will plug loopholes in local legislation and check the surge in human trafficking across the subcontinent.

 

Mr. Pravin Patkar, chairman of Preerena said the protocol was sorely needed and would provide a broad definition of the word trafficking encompassing situations of exploitation typical to the poverty-struck South Asia region.

 

Mr. Patkar said that although Indian laws recognized trafficking as a crime, the word itself was not defined and the only legal recourse was to punish offenders under related laws such as kidnapping, coercion or fraud.

 

"In the Indian and South Asia situation, the bad economic condition of people allows criminals to exploit them simply through the lure of money without coercion or fraud.

 

"This allowed people to take undue advantage of someone's vulnerability without fear of punishment," Patkar  added said.

 

"The moment you say that trafficking includes taking advantage of another person's helplessness or powerlessness and taking consent by paying money, then it fits the real situation of South Asia. It can now be called a criminal act and should be incorporated into our laws as well," he added.

 

Mr. Patkar said that the new UN protocol will plug another glaring loophole in the law, which allows authorities to treat the victims of trafficking as illegal migrants.

 

On other hand SAARC countries, which are most affected, are still discussing and trying to develop the understanding on human trafficking since 2001 but not much result is achieved. Now some agencies are working to peruse the Bangladesh and India to reach on bilateral agreement to deal jointly the issue of human trafficking between them. The UN protocol may be help these two countries to work faster to reach any bilateral agreement.

Launching of World Youth Report

 

The Secretariat's Programme on Youth of United Nations will launch the World Youth Report 2003 on 22^nd April 2004 at its headquarter in New York, USA . He Youth Unit also brief youth NGOs on the two special meetings of the General Assembly on youth in 2005.

Upcoming events

 

Regional Consultation on Youth and HIV/AIDS by CYP

 

To strengthen the youth-health initiatives, the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) in collaboration with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India, organizing the First Asia Regional Consultation on Youth and HIV/AIDS from 10-14 February 2004 at Indore, M. P. India. The consultation will focus share experience and gain more knowledge about HIV/AIDS and various strategies being adopted by other countries to combat this epidemic.

 

World Youth Festival

 

Barcelona, Spain Spain will host this third World Youth Festival, which aims to take a step forward in cooperation among youth organizations from around the world and bring together 10,000 young people from all the continents. The festival's motto is 'Let's build the world!'. The Festival will be held from 8 to 14 August 2004.

 

5th Annual Global Youth Service Day

 

Youth Service America with the Global Youth Action Network are currently coordinate the Fifth Annual Global Youth Service Day, to be held from 16-18 April 2004 in all over the world. For more information visit web: www.gysd.net

 

International Youth Parliament

 

The Second session of the International Youth Parliament will held from 5-12 July 2004 in Sydney, Australia. The participation is open for young aged between 18 and 25. The organizer is expected about 250 young people from across the globe.

 

Int. Health & Environment Conference

 

"25 Year Window: Linking Conflict with Environment and Population." Will be the theme of 13^th International Conference on Health and the Environment: Global Partners for Global Solutions. The Conference will be held at United Nations Headquaters in New York, USA from 29 to 30 April 2004.

 

Int. Conference on Politics and Information Systems

 

2^nd International Conference on Politics and Information Systems:Technologies and Applications (PISTA ´04) will be held from 21 – 25 July 2004 in Orlando, Florida, USA. For more information visit web: www.confinf.org/pista04/website/ISOrganization.asp

 

Europe, Youth and Globalization 2004

 

Europe, Youth and Globalization 2004 will be held from the 5 - 9 May 2004 in France. The Council of Europe Directorate of Youth and Sport will be the organizer of the event. The organizer is expecting 400 young people from age group of 18-30 those are engage in a critical dialogue with policy makers, academic experts, representatives of international institutions, international non-governmental youth organizations.

 

Students’ Forum Study Session

 

The Students’ Forum 2000 is holding a second study session in co-operation with the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg from 19-26 March 2004. The overall aims of the study session are: to explore and discuss the changing concepts, forms and trends of civil society in a globalizing world; assess the impact of globalization on young people and youth work; and to help position the SF Network, and inspire its ongoing development. For more detail contact: celina.delfelice@...

 

World Bank- Essay competition

 

The World Bank and the College of Europe are sponsoring an essay competition for people between 19 and 25 who reside in a European country. Three essays selected by the judges will be published. Their winning authors will receive paid Bank internships in Paris, prizes of 2,000 or 1,000 euros, and field visits to Bank projects. Essays should reflect on concrete proposals to reduce world poverty and share new thinking on the role of Europeans in development, as well as advocate greater European commitment in this domain. Last date 29 February 2004. For more information: www.essaycompetition.org

 

Int. Summer School for Young Activists

 

The third annual “International Summer School for young activists”, to be take place between the 10^th to 17^th July 2004, at Atlantic College, South Wales, UK. The Summer School will bring together 300 young people from around 40 countries to discuss issues, share ideas, enhance your practical skills, develop collaborations and make contacts. For more information visit web www.younginfluencers.com

 

Digital Generations: Children, young people and new media

Date: 26-29 July 2004

Location: London, England

Organizer: Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media Institute of Education, University of London

Contact: newmedia2004@... 

Sexuality and Rights: Residential Course

 

The Sexuality and Rights Institute is organizing residential course that focuses on a conceptual study of sexuality. It examines the links between sexuality, rights, gender and health. It examines the interface between sexuality and rights and its links with the related fields of gender and health.

 

The date of the course is 15-27 March 2004 and will be held in Pune, Maharastra, India. For more information, contact: sexualityinstitute@... 

 

Training on Making Governance Gender Responsive

 

Making Governance Gender Responsive was developed by the Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP), with funding support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through its Asia-Pacific Gender Equality Network or APGEN and Regional Governance Programme for Asia and the Pacific (PARAGON). 

 

The training is planned for 26, 27, 28 February 2004, 24, 25, 26 June 2004 and 21, 22, 23 October 2004 and will be held in Parañaque City, Philippines.

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This is the newsletter of ICYO.

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

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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. Its family consists of over 350 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.

 

Affiliation:  Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations; Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development; Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Full Member of Asian Youth Council (AYC); Member of Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Bangkok, Thailand.