Three
billion people in the world live on less than $2 a day.
Women, in many cases, must bear a
double burden – one of poverty, and one of the societal beliefs and practices
that reflect the brutal reality of the world. A woman’s life isn’t quite worth
that of a man’s.
According to one United Nations
estimate, 113 to 200 million women are “demographically missing” from the world
today. That is to say, there should be 113 to 200 million more women walking
the earth, who aren’t.
By that same estimate, 1.5 to 3
million women and girls lose their lives every year because of gender-based
neglect or gender-based violence.
You can point a finger at poverty.
But poverty alone does not result in these women’s deaths; the blame also falls
on the attitudes of the societies these women inhabit.
When a family doesn’t have enough
to eat, women will sacrifice their shares for the sakes of their male relatives
– willingly or not. When a poor tenant farmer has an ill son and ill daughter,
but can only afford treatment for one, the son will be taken to the doctor over
the daughter.
These practices can’t necessarily
be quantified, but their effects certainly can. Take South Asia, which includes
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal – it accounts for the bulk
of all maternal mortality deaths in the world. Sixty percent of the women of
childbearing age in this part of the world are malnourished.
Often, they are given larger
shares of work, smaller amounts of food, and don’t have control over the most
basic decisions regarding their health care.
In this part of the world alone,
2.3 million babies die preventable deaths every year. Those children would live
if their mothers received better obstetric health care. In glaring contrast,
the U.N. Universal Declaration on Human Rights states that “motherhood and
childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.”
Even more horrific than these
numbers is the number of unborn females that are aborted due to selective sex
abortion and the number of baby girls that become victims of infanticide.
China alone accounts for 50
million of the girls who are “missing” due to these practices. The one child
only policy, coupled with the apparently higher value placed on sons, has
resulted in incredibly skewed gender ratios in many parts of the country. In
some provinces there are 120 to 130 males for every 100 females – the “natural”
ratio is 104. Seven thousand fewer baby girls are born than boys every day in
India.
Imagine the effect that trends
such as these will have on future generations.
I have only mentioned poverty- and
neglect-related deaths along with selective sex abortion and female
infanticide.
Think about the women who become
victims of domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking and the illegal sex
trade, honor killings, dowry deaths and female genital mutilation.
The Universal Declaration of Human
Rights says “everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.”
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
(ICYO) is the network organization, committed for capacity building and
developing mutual cooperation and understanding amongs youth organizations,
youth groups.
ICYO functions as an umbrella organization
of youth organizations with working area in South Asia.a.
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: CRIN, ATSEC-DELHI,
Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand;
Next World Congress against Commercial Sexual
Exploitation of Children in Brazil
The “3rd World Congress
against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children” will be held in November
2008 in Brazil. The Government of Brazil has officially announced they are
going to host the 3rd Conference after the Yakohoma.
According to ECPAT International who
is lead partner in mobilizing the participation of governments, children and
civil society in the processes of the World Congresses, as a mechanism to
maintain world focus and commitment for the fight against these crimes.
More detail information will follows in coming issues of
this newsletter
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
(ICYO) is the network organization, committed for capacity building and
developing mutual cooperation and understanding amongs youth organizations,
youth groups.
ICYO functions as an umbrella organization
of youth organizations with working area in South Asia.a.
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: CRIN, ATSEC-DELHI,
Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand;
Guwahati, Oct. 24
-- In a world where high growth and competitiveness have become the order of
the day, scarcity of resources, made worse by governance problems and rising
population have retarded the development process in India.
The vicious
circle of poverty, population explosion and environmental degradation has added
to the country's woes. If the population remains uncontrolled, it would be
disastrous for the country's economy. The growth rate of the economy, which has
reached respectable levels in the last two years, may get diluted if the
population increase is not stabilized in the coming years.
India has 2.4 per
cent of the landmass of the world but it has around 17 per cent of the
population and this has been increasing at the rate of 1.9 per cent per annum
while that of the world has been moving at 1.4 per cent per annum. It is
estimated that there would be 9.2 billion people in the world by the year 2050.
According to the UN Commission on Population and Development, India, Pakistan
and China along with Indonesia and Nigeria are among five countries that
account for almost half the annual growth of 100 million of the world's population.
Among the
developing countries, China has launched commendable and drastic family
planning programmes over the last decade. It is estimated that its population
will increase from the present 1250 million to approximately 1500 million in
the year 2025. On the other hand, India's record has been far from satisfactory
and present indications reveal that the country's population will cross that of
China in the first quarter of this century.
The reasons for
India not attaining success in controlling population may be attributed to the
following factors: One, backwardness, especially in the NIMARU States like
Bihar, where the population growth is very high. Two, inadequate awareness
generation and spread of literacy at the grassroot level in some of the remote
areas of the country. Three, lack of a common civil code and the Government's
reluctance to impose this fearing backlash from the minority community.
Four, high levels
of gender inequality and hardly any initiatives to make women conscious of the
need for family planning. Five, superstitious beliefs prevalent among the
illiterate and the rural poor (abortion and other birth control measures do not
have divine sanction). Six, lack of initiative by the panchayats to spread and
implement family planning rigorously.
The National
Family Planning Health Surveys found that women on an average gave birth to 0.7
more children than they actually wanted because of various factors, including
non-availability of contraceptive services. In the high population growth
States this gap is much higher.
Additionally, it
was found that wherever women were socially disadvantaged because of their sex
or lack of education and training or oppression or where the patriarchal system
made them economically and socially dependent, population control became
difficult and the birth rates were higher. On the other hand, the birth rate
decreased if the women were educated and autonomy.
Kerala is a case
in point. Boasting of a very high literacy rate there has been a drastic decline
in the population growth. Also in most of the north eastern States, where women
are professionally engaged the fertility rate is quite low. In fact,
contraceptive application and its long-term impact should be aimed at men
rather than women.
Clearly, India's
growth and economic performance may lose its momentum if family planning is not
practiced by a majority of the people. Already our natural resources are
getting depleted thanks to a population density of around 320 per sq km
(compared to around 135 per sq km of China) and it would be virtually
impossible for the country to make its presence felt in the international scene
if the population growth cannot be controlled.
Moreover, not
only would it be difficult to curb food insecurity but also our socio-economic
advancement would be jeopardised if the population growth rate is not brought
down to around one or a 1.25 per cent per annum. As it stands, the foodgrains
output growth has lost the race against population increase. True, the scarcity
of water resources, the per capita availability of land and the depleting
fossil fuels is a world wide trend however, populous countries like India would
have to be more cautious in the coming years.
It is encouraging to note that the social infrastructure development
with emphasis on health and education has already been initiated. There is an
urgent need to inculcate family planning education in a massive way, especially
in the States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Needless to say, education is a powerful weapon to combat increase in fertility
rate, poverty and unemployment. The Panchayats need to be involved and well
known personalities from all religious communities have to be mobilised to lead
this family planning campaign.
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
ØModel United Nations Inaugurated on 8 October 2007
Ø25,000 deprived People – 27 days – 324 km Journey
Ø'All Different - All Equal' European Youth Campaign: the End of the Beginning
ØNational Integration Youth Camp held in New Delhi.
ØMalnutrition: Kill 16,000 young children every day
ØAFPPD Chairman Elected the Japan’s New Prime Minister
ØPreparatory workshop for AGCC Youth Forum held
ØScience Express Train for Students
Upcoming events:
ØAYC -Asian Youth Forum 2007 in Beijing
ØTunza International Children's Conference
Ø4th World Youth Congress
ØChildren Festival cum camp in Indore
ØAsia –Pacific Humanitarian Affairs Conference
ØSymposium on "Enhancing Political Commitment for Reproductive and Sexual Health in Asia-Pacific"
ØFit City - international competition for young people
ØMeeting on MDGs
ØCertificate Course for Rural Business Service Providers
ICYO – Youth Information Newsletter
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
October 2007 No. 68
Platform of 356 Youth Organizations in India
India’s largest network of urban and rural youth
Indian model UN meeting of Youth held in Delhi
The Indian Model United Nations Conference, a simulation of the UN Assembly, was held in New Delhi in first week of October 2007. The conference saw the participation of young diplomats from Indonesia, Bahrain, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka and India who passed resolutions offering unique solutions to problems plaguing the world. The Minister for Overseas Affairs, Vayalar Ravi, presented the awards for best delegate, best delegation and best country profile.
Model United Nations Inaugurated on 8 October 2007
The another Model United Nations held in Udupi. The Chairman of Prasar Bharati M.V. Kamath said on 8th October 2007 in addressing the Model United Nations that the associate organizations of the United Nations Organization (U.N.) such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), are doing more good work than the Security Council of the United Nations.
He was speaking at the inaugural function of the Model United Nations (MUN) organized by the students of Manipal Institute of Technology, (MIT), Udupi, Karnataka.
Mr. Kamath said that soon after the U.N. came into existence, India was offered a seat at the Security Council, but then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was guided by his idealism, refused it. Things were not going in the right direction at the United Nations Organization. If the present trend continued, it would go the way of the League of Nations, he added.
Janadesh 2007
25,000 deprived People – 27 days – 324 km walk
As many as 25,000 people deprived of natural resources such as water and land started their foot-march call Janadesh 2007 from Gwalior on October 2 to secure such rights.
The 25,000 deprived People after 27 days walk of 324 km reached on 28th October 2007 to press for their demand to government of India for their rights on land and livelihood. The specific demands includes the constitution of Land Commission so nation know how much land available for what purpose, second demand is to establishment of fast track land court for faster deposal of land disputes.
The Centre might not have tried to get the Scheduled Tribes (recognition of forest rights) Bill passed all these years, but they march on, nevertheless, without a trace of bitterness.
Their spirits are lifted by the unprecedented support they have received en route. Says convener Dr Ram Singh Parmar: "We had food only for 15 days. But we were never short of it because villages and townsfolk were ready with grain, sugar, water and whatever we wanted. Panchayat pradhans and sarpanches have been very cooperative in organizing public meetings".
The marchers are in Delhi and they are on indefinite dharna (sit on) to press for their demands.
Earlier on 1st October 2007, Joura, District Morena in MP did the tearful send-off of the Satyagrahies (marchers) and their leader from Mahatma Gandhi Seva Ashram. Flowers and welcome gates decorated the Joura roads and people including school children were standing on road to welcome the procession.
The leaders of Janadesh 2007 including Dr S. N Subba Rao Chairman of Mahatma Gandhi Seva Ashram and Chairman of Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO), Shri PV Rajagopal, National Convenor of Ekta Parishad and Dr Ran Singh Parmar, National Coordinator of Janadesh 2007 and Treasurer of ICYO walked on street and accept the wishes of Joura people. Mr Ravi Narayan, Secretary General of ICYO also joined the procession and attended the other event.
'All Different - All Equal' European Youth Campaign: the End of the Beginning
Around 300 young people representing youth organizations from all over Europe are holding the final event of the "All Different - All Equal" European Youth Campaign on Diversity, Human Rights and Participation in Malmö, Sweden, on 4-7 October 2007.
The message is clear: this is just the end of the beginning; the campaign values need continuous support and promotion until they become part of the global mindset. Discrimination is still a daily reality that we need to combat.
National Integration Youth Camp Attended by 500 Youth
The National Youth Project conducted the Youth camp (21 October to 28 October 2007) in Jasola, New Delhi. The 500 from all over India and 33 youth from Pakistan were in attence. The camp was unique opportunity for youth to learn how to spread the message of Peace and Harmony in Gandhian way.
The camp routine including the sharmdan (work donation) learning each other languages, playing with out material apart from rally in public places and organized the public meeting.
The closing function of Camp was held in Najafgarh and hosted by Akhil Bharitya Seva Dal (ICYO affiliate youth organization) and Mr Naval Kishore Sharma, Governor of Gujarat was the Chief Guest of the function.
2007 World Population Data Sheet
Malnutrition: Kill 16,000 young children every day
Malnutrition plays a role in the deaths of about 16,000 young children every day, virtually all of them in the developing world. That is a yearly toll of almost 6 million, about the same as the population of Denmark, Jordan, or Laos. By weakening resistance to infection and disease, malnutrition contributes to more than half the deaths of children under 5 worldwide.
The Population Reference Bureau's 2007 World Population Data Sheet, released recently in Washington, DC, offers detailed information about the prevalence of malnutrition worldwide.
AFPPD Chairman Elected the Japan’s New Prime Minister
The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), Chairman Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, MP (Japan), is now the Prime Minister of Japan. He was elected as AFPPD Chair at the General Assembly of AFPPD in Jakarta, Indonesia on 2005.
Preparatory workshop for AGCC Youth Forum held
A six-day preparatory workshop for the forthcoming first AGCC Youth Forum has begun at Muscat, organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) AGCC Area Office in Muscat, around 15 youth are taking part in this preparatory workshop which will culminate in the AGCC Youth Forum on October 27.
The preparatory workshop is aimed at introducing the AGCC youth to the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) and their impact on the area as envisaged by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000.
Acting as an arena for youth to join hands, and discuss matters of concern to them, the AGCC Youth Forum is expected to help the participating youth to engage policymakers and experts in dialogue to analyse the role of youth in issues such as education, health, occupation, and youth participation and empowerment to play a participatory role in national development plans.
The workshop from October 20-26 is aimed at helping the youth to develop their vision on a participatory role in national development. The workshop and the AGCC Youth Forum will help the participants to partake in talks, debates, and panel discussions and to come out with 2-3 papers to present in the upcoming Arab Youth forum which is to be held in Cairo in November.
The workshop, which is being facilitated by Kamel Al Nabilsy, is based on a complete participatory approach, where it is understood that the responsibility of learning falls on the shoulders of the participant and not the facilitator.
According to Dr Nora N. Al Nahedh, resident representative of UNFPA, youth in the age group of 15-29 is nearly quarter or one third of the total population of the AGCC. Therefore increased participatory role for the youth is one of the cornerstone in the development of all sections of the society.
Science Express Train for Students
'Science Express' is a state of the art, Science Exhibition on a train, going around the country in India, over a period of 8 months. Its objective is to develop scientific urge and temper, foster scientific environment among students of higher secondary schools and also colleges and influence upon them to pursue their interest in science.
'Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) has partnered with Department of Science & Technology (DST),Government of India and BASF India Limited for managing the Project.
The train includes the exhibitions and information dissemination.The project is to be inaugurated on 30th October at Chankyapuri Railway station and will be there till Nov 4.
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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.
AYC, in collaboration with All China Youth Federation and International Labor Organization, is organizing Asian Youth Forum 2007 with the theme "Dynamic Asia: Entrepreneurial Youth".
The forum seeks to raise the awareness and share the experiences of Asian countries on promoting youth entrepreneurship. The above event will be held from 2nd to 4th November 2007 in Beijing, China. ICYO will attend the event.
Tunza International Children's Conference on the Environment for Young
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will be organizing Tunza International Children's Conference on the Environment in Stavanger, Norway from 17 to 21 June2008.The organizer will bring together 1,000 children aged 10 to 14 years in 2008 conference. The theme of the conference will be 'A Climate for change '.
For more information log on: http://www.unep.org/tunza/children/events/icc_2008
4th World Youth Congress - APPLICATIONS OPEN
The 4th World Youth Congress on the theme "Youth-led Development" will bring together 600 world's most dynamic young activists in the field of sustainable development, in order to demonstrate that young people are one of the most valuable resources in governments' and international development organizations' mission to reach the Millennium Development
Goals.
The Congress will organize by Peace Child International, World Youth Congress 2008 and Taking It Global (TIG) in Quebec, Canada from August 10 – 21, August 2008. For more information log on http://www.wyc2008.qc.ca/about/
Geetai National Integration Camp
The Geetai National Integration Youth Camp will be held from October 30 to November 6, 2007 in Ladnun, Rajasthan. For more detail contact NYP at nypindia@...
Children Festival cum camp in Indore
The Antar Bharti Organization will organize the Rastriya Bal Anand Mahaotsav (National Children Festival) in Indore from November 16 to 18, 2007.
The 400 children from age 8 to 12 years from all over India will participate in the camp and stay as guest with local children in their homes. For more information contact Mr Tapan Bhattacharya at email: bal_anandam@...
National Integration and Peace Youth Camp in West Bengal
NYP will organize the National Integration and Peace Youth Camp in West Bengal from December 7,2007. For more detail contact: nypindia@...
Asia –Pacific Humanitarian Affairs Conference
Humanitarian Affairs will be organizing the Asia-Pacific Humanitarian Affairs Conference in Bangkok, Thailand at the UN Conference Centre from Dec 10–14, 2007. The Conference will look at critical social-economic issues in poverty-stricken countries.
The issues which to be covered in the conference are Street Children, Child Trafficking, Hunger & Poverty.
The main objectives are to create awareness on the plight of victims of poverty; to propose and even initiate sustainable development projects to improve the conditions of victims of poverty; to take part in the various humanitarian relief efforts to the less developed countries in the world; to inspire and to challenge other young people to see their roles in humanitarian work to alleviate poverty in the less developed countries; To explore the possibility of initiating a Humanitarian Affairs Regional Youth Advocacy Committee.
AFPPD's Symposium on "Enhancing Political Commitment for Reproductive and Sexual Health in Asia-Pacific"
The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), which is the platform of parliamentary committees on population and development in Asia-Pacific, will organize a symposium of parliamentarians on “Enhancing Political Commitment for Reproductive and Sexual Health in Asia-Pacific” on 31 October at 11 a.m. in the 4th Asia-Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSH) in Hyderabad, India.
Parliamentarians will attend the symposium, from Australia, Cambodia, East Timor, India, Iran, Indonesia, Mongolia, Malaysia, Philippines and Samoa.
Those attending APCRSH are invited to attend the symposium.
AFPPD will also have an informal consultation of “Parliamentarians and Media” on 30 October at 3:30 p.m. in Hyderabad International Convention Center, Hyderabad, India. International and national media representatives and parliamentarians will attend the consultation.
Fit City
Fit City is an international competition for young people (aged 18-27) designed to provoke thought and discussion about the impact that urban environments have on our health and organized by OxHA’s Youth work stream. 5 winners of the Fit City competition will be awarded a trip to Sydney in February where they will join us at our annual summit.
Special Commonwealth Workshop on “Capacity Building and Performance Management for Convergence”
The above workshop will be held from 26 - 28 November 2007 in Solomon Islands.
The convergence of information and communication technologies is now a reality, and ICT-related government departments, regulatory agencies, telecom operators, service providers, user groups and other stakeholders within and beyond the Commonwealth are in various stages of migration and organizational transformation to consolidate and maintain their presence in converging national markets and benefit from the global information economy. Most industry players face serious challenges relating not only to governance and regulation, but also to operational issues in a range of key areas, such as human capacity building, billing systems or monitoring systems, while ensuring that performance targets and projected savings in CAPEX and OPEX are achieved.
The registration is free of charge. For more information write to m.belingue@...
Meeting on MDGs
Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) will organized the meeting of Asian Parliamentarians on Achieving the MDGs from November 6 – 7, 2007 in Bangkok.
Certificate Course for Rural Business Service Providers
The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Ahmedabad is organizing the ‘Certificate Course for Rural Business Service Providers/Consultants from 15 November 2007 to 11 January 2008.
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.
New York, Oct 19
(IANS) India's population is projected to cross 2 billion by 2101, making it
the only country to reach that mark, unless fertility rates in Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar, the country's two largest and poorest states, decline drastically,
according to a leading population expert.
Carl Haub, senior
demographer of the reputed Washington-based Population Reference Bureau (PRB),
talked about the implications of India's population growth and suggested
measures to check it during an online discussion on the subject PRB set up
Wednesday.
Haub has recently
produced a report titled 'The Future Population of India: A Long-range View'
along with PRB's India consultant, O.P. Sharma, in collaboration with the
Population Foundation of India, New Delhi. The report projects population,
fertility rates, life expectancies, and broad age groups for India and each of
its 35 states and union territories between 2001 and 2101.
According to the
study, India's population, which stands at over 1.1 billion today, would reach
1.8 billion by mid-century and may even exceed 2 billion by 2101 unless steps
are taken to control the growth rates in what is called the Hindi-speaking
heartland.
Even though the
country's total fertility rate (TFR) has declined from about six children per
woman in 1952 to about three currently, the decline has been much greater in
the southern states, which have long had high rates of literacy and education.
But Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with about 188 million and 93 million people
respectively, still have a TFR of about 4.3 children per woman.
During the lively
online discussion, Haub said their projections assume that a smooth decline in
fertility rates will, in fact, take place, reaching the two child family. 'But
if that does not happen, or if it takes much longer than we assumed, the
resulting population would be even larger by 2101.'
The factors
pushing up TFR, he said, include early marriage among rural women who have
little control over reproductive choices, deeply rooted traditions like son
preference, which prevails even among higher income groups.
To curb
population growth, Haub suggested reproductive health information and supplies
be delivered to all villages, not just urban centres. Women's education as a
solution takes time, he said, but even uneducated women can be quickly informed
about their choices. Men should also be convinced on the need for intelligent reproductive
health choices as has been done successfully in Indonesia.
Comparing the
experience of India - which is expected to overtake China's population by 2025
- and China, Haub said the latter greatly lowered its fertility rate through an
involuntary programme that has been shown not to work well in India. 'Coercive
family planning measures would only encourage abortion of female foetuses in
India,' he said.
In China, both
rich and poor have low fertility, he pointed out, while the problem in India is
its vast rural population and its comparatively rapid growth.
With rural
population outstripping available land, there will be a tide of rural-to-urban
migration, Haub said. To stem it, he suggested creating non-agriculture
employment centres as the government's National Rural Health Mission is
designed to do. Another solution is to set up more industrial estates and
special economic zones.
On the other
hand, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which are already witnessing a greying of
population, should address labour shortages by attracting migrants from other
states, he suggested.
When a questioner
argued that the ongoing economic boom in India will bring down poverty levels,
improving education levels, in turn leading to a decline in population growth
rates, Haub responded pessimistically, 'How many people will actually benefit
from the boom and to what degree? I do not see much 'trickle down'.' He did,
however, see that as a concern of the current Indian government, and hopefully
all future ones. Neither will the population growth adversely affect economic
boom, according to him..
Haub also ruled out the possibility of Muslims ever outnumbering
Hindus in the country. 'I would expect the fertility rate of both groups to
converge over time,' he said.
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
DECCAN, PUNE: On the Day of WORLD FOOD DAY ( 16th October) and On the eve of International Day for Eradication of Poverty ( 17th October) , Hundreds of young people from schools, colleges will gather at Sambhaji Park JM Road, Deccan today 16th October 2.30 pm till 7 pm to SPEAK OUT against POVERTY through the medium of painting, slogans, canvases, grafitti etc.
Many people in India do not know about Millennium Development Goals. It has become a theme for discussions in seminar and conference rooms rather than putting into action by the respective governments who have promised to end pvoerty by 2015. Does anybody believe that poverty will end in India by 2015?. Reports suggests that world’s one third population live below 1 dollar per day is in India.
Therefore on October 16thand 17thmillions all over the world will once again Stand Up and Speak Out against poverty and inequality. Please join us at SAMBHAJI PARK, DECCAN, JM Road, Pune at 3 pm onwards to EXPRESS YOUR IDEAS through PAINTING.
For More Information contact: Priyanka Sharma, CYDA, 4 Vasanttara, Above Udyam Vikas Sahakari Bank, Near Hotel Surya, Off Ghole Road, Deccan, Pune –4, 020-25533168.
Be the change what you want to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi CYDA #4, Vasanttara Above Udhyam Vikas Sahkari Bank Next to Surya Hotel Off Ghole Road Pune 411004 Ph: 020 - 25533168
(E
- newsletter from network of Indian youth organizations)
-----------------------------
ASIA-PACIFIC:
MDGs Progress Unknown for Lack of Data
BANGKOK, Oct 8
(IPS) - In a moment of rare candour, officials from a regional United Nations
body and the Asia Development Bank (AsDB) admitted that studies to gauge
progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are hampered by out-of-date
information.
The revelations
came during the launch of a report to assess progress of countries in the
Asia-Pacific region at midpoint to the 2015 deadline for achievement of the
MDGs. The most comprehensive data available for the region’s MDG calculations
is for 1999, the year before the Millennium Summit in September 2000 when the
world’s leaders pledged to meet a series of development targets in the next 15
years.
‘’In many
countries, the data provided at the national level is not reliable,’’ Raj
Kumar, principal officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission
for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), based in Bangkok, told IPS. ‘’The most
comprehensive, comparable figures we have for the Asia-Pacific region are for
1999.’’
It echoed the
view of Pietro Gennari, chief of ESCAP’s statistic division, who presented the
region’s MDG report card. ‘’There are still many data gaps in the MDG database.
The data is scattered over time and across countries,’’ he said during the
launch of the 56-page report published by ESCAP, the Manila-based AsDB and the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
‘’Social data in
countries can be more difficult to collect when the mechanisms are not there,’’
Jean-Pierre Verbiest, AsDB’s country director for Thailand, said in an
interview.
The revelations
of this information black hole drew caustic responses from civil society
organisations that have been monitoring the U.N.-led MDG campaign. ‘’We are not
surprised by this admission about a lack of information,’’ says Anoop
Sukumaran, a researcher at Focus on the Global South, a Bangkok-based think
tank. ‘’We have been asking this question about reliable information from the
very beginning.’’
‘’When they now
say that the numbers and the data they have is problematic, it raises
fundamental questions about the thesis on which they have gone about this MDG
business,’’ he explained to IPS. ‘’It means the very foundation is shaky about
solving the problem and achieving the MDGs.’’
What is also
troubling to civil society organisations is that the confession comes after
large amounts of money have been spent and a global bureaucracy created around
the MDG campaign since 2000. Typical is the role of the UNDP to help train
authorities in the developing world to collect MDG-related data. The MDGs have
also been used as a popular mantra by U.N. agencies and the AsDB to launch
regular reports over the past seven years to cheer on this campaign.
The call for the
MDGs arose from a need to set time-bound goals in specific areas to improve the
quality of life for the world’s weak and marginalised living in the developing
world, where the planet’s majority resides. The first goal was to cut by half
the number of people living in extreme poverty -- or who live below the income
of one U.S. dollar a day -- by 2015.
The second and
third goal dealt with education, where all children, both boys and girls, will
be able to complete a full course of primary schooling and the elimination of
the gender gap in primary and secondary education by 2015.
There were also
targets set to reduce child mortality -- reduce by two-thirds between 1990 and
2015, the death rates of children under five years of age -- and improve
maternal health, by aiming to slash by three-quarters the maternal mortality
ratio.
The last three of
the eight MDGs called for action to halt the spread of global killer diseases
such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, ensure environmental sustainability and to create
a new ‘’global partnership’’ for development between the developing and the
industrialised world.
This week’s
report on the Asia-Pacific region warned that the child mortality, malnutrition
and maternal health care remained a daunting challenge, with the limited
progress on slashing child malnutrition being on par with the numbers in
Sub-Saharan Africa. The region accounts for 100 million of the world’s
malnourished children, which is 65 percent of the world’s total. ‘’South-Asia
alone accounts for 80 million underweight children,’’ said Gennari.
On the push to
achieve the goal of universal primary education, the results are mixed. ‘’The
Asia-Pacific region has done quite well, enrolling nearly 94 percent of
school-age children -- still behind Latin America and the Caribbean, which with
a 97 percent rate counts as an early achiever, but some way ahead of
Sub-Saharan Africa’s 70 percent,’’ states the report. ‘’Nevertheless this
region still accounts for one in three of the world’s children out of school.’’
Yet the admission
about the lack of recent, comprehensive data hampers the picture about the
benchmarks reached half-way into the MDGs. And officials IPS spoke to admitted
that part of the problem lies with the way governments in the region view the
need to collect and share information about the local social indicators.
‘’Getting
information on social issues is much more difficult than getting economic
data,’’ says Kumar of ESCAP. ‘’This is not a high priority for most
governments. And they do not see it as a good thing, too, about why they should
reveal information about child mortality and malnutrition at home.’’
This information
gap, furthermore, was another feature that the MDGs set out to resolve. ‘’When
the MDGs were introduced, it meant for the first time as an attempt to actually
measure government polices and targets,’’ says Verbiest of AsDB. ‘’At that time
we knew there was data missing. And one of the achievements of the MDGs was to
get accurate data and measure it.’’
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
The Asian Youth Council alongwith All China Youth
Federation and ILO is organizing the Asian Youth Forum on
Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship and will held from 2nd November to
4th November in Beijing, China.
The Executing Committee meeting of Asian
Youth Council will also be held alongwith the Forum.
The Organizer will provide the
local hospitalities. The participant or nominating organization will bear the
other expenses including the cost international airfare. The participant must
be below or age of 35 years.
Interested organization from
India may contact ICYO secretariat for participation.
In just 18 days, millions of people
around the world will STAND UP and SPEAK OUT against poverty and inequality and
for the Millennium Development Goals.
On October 16th and 17th we want you to
join millions of other people as we tell world leaders that their promises to
end poverty and inequality must be kept. Last year more than 23 million people
took part and set a new Guinness World Record. This year we want you to help
break this record so the message rings even louder.
To make the biggest political impact we need energetic and
committed people to organise events in communities, schools, workplaces and
just about anywhere where people gather. Anyone can organize an event. There
are no 'experts' needed, just creative, concerned people like you who want to
take a stand against poverty.
·You can join an existing event by looking up what is
going on in your country Find
Events Now!
Or
·You can create your own event! There are many ways to
host a STAND UP and SPEAK OUT event. Host a concert, organise a school debate,
show a video clip, or simply ask your colleagues and friends to join you for a
STAND UP moment. There is a ton of material available to help you plan your
event - brochures, posters, video clips and more - available at www.standagainstpoverty.org/materials
.
·The important thing is to register your event online at www.StandAgainstPoverty.org
and to be creative - everyone can participate!
Struggle of Tribal People for their
Livelihood and Rights on Land: Need Your Support
Invitation to join the people’s movement “Janadesh 2007 (People’s
verdict)”.
The organizer of Janadesh 2007
(People’s Verdict 2007) invites you to join the massive people’s movement Janadesh 2007 for land
and livelihood rights of the deprived community and farmers.
Janadesh 2007 is being organized by Ekta
Parishad and other like-minded organizations endeavoring to address
the numerous problems and issues, particularly around land and livelihood,
faced by Dalit, Adivasis and farmers in rural India. There has been ample
lip-service given by successive governments to resolving these problems.
Unfortunately, in practice little has changed – people are now fed-up with
empty promises, and consequently some are turning to violence.
According to
organizers they offer people an alternative to violence, through a mass
non-violent action of civil disobedience in the Gandhian tradition. To this
end, we are currently organizing Janadesh 2007
where 25,000 landless Adivasis, Dalits and farmers will march on foot from Mela
Ground in Gwalior on the 2nd October 2007, and follow the National
Highway all the way to Delhi, arriving there on the 29th October
2007 (please see belowfor full schedule
and route plan).
The aim is simple – through the
sheer size of this action the people will force the government to focus
seriously on the issues faced by them. The three specific demands to the
government are:
Establishment of a National Land Authority to provide a clear
statement of land utilization in India, identify the lands available for
redistribution and strengthen pro-poor laws;
Establishment of fast track courts to settle past and future
conflicts related to land;
Establishment of a single window system so that farmers can
resolve easily and freely the land issues, without wasting time, money and
energy.
The organizer urge for support and
invite you to join the March. If you cannot join the march for the whole
duration of the march, than consider joining for a few days whenever convenient
– the organizer will be able to assist you with making arrangements for joining
the march en route.
Please send the information to join to March to Dr Ran Singh
Parmar, National Convener at ektaparishad@... or
Phone no 91 755 4223821.
If you need further information and
or assistance, may contact ICYO secretariat icyoindia@... or icyo@...
--- ==---
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: icyo@... / icyoindia@...Web; www.icyo.in
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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 354 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from
different corners of India.
Will India be the
first—possibly the only—country ever to have 2 billion people? The Population
Reference Bureau tackled this question in a new projection series. The
answer depends on the course of events in each of India 35 states and Union
territories. The total will almost certainly near 1.8 billion by 2050 and may
exceed 2.0 billion by 2100 unless fertility rates decline more rapidly in
India's largest and poorest states.
India passed the 1 billion
population benchmark in 2000, and stands at 1.1 billion in 2007. The government
has long been concerned about population growth outpacing economic growth, and
India was the first country to adopt a policy to slow population growth. Since
the policy was first stated in 1952, the country's total fertility rate (TFR)
has declined from about six children per woman to about three, but fertility
levels vary greatly throughout India's vast territory.
Fertility Decline
in the South
The TFR decline has been much
greater in its southern states, which have long had much higher rates of
literacy and education than northern states. The southern states of Kerala and
Tamil Nadu now have TFRs below two children per woman, lower than the U.S.
rate. To reduce the national TFR, fertility decline will have to occur in other
parts of India, a fact well known to the government and to family planning
experts.
Northern States
Drive Growth
The large states of the north,
the "Hindi Belt," are key to the future size of India's population.
About 40 percent of Indians live in this region. Two northern states, Bihar and
Uttar Pradesh, with about 93 million and 188 million people, respectively, are
already larger than most of the world's countries. Both states currently have a
TFR of about 4.3 children per woman.
Projecting State
Populations
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh will
grow much more quickly than Kerala and the low-fertility states because of
their higher fertility. Their statistical "weight" in India's total
population will increase. To account for the growing share of the
high-fertility states, we projected each state individually and derived the
national total from those results.
The state and Union territory
populations were projected under two scenarios. One assumed that states with a
current TFR above "two children" would decrease to 2.1 and then
remain constant. The other assumed the TFR decline would continue until it
reached 1.85 children per woman.
This state-based projection
series differs from projections that use national fertility rates and age
structures, and we believe it provides a more realistic scenario. The
population projected for Uttar Pradesh ranges from 353 million to 364 million
by 2051, and between 414 million and 480 million by 2101. The projected
2101 total for India ranges from 1.9 billion to 2.2 billion, depending on the
assumptions for each state.
Will India's population reach 2
billion? It is a real possibility over the long term if fertility does not
decline at a faster rate in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and the other poor states
that make up a growing share of the nation's population. (Population
Reference Bureau)
Compensation for family planning hiked
NEW DELHI: Concerned over a decline of 4.3 per cent in sterilisation
performance in the country, the Union Health and Family Welfare
Ministry has further increased the compensation package for the loss
of wages to people who adopt family planning methods. The
compensation has been nearly doubled for men undergoing vasectomy to
boost male participation in family planning.
This is the second revision within a year as the compensation package
was revised on October 31 last. But despite this, sterilisation saw a
further fall of 4.3 per cent during 2006-07 as compared to the
previous year.
According to the new package, the compensation for vasectomy has been
increased to Rs. 1,500 from Rs. 800 and tubectomy to Rs. 1,000 from
Rs. 800 in public facilities and to Rs. 1,500 for both these
interventions in accredited private health facilities to all
categories of people in high focus States and those below the poverty
line, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the non-high
focus States.
In 2006, the Ministry enhanced the compensation package from Rs. 400
to Rs.800 for people of all categories in the high-focus States and
from Rs. 300 to Rs.800 for tubectomy and Rs.200 to Rs.800 for
vasectomy in non-high focus states for BPL acceptors only.
In the 18 high focus States where the facility is provided in the
public institutions, the acceptor (individual) receives Rs. 1,100,
motivator Rs. 200 and the remaining is to be kept aside for other
expenses accrued. Those going in for tubectomy will get Rs. 600 and
the motivator Rs. 150.
In the non-high focus 17 States and Union Territories, an individual
gets Rs. 1,100 for vasectomy while the BPL, the SC and the ST
categories opting for tubectomy will be paid Rs. 600.
The motivator in the first case receives Rs. 200 and Rs. 150 in the
second category. Amounts of Rs. 50 and Rs. 100 have been kept aside
for drugs in the two categories while the surgeon gets Rs. 100 and
Rs. 75.
Similarly, the compensation for tubectomy for those above poverty
line people in non-high focus States has gone up from Rs. 300 to Rs.
650 where the acceptor will now get Rs. 250 in the non-high focus
States.
- Independence Day Celebration with a difference: Int. Conf. on Youth & Democracy in S. Asia
- Youths to make voices heard: UNFPA.
- "We Are One" Dialogue on Culture diversity chalk-out the POA.
- Delhi Govt. Started the toll free ‘Youth Phone service’.
- European Commission Communication on Youth and Youth Policy
- Int. Youth Day: Young people everywhere are called upon………
Upcoming events:
- Regional Workshop on Trafficking of Girls.
- Tunza International Children's Conference on the Environment.
- Human Rights Watch Fellowship for Young Journalists.
- Youth and ICT: Global Forum on Youth and ICT for Development.
- Int. UNESCO Youth Forum.
- Janadesh 2007.
- Conference on Youth Enterprise and Sustainable Livelihoods.
- 7th TREAT Asia Annual Network Meeting.
ICYO – Youth Information Newsletter
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
No. 2007/60
Platform of 356 Youth Organizations in India
India’s largest network of urban and rural youth
International Conference of Youth & Democracy in S. Asia
Independence Day Celebration with a difference
“Unless we make the lives of our 300 million, who people below poverty line, comfortable, independence has no relevance. Progress and growth should go hand to hand with social justice” said Mr Mohan Dharia, freedom fighter and former Dy. Chairperson of Planning Commission while inaugurating the International Conference of Youth and Democracy in South Asia.
The International Conference of Youth and Democracy in South Asia held in Pune, Maharastra from August 11-15, 2007 and organized by CYDA.
Earlier Mr Mathew Matham, CEO of CYDA welcome the delegates and guest and give the brief detail of the objective of the Conference, said “this conference is an attempt to celebrate Independence Day with a difference; by coming to together to exchange our views to enhance youth participation in strengthening democracy.”
Mr Faroque Shaikh, film actor said that Democracy and Secularism as pillar of India and appealed youth to reaffirm their faith in them.
Milin Bokil, Oxfam said ‘Youth cannot be mute spectators in democracy, they have t otake control by taking parti in social activities.Thus youth can be contribute not only to sustain but also strengthen democracy.’ He was chairing the session on ‘Role of youth in sustaining democracies’.
In the session of ‘Role of Young Parliamentarians in Democracy’ on 12 August 2007 Ms supriya Sule, Member of Parliament said that the MPs today are below age of 45 and most of them see politiecs as a place to voice their concern and and pursue their vision. Th foremost challenge they should take is to recover people trust upon the system.
On speaking on Globaliziation and Gandhi, Mr Suhas Palekar, a Gandhian Scholar said “Today we are driven not driven by political power but by economic power, which is hard to fight.”
In the Youth in Action section, case studies by organization were presented includes case study by Dr Anita Patil Deshmukh of PUKAR, Kanita Sinha from Pravah, Vinay Panjvani spoke on Yuva unstoppable.
Ms Yasmin Sayed presented the case study of ‘Youth4Change’ is a youth run organizations supported by CYDA.
The last working day (14 August) was devoted to Youth Policies. In the plenary session on “Youth Policies: Situation and Challenges in South Asia”, Dr Rajan Welukar, Vice Chancellor, Yashwantrao Open University, Nasik gave key address. He gave the emphasis to developed the ‘Youth Development Indicators’ for India for better involvement of youth in development as well as effective policy making for young people.
Mr Ravi Narayan, Secretary General, Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO), while chairing the session said that youth policies may be play vital role in youth development in South Asia if implementation mechanism is strong and effective.
He also agreed with Dr Welukar of need of Indian own Youth Development Indicators. Dr (Mrs) Sarumathy from Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development inform during the Q&A session that her institute is working on this issue.
In another panel discussion on ‘Youth Policies in shaping future of South Asia’ four presenters made the presentation. The session is Chaired by Mr Ravi Narayan, Secretary General of ICYO.
Dr (Mrs) Sarumathy from Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development presented the comparative study of youth policies in South Asian countries including the Brunai, Singapor and Malaysia.
Dr. Anant Bhan, Independent Researcher spoke on ‘Youth Suicide’. He gave the fact and figure about problem and work done on this issue.
Mr Rabi Aryal from Asian Student’s Association (ASA) presented various views on about against youth going on around the world.
In his chair remark Mr Narayan said that youth Policies in South Asian countries still have to come in shape. According to Mr Narayan, may south Asian Countries still to draft youth policy. Sri Lanka recently announce the youth policy which is very bulky documents and rejected by most of the youth organizations, Pakistan withdrawn the youth policy which was adopted by them in 1993. There is long way to go for implementation of these policies.
Mr Vishwajit Kadam, Secretary, Bharat Vidyapeeth was the chief Guest and key note address delivered by Mr Pravind Pardeshi, PMC Commissioner. The participants drafted the commitments and decided to organize this conference every in different countries. The delegates from Bhutan and Sri Lanka offer to host the 2008 conference. The delegates also received the memento and certificate from dignitaries in the function.
Youths to Make Voices Heard: UNFPA
Young people need to be given due importance and allowed to play an active role in formulating national programmes for youth development, said a top UNFPA official stationed in Dhaka.‘ Young people are very important group in our agenda,’ said Arthur Erken, UNFPA representative in Bangladesh on eve of International Youth Day. The UN population fund has special programmes for the youth in Bangladesh spending about two million dollars for their development. Reproductive health, campaigns against early marriage and dowry are some of the interventions where youths are directly involved in the national programme being implemented by the government’s Department of Youth Development.
Arthur stressed on an interview with New Age on the eve of International Youth Day being observed worldwide today for more pro-active role of the gatekeepers like parents and religious leaders to break the social taboos.
" We Are One" Dialogue Chalk-out the POA on Culture Diversity
The World Youth Foundation hosted the “We are One” Dialogue on Culture Diversity for Youth of Asia and Europe, from 30th June – 4th July 2007 at Melaka in Malaysia. The 88 participants from 25 countries from Asia and Europe attended this five-day dialogue. The Dialogue was constructed around the notion of ‘Cultural Diversity’, and provided young people with exciting opportunities to experience first hand living experience of multicultural Malaysians.
A Keynote Address on “Cultural Diversity, Civilizations and the Challenge for Peace: Obstacles and Opportunities” was delivered by Hon. Dato' Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia.Participants of the Dialogue shared their experiences about programmes undertaken by non-government organizations on cultural diversity and inter-ethnic education in their host countries.
The Plan of Action was chalk-out in the Dialogue further work on Culture Diversity.
Delhi Govt. Started the toll free ‘Youth Phone service’
The Government of Delhi running the ‘youth’ helpline named Yuva Phone line in Delhi.The counsellors are available round the clock on toll free no 1800116888.
The helpline is specially for students.
EC Communication on Youth and Youth Policy
According to European Youth Forum (YFJ), they welcomes the adoption of the European Commission Communication “Promoting young people’s full participation in education, employment and society”, and sees it as the cross-sector approach detailed in the Communication as a very positive step which responds to demands which the YFJ has been voicing for several years. A genuine European Youth Policy is thus about to take root.
“This communication recognises the role of youth organisations, the European Youth Forum, and its partners, in the entire process of designing, implementing and monitoring youth policy,” said Bettina Schwarzmayr, President of the European Youth Forum. “Therefore, we call upon EU Member States to get inspired and we welcome the future steps to be implemented on the structured dialogue with youth. However, with no grand vision or coherent strategy on volunteering, we duly call upon the European Council to be more ambitious in their resolution.”
Young people everywhere are called upon to participate in the life of society and in decision-making
The world’s 1.2 billion young people are being called upon to stand up and make their voices heard on International Youth Day, which is celebrated on 12 August. The observance is a reminder to youth that their contribution to the development dialogue is valuable, and that their participation matters. To participate means not only to have a seat at the political table, but to play an active role in development by contributing their skills and energy to the improvement of their communities.
ICT: power tool of the young
Many of the initiatives led by youth take advantage of information and communication technologies, which young people tend to use with ease. These are becoming “truly hubs for the communication and social networking of youth,” explains Ms. Stephens. A presentation on using the internet for youth-led development will be delivered at the International Youth Day in New York. The event will provide examples from an international youth-led network empowered by technology to show how youth can use the internet to take action in their local and global communities.
As a positive note, the fact youth are for the most part technologically savvy increases their chances of harnessing the benefits of globalization. In addition to access to knowledge, ICT is opening up new options education such as e-learning and distance education. The World Youth Report 2007, scheduled for release in October, will show how ICT has improved access to schooling in several Asian countries. In China, for example, there are more than 2,700 radio and television universities offering 18,000 classes. Provisional statistics from UNDP suggest that there may be up to 10 million graduates of these universities.
While globalization may have facilitated the spread of technology, too many youths are on the wrong side of the digital divide, according to the Secretary-General report, and therefore fail to unable to reap the benefits of technology access.
Beti Bachhao Aandolan (Protect the Daughter movement) is going to organize a regional workshop in Patna, Bihar from September 23 - 24, 2007. The workshop is aimed at coordination between different stakeholders working against trafficking of girls and joint hands to flight against the alarming situation.
The agenda of the workshop includes; analysis of the present situation related to trafficking and to discuss the root causes of the increasing trafficking in light of socio-economic situation, rehabilitation, repatriation, social rehabilitation of victims and community policing. The workshop will also discuss on preparation of memorandum for the joint collaboration on the issue of human trafficking.
For further detail contact Mr Arun Kumar Singh, Director, Beti Bachhao Aandolan at Mobile09835411981 or telephone 0612-3299790
Tunza International Children's Conference on the Environment
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will be organizing Tunza International Children's Conference on the Environment inStavanger, Norway from17 to 21 June2008.The organizer will bring together 1,000 children aged 10 to 14 years in 2008 conference. The theme of the conference will be ‘A Climate for change ‘.
Human Rights Watch Fellowship for Young Journalists
Recent graduates worldwide have the chance to apply for an international fellowship with Human Rights Watch. Deadline: October 5.
The Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellowship is open to any eligible candidate, regardless of nationality. Fellows work full-time for one year with Human Rights Watch in New York, Washington, D.C., or London. Tasks include monitoring human rights developments in various countries, conducting on-site investigations, and drafting reports on human rights conditions.
Youth and ICT: Global Forum on Youth and ICT for Development
The Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) is organizing ‘Global Forum on Youth and ICT for Development’ from September 24-26, 2007 in Geneva, Switzerland. The theme of Forum is “Youth and ICT as Agents of Change”.
The Forum aims at actively engaging youth in debates and discussions with their peers, policy makers, the private sector and technology experts in exploring ways to empower their communities through the appropriate and responsible use of ICT.
UNESCO will organize the 5th International Youth Forum in Paris. France from October 12-13, 2007. Every two years the Forum gives young people (nominated by governments) the opportunity to share their experiences, identify common concerns.
The 2007 Youth Forum will examine the results and recommendations from a series of Regional UNESCO Youth Forums held in 2006 and 2007 on the theme of ‘Young People and the Dialogue among Civilizations, Cultures and Peoples’.
National Peace and Harmony Youth Camp
The above youth camp will be held in New Delhi from October 22 to 28, 2007, organized by National Youth Project with the support from Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The 500 youth from all over will be participating in week long camp. For further information, contact ICYO secretariat.
Janadesh 2007
Janadesh 2007 will start from Gwalior from Delhi on 2nd October 2007. More than 25,000 preparing to peaceful foot march for 26 days to press for their demand of livelihood and right on land. These tribal and deprived people (non violence) fighting for their demand since December 2005 when they decided to make final attempt in People’s parliament held on 10 December 2005 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
ICYO supporting the event and provides the update regularly in YI. On 2nd October 2007,diffirent organizations organizing the solidarity programme in 400 districts of India.
ICYO all upon all the developmental organization to participate in these event and give all kind of support for moral busting of foot-marchers.
Conference on Youth Enterprise and Sustainable Livelihoods
The Commonwealth Youth Programme is hosting a one-day conference, entitled “Investing in youth: unleashing the potential of young entrepreneurs” on 10 September 2007 at Marlborough House, Headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. The objective of the conference is to strengthen youth enterprise by providing opportunities for young entrepreneurs to gain access to finance, markets, and skills. For more information log on http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/166531/130707investingyouth.htm
Event: 7th TREAT Asia Annual Network Meeting
Place: Hanoi, Vietnam
Date: September 7 – 10, 2007
Organizer: Therapeutics Research Education AIDS Training (TREAT) Asia
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
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Increasing female foeticide
in India could spark a demographic crisis where fewer women in society will
result in a rise in sexual violence and child abuse as well as wife-sharing,
the United Nations warned.
Despite laws banning tests to determine the sex of
an unborn child, the killing of female foetuses is common in some regions of
India where a preference for sons runs deep.
As a result, the United Nations says an estimated
2,000 unborn girls are illegally aborted every day in India.
This has led to skewed sex ratios in regions like
Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh as well as the capital, New
Delhi, where a census in 2001 showed there are less than 800 girls for every
1,000 boys.
"The 2001 census was a wake-up call for all of
us and much public awareness have been created on female foeticide since
then," Ena Singh, assistant representative for the United Nations
Population Fund in India told Reuters.
"But initial figures show sex ratios are still
declining as female foeticide is becoming more widespread across the country
and it is likely to be worse in the next census in 2011."
In most parts of India, sons are viewed as
breadwinners who will look after their parents and carry on the family name,
but daughters are viewed as financial liabilities for whom they will have to
pay substantial dowries to get married off.
Activists say female foeticide is rising because of
the availability of technologies like ultrasonography and amniocentesis to
determine the gender of foetuses at the request of the parents.
If the foetus is found to be a girl, it is aborted.
As a result, the government says around 10 million
girls have been killed by their parents -- either before or immediately after
birth -- over the past 20 years.
Experts warn that fewer women will spark a
demographic crisis in many parts of country.
"There already is this phenomenon all over the
country where there is a lot of sexual violence and abuse against women and
children across the country," said Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre
for Social Research, a New Delhi based think-tank.
"But when there are less women in the
population and more men of the same age group, there is certainly going to be
much more demand for women for marriage, for sex and this pressure will
certainly increase violence against women."
Experts say practices such as polyandry -- where
several men, often brothers, share the same wife are already emerging in areas
where there are fewer women.
Brides are also now being sold and trafficked by
their parents to areas like Haryana and Punjab where bachelors are being forced
to look beyond their own culture, caste and social grouping to find a wife.
Activists say these women have to adapt to an alien
culture with a different language, diet, and social norms and are often treated
as second-class citizens by the community who view their value based on their
ability to produce male off-spring.
"There is this myth that fewer women will give
them better status in society but this is a fallacy," said activist Sabu
George.
"Women in India are already being treated as
commodities to be bought and sold and their plight will worsen as sex ratios
continue to decline."
(E
- newsletter from network of Indian youth organizations)
-----------------------------
Law
ministry rejects bill for child protection
Chetan Chauhan,
New Delhi (HT EXCLUSIVE / Hindustan Times/Delhi/4.9.2007)
IN A major
setback to the Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry, the Law Ministry has
rejected the Offences Against Children Bill, saying the bill is just a
repetition of provisions in other laws. The Law Ministry has told WCD that most
provisions for child protection already exist in different laws and therefore,
there is no need for a separate enactment of legislation. The legal affairs
department of the ministry said offences of sexual or physical abuse against
chil- dren are covered under different sections of the Indian Penal Code and
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The ministry also said the Evidence Act also
covers child protection in a comprehensive manner Following criticism from the
Supreme Court on the Domestic Violence Act, the Law Ministry was doubly
cautious this time. The apex court had termed the Act a poorly drafted
legislation. In the wake of the court's observations, the law ministry said the
child offences law would only duplicate the work for law enforcement agencies.
The WCD ministry has touted the Offences Against Children bill as a major
weapon to prevent incidents like Nithari and said that it would be introduced
in Parliament in the monsoon session. After receiving a drubbing from the Law
Ministry, the WCD ministry officials, said they were examining the draft bill
in a bid to convince the Law Ministry about its utility The WCD ministry had
covered all types of offences against child including corporal punishment,
emotional abuse by parents or teachers and different types of sexual abuse.
Stringent punishment for offences against child was prescribed. The ministry
had also said that the bill would bring India at par with the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
IN A major setback to the Women and Child Devel- opment (WCD) Ministry,
the Law Ministry has re- jected the Offences Against Children Bill, saying the
bill is just a repetition of provisions in other laws. The Law Ministry has
told WCD that most provi- sions for child protection already exist in different
laws and therefore, there is no need for a separate enactment of legislation.
The legal affairs department of the ministry said offences of sexual or
physical abuse against chil- dren are covered under different sections of the
Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The ministry also said
the Evi- dence Act also covers child protec- tion in a comprehensive manner
Following criticism from the Supreme Court on the Domestic Violence Act, the
Law Ministry was doubly cautious this time. The apex court had termed the Act a
poorly drafted legislation. In the wake of the court's observations, the law
ministry said the child offences law would only duplicate the work for law
enforcement agencies. The WCD ministry has touted the Offences Against Children
bill as a major weapon to prevent incidents like Nithari and said that it would
be in- troduced in Parliament in the monsoon session. Af- ter receiving a
drubbing from the Law Ministry, the WCD ministry officials, said they were
examining the draft bill in a bid to convince the Law Ministry about its
utility The WCD ministry had covered all types of of- fences against child
including corporal punish- ment, emotional abuse by parents or teachers and
different types of sexual abuse. Stringent punish- ment for offences against
child was prescribed. The ministry had also said that the bill would bring In-
dia at par with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
chetan@...
Food security is vital for people living with HIV By, Clementine Mumba, HDN key correspondent in Zambia, June 11, 2007
Many people living with HIV (PLHIV) are too poor to take care of their health properly. Even among those people with access to free antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, many cannot afford to maintain the balanced diet they need to compliment the drugs. Supporting these people would require a well thought out policy, promoting the self-sufficiency of people living with disease. In 2004, an organization that I belong to called the Network of ARV Users lodged a Project Proposal with the Zambia National AIDS Network (ZNAN) for a chicken-rearing programme that would generate income for people living with HIV. The idea was well articulated and looked good on paper so the project was approved by ZNAN and was launched in January 2005. more...
Feature Story
ARVs and food security in Zambia By, William Chilufya, HDN Key Correspondent in Zambia, June 26, 2007
For people living with HIV (PLHIV), good nutrition is essential for continued good health. Yet, for too many PLHIV in Zambia, especially in rural areas, getting enough to eat adds enormously to life?s daily challenges. ?I have no money to buy food and am on ARVs [antiretroviral drugs],? said Lillian, a mother with one child. Lillian?s husband died from AIDS-related complications three years ago. ?My son and I sometimes spend the whole day without eating anything ? I feel dizzy and weak if I do not eat when I take the drugs, and then I can?t do anything.? more...
Burundi: Food cuts for HIV-positive people worry NGOs By, IRIN PlusNews, August 15, 2007
AIDS advocacy groups in Burundi are worried that a decision by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to cut special feeding programmes next year for HIV-positive people will harm their long-term health. Drought, crop disease, endemic poverty and more than a decade of instability mean Burundi suffers from serious food insecurity. WFP is expected to feed an estimated 874,000 Burundians by the end of 2006, including particularly vulnerable groups such as internally displaced persons, school children and HIV-positive people. However, the agency's new policy means that feeding programmes for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS will come to an end in December 2006 and will not be renewed. more...
Homespun technology provides HIV-free breastmilk By, Michael Malakata, Science and Development Network, May 25, 2007
Researchers have devised a simple and cost-effective method of preventing breastmilk transmission of HIV from mother-to-child by 'flash-heating' infected milk to inactivate the free-floating HIV virus. A study, published online in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (21 May), provides hope that breastfeeding in developing nations could become safer. more...
Spotlight
Lesotho: Hungry for assistance By, IRIN Plus News, July 18, 2007
In the wake of the most severe drought in 30 years, the kingdom of Lesotho has declared a state of emergency and appealed for international assistance for over 400,000 people in need of urgent food aid. "Food assessments conducted by local and international institutions and organisations, including the [government's] Disaster Management Authority, the [UN] Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), ... all confirm a food crisis," Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili said in a recent statement. more...
ACW Alert
South Africa: New report confirms nutrition no substitute for treatment By, IRIN PlusNews, August 22, 2007
There is no evidence that better nutrition can substitute for antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, a new report has found. These findings might seem unremarkable anywhere else in the world, but not in South Africa, where the issue of nutrition has been tainted by a damaging debate that has tended to frame it as an alternative to ARVs. Statements by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, suggesting that eating garlic, beetroot and olive oil, could delay the need to take ARVs, have created widespread confusion in the country with the world's highest HIV caseload. more...
Real Speak
A call for assistance with self-sufficient food security in Zambia By, Bright M Mweemba, HDN key correspondent in Zambia, August 8, 2007
The food security of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Zambia needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The food supplements that some people get are not a long term solution. Just as antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) are considered a lifelong necessity, so should food security. The solution lies in finding ways of empowering PLHIV. I suggest that a policy of voluntary resettlement to productive farming areas should be put in place in Zambia. The government needs to set up a revolving fund for this purpose. more...
Regional Study on Anti Trafficking
Legal Frameworks Released in Kathmandu
The Regional Study for the
Harmonization of Anti Trafficking Legal Framework in India, Bangladesh, and
Nepal with International Standards was released in press meet organized on 16
August 2007 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Prof. Dr. Kamal Krishna Joshi,
Chairperson, University Grant Commission, Nepal unveiled the Regional Study for
the purpose of official release. Prof. Dr. Nomita Aggarwal, President SALS
Forum (Chief Consultant of the Regional Study); Mr. Stefano Ellero, Regional
Coordinator of the project- Developing a Right Based Approach for Anti
Trafficking Action in South Asia; Mr. Joseph Aguettant, Delegate, Tdh Nepal;
Mr. Ferenc Weigl, Delegate for the European Commission to Nepal; Mr. Kailash
Prasad Subedi, Under Secretary, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary
Affairs, Nepal delivered remarks as Special Guests for the program.
Dr. Yubaraj Sangroula, Executive
Director of KSL, applauded the vigorous efforts made by consultants and
researchers of India, Nepal and Bangladesh to successfully accomplish the
unparalleled Regional Study on Anti Trafficking Legal Frameworks. He then made
highlights on the findings and recommendations of the Regional Study that was
conducted under the project entitled Developing Rights Based Approach for Anti
Trafficking Actions in South Asia. He recalled that numerous activities have
been conducted in name of anti trafficking but many of them are guided from
activists' perspective thus creating misunderstanding of the trafficking as
only a problem of women and prostitution. He added that problem of human
trafficking should not be limited within the purview of women and prostitution
otherwise it will not address the issues of victims and trafficking as slavery
like practices.
"While commencing the concept
of the project, it was thought on how to punish culprit, rehabilitate the
victims and protect human rights of victims. The Regional Study is grounded on
such rights based approach and makes recommendations for collaborative efforts
of three countries in protecting and promoting rights of the victims of
trafficking", he added. He also mentioned that 24 laws schools of India,
Nepal and Bangladesh have been collaborating to adopt the rights based anti
trafficking curriculum introducing the Regional Study as Course Book for the
same. Lastly, he urged the donors to acknowledge the potentiality of academic
institutions and not to limit their access and support to NGOs only.
Mr. Joseph Aguettant, Delegate,
Tdh Nepal highlighted that the Regional Study is unprecedented for different
reasons as it brings legal frameworks of three countries together, and acts as
watershed for the future programs and interventions in the field of human
trafficking. He said that trafficking is being proliferated as an organized
crime and industry of placement. Traffickers are seen more active and cautious
and victims are being revictimised.
Citing a case study of a
twenty-five years old trafficking survivor form Calcutta to Kathmandu, he
further added that rights based approach has two components: rights holders and
duty bearers. Any victim of trafficking deserves the right to be protected and
law enforcement agencies are the duty bearers. Those duty bearers should be
willing to listen what victims have to say and maintain high standard of
confidentiality. He also mentioned about the 'Power Girl Project', a pilot
project for providing training to survivors being conducted in Calcutta, and
added that such framework of legal awareness to survivors should also be
incorporated in rights based approach.Trafficking is not only cause of the violation but also a consequence,
he concluded.
Prof. Dr. Nomita Aggarwal,
President, SALS Forum said that the Regional Study is only the beginning step
as trafficking is the ongoing problem and consistent efforts should be made for
at least few years to achieve the concrete results. She highlighted that the
Regional Study has made crucial recommendations and it is the governments of
the respective countries to address the identified lacunas and implement the
recommendations if they are seriously motivated to eliminate the 'social evil'.
Prof. Aggarwal said that the Regional
Study has made effort to think of alternatives to address the problem and SALS
Forum believes in 'no border' because interventions are necessary beyond
borders and no social and legal issues can be studied without human rights
perspective. She also ensured that the university teachers, professors from law
and non law schools can do excellent research as it has been proved by the
Regional Study. Contributions of academic institutions would be useful and
productive for progressive social transformation. She said that even no project
is given, the activities will not be halted and above 50,000 students will be
taught and trained on rights based anti trafficking issues. SALS Forum is
making the horizon wider and broad to intervene in the issues.
Prof. Aggarwal also presented the
objectives and interventions made by the SALS Forum. SALS Forum is constituted
to strengthen the quality of legal education and promote exchange of ideas and
experiences among South Asian Law Schools and similar institutions in matters
of legal education in general and human rights studies in particular. In this
respect, the forum is coordinating with 24 law schools in three countries and
abroad to provide orientation on rights based approach to anti trafficking
actions and adopt the rights based anti trafficking curriculum. Concluding her
remarks she, on her capacity as a Chief Consultant, also appealed everyone to
feel free to provide any comments or feedbacks on the Regional Study.
Mr. Stefano Ellero, Regional
Coordinator of the project said that the Regional Study is milestone of the
project, which is multi layered and not limited to border. "We are working
with local partners of India, Bangladesh and Nepal to fight against the evil of
society and the Regional Study would serve as a foundation to head further
programs and interventions at grassroots levels. Standard Manual to evaluate
and monitor human rights measures will be developed for law enforcement
agencies as next activity on the basis of the Regional Study", he added.
Mr. Ferenc Weigl, Delegate for the European Commission to
Nepal thanked the scholars, students and researchers involved in the Regional
Study. He said that the Regional Study is an outcome of effective coordination.
The findings and recommendations of the Study would benefit all working in the
related sectors such as donor agencies, policy makers and government etc.
He added that the government must
be able to address the problem and protect its citizens. Human beings cannot be
subjected to tricks of perpetrators. He said that international donor
communities may support well with technical assistance and other supports but
it is the concerned government to actually bring such assistance in practice.
He hoped that the recommendations would be followed by the actions in which key
hands would be of concern authority.
Mr. Kailash Prasad Subedi, Under
Secretary, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Nepal expressed
thanks for the genuine efforts being made in producing the Regional Study. Government
of Nepal has recently enacted a new Human Trafficking and Transportation
Control Act in line with the organized crime convention and their international
instruments. He added that the new Act has incorporated important issues such
as compensation to victim, right to self defense, access to camera court etc.
After releasing the Study, Chief
Guest, Prof. Dr. Kamal Krishna Joshi expressed his gratitude to KSL and SALS
Forum for promoting culture of undertaking such significant research study for
the progressive change of the society. He believed that the study will help
bringing common issues in academic courses in the South Asian region. He
emphasized that human trafficking is an epidemic and requires effective
medicine. Hence, strong legal measures with wider education can only curb the
problem.
The program was concluded with
vote of thanks by Assoc. Prof. Prakash K.C of KSL and dissemination of the
Regional Study to the distinguish guests and participants. (KSL E-Bulletin 85)
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 programmes;
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), Member of Indian Network for Combating Trafficking
(INCT)
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
E-newsletter from Indian Committee of Youth
Organizations
ICYO
– organization, dedicated to youth
2nd General Conference of Pacific
Parliamentarians
Parliamentarians
Prioritized Youth Issues in the Pacific
The 2nd General Conference of the Pacific
Parliamentary Assembly on Population and Development (PPAPD), held on May 21-25
in Apia, Samoa, was organized by the Samoan Legislative Assembly, UNFPA,
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and AFPPD.
Safeguarding Pacific Youth Through Partnership with
Parliamentarians
Parliamentarians, resource
persons and guests at the meeting
The conference gathered parliamentarians from Pacific countries to
discuss matters of the assembly, to revisit its goals and operations, and to
strengthen its vision and functions in the region.
Alongside the general conference, a thematic conference titled,
“Safeguarding Pacific Youth: Accelerating Actions Through Partnership with
Pacific Parliamentarians”, was also organized to discuss and focus on youth
issues in the Pacific. The conference engaged the parliamentarians in the
discussion of priority youth issues, and provided them an opportunity to
respond to these issues to develop plans to work with development partners and
agencies to strengthen youth initiatives in the Pacific.
Mr. Totofuaivalelei Falemoe Leiataua, Speaker of Samoa and Chair
of PPAPD, opened the conference, together with Mr. Tuilaepa Sailele
Malielegaoi, Prime Minister of Samoa, and Ms. Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, Minister
for Community and Voluntary Sector of New Zealand. The vote of thanks was given
by Mr. Jimmie Rodgers, Director General of SPC.
A need for dialogue on
complex and sensitive issues faced by the youth
-Mr. Najib Assifi,
Representative, UNFPA-Fiji
Left
to right: Mr. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister of Samoa, Mr.
Najib Assifi, Representative of UNFPA-Fiji, and Ms. Luamanuvao Winnie Laban,
Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector of New Zealand
Mr. Najib Assifi, Representative of UNFPA-Fiji, urged the Pacific
parliamentarians to pledge their outmost support, dedication and solidarity to
safeguard the youth of the Pacific. Speaking at the conference, Mr. Assifi said
that those gathered are to be active champions for the young people. “If we do
not work together, we will short-change ourselves and jeopardize our chances of
success. There is a real need for dialogue and greater understanding among
parents, families, communities, and governments about the complex and sensitive
situations faced by young people. By taking concerted actions to address these
challenges, governments can meet their commitments to young people and
international goals, and give hope to the world’s largest generation of young
people. Five of the MDGs cover areas in which young people are directly
involved and the goals will not be achieved unless we focus on the youth”, he
said.
AFPPD
experiences
Mr. Shiv Khare Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director of AFPPD, shared
AFPPD’s experiences in working with parliamentarians in supporting youth
programmes and he provided guidance for parliamentarian advocacy in the
Pacific. The role of parliamentarians in supporting youth development was
further discussed by Mr. Peter Kenilorea, Speaker of Solomon Islands.
Progress in the
Implementation of the 2004 Suva Declaration
Left to right: Mr. Gary
Rogers, Deputy Section Head of the HIV and STI Section of SPC, Mr.
Totofuaivalelei Falemoe Leiataua, Speaker of Samoa and Chair of PPAPD, Mr.
Jimmie Rodgers, Director General of SPC, and Mr. Tim Sladden, Advisor of
UNFPA-Fiji
Mr. Gary Rogers, Deputy Section Head of the HIV and STI Section of
SPC, provided an overview of the regional strategy on HIV/AIDS and its linkages
to the 2004 Suva Declaration. The progress in the implementation of the
declaration was discussed by Mr. Tim Sladden, Advisor of UNFPA-Fiji.
Young
people must be part of the solutions and be consulted on future policy
considerations
-Ms. Steve Chadwick Chair of the Standing Committee on Women of AFPPD and Chair of
NZPPD
Ms. Steve Chadwick
A report from New Zealand Parliamentarians’ Group on Population
and Development (NZPPD) titled, “Youth Sexual Health: Our Heath, Our Issue”,
was presented to the conference by Ms. Steve Chadwick, Chair of the Standing
Committee on Women of AFPPD and Chair of NZPPD. The report was the result of an
open hearing held in December last year which gave ministries, NGOs and health
professionals an opportunity to speak frankly to MPs about youth sexual and
reproductive health (SRH) issues in New Zealand. The report calls for a
cross-government approach to improve the SRH by developing a teenage pregnancy
strategy and establishing a ministerial taskforce. “Young people must be part
of the solutions and be consulted on future policy considerations”, she said.
Youth development issues
A session to highlight youth development issues from perspectives
of the Pacific youth and to engage parliamentarians’ responses to youth issues
in their respective countries was facilitated by Mr. Iseye Ndombi,
Representative of UNICEF. A panel presentation from young members of the
Pacific Youth Council (PYC) followed.
Ms. Jacqueline Koroi
Active citizenship where young people are actively involved
-Ms.
Jacqueline Koroi (Fiji) President of PYC
Speaking at the meeting, Ms. Jacqueline Koroi from Fiji, President
of PYC, highlighted the concept of active citizenship where young people are
actively involved in influencing decision making that affect their lives.
“Paramount to good governance is the principle of inclusiveness where the
voices, views and aspirations of all people are taken into action. Both are
ways of engaging young people as central actors in the development of their
communities and country”, she said.
Left to right: Mr. Sydney
Faasau, Assistant CEO of the Ministry of Women, Mr. Peter Kenilorea, Speaker
of Solomon Islands, Mr. Tangata Vainerere, Youth Development Advisor of SPC,
and Ms. Mereia Carling, Child Protection Officer of UNICEF-Fiji
“The quality of education is one particular aspect of education
that is of great importance. One should question the kind of education he
receives. What we need is quality education that makes us think critically and
provides with competency-based skills”, said Mr. Reginald Kipe from Vanuatu,
Executive Member of PYC. He further emphasized that state and non-state actors
should work together to provide relevant education for the marginalized youth.
Top (Left to right): Ms.
Seletuta Visesio (Samoa), Vice President of PYC and Mr. Jasper Anisi (Solomon
Islands), Executive Member of PYC; Bottom (Left to right): Mr. Iseye Ndombi,
Representative of UNICEF, and Mr. Reginald Kipe (Vanuatu), Executive Member
of PYC
Traditional culture needs to be protected by the leaders
-Mr.
Jasper Anisi (Solomon Islands)
Executive Member of PYC
Mr. Jasper Anisi from Solomon Islands, Executive Member of PYC,
emphasized that the youth have a role to play in the promotion and propagation
of cultural diversity. He suggested that this could be done by legislating for
the protection and preservation of traditional knowledge and customs, and
establishing and strengthening programmes to educate and generate young
people’s interest in reviving and fostering their culture and tradition. “Young
people need guidance and encouragement from leaders of parliament to preserve
their traditional cultures and customs. Our traditional culture needs to be
protected by our leaders and peace promotion is something that the leaders and
young people can be partners in”, he said.
Responding to youth issues
Ms. Rufina Latu
Mr. Tangata Vainerere, Youth Development Advisor of SPC, spoke in
the session on responding to the youth issues in the Pacific. The session
focused to inform the meeting of youth programmes in the Pacific, and to engage
parliamentarians in supporting existing and innovative youth programmes. Mr.
Vainerere discussed on the vision and plans for 2010’s Pacific youth strategy.
Meanwhile, examples of youth programmes like Adolescent Health and
Development (AHD), Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), Talavou Project, and
Protection of Children and Young People were discussed by Ms. Rufina Latu,
Adolescent Health and Development Advisor for Joint UNFPA/UNICEF/SPC Projects;
Ms. Afu Billy, Regional Director of CYP; Mr. Sydney Faasau, Assistant CEO of
the Ministry of Women; and Ms. Mereia Carling, Child Protection Officer of
UNICEF-Fiji - respectively.
Roles
of key stakeholders
The roles of key stakeholders in youth development and
strengthening of the partnership among stakeholders to further support youth
development were discussed by Ms. Luagalau Foisagaasina Eteuati Shon, CEO of
the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development; Mr. Sanele Lavatai,
Youth Director of the Methodist Church; Mr. Seumanutafa Semi Epati, Assistant
CEO for Sports of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture; and Mr. Apulu
Lance Polu, Managing Editor of Talamua Media.
A greater need for partnership and united actions for the development
of future leaders of tomorrow
-Mr. Sanele Lavatai, Youth Director of the Methodist Church
Mr. Sanele Lavatai
Mr. Sanele Lavatai, Youth Director of the Methodist Church, spoke
on the role of faith-based organizations in youth development. He said, “The
challenge for faith-based organizations is to work with other stakeholders for
the community. In a world torn apart by division and anxiety, there is a
greater need for partnership and united actions for the development of future
leaders of tomorrow”.
PPAPD’s framework for action on youth
initiatives in the Pacific was endorsed at the closing session. A media
interview with parliamentarians and a meeting of PPAPD Executive Committee took
place afterwards.
(Credit: Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Pop. & Dev.)
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 programmes;
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), Member of Indian Network for Combating Trafficking
(INCT)
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
> Hi,
>
> I am writing to forward the news and pictures (attached) of:
>
> After lited in Greece on 9 August, the Global Human Rights Torch Relay
> (HRTR), arrived in
> Berlin Germen on 18 August.
> Next Stop: MUNICH, GERMANY, Saturday, August 25 2007
> Please search humanrightstorch for more infor.
>
> Regards,
>
> Mr. Huges Hill
Certificate Course on Resource Mobilization and Communication by Resource Alliance
A comprehensive 160-hour course starting in Delhi, September 2007
Despite
a growing need to capitalize on locally available resources, non-profit
organizations in India are still heavily dependent on international funds for
sustainability, with few venturing into the field of local fundraising.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and the Resource Alliance seek to address this need
by offering a 20-day Certificate Course in Resource Mobilization and
Communication, which will teach non-profits to mobilize a diverse range of
financial and non-financial resources for their organization.
By the end of the 20-day
Certificate Course the students will be able to:
Øunderstand the major trends in the legal
issues and social/political environment in which they operate
Øcritically analyze the strengths and
weaknesses of the organization’s existing resource base
Øformulate a simple plan on how to diversify the
resource base
Øidentify main funding sources and appropriate
techniques to secure them
Øunderstand why communication is a prerequisite to
fundraising
Øset-up effective systems for reporting and
communicating with donors
For more details of the course and
to download a registration form, please log on to
http://www.resource-alliance.org/training/courses/40.asp
Youth Network Organizations Initiative for
JANADESH
Call for Unified Action: To Demonstrate
Commitment
TOWARDS
NON-VIOLENCE AND PEACE INITIATIVES FOR RIGHT OF LIVELIHOOD
(by tribal and deprived
people)
Dear colleagues,
Greetings,
On the International Day for
non-violence on 2nd October 2007 the world will witness this historic event.
Noted Gandhian and Sarvoday leader and ICYO Chairman, Dr.S.N.Subbarao,
Mr.P.V.Rajgopal, Founder of Ekta Parishad, Dr Ran Singh Parmar, Convener of
Janadesh and Treasurer of ICYO, have taken lead in mobilizing marginalized
communities.25000 marginalized people including tribals, dalits and other
people will undertake foot march (Pad Yatra) Satyagraha known as Janadesh 2007
from Gwalior to Delhi from October 2, 2007 to press for demand for livelihood
right and right on land. Other nationals and international organizations are
supporting from outside.
Janadesh success depends on
how much pressure we can build up on the Government so that it is compelled to
listen. We, the civil society organizations have to show the solidarity and
support to these marching satyagrahi. We need to raise their voice at same time
at our constituencies of working.
We would like that network
organizations and civil societies efforts are consolidated into unified action.
On this October 2, the world is observing International Day for Non-violence
first time. Janadesh gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment by
supporting Janadesh.
We should think fast and act fast. Small decisive
actions can help to mobilize the public opinion in the favour of these
marginalized communities and show the solidarity with them.
ØOne way of doing is spreading the message of
Janadesh among people in our own language.
ØSend your organization support on
your Letter Head to us in writing to Delhi or Gwalior office
ØParticipate in the post card campaign by writing
simple one or two sentences in your language in support of Janadesh to the
Prime Minister of India.
ØShowing national solidarity on Oct 2,
2007 with marginalized community, who for the first time in post independence
have raised their voice and undertaking foot march.
This can be done by lending our support for this non-violence
action of Janadesh from our respective places. This can be in the form of
rallies, Dharna and such other things.
Is it possible to organize
district level programmes on 2nd October 2007? The programme can take any shape
in the form of Rally, Dharna, meeting, press conference etc. We all can you use
our own networks, groups or our respective organization / institutional
banners. We need to tell Government that there are twenty five thousand adivasi
walking towards Delhi for their livelihood and 2500 organizations are
supporting this non-violent movement. Government should take decisive action so
that poor people can get means of livelihood to life with dignity.(for more information write to Mr.Vijay Bharatiya at email
janadesh2007@...)
ICYO appeal all youth
organizations, youth groups and civil society organizations in India to support
the Janadesh by organizing event on 2nd October 2007.
Please plan the event and let us
know about your action plan.We
shall help you to get the publicity and recognition.
The theme of this year’s
International Youth Day is ‘Be Seen, Be
Heard: Youth Participation for Development’. It is a powerful
reminder of the critical importance of the social, economic and political
participation of youth in the progress and sustainable development of our
societies.
In
recent years, there has been increasing recognition that today’s younger
generations are not merely the leaders of the future, but key partners of the
present. Young people bring unique perspectives, make invaluable intellectual
contributions, and have an unrivalled ability to mobilize support for action at
all levels. This is exemplified in countless initiatives all over the world,
where young people themselves have developed and implemented active solutions
to development challenges faced by their communities. And many successful efforts
by governments to engage youth leave no doubt that youth participation in
decision-making leads to more effective policies and programmes.
However, concerted efforts are
needed to ensure that youth participation for development is effectively practiced
and not confined to ad-hoc approaches. This implies that young people are
provided with the kind of information, skills and training that enables them to
make a difference. It also requires that governments and other partners
scale-up investments in youth and promote changes in organizational structures
to accommodate young people’s voices.
For UNESCO, the imperative of
youth participation has been a long-standing one. It is embodied in the
institutionalization of the Youth Forum as an integral part of all sessions of
the General Conference, UNESCO’s highest decision-making body. It is also
reflected in the Organization’s firm commitment to involve youth in all
initiatives aimed at promoting education for all, poverty eradication and
intercultural and interfaith dialogue, a quest, which lies at the core of our
mandate. Many inspiring examples of youth-led action resulting from a series of
UNESCO Regional Youth Forums related to the promotion of dialogue confirm the
benefits of meaningful youth participation.
On the occasion of International
Youth Day 2007, I therefore call on governments, civil society and development
partners to intensify efforts to facilitate the participation of young people
in core aspects of social structures, institutions and decision-making
processes. And I encourage all young people to make their voices heard and to
channel their commitment and creativity into our shared cause of building a
world of inclusion.
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
(E-Newsletter from network of youth organizations in
India)
No. 2007/ 51
========================================
ICYO - Platform of 356 Youth Organizations in India.
ICYO - India’s largest network of urban and rural
youth.
========================================
UN Secretary General Message for International Youth Day
Give Young People Fair, Full Stake in
Society’s Success
-Mr. Ban Ki-moon Secretary
General, United Nations
International
Youth Day is an annual opportunity to recognize the world’s 1.2 billion young
people, to celebrate their achievements and to push for their participation in
all areas of society.
This year’s
commemoration -- Be Seen, Be Heard: Youth Participation for Development --
focuses on the enormous contributions young women and men everywhere can and do
make towards national uplift. They are valuable and committed partners in
the global effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including the
overarching goal of cutting poverty and hunger in half by 2015. They
remain at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS. And they bring
fresh, innovative thinking to longstanding development concerns.
Approaching the
midpoint of the race to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, we need their
participation more than ever. Their energy and idealism can help make up
for lost ground and achieve our development goals in full and on time.
In
turn, we must fulfill our obligations to youth. The World Programme of
Action for Youth asks Governments to consider the contributions of young
persons on all policies affecting them. Governments must honour this
commitment. They must also increase the financial, education and
technical support made available to young people and help them realize their
potential.
Despite growing
recognition of their needs, young people in many parts of the world continue to
be marginalized and ignored. Their status as a group experiencing
disproportionate levels of poverty and unemployment is frequently
overlooked. As a result, the young are three times more likely than
adults to lack jobs. In fact, while they constitute one fourth of the
world’s labour force, young people make up almost half of its unemployed.
It is high time
that we stopped viewing our young people as part of the problem and started
cultivating their promise and potential. On this International Youth Day,
let us all resolve to invest in and protect our most valuable resource, and
give young men and women a fair and full stake in our society and in its success.
---------------------------------
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
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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.
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); ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Network for Combating Trafficking;
Affiliate with ECPAT International,
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
National
Youth Project and Arvindo Ashram will organize the Youth Leadership training
Camp from16 to 23 September 2007 at Ramgarh, Uttaranchal Pradesh. The
training camp will cover the all the aspect became the youth leader.
The
training is open for youth age 18 to 35 year. There is no fee for training but
committed young people from youth organizations will give the priority.
There
is some travel grant/railway concession also available for selected youth.
Interested
youth contact with full detail about him/her self to ICYO secretariat at email icyoindia@...
-----------------------
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: icyo@... / icyoindia@...
The India Monitoring Report on status of action against commercial
sexual exploitation of children (which is part of Global Monitoring Report) was
released in Delhi on 30 July 2007. We are glad to provide you the summary of
the Report.
If you interested to receive full report (pdf format) please do write
to us.
LtoR: Ms Indrani Singh, Sanlaap, Kolkatta; Mrs Carmen Madriñán,
Executive Director, ECPAT International, Bangkok; Mrs. Vidya, Equations,
Banglore; Ravi Narayan, SecretaryGeneral, Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) in launching
function.
Summary
By
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)
194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjang Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India.
ECPAT India report is in the
context making review of ten years have passed since the First World Congress
against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) was held in 1996 in
Stockholm, Sweden. The report reminds that the Stockholm Congress was a
landmark event, providing testimony that convinced the world that sexual
violations against children exist in all nations, irrespective of cultural
differences or geographic location. It marked the first public recognition by
governments of the existence of CSEC and resulted in a commitment to a global
Declaration and Agenda for Action, which was formally adopted by governments
across the globe, including India as a guide to the specific measures that must
be taken for counteraction.
The Agenda for Action against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children provides a detailed framework and categories of actions to be taken by
governments in partnership with civil society organizations and other relevant
actors for combating commercial sexual crimes against children. Broadly, these
actions are focused on: 1) Coordination and Cooperation; 2) Prevention; 3)
Protection; 4) Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reintegration; and 5) Child
Participation.
Since
1996, many actors around the world have focused their efforts around this
common Agenda for Action and more government and non-government entities have
linked, to ensure positive change for children and to protect their right to
live free from sexual exploitation. ECPAT, Indian Report says that the Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking
and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children was developed as a
direct consequence of a July 1997 Supreme Court decision that mandated India to
undertake such a plan.
Objective of this report
This
report aims to provide a baseline of information on actions taken and remaining
gaps for addressing CSEC in each country, based on the framework of the Agenda
for Action, to enable more systematic assessment of progress on implementation
of this commitment.
It
also seeks to contribute to other international mechanisms that exist to
protect children’s rights; the Convention on
the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child
pornography so as to strengthen the implementation and action
against commercial sexual exploitation of children at all levels.
Another
important objective of these reports is to stimulate the exchange of experience
and knowledge among countries and different actors to create a dialogue that
can further work against CSEC. While much has been achieved over the last 10
years, many gaps still remain. The implementation of the Agenda for Action is
urgently required, for as the reports clearly illustrate, there is a compelling
need for global action to protect children from these inhuman violations.
Over
the years the various alliances has made progress in improving protection for
children from commercial sexual exploitation. However, the increasing
sophistication of resources available to those who seek to exploit children
have grown in equal measure. Responding to these challenges requires far more
coordinated and targeted work to be undertaken to avoid retrogression.
Experience
demonstrates that the level of responsibility and role that a government takes
to set and uphold standards of protection, like the lead taken for protecting
children’s rights, determines the nature, quantity and quality of what the
country achieves for its children. Governments can and have accelerated
progress for implementation of the Agenda for Action, often opening new and
important channels for such work. Nevertheless, their actions have not been
uniform and, as these country profiles attest, far more urgent work must be
done to protect children from such heinous violations, as these are still
perpetrated with impunity in many countries.
The
India report features: (i) an overview of the main CSEC manifestations
affecting the country; (ii) analysis of the country’s National Plan of Action
(NPA) against CSEC and its implementation (or the absence of an NPA); (iii)
overview and analysis of coordination and cooperation efforts during the period
under review; (iv) overview and analysis of prevention efforts; (v) overview
and analysis of protection efforts, which includes detailed information on
national legislation related to CSEC (see www.ecpat.net for further details);
and (vi) priority actions required.
Major Findings of the Report
The report highlights
that there is lack of information in the areas of Recovery, Rehabilitation and
Reintegration; and Child Participation. There is need for generating more data
on it.
Currently
the land and livelihood have emerged as a major concern world over. Quoting statistics it says, more than
40,000 tribal women and children (mostly from the States of Orissa and Bihar)
were forced into economic and sexual exploitation due to their marginalisation
and lack of access to resources. Thus landlessness are one of the main causes of high
incidence of trafficking/migration.
The Central
Advisory Committee on Child Prostitution monitors the overall NPA
implementation, while State Advisory Committees have been constituted to do so
at state level. However, State Advisory Committees do not yet function in all
states.
Child
protection still not prioritized, in the union budgetary allocation is mere 0.034% (2005-2006)
Unclear
legal definitions limit the protection of children against child Pornography
India does not have extraterritorial
legislation that can be used to prosecute Indian nationals who commit crimes
related to the commercial sexual exploitation of children outside of India.
The Juvenile Justice Act provided for the establishment of a
special Juvenile Police Unit authorized to deal with children, but these units
have not been formed in most States. Every police station should have at least
one specially-trained officer designated as the ‘juvenile or child welfare
officer responsible for handling cases involving children in need of care and
protection or in conflict with the law. While special police officers have been
assigned, they have not received the necessary training or infrastructural
support to properly deal with cases involving commercially sexually exploited
children.
There
appears to be a lack of awareness about commercial sexual exploitation within
law enforcement agencies and how the laws can be applied to better protect
children. Judges also handle massive caseloads with little or no support, such
as assistance with researching laws and legal procedures, and often do not have
the time or opportunity to learn about the latest developments on national and
international laws and legal procedures that can be applied in cases involving
sexual crimes against children. Furthermore, the investigating and prosecuting
agencies lack good coordination to effectively bring perpetrators to justice.
Priority
Actions Required
vState Advisory
Committees must be made functional in all States to allow for the effective
implementation of India’s Plan of Action to
Combat Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children.
Action planning at state level should also be expedited. The budget allocated
for NPA implementation at both levels must be increased.
vThe Children’s
Commission should be immediately formed at national level (the related bill is
currently pending). State counterparts should be institutionalised and their
staff trained as soon as possible. Channels for child participation should be
ensured in all such institutions/commissions.
vA larger number of Child
Welfare Committees need to be set up at district level, with properly trained
staff who are equipped to deal with CSEC cases; their coordination with law
enforcers as well as with the State and the Central Advisory Committees must be
enhanced.
vReligious and
culturally-sanctioned prostitution of children, particularly among scheduled
tribes and castes, must be systematically combated: the government’s Tribal
Development Programme must foster partnerships with civil society organizations
to continuously implement programmes that sensitise such communities, and
rescue and support prostituted children - particularly in areas such as Bihar,
MP, UP and Rajasthan.
vMore in-depth studies on
the commercial sexual exploitation of boys are needed to support effective
campaigns and interventions against this phenomenon. A national level
network/forum on prostitution of boys should also be established as the
foundation for adequate responses, exchange of information and programme
intervention.
vState action plans
should include provisions to tackle boys’ prostitution, whenever enough
information about the phenomenon is already available, such as in the states of
Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Maharastra and Andhra Pradesh.
vCare facilities and
human resources should be made available to adequately support sexually
exploited boys. These services must be based on minimum standards of care,
which are yet to be developed. Moreover, greater access to viable alternative
livelihood options must be made available to sexually exploited boys.
vTo prevent
re-trafficking and further exploitation of CSEC victims, reintegration
programmes such as the Kishori Shakti Yojna, initiated by the Ministry of Women
and Child Development, should be widely replicated in the most affected state
districts, including UP, MP, Rajasthan, Bihar and Haryana.
vPartnerships must be
developed between the Panchayats (elected bodies responsible for administration
at district level, usually in charge of local development issues), police and
NGOs to improve collection of evidence, expediting cases and effecting
successful prosecutions in CSEC cases. In addition, community-based
organisations must work more closely with the police to provide legal
assistance to victims and also to ensure that the police systematically lodges
each FIR with the relevant details and actively pursues cases.
vEfforts must be made to
actively involve the Panchayats in monitoring the situation in their areas,
including checking children who come into and leave villages. A system for
record keeping must be created and more awareness raising programmes must be
conducted at the Panchayat level The Gramsabhas (groups formed by NGOs and
district authorities to identify traffickers and missing children) should be
institutionalised in all key states.
vAn enhanced system for
the rescue and repatriation of children trafficked from Bangladesh to India
must be urgently established, possibly based on the model proposed in a recent
UNICEF study.
vIndia must ratify the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking
in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Trafficking Protocol) and
ILO Convention No. 182.
vIndian law on
prostitution must be amended to specifically address children, clearly define
which activities and types of remuneration are prohibited, and criminalise all
acts of obtaining, procuring or providing a child for prostitution, as required
under the Optional Protocol. In
addition, legal protection against sexual exploitation must be granted to boys.
A ‘child’ should be defined as a person up to 18 years of age, as required by
the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
vThe Penal Code provisions on child trafficking
must include all the activities that constitute trafficking as per the Trafficking Protocol. The law should be
amended to also provide protection for Indian girls (not only foreign girls, as
is currently the case) and boys (who have no legal protection). In addition,
the legislation should be reviewed to criminalise trafficking in children for
any purposes and not only for prostitution.
vThe proposed amendments
to the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act should
be enacted into law as soon as possible.
vIndia’s laws on child
pornography must be amended to clearly define and prohibit child pornography
according to the standards set forth in the Optional
Protocol, which India has ratified. The scope of the laws must
extend beyond visual representations and cover audio materials and simulated
images. Further, boys must be granted legal protection against child
pornography.
vThe Information Technology Act must be amended
to criminalise all acts of producing child pornography for the purpose of
offering, making available, distributing, transmitting through a computer
system; using computer systems and other information technologies to groom
children; as well as possessing child pornography on a computer system. As one
of the leading nations in the development of new technology, India can no
longer ignore the abuse of children that information and communication
technology (ICT) is facilitating.
vIn the states of Punjab,
Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, sex selective abortions are rampant, resulting in
a dangerous sex ratio that causes many women and children from less affluent
states to be trafficked to these regions for marriage. Thus, the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 2000 should
be enforced more stringently in such states to prevent female foeticide;
moreover, the Prevention of Child Marriage
Bill 2004, already tabled in the Parliament, should be passed with
immediate effect.
vSystematic training of
police officers assigned to deal with crimes against children must be put in
place so that they gain expertise on how to conduct their interventions to
protect the best interests of the child: that is, collect evidence for
effective prosecutions, work with vulnerable children, communicate with and
support child victims of crime.
vEfforts to increase
birth and marriage registration nationwide must be prioritised, as these are
valuable protective mechanisms against CSEC.
vCapacity building of the
police, government departments and local NGOs to address child pornography
would be highly recommended, as there is a lack of such expertise in India and
the problem is escalating.
ICYO
----------------
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.
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 with ECPAT International, Thailand;
Member- Indian Network for Combating Trafficking (INCT); 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 on Population
& Development (IAPPD); International Medical Parliamentarians Organizations
(IMPO); Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD);
World Youth Foundation, Malaysia.
(E-Newsletter from network of youth organizations in India)
No. 2007/ 47
========================================
ICYO - Platform of 356 Youth Organizations in India.
ICYO - India’s largest network of urban and rural youth.
========================================
‘Parent nod must for minors’ check-up’
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: As a reaction to the controversial medical check-up of students in Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury has said that parental consent is mandatory while dealing with minors.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a child rights body under the ministry, had instituted an inquiry into the medical check-up and recommended that the school should issue a public apology and the students be compensated.
Chowdhury on Tuesday said: ‘‘Medical check-up of minor children cannot be done without the permission of their parents. There are laws in this regard. The guidelines are quite clear on this. Even their photographs cannot be published without their permission.’’
The NCPCR’s probe also recommended that strict action be taken against the doctors who conducted the tests. Chowdhury said: ‘‘The health ministry has to take action against them. We will just give suggestions,’’she said.
With the protection of children high on its priority, the government has prepared an action plan to implement the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS). Under the scheme, all states and districts will have child protection units with a budget of over Rs 2,000 crore.
The scheme is expected to be implemented in a phased manner with the pilot project in five states — Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Andhra Pradesh — costing Rs 90 crore.
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.
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); ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Network for Combating Trafficking; Affiliate with ECPAT International, 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
(E-Newsletter from network of youth organizations in India)
No. 2007/ 45
========================================
ICYO - Platform of 356 Youth Organizations in India.
ICYO - India’s largest network of urban and rural youth.
========================================
Report Launching
India Monitoring Report of ECPAT International on
Status of ‘Action against CSEC’ to be release in New Delhi
The ECPAT International’s will launch the “India Monitoring Report on the Status of Action against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children” on 30th July 2007 in New Delhi.
This year’s report, commemorates the 10th anniversary of the first World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation, by assessing the progress of implementation on action against commercial sexual exploitation of children in India and globally.
This report is India report is part of more than 50 country reports that make up the global monitoring reports, that provide information and analysis on specific country situations and an assessment of the efforts made and still needed, to protect children from sexual exploitation, in each country. The information gathered represents the inputs of a large number of grassroots organizations, and government and other agencies that work directly to counteract these grave violations against children.
The report is also included the recommendations for further strengthen the work to stop commercial sexual exploitation of children in India.
The organization working on issue of commercial sexual exploitation/abuse of children and human trafficking are welcome in this launching function on 20 July 2007.
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.
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); ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Network for Combating Trafficking; Affiliate with ECPAT International, 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
First UNESCO Asian Youth Forum held in South
Korea
Plan of Action Formulate with Commitment to Work for
Promotion of Peace through intercultural Dialogue
The 1st
UNESCO Asian Youth Forum endorsed the ‘Jeju Island Resolution’ on last day of the Forum. The
participants also chalk out the action plan on each sub-themes.
The participants of the Forum
have decided to work towards putting into practice the actions recommended in
Jeju Island Resolution.
34 participants from 20 countries including
the Ms Shivangi Patel of ICYO, India and 13 observers were attended Forum from June 25-29, 2007 held in
Jeju Island of Republic of Korea (South Korea) and organized by Section
for Youth, Sport and Physical Education, UNESCO alongwith Korean National Commission for UNESCO. The Forum theme was ‘Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue to Ensure
Peace.
The five-day event is full of activities including the
discussions on themes and sub-themes, group activities and outdoor activities.
Jeju
Island Resolution
The following action plans of each sub-themes should
be promoted and implemented to advocate, develop and elaborate
capacity-building activities and other programmes aimed at reaching our main
theme “Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue to Ensure Peace” at all levels.
Sub-Theme I.
Intercultural and Interfaith Education to Ensure Peace
1.Advocate and develop
capacity-building programmes among policy-makers, researchers, teachers and youth for intercultural and
interfaith dialogue to ensure peace.
2.Collaborate
with partners, youth
groups and networks to promote intercultural exchange programmes and activities.
3.Analyze
the cultural diversity ofeach country to gain a better
understanding of the situation and to promote intercultural and interfaith
dialogue
among its people.
4.Build partnerships with educational
and training institutions to mobilize resources to fund fellowships, scholarships and grants for
΄cultural exposure΄ programmes.
5.Involve UNESCO
field offices in the Asian region to educate and train young people in utilizing ICT tools and
platforms so as to
foster intercultural and interfaith dialogue.
6.Disseminate knowledgeabout intercultural and
interfaith dialogue through various media channels.
7.Organize youth leadership training programmes on intercultural and interfaith
discussion.
8.Incite exchangeamong academics, experts
and leaders to encourage
support for
and commitment to the development of basic guidelines for intercultural and
interfaith dialogue.
9.Introduce
interculturaland
interfaith
dialogue as a theme of ΄World Peace Day.'
10.Explore avenues for proposing to youth-related Ministries the incorporation of intercultural and interfaith
studies in school curricula.
11.Encourage all educational establishments to
upgrade or expand information on
cultural diversity in their cultural collections (i.e., books, CDs and DVDs).
12.Advocate for the provision of additional amenities for students (i.e.,
internet facilities, etc.) to enable interaction with other
international students.
13.Encourage teachers
to equip themselves with awareness, knowledge and skills on
intercultural and
interfaith issues.
14.Propose to youth organizations that they cooperatewith
UNESCO National Commissions in organizing educational sessions with parents and
teachers
on the promotion
of intercultural
and interfaith dialogue.
15.Suggest the establishment of
literacy/training centres for young people so as to incorporate intercultural and interfaith
studies
and/or training into their school curricula.
16.Create National
Discovery Programmes that provide
opportunities for participants to discover their country’s cultural diversity.
17.Encourage existing youth
exchange programmes to incorporate intercultural and interfaith
issues.
18.Organize sub-regional
youth forums on intercultural and interfaithissues focusing
on the actual needs of youth in a particular region.
19.Organize socially-inclusive events that promote intercultural and interfaith
dialogue in local communities
and at educational
institutions.
Sub-Theme II. Combating Discrimination
and Promoting Cultural Diversity
1.Use official forms that exclude race, gender, religion and age categories.
2.Agree to guarantee equal opportunities.
3.Promote cultural diversity in celebration and observance of ΄Intercultural and Interfaith
Day΄ through performances, public forums, immersion
programmes, etc.
4.Gather youth leaders of diverse backgrounds to share, understand and agree upon commonalities, and to
take up the role of peer educators.
5.Encourage and promote celebrations of cultural diversity (i.e., cultural performances).
6.Organize an awareness-raising campaign on cultural
diversity among youth.
7.Promote and conduct various intercultural and interfaith youth exchange
programmes such as festivals, exhibitions, studying competitions, etc.
8.Encourage youth leaders to work together toward accentuating diversity within their
communities.
9.Ensure the freedom to practice one’s own religion
among young people.
10.Set up intercultural and interfaith study centres in
each country.
11.Promote indigenous cultures via the exchange of
experiences at folk villages.
Sub-Theme III. The Media’s
Role in the Promotion of
Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue and Peace
1.Develop programmes and activities to encourage a more socially responsible media with regard to intercultural and interfaith issues.
2.Work in partnership with the organisers of existing media awards to include an ΄Intercultural and Interfaith Award΄ category for those who
display exemplary media social responsibility.
3.Encourage
the media to promoteevents related
to intercultural
and interfaith issues.
4.Establish partnerships between youth organisations and the media in organising a ‘Youth & Media Week’ to promote intercultural and interfaith dialogue; the programme should include exhibitions,
cultural performances, live interactive talk shows and workshops.
5.Conduct
exchange programmes for young reporters that focus on the
promotion of peace through responsible media coverage.
6.Establish
a networklinking
university newsletters.
7.Promote
peace by training young journalists in intercultural and interfaith sensitivity.
8.Maximise
use of free electronic media to publicise the message of intercultural and interfaith dialogue.
9.Encourage young people
to create interactive blogs and online forums, and involve diverse stakeholders
to provide them with the necessary support.
10.Organise
campaigns to promote the dissemination of intercultural and interfaith information through the media.
11.Encourage
young people todeliver intercultural and interfaith messagesvia postcards (e.g.,through pen-pal project initiatives).
12.Cooperate with relevant
organisations and networks (e.g., the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network
(ASPnet) and the AEC-NET of the Asia-Europe Foundation) on integrating media-relations into school curricula.
13.Establish a UNESCO Asian Youth Forum alumni
network by keeping the ‘listserv’ open
so that participants can continue to interact, exchange ideas, and share effective practices.
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:
vTo improve and extend the youth work and services through Youth
Organizations;
vTo enhance and demonstrate youth work in the society;
vTo promote effective youth programmmes;
vTo organize network of civil society organizations working towards
the development of youth work;
vTo organize seminars, conferences, workshops, trainings;
vTo 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); ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Network for Combating Trafficking;
Affiliate with ECPAT International,
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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