The next National
Integration Youth Camp will be held in Rishikesh and organized by National
Youth Project with the support from local people. The venue will be the Panchavati
Ashram.
Youth from age of 18 to 35
can participate in this camp. The organizer is expecting the 400 youth from all
over India.
The fifty percent railway
concession is available those are traveling in-group of five or more. The
simple group accommodation and simple food will be provided during the camp.
The activities includes the
shramdan, language classes, talent and cultural exchange, discussion on issues
related to youth and society, sarvdaram pradhana,
The registration fee is Rs
150.
For participation contact
ICYO secretariat at info.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.
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.
World Health Day marks the founding of WHO. It is the Organization's
most visible effort to raise awareness of a key global health issue selected each
year. The First World Health Assembly created the event in 1948 and it has been
celebrated on 7 April annually since 1950. WHO organizes international,
regional and local events on the Day and throughout the year to highlight the
selected priority health area.
In 2008, World Health Day is dedicated to the theme "Protecting
health from climate change." The theme was selected in recognition that
climate change is posing ever growing threats to global public health security.
A range of activities in every country will aim to stimulate active,
long-term involvement. World Health Day 2008 offers an opportunity to
revitalize political commitment to address climate change.
Message
of
Mrs.
Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director,
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Today,
as we commemorate World Health Day, UNFPA pays tribute to the World Health
Organization (WHO) on the 60th anniversary of its founding. We
commend WHO and its work to improve public health over the past six decades.
Together we look to the future and one of the biggest challenges of our time:
protecting health from the effects of climate change.
As we are beginning to understand, the potential effects
are quite serious. Scientific evidence points to the impending expansion of
infectious diseases; an increase in severe natural disasters, including heat
waves, floods and droughts; and rising shortages of food and clean water,
leading to population displacement. These consequences pose major challenges
for all countries, particularly developing countries and people living in
extreme poverty. Among the most immediately affected are poor women and girls
and older persons. They are vulnerable, and their insights and participation
are critical to an effective response.
Let
us use this World Health Day to expand partnerships for action. Today and in
the days to come, let us act in solidarity to reduce carbon emissions, to build
the resilience of those who are vulnerable, and to protect the health of our
planet and each other.
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.
Indigenous and tribal people represent about five per cent of the world’s population, but over 15% of the world’s poor.
Amongst them, the plight of tribal women is more precarious than their male counterparts as they often encounter additional barriers related to gender.
A women addressing the gathering at the summit / Photo credit: CYSD
To deliberate on the some of the important issues concerning tribal women, Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD) organised a “State Level Tribal Women Leader’s Summit” from March 21 – 23, 2008, at IMAGE, OUAT, Bhubaneswar, India.
Held in collaboration with NAWO and We Can Orissa, the four-day summit was a part of CYSD’s silver jubilee celebrations.
The objective was to help explore enabling and disabling factors for transformation of tribal women’s leadership, deepen their understanding on issues affecting tribal society and promote self-esteem, self-confidence and self-help among them.
53 tribal women leaders from six districts of Orissa i.e. Koraput, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanja, Keonjhar, Cuttack, Khurda participated in this programme.
Representatives from government and civil society and eminent social activists were also present at the summit.
Tara Dutt, Commissioner and Secretary, ST & SC, Minorities and OBC Development, formally inaugurated the program.
Addressing the gathering, Dutt said that it is high time that people start asserting their rights.
‘Triple burden’ on tribal women
The participants felt that the social status of tribal women is all about subordination or subjugation and is primarily characterised by what is called a ‘triple burden’ of productivity, reproductivity and domestic labour.
Women are excluded from decion-making processes / Photo credit: CYSD
Women have a more time-consuming and arduous workload in comparison to their male counterparts as they are chiefly responsible for water collection, health care, sanitation and education of their children.
In addition to this, they suffer from poor nutritional status associated with their position in the household, gendered division of labour, food hierarchies, lack of decision making power etc.
One of the pertinent areas in relation to women empowerment process is the decision-making power of women, be it within the household or community.
Women are excluded from decion-making processes / Photo credit: CYSD
Women’s role is indispensable in emerging community based organisations like Self Help Group, Grain Bank, and Mother Teacher Association etc. But they often lack status, mobility, language skills and literacy – and these factors combine to undermine their confidence and exclude them from processes of decision-making.
Lack of decision-making
The social processes and institutions that result in sever economic and social inequalities prevent tribal women from reaching their full potential as food producers, wage earners or in other words the guardian of household food and nutritional security.
Their emerging leadership to fight for issues like water, alcohol abuse, education, health and domestic violence in their new role as elected representatives has posed a lot of challenges vis-à-vis their role in changing governance practice and processes.
Their increasing participation in the decentralised planning process, in the process of community monitoring of various programmes, higher status of decision-making and management roles are some of the key areas which need to be emphasised and explored for the realisation of their dream and, translating them into action to ensure a sustainable and equitable society.
Eminent tribal women leaders who were present on the occasion expressed their discontent on the fact that tribal leaders had never been consulted during the formulation of polices for them. During the first two days of the summit, participants held discussions on issues affecting tribal women like life and livelihood, education, health, PDS, water, land, housing and agriculture and social security.
The third day saw the exchange of possible remedies and solutions to the problems and the last day was devoted towards an interface between the participants and the representatives from the civil society including govt representatives and NGO’s.
Several tribal women leaders voiced their grievances / Photo credit: CYSD
Challenges faced
Bijuli Patra from Keonjhar highlighted that massive deforestation has caused soil erosion, scarcity of firewood, evaporation of medicinal plants, non-availability of forest products, pastureland etc.
Andhari Majhi from Rayagada, raised the issue of land acquisition by the mafia and the multi-national companies.
Champa Soi from Mayurbhanj expressed concern over state of education infrastructure. Lack of quality education, low attendance of teachers and poor quality of food under the mid-day meal scheme has resulted in high dropout ratio.
Absence of doctors in the hospital, poor state of public distribution system, ineffective implementation of government’s rural job scheme also received attention.
The four-day summit proved to be an insightful forum for the representatives of nine tribal districts of Orissa wherein they not only came up with their problems but also got a chance to interact with the civil society representatives and search for possible ways out of their problems. Participants observed that the presence of NGOs has played a major role in the process of women empowerment.(One World)
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.
India needs political will to reduce maternal mortality:
WHO
New Delhi--
India's maternal mortality is high due to a lack of political will and
administrative and managerial failures rather than absence of expertise, an
article published in WHO magazine said.
India has the
largest number of births per year (27 million) in the world. With its high
maternal mortality of about 300-500 per 100,000 births, about 75,000 to 150,000
women die every year in India after giving birth.
"This is
about 20 percent of the global burden. Hence India's progress in reducing
maternal deaths is crucial to the global achievement of Millennium Development
Goal 5," Dileep Mavalankar, Kranti Vora and M. Prakasamma have said in an
article in the April issue of WHO magazine.
They also pulled
up the central government's flagship National Rural Health Mission, which aims
to provide quality healthcare to the rural populace, for not making any
difference in villages.
The article,
titled "Achieving Millennium Development Goal 5: Is India serious?",
said: "We feel strongly that without a clear strategic focus on skilled
birth attendants, emergency obstetric care (EmOC) and referral services, India
will not be able to reduce maternal mortality rapidly."
While both
Mavalankar and Vora are from the Centre for Management of Health System at the
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Prakasamma works for the Academy for
Nursing Studies in Hyderabad.
"Why is
India's maternal mortality high in spite of rapid economic growth? We believe
the key reasons are political, administrative and managerial rather than a lack
of technical knowledge."
For politicians,
health is a low priority, they noted.
"Government
expenditure on health has been a mere 0.9 percent of GDP, while a large
percentage of the budget is spent on defence, un-targeted subsidies and
non-vital infrastructure. No political party has maternal health on its
priority agenda."
In 1992, India
launched the Child Survival and Safe Motherhood programme (at a cost of about
$300 million) followed by a five-year programme ($250 million) called
Reproductive and Child Health-I in 1997.
"Although
EmOC was one of the strategies, it was not implemented due to lack of focus and
limited management capacity. Even today the government does not systematically
monitor how many EmOC facilities are fully functional," the WHO magazine
said.
"In spite of
rhetoric from the National Rural Health Mission, changes on the ground to
improve maternal health care are slow and lack focus."
In the 1960s,
India created a cadre of two-year trained rural midwives called "auxiliary
nurse midwives" (ANMs) to provide maternal and child health services.
But the report
said their designation as 'auxiliary' undermined their status and function as
midwives, leading to the lack of professional or skilled midwives in the
country.
"Lack of
qualified midwives is a major human resource constraint for providing locally
accessible skilled delivery care for rural women. India ignored the development
of a midwifery cadre, which has led to persistent dependence on traditional
birth attendants for deliveries and a high maternal mortality rate," it
said.
India has only
three technical officers for maternal health at the national level. Almost no
state in India has a maternal health director, the WHO report said.
"This
explains why maternal health strategies are not implemented effectively, and
maternal deaths and pregnancy outcomes are not monitored. Lack of management
capacity in the health system has led to poor quality services and slow
progress."(Push Journal)
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.
A communications initiative for a balanced, planned and stable population
College youth discuss Mumbai's mean streets
Discussion forum under Madhyam – Youth for Change launched
Population First launched its Discussion Forum under the Madhyam- Youth for Change program in collaboration with K.J Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce, Vidyavihar, Mumbai on February 1, 2008.
Background
Earlier interactions with students during the ongoing Laadli campaign had revealed that many students regretted not having any avenue to engage in discussions among peers on social development issues. The discussion forum initiated as part of the youth initiative of Laadli tries to address this gap - to provide a platform for young people to discuss, debate, question and examine their own biases and condition and in the processes be more gender sensitive and socially aware individuals.
The process
Program officers and students of NSS units were brought on board, and encouraged to take initiative and arrange the launch (and thereafter the forum every month) in their respective colleges. The first discussion forum, held at K.J.Somaiya College dealt with the theme of 'Sexual harassment in public places ' in the wake of the disturbing molestation incident on New Year’s Eve at Juhu in suburban Mumbai outside a 5-star hotel. It was an inter-collegiate event attended by about 80 students of various colleges.
The discussion was facilitated by Ms. Geeta Seshu, an independent journalist and researcher on media and media issues, Ms. Sweta Ramanujan, principal correspondent of Hindustan Times (the newspaper which broke the molestation incident and whose follow-up created public outcry and compelled the authorities to take action) and Dr. A.L.Sharada, programme director of Population First. Also present from HSBC Bank which is supporting Madhyam, were Ms. Jhoomer Tikoo, Associate Vice-President and Mr. Harshad. Sweta Ramanujan said that sexual harassment of women is both morally and socially a serious issue, and hoped that the students to take the opportunity of this forum to explore the issue of sexual harassment and how they can be instruments of change.
Students shared their personal experiences of indulging in teasing, as well as being sexually harassed. Bhavika described how men touched every part of her body on the overcrowded foot over bridge on Dombivili station. Another girl narrated her experience on a lonely unlit dark road in Thane where a man attempted to rape her. In all these, case the girls did not lodge a complaint with the police, because they were afraid that people would talk badly of them and the police was unlikely to take them seriously. A boy narrated his experience of helping a woman from eve teasers, only to be grilled by the police as a suspect!
Their experiences included indifference on the part of onlookers, lack of support from parents and community, and difficulty in lodging a police complaint or convincing the victim to lodge a complaint. Other reasons included:
Fear of losing ones reputation in society
Fear of not finding a match for marriage
Long drawn out legal procedures
Lack of knowledge about laws governing sexual harassment
Indifferent attitude of police towards such complaints
Trivialization of complaints by community and authorities
Other issues raised included the recent judgments that allowed rapists to go scot-free when they offered marriage to victims, virginity, and over-emphasis on marriage as the ultimate goal of a woman’s life. Students also voiced their concern about women being blamed in cases of rape or molestation. Geeta Seshu stressed on the fact that irrespective of age, marital status, education or class, women get molested. Sweta Ramanujan added that acquainting oneself with the penal provisions under IPC would boost one’s confidence and make one better equipped to handle the police effectively. Women have to empower themselves to be in a position to fight back.
Some reasons that emerged for the existence of sexual harassment or eve-teasing included:
Irresponsible media coverage: It only reports the event and covers irrelevant and peripheral details but does not show or elaborate the repercussions and consequences on the victim and the perpetrator and his family or educate the public on the legal options available
Peer pressure - It is considered a macho/ masculine thing to do. The sexuality of those who don’t is suspect.
Women are just objects/commodity to be used / enjoyed
It's just good fun
As a means to take revenge
To counter their own low self-esteem
The group work that followed allowed students to discuss the issue among themselves, and make their presentations on topics like:
Peer pressure
Isolation – how to help women in distress
Have things changed in Mumbai – why? What has changed? How?
How to get family/friends/social groups involved?
Strategies to deal with sexual harassment?
Role of media
How to develop equal and respectful relationships?
Madiha Sheikh, a student from A.E.Kalsekar College, Mumbra stated, “The best part about the forum was that both boys and girls were equally represented. It gave us an opportunity to interact with each other freely on this sensitive topic and understand what the boys think. If any change has to be brought about it cannot be successful without both men and women working at it together.”
Feedback
The students were very charged up about the issue and the discussion, which was planned for two hours, continued way beyond that up to 5.30 p.m. Sagar Shinde, student from S.K. Somaiya College, Vidyavihar, said, “Sexual harassment is a subject that is always brushed under the carpet and women have to suffer silently. PF has done a great job in encouraging an open discussion on the subject. It helped me to understand the female point of view. I did not feel at all awkward in discussing a taboo subject even of rape. This is the only way we can remove this evil from its roots.” Rohini Fadte, Lecturer from Dept. of Sociology, K.J.Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce said, “The Discussion Forum has initiated interaction. Hopefully this will start a chain reaction.”
The outcome
The presentations exhibited a greater sensitivity to the issue and a commitment to make a change at least in one’s own life and their home and college by educating and empowering themselves and the community with information and knowledge. The groups resolved to take positive action and undertook the following activities as a follow-up on the discussion:
Conduct a survey in their respective colleges on views about eve-teasing. The questionnaire to be devised by students in consultation with Population First
Design a pamphlet with all the legal provisions and tips on how a woman can protect herself.
Campaign to make the college a eve-teasing free zone
Organize workshops for parents/community
Start an anti eve-teasing cell in the college
Analysis of media reports of Juhu case – good and bad
Development of posters/cartoons depicting typical vs. ideal husband-wife relationships
Mekong Nations' Young People Help Shape Policy Dialogue
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Putting a collective 3,500 kilometers behind them, young people from across the Mekong region arrived in Vientiane Friday in three caravans to attend the first ever Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Youth Forum.
The Forum begins Sunday as part of activities associated with the Third GMS Summit, and brings together 37 young people representing the six countries sharing the Mekong River to deliver a regional youth message to the prime ministers and other high-ranking officials attending the Summit.
The youth will ask their leaders for greater focus on educational opportunities and skills development, more support for health programs and access to health care, and better protection for the environment.
“The GMS youth message highlights issues that are important to young people in this dynamic region,” said Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice President C. Lawrence Greenwood, Jr.
“Young people are the region’s next generation of leaders, decision makers, teachers, thinkers and workers. Getting them involved now will pave the way for a closer Mekong community, leading to greater regional cooperation in the future,” he added.
On 22 March, the youth delegates set off on the three caravan trips along the region’s North-South, East-West, and Southern economic corridors, experiencing firsthand “the 3 Cs” of connectivity, competitiveness, and community.
“I will never forget the caravan experience or the friends I’ve made,” said Ms. Bounphady Insisienmay of Vientiane, Chairperson of the GMS Youth Forum.
The five-day road journeys began in Kunming, People’s Republic of China, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, following the major transport corridors that now link these countries. The road to Vientiane has been long, both literally and figuratively. In the second half of 2007, more than 250 young people aged 18–30 participated in national youth consultations in each GMS country. Six national youth messages were the result.
Smaller youth delegations from each country convened in Bangkok in January 2008. They exchanged views and shared experiences, finding they had much in common. The national youth messages were consolidated into a regional youth message.
“It is both an honor and a unique opportunity to be able to present our collective message to the prime ministers of six countries,” Ms. Insisienmay added.
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.
UNITED
NATIONS, Mar 26 (IPS) - Some 10 million Asian women sell sex, and at least 75 million men buy it regularly, while male-to-male sex and drug injecting add another 20 million or so to the number of those at high risk of HIV infection, says the
first report by the Commission on AIDS in Asia.
Chakravarthi
Rangarajan, the chair of the commission, said Wednesday (26 March 2998) at the
United Nations that these are the main causes of new HIV infections that
regional governments need to address through targeted policies.
The
independent commission of nine members was set up in June 2006 and given an 18-month
mandate to study and assess the impact of AIDS in Asia, and to recommend
strategies for a stronger response to HIV and AIDS.
Nearly
five million people are living with HIV in Asia, with 440,000 people dying each
year, and an additional eight million people will become newly infected by
2020, warns the report, "Redefining AIDS in Asia".
However, the current inadequate response by governments suggests that
number will rise to about 20 million in the next five years, concluded the
commission.
"The
glass is half full in the sense that in June there will be a high-level meeting
in the General Assembly on reviewing progress -- and there's progress
everywhere, but it is very variable," the executive director of UNAIDS,
Peter Piot, said in response to a question by IPS. "There are three
million people on antiretroviral therapy [worldwide], but there are well over
six million who need it."
"I
think it is achievable in most countries, but I'm not optimistic for countries
that are in conflict, because if there's no peace, there's no progress,"
he added.
Although there are examples of effective and
focused HIV responses in Asia, in many cases, the response has lagged behind or
faltered for long periods.
Political
engagement and support are vital prerequisites for setting the agenda and
driving a potentially effective response. When dealing with issues of stigma
and discrimination, and overcoming taboos against the public discussion of sex
and sexuality, the role of leaders cannot be underestimated, experts on the
commission stressed.
In
response to the commission's report, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted
that Asia is home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but
that "we will never see equitable progress if some
parts of population are still denied basic health and human rights -- people
living with HIV."
He said
that Asian governments should amend outdated laws criminalizing the most
vulnerable sections of society, and take all the measures needed to ensure they
live in dignity by implementing the recommendations of the commission.
According
to the report, some far-sighted politicians have increased their own commitment
and started lobbying others in power to push for more resources and
accountability. However, only in two Asian countries has a head of state played
a prominent role in the response and officially provided leadership to the
national AIDS programme.
Frika
Iskandar, a member of the commission and AIDS activist in Asia, who is herself
living with HIV, told IPS that in her native Indonesia, with about 200,000
HIV-positive people, the disease is extremely low on the government's agenda,
with just a fraction of the national budget invested in AIDS programmes.
"The
Indonesian government is more and more responding to AIDS now, but it is not
enough, we need more internal funding, not only external," she said.
She
pointed out that the report of the commission defines a new role for civil
society irrespective of the political structure in Asian countries. Community
organizations of people living with HIV and marginalized groups like sex
workers, drug users, men who have sex with men and transgender people must be
involved not just in delivery of services but at the policy-making level.
By
spending 50 cents to one dollar per capita, 80 percent coverage of HIV
prevention, treatment, and care and livelihood security programmes can be
achieved, the commission said.
The
report says that Asian countries have the resources,
the technology, and organizational capacity for a vastly scaled up response to
the AIDS epidemic. What is required is greater political will by the
governments in Asia and meaningful involvement of
community-based organizations in the response.
"We
need to take a long-term view of the AIDS epidemic, which is not going to go
away," Piot said. "It's been around for 26 years since [the HIV virus
was first discovered]," he said. "That's why we need to continue
investing in R&D. So how we do it needs to be redefined."
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: Eunuchs and beggars would in future be at the core of government’s efforts on de-addiction.
For the first time, eunuchs are being factored into Centre’s policy-making, with Union social justice and empowerment ministry (MSJ) naming them as a target group in its schemes for deaddiction from alcoholism and substance abuse.
Besides acknowledging that addiction is an issue with the ‘third sex’, it is a statement that the community has arrived after years of neglect by mainstream society and planners alike.
The ministry has decided to make a special provision for Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCA) for ‘vulnerable groups’ in its new scheme to fight addiction, with eunuchs, beggars and vulnerable children being the categories in focus.
Sources said ‘vulnerable groups’ without a voice in mainstream planning like eunuchs were generally left out of the rehab programmes and the indifference only got worse in the absence of any policy focus on them. Naming of these groups would provide a push as also an incentive to enroll eunuchs and beggars for de-addiction.
It would help target groups to avail comprehensive de-addiction plans run by NGOs. The IRCAs would keep those addicted to alcohol and drugs for up to two months while giving them counselling and working on their de-addiction. For their economic rehabilitation, the inmates would be provided vocational training and the NGOs would try to arrange loans for them.
Significantly, the IRCAs would provide ‘inhouse kitchen’ facilities for the inmates, which were not part of the existing programmes. For NGOs, it is a big challenge to keep the addicts from the economically weaker strata tied to IRCAs. Those like eunuchs and beggars, involved in unstable economic activities, are not inclined to be lodged in a place for a long duration for deaddiction which anyway, in the absence of any encouragement or family care, is not a priority.
As per figures, the de-addiction scheme for general society has seen a decline in beneficiaries from 2.61 lakh in 2002-03 to 1.07 lakh in 2006-07. The number of projects have also come down from 444 to 277.
A study has attributed this decline to increase in the duration of stay in centres from 10 days to 30 days besides systemic limitations and low cost input.
In keeping with changed concern areas, comprehensive policy changes are being made as part of the merger and upgradation of existing schemes under the umbrella ‘Scheme for Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance Drugs Abuse and Social Defence services’. Sources said it would have a budget of Rs 260 crore for the 11th plan.
Beefing the NGO-run de-addiction and rehab programme, the scheme provides for opening a Regional Resource and Training Centre in every state and UT to train voluntary organisations in their area of activity. As many as 35 such centres are set to come up once the scheme is given the nod by CCEA for which MSJ has moved a note. (Subodh Ghildiyal/Times of India) [ICYO-Youth Information]
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.
UNFPA Welcome the Islamic Conference Decision to Focus on Peace and Economic Development.
Dakar, Senegal. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) welcomes the focus on peace and economic development at the 11th Summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). "We welcome the focus on poverty eradication," said Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director.
"Improving the health and education of women and young people will reduce poverty by increasing productivity and political, social and economic empowerment," said Dr. Thoraya Obaid.
"Women have an important role to play," she stressed, "because they care deeply about their families, communities and nations and can make a positive contribution to peace, development and social cohesion."
"The OIC is a political organization that has the moral authority to bring about a dialogue on the position of women in Muslim countries in the 21st century," said Dr. Obaid.
"UNFPA is eager to work with the OIC to improve the education, health and participation of women and youth and achieve the Millennium Development Goals," she said. “We welcome the proposal by President Wade of Senegal to devote funds for poverty eradication and development to improve maternal and child health.” -=-=-----------------------------------------------------=
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.
2nd UNESCO Asian Youth Forum will be held from June 26-30, 2008 in Gwangju City, Republic of Korea. The Section for Youth, Sport and Physical Education at UNESCO (YSPE) and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU) are co-organizers of this Forum. with the theme of Sustainable Community in Asia.
The 1st UNESCO Asian Youth Forum was held in 2007 at Jeju in Republic of Korea. India was represents by ICYO representative Ms Shivangi Patel.
Now YSPE and KNCU are preparing for the 2nd UNESCO Asian Youth Forum in 2008. The forum will allow participants to come together to tackle regional issues and to support youth-led initiatives encompassing mutual respect and sustainable development in the region. With a view to strengthening the practical aspects of the forum, KNCU plans to operate a few youth-led pilot projects supported by the Asia Youth Fund at this time.
The objectives of the Asian Youth Forum are:
> To create opportunities for exchange, allowing the participants of the forum to discuss regional issues and their experiences with young people, youth organizations, and relevant partners concerned with youth.
> To reinforce concrete strategies and initiatives aimed at enhancing youth capacity and their substantial partnership based upon mutual respect for sustainable community in Asia.
> To promote the UNESCO’s ideal and far-reaching youth cooperation in the Asian region.
> To review and recommend youth-led pilot projects to implement the theme, “Sustainable Community in Asia.”
ICYO is planning to nominate the indian youth participant(s) under age of 28 years in Asian Youth Forum.
Interested organizations (from India) can send their nominations to ICYO secretariat The nominee must have:
-the substantial knowledge, competency, and experience in sustainable development and youth issues;
-ability to communicate a large range of opinions on behalf of his/her country’s youth;
-active participation in a youth organization; and
-ability to maintain follow-up action plans after the forum.
Nomination with full detail should be sent to: info.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.
Our goal: To improve and extend the youth work and services through Youth Organizations; To enhance and demonstrate youth work in the society; To promote effective youth programmmes; To organize network of civil society organizations working towards the development of youth work; To organize seminars, conferences, workshops, trainings; To maintain international relation with organizations promoting young people in their programmes and activities
Affiliation:
Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations; Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development; Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC); CRIN, South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN),
Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand; ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Partner of AIDS Care Watch Campaign; Steering Committee member of World Bank's YDP Network; Working relation with Indian Association of Parliamentarians (IAPPD); International Medical Parliamentarians Organizations (IMPO); Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD); World Youth Foundation, Malaysia.
THE INDIA-COUNTRY COORDINATING MECHANISM (INDIA CCM) FOR THE GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS & MALARIA (GFATM) CALLS FOR PROPOSALS FOR ROUND EIGHT OF FUNDING
The India - Country Coordination Mechanism is calling for proposals from civil society organizations and private sector organizations interested in participating in the preparation of the country proposal to the Global Fund (Round 8). The CCM intends to submit a proposal with three components, one for malaria, one for tuberculosis and one for HIV/AIDS. The details along with the proposal template can be accessed at the India CCM Website:
A subcommittee of the CCM held consultations and meetings to finalize the scope of the proposal for each of the three diseases components namely, Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV, which civil society organizations and private sector organizations have to adhere to. Other topics can be considered for the proposal but are not currently included in the priorities identified by the CCM.
Malaria
The National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP) will prepare a proposal to expand the reach of the malaria control programme. Private sector and civil society organizations wishing to provide support in states with high malaria prevalence in the following issues may submit proposals for inclusion in the malaria component of the comprehensive country proposal:
Advocacy, social mobilization, education, training, and the like,
Supply chain for insecticide impregnated bed nets, re-impregnation kits, social marketing of nets, and so on,
Diagnosis and care for malaria in the field,
Support for monitoring and evaluation,
Innovation in software and data handling
Tuberculosis
The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) has indicated that the government does not require funding from the Global Fund. However, to expand the reach, coverage and success rate of the national programme, the CCM is inviting proposals from civil society and private sector organizations in the following areas:
Advocacy,
Mobilization of decentralized authorities,
Social mobilization,
Stigma reduction
DOTS expansion in under-served states
HIV and AIDS
The CCM has decided that the HIV or AIDS component of the country proposal would have several sub-components and hence the call for proposals has four components:
Prevention of injecting drug use (IDU) and harm reduction among IDU
Proposals are sought from civil society and private sector organizations for the rapid upscale of programmes to prevent injecting drug use and prevent HIV transmission among IDU through effective harm reduction.
Support to males who have sex with males for prevention of HIV transmission
Proposals should concentrate on comprehensive services for the MSM community, including social support, mental health, family counselling, safe meeting places, support to community organizations, and the like. Civil society and private sector organizations should not address prevention through targeted interventions, for which Government funds are already available. Proposals addressing the specific needs of the transgender community are welcome.
Prevention of HIV transmission among informal and migrant workers
Proposals from civil society and private sector organizations should concentrate on prevention in and around the work place, both in urban and rural settings. Proposals including representatives of workers and corporations will be welcome.
Strengthening health systems in Northern States to improve MCH and STI, HIV services
Proposals from private sector organizations, for or not for profit, should address the need for integrated primary care services, including in particular reproductive and sexual health, especially for people living with HIV, as well as mother and child care and HIV services in Northern states where government services only reach a minority of the population.
Presentation of proposals
The CCM requests concept notes, as per the template provided at
Proposals from civil society and private sector organizations submitted only as per this template will be taken into consideration. The template aims at providing the CCM with all the information about the submitting organization, including its size, capacity for implementation, areas of work, competence, partnerships and previous performance.
The CCM will evaluate all proposals and decide on the overall architecture and partners for each of the three diseases. It will discuss with the selected civil society and private sector organizations for the finalization of India 's comprehensive proposal consisting of the three disease components, including the choice of Principal Recipient(s) for each of the three disease components and their sub-components.
The CCM will finalize the Comprehensive Country Proposal of India, with input from all stakeholders and in cooperation with the agreed Principal Recipients and their sub-recipients. Kindly send your proposals by April 20, 2008. The proposals can be sent by email to proposalsround8@... or by mail at the following address:
Secretariat of the India-CCM, c/o UNAIDS, A2/35 Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029.
Around 6,000 Students Committed Suicide in
2006 in India
In 2006, 5,857 students —
or 16 a day — committed suicide across India due to exam stress. And these are
just the official figures. Shimla superintendent of police (crime), Punita
Bhardwaj, said incidents of children committing suicide because of examination
stress often did not get reported as traumatized parents wanted to keep the
issue under wraps.
Anita Naresh, a 16-year-old
from Kanpur who swallowed dye last week as she felt she had not done well in
her Class X exams, is one of them. Her condition is still critical. A teenager
from Chandigarh attempted suicide inside the examination centre but was taken
to hospital just in time. Bangalore has witnessed a series of attempted
suicides by students denied a hall ticket for a board examination owing to poor
attendance.
According to Kolkata
psychiatrist Debashish Roy, scores of youngsters seek counselling before and after
the exam season and have to be put on medication.
It’s not just board exams
that get stress levels soaring in students. Entrance tests to professional
courses that require extra coaching also have the same effect. St Joseph’s
Convent, Patna, teacher Shweta Priyadarshini put it best when she said: “Most
students face two kinds of pressure: one due to the board examinations and the
other due to competitive exams.’’
Sri Sankara Senior
Secondary School, Chennai, class XII student Athreya Mukundsubramanian said he
would not have any time to relax after the board examination as he would have
to prepare for a series of competitive exams, including the All-India
Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental papers and the IITJEE. “I wish I could just
fastforward the next two months,’’ his mother, Gayathri, said. “Why on earth
can’t the syllabus for entrance tests also be incorporated in the regular
college syllabus so that students don’t require additional coaching?’’ Shetty
asked.
It is the combination of
entrance tests and board exams that some students are finding it difficult to
handle. “The examination system itself should be hanged!’’ That’s the
passionate cry from Amritsar lawyer B K Joshi. His relative, Amritsar
Engineering College student Kanika Sharma died after consuming poison when she
failed in mathematics.
Students have often held
their teachers solely responsible for suicide. “I will come back as a ghost and
harass my teacher,’’ the suicide note left behind by a student from a
prestigious Bangalore school said.
Some students have
discovered other mechanisms to deal with the pressure, like running away from
home or simply refusing to appear for exams. Two boys from a school in
Ahmedabad walked out of their class X board exams for fear of failure. Three
students, in three separate incidents in Chandigarh, ran away from home for
fear of exams. (Anahita Mukherji/ Times of India)
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.
All in one place, topics covered - The Economist March 8th, 2008 has a 6 page coverage on India - What's holding India back?
Topics in it are:
Failure to reform a bloated civil service is putting the country's huge economic achievements at risk
The state's cage
Unleash peepul power
Battling the babu raj
India has some of the hardest- working bureaucrats in the world, but its administration has an abysmal record of serving the public.
Armies of clerks
Political entanglements states In India's corrupt democracy, the collectors' burden is made much heavier by interfering politicians. The problem is most grievous in north India, where civil servants tend to attach themselves to politicians for enrichment, advancement - or in despair of otherwise getting their jobs done.
A Band - Aid on a corpse
India's budget
Write-offs as high as an elephant's eye
India's economy
Open wide
The cover page has a Caged Tiger, NDTV recently reported that we have only 1411 left.
Increasingly, there is also awareness to:1300 cases against MPs, MLAs in various courts, of which 65 cases under investigations by CBI - from Editorial, The Tribune,13 March 08.
Being Pragmatic, as seen in Lead India, with the help of young leaders + elder ethical stalwart statesmen, we are bound to find rightful solutions - concerned being observant, promod
- worth reading & keeping - wherein, concerning above, it is stated on P28 - Briefing India's civil service:
"In India's corrupt democracy, the collectors' burden is made much heavier by interfering politicians. The problem is most grievous in north India, where civil servants tend to attach
themselves to politicians for enrichment, advancement - or in despair of otherwise getting their jobs done. The habit is said to have been implanted in the system during India's 1975 state of emergency, when, with the help of senior bureaucrats, Indira Gandhi grabbed power for 21 months. One IAS officer tainted by the hiatus was Navin Chawla, a senior civil servant in Delhi strong ties to the Gandhi family, Congress's leaders. A government inquiry into the emergency ruled that he was "unfit to hold any public office which demands an attitude of fair play & consideration for others". The current government has made him deputy chief of India's election commission".
Event highlights the
International Year of Sanitation 2008
Better Sanitation Focus of
UN World Water Day Observance in Bangkok
Bangkok. More than 1.5 billion people in the Asia-Pacific
region still lack basic sanitation, such as access to a toilet—leaving them
vulnerable to preventable diseases such as cholera, worms, diarrhea, pneumonia
and malnutrition. Globally, one child dies every 20 seconds as a result of poor
sanitation.
In order to raise awareness of this issue, the United Nations General Assembly
declared 2008 to be the International Year of Sanitation (IYS) and adopted the
theme “Accelerating progress on sanitation to help save lives and foster
economic and social development”.
The Year will be highlighted at the observance of World Water Day (which falls
on Sunday 22 March) in Bangkok. The event, organized by the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), will take
place at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) on 20 March and will
feature a panel discussion, workshops and an exhibition.
The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of the
Sulabh Sanitation & Social Reform Movement, which has so far set up 7,500
community toilets in India. A special presentation will be given by Mr. Jack
Sim, founder and CEO of the World Toilet Organization.
The panel discussion will feature experts from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and
the Philippines who will share their first hand experience in sanitation
initiatives and community projects. The panel will focus on strategies and
lessons learned in the provision of sanitation.
The workshops will look at the East Asia Ministerial Conference on Sanitation
and Hygiene 2007 and how UN agencies, governments and civil society can work
together to implement IYS 2008. In addition an exhibition highlighting the work
of Thai and intergovernmental agencies’ on sanitation will run from 19-21
March.
Each year, more than 200 million tonnes of human waste go uncollected and
untreated around the world, fouling the environment and spreading diseases.
Poor sanitation affects 2.6 billion people globally, forcing them to live in
deeper poverty and indignity. But investment in sanitation pays big dividends.
According to a recent study by the World Health Organization, for every one
dollar spent on sanitation there is an economic return of nine dollars, and
that halving the number of people without access to clean drinking water would
result in a gain of $66 billion annually.
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.
Tunza International Children's Conference on the Environment
Stavanger, Norway 17-21 June 2008
Theme: "Creating
Change"
United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Young Agenda 21 Foundation of Norway
will host the 2008 Tunza International Children’s Conference on the Environment
which will bring together 1,000 people (700 children and 300 chaperones), between
10 and 14 years, from over 100 countries. The conference will be held from 17
to 21 June 2008 in Stavanger, Norway.
The
Conference is a follow-up on the decision adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, in
Johannesburg, South Africa, which states that views of the children’s should be
incorporated in decisions regarding environment.
The Conference will
increase the children’s understanding of environmental issues by providing them
with a forum to share experiences and opinions and to collectively voice their
concerns for the environment. It will also inspire them to initiate and
implement community environmental projects in their school and community.
The Conference will offer
a series of workshops organized by both local and international facilitators on
the themes of the Conference (Energy, Biodiversity, Water and Production and
Consumption). The Conference will culminate in a set of commitments to be
implemented by the children.
Junior Board which
comprises of 12 members of eight representatives from the UNEP regions (North
America, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, West Asia, Asia and
the Pacific and 4 from Norway) will help with preparations for the Conference
and ensures that the facilities and programme of the conference reflects the
needs of the children.
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 World Bank, the
Cities Alliance and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs invite youth aged
18-25 from all countries of the world to participate in the 5th
International Essay Competition:
WANTED:
Your Practical Ideas
What can you do to shape the City of your Dreams?
Essays can be submitted online in English, French,
Spanish, Arabic or Portuguese until March 23, 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.
-
NYKS Board Emphasized on Expansion of Organization
- Young People's Transition to Adulthood – Progress and
challenges
- Empowering Mentally
Challenged Persons
- UN adopts
resolution on Youth Participation in Social and Economic Development
- The Commission for Social Development (CSocD) Focuses on
Full Employment and Decent Work.
-
Guide for the Preparation of National Action Plans on Youth Employment
- India Becoming
Centre for Drug Trafficking
- Vasectomy Drive
Picks up in Delhi
Upcoming Events
- National Integration Youth Camps
-
Seventh Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting 2008: Youth and Peace Building
- 2008 CIVICUS Youth
Assembly
- 3rd International Young Professionals Summit
- Act! Speak! Build! Week
- Global Youth Service
Day
- 37th Regional Training Course on Disaster Management
- Int.
Training Workshop on Disaster Risk & Environmental Management
- World Forum Again
Drugs The World Conference of Women’s Shelters
- International Conference on
Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Stalking
- World Urban Forum 4
- 12 August: International Youth Day
- 5 June: World Environment Day
- 31 May: World No
Tobacco Day
Acknowledgement
of newsletter, publication, reports.
ICYO – Youth
Information Newsletter
Indian
Committee of Youth Organizations
Platform
of 356 Youth Organizations in India
India’s largest network of urban and rural youth
No. 2008/18
NYKS Board Emphasized on Expansion of Organization
The Board of Governors of Nehru
Yuvak Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), a governmental youth body, has emphasized in its
board meeting on 26the February 2008 that in two years a lot of strengthening
of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathans has been done and several streamlining measures
have been taken. This includes structuring of programmes with emphasis on youth
clubs becoming part of its activities.
The
Board of Governors further discussed the expansion of NYKS to all districts of
the country, which is necessary for the development of youth.
The
Board of Governors requested the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mr. Mani
Shankar Aiyar to put forth this request for extension to the Government of
India. The Minister assured them that their request would be sent to the
Finance Ministry for consideration.
UN: World Youth Report 2007
Young
People's Transition to Adulthood –
Progress
and challenges
Today's young people are the
best-educated generation of youth in history. However, for many young people,
the transition to adulthood is slowed down by poverty and their inability to
find decent work, the United Nations reveals in its ‘World Youth Report 2007’.
Investments in youth have improved in all regions over the years and young
people's access to education has expanded, the World Youth Report 2007 - Young People's Transition to Adulthood:
Progress and Challenges says. In many places where public sector
education has fallen short, private education is on the rise. Many more young
people, including girls, have completed basic education than ever before and
many now have access to higher levels of education.
Lack of access to health, services, and quality education is hampering
transition to adulthood. Yet, in all regions of the world, young people's
transition to adulthood is especially affected by poverty. Because of poverty,
and sometimes because of social and cultural constraints, many young people are
excluded from accessing quality education, decent employment, health and other
resources and services. School attainment varies according to wealth in most
countries around the world. And despite policies to provide free education in
many countries, costs for books, uniforms and transportation are too high for
many households.
In many parts of the world, young people have limited access to quality health
care as a result of a complex health environment. A lack of education
and access to contraception leads to early pregnancies, which pose health risks
and reduce the future opportunities for young mothers. Increasing number of new
threats to their health, especially the HIV and AIDS epidemic, have also added
to the diffculties that youth experience in several regions, especially in
Africa and in the transition economies of Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth
of Independent States.
Forming one quarter of the working-age population, 15-24 year olds can be a key
resource for development. The World Youth Report 2007 argues that these
1.2 billion young people are an essential part of our society.
Never before has this age bracket constituted such a large share of the overall
population. Furthermore, 15-24 year olds constitute 25 per cent of the
working-age population.
In addressing the challenges that young people face in making the
transition to adulthood, the Report emphasises that policymakers must focus not
only on developing young people's capacities through greater investment in
areas such as education, health and skills training, but they must also provide
and protect opportunities for young people to participate in development as a
matter of priority.
Empowering Mentally Challenged Persons
The Minister
of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Smt. Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan
informed the Lok Sabha (Lower house of Indian Parliament) that according to the
Census 2001, there are 2.19 crore persons with disabilities in India who
constitute 2.13 per cent of the total population. The mentally retarded persons
are 22.64 lakhs and constitute approximately 0.23 per cent of the total
population in the country. The total population of mentally challenged persons
as per census 2001 is 22,63,821. The physical, social and psychological
empowerment of persons with disabilities is promoted through Deendayal Disable
rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) and Assistance to Disabled Persons for
Purchase/Fitting of aids/Appliances (ADIP) Scheme.
The
seven National Institutes also take up programmes for empowerment of persons
with disabilities through their outreach progrmmes. Government has been
promoting the self-employment of persons with disabilities by providing
vocational training and loan on concessional rates through National Handicapped
Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC).
UN
adopts resolution on
Youth Participation in Social and Economic Development
The 62nd session of the UN
General Assembly adopted a comprehensive resolution entitled “Policies and
programmes involving youth: youth in the global economy - youth participation
in social and economic development” (A/62/342). Youth delegates representing
their Governments in the General Assembly participated actively in the
negotiations and contributed to the text of the resolution that calls for
stronger measures by Governments to address youth issues to protect and promote
their well-being in the changing global economy. The resolution recognizes that
while youth today are better placed than ever before to participate in and
benefit from global development, many young people remain marginalized,
disconnected or excluded from the opportunities that globalization offers.
The Commission for Social Development (CSocD)
Focuses on Full Employment and Decent Work.
The
forty-sixth session of the Commission for Social Development (6-15 February,
2008) follows up on its 2007-2008 priority theme of “Full employment and decent
work for all.
The 2007
Commission undertook an evaluation of progress in achieving the goals of full
employment and decent work, and their impact on poverty eradication and social
integration. The 2008 Commission focuses on policy options and practical
measures to acheive full employment and decent work.
A
high-level panel discussion on the priority theme will address the national and
regional policies as well as best practices for the promotion of full
employment and decent work, including youth employment. In addition, UNDESA, is
organizing two side events addressing youth issues.
Guide for the Preparation of
National Action Plans on Youth Employment
The
Guide for the preparation of National Action Plans on Youth Employment was
released in January 2008. It has been developed to lead and inform ILO policy
advice to constituents in member States for the development of NAPs. The Guide
is also useful to policy-makers, employers’ and workers’ organizations, youth
groups and development actors as a framework to steer their action towards the
goal of productive employment and decent work for young women and men.
India Becoming Centre for Drug Trafficking
The
annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board has noted increased
trafficking and abuse of cannabis and heroin in South Asia. The West African
traffickers have targeted countries in South Asia, particularly India for
cocaine trafficking.
The
report released on 5th March 2008 in New Delhi said, "South
American cocaine is trafficked to India in small quantities where it is
exchanged for South-West Asian heroin bound for Europe and North America. India
is increasingly being used as a major transit country and also as a destination
country for drug trafficking. Cross-border smuggling is relatively easy due to
the porous borders between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal. Illicit cultivation
and abuse of cannabis continue to be a problem in most of the countries in
South Asia."
The
report said that licitly manufactured pharmaceutical preparations such as
codeine-based syrup, benozodiazepines and buprenorphine were smuggled from India
into Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In India, organized criminal
groups traffic in amphetamine-type stimulants.
In South
Asia, injection of heroin and pharameceutical preparations were contributing to
the spread of HIV/AIDS, it said.
"In
India, the areas with highest incidences of drug-related HIV/AIDS continue to
be the north-eastern border with Myanmar and large urban areas. Of those who
abuse drugs in Maldives, 20% to 25% inject them. Drug abuse by injection rose
from 8% in 2003 to 29% in 2006 and three-quarters of imprisoned drug offenders
were drug abusers. The report noted with concern that adequate data on drug
abuse was not available for Bhutan and Nepal.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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
welcome the related materials for publication.
A
special drive by the Delhi government on Non Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) - a
simplified contraceptive method for men - has gained momentum.
The government raised the
incentive money from Rs 160 in October last year to Rs 1,300 in January 2008.
2,850 men have been operated upon from January to till now. Officials admitted
the rise in the monetary incentive had increased attendance. Interest in our
drive, but after we raised the incentive, men started thronging to the
operation theatre.
Upcoming Events
National
Integration Youth Camps
National Youth
Project will hold the following National Integration Youth Camp.
1)March 19 to 26,
2008:Bangalorefor 1000 youth
2)April 6 to 13, 2008
Aizawl, Mizoram for 500 youth
3)April 23 to 30,
2008Rishikesh,
Uttarakhand for 400 youth
4)May 8 to 15, 2008Kerala (Place to be announce soon) for 500
youth
5)May 23 to 31, 2008Andhra
Pradesh (Place to be announce) for 500 youth
6)June 15 to 22, 2008
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh for 500 youth.
There is no travel
expense/ sponsorship for the camp at Rishikesh and Gorakhpur is available. The
participation of youth aged between 18-35 is open and railway concession
in-group of five is available for all camp.
For more
information and participation (only for youth of age 18 to 35 year) contact
ICYO secretariat at info.icyo@...
Seventh Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting 2008:
Youth and Peace Building
The 7th
Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from
April 27-30, 2008. The meeting will enable Youth Ministers to contribute to the
debate on emerging issues related to youth development, in particular the links
between peace building, youth development and social transformation.
The
meeting will also provide policy directions for the Commonwealth Youth
Programme (CYP) following new CHOGM mandates for the period 2008 – 2012.
2008 CIVICUS Youth Assembly
The CIVICUS Youth Assembly takes place from 16-21 June 2008
in Glasgow, Scotland and will build on the fantastic success of the 2007 Youth
Assembly, with more extensive participation and even more delegate places.
Delegates will again be assisted to attend, with accommodation, food, programme
events and CIVICUS delegate fees sponsored. This year we are also delighted to
offer a limited number of travel bursaries Space is limited, and delegate
places will be awarded to the strongest applicants from around the world.
Deadline for applications: 31 March 2008.
The
International Young Professionals Foundation will organize the 3rd
International Young Professionals Summit, IYPS 2008, from 19th to 22nd August
2008 in Manchester, UK.
The aim
of the Summit is to bring together young professionals for networking, capacity
building and information sharing around our core theme of “How young
professionals can help to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals "
and specific topics will include: Governance, economy and
education; Women and gender equality; Healthcare and HIV / AIDS; Environmental
sustainability.For more
information log on
Act! Speak! Build! Week is UN Habitat's international, student-initiated week
of advocacy. The week is dedicated to empowering young people to educate
themselves and their communities and move people to social action. Young
people, ages 5 to 25, work in partnership with local affiliates to plan and
host events focused on ending "poverty housing". For more information
log on www.habitat.org/youthprograms/actspeakbuild
Global
Youth Service Day
25-28 April 2008
Global Youth Service Day is an annual global celebration of young volunteers
from around the world who carry out community improvement projects. For more
information, log on www.gysd.org.
37th Regional Training Course on Disaster Management
The Regional Training Course on Disaster
Management will be held from March 17 – April 4, 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand and
organized by Asian Disaster Preparedness Center.
The purpose of the course is to provide
comprehensive disaster management knowledge and skills to enhance the
capabilities of executive managers who have key disaster management
responsibilities. It is designed to enable professionals working in disaster
management, development and donor agencies to effectively integrate disaster
management into their development programs and policies. Participants will be
encouraged to develop key skills and adopt proactive attitudes through
participation in interactive lectures and reflection on a range of key issues
raised during discussions and practical activities. The course fee is US$ 2,500
Int. Training Workshop on
Disaster Risk & Environmental Management
The
World Youth Foundation will be hosting an International Training Workshop on
Disaster Risk & Environmental Management tentatively held from July 5-8,
2008, in Melaka, Malaysia.
This International Training
Workshop on Disaster Risk & Environmental Management is a follow-up of the
International Training Workshop for Youth Representatives on Environment and
Disaster Management held in August 2006 and the International Conference on
Environment and Disaster Management held in August 2005 in Melaka, Malaysia by
the Foundation.
The
international training workshop will focus to introduce young people to the
fields of Disaster Risk Management and Environmental Management and includes
wide ranging topics to develop a broad based understanding of these fields. It
also includes exercises for participants to get practical knowledge.For more
information write to: wyf@...
World
Forum Again Drugs
The first ever World Forum Against Drugs (WFAD), will take
place in Stockholm, Sweden, September 8-10 2008. The main theme for WFAD is One hundred years of drug prevention.
Many other sub-themes will be discussed, such as Drugs for war, The
Role of Public Opinion, Drug-free
Treatment and The
Environment and Drugs.
The aim is to create an opportunity for people from all
around the world working against illicit drugs, particularly at grass root
level, to exchange ideas and share experiences on how we all can develop our
methods and move in the direction of the visionary goal of a world free from
drug abuse.
The
World Conference of Women’s Shelters to be hosted by the Alberta Council of
Women's Shelters and will be held from September 8-11, 2008 in Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada.
The
event will provide the opportunity to share knowledge, ideas about a theme that
is often overlooked when discussing family violence and will increase the
capacity of shelters worldwide to increase networking and bring about positive
changes in their organizations and their communities when dealing with family
violence.
The World Urban Forum is a biennial gathering and was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies and policies. The next Forum, which is fourth in series will be held in Nanjing, China from October 13-17, 2008.
This year's theme focuses on youth action on climate change. The Day provides a great opportunity to rally support and get key actors involved - Governments, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, businesses, and young people - to act on climate change. Email us your plans so that we can showcase great ideas on how partnering with Governments, organizations and communities can lead to change.
The World Environment Day slogan for 2008 is "Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy". Recognizing that climate change is becoming the defining issue of our era, UNEP is asking countries, companies and communities to focus on greenhouse gas emissions and how to reduce them. The World Environment Day will highlight resources and initiatives that promote low carbon economies and life-styles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption. For more information log on www.unep.org/wed
31
May: World No Tobacco Day
Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. About 5 million people
die each year of tobacco-related causes that accounts for the death of one in
ten people worldwide. To draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and to
the preventable death and disease it causes, the World Health Organization
introduced World No Tobacco Day in 1987. For information log on www.who.int/tobacco/communications/events/wntd/2007/en/index.html.
Acknowledgement
The
ICYO has received following publications in January & February 2008, which
is very useful for our documentation, research work and planning of activities.
We extended thanks on behalf of ICYO network to all the organizations those
provide us these valuable newsletters/publications/ reports etc.
qYouth Culture - Published by National Youth Project, New Delhi; No
4-2007
qYoung Asia- Published by Commonwealth Youth Programme, Asia
Centre, India; October-December 2007
qThe Commonwealth Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment, Published
by Commonwealth Youth Programme, London, UK
qYuva Udghosh, Published by Kendriya Arya Yuvak Parishad, Every
fortnight (Hindi language)
qYouth of India (Newsletter) – Published by: National Council of
YMCAs of India, New Delhi; December 2007.
qV.Y.K Newsletter – Published by: V.Y.K International Youth Centre,
New Delhi; Vol. 33, Issue 4, October 2007
qLife Skill Education Toolkit for Orphans and Vulnerable Children
in India, Published by Family Health International, India, Hindi and English
languages.
qAsian Forum Newsletters – Published by: AFPPD, Bangkok, Thailand,
November-December 2007.
qIAPPD Newsletter – Published by: IAPPD, New Delhi. December 2007
qNeeti Marg – Published by: Samvad, Bhopal, MP, India; every
fortnight. (Hindi language)
qAHRNews – Published by: Asian Harm Reduction Network, Thailand;
No44 July- December 2007
qGo Between and NGLs Roundup– Published by: NGLS, Geneva, Switzerland
qOne Country, Newsletter, Published by: Baha'iInternational Community, New York, USA;
Vol 19, 1, October- December 2007
qSankalp Newsletter –Published by: International AIDS Vaccine
Initiative in India, New Delhi; Vol 6(6) December 2007- January 2008
qVoice of the Voiceless – Published by NATSAP, AP, Vol. 4 issue 1,
January 2008
qBehond Borders Newsletter- Published by Beyond Borders Inc,
Canada; Fall 2007.
qWorld Bank In India – Magazine Published by: WORLD BANK, New
Delhi, India, Vol 6/No 4, January 2008
qInternational Journal of Environmental Consumerism, Published by
environmental & Environmental Consumerism, New Delhi, India,
January-December 2007
q200 Million Youth Challenge , Report published by Middle East Youth
Initiative, Dubai, UAE.
qWorking
Paper on Youth Exclusion in Search of ‘second Chances’ (Egypt,iran, Syria,
Moracco) and may other issues, prepared byMiddle East Youth Initiative, Dubai, UAE.
qUNews – Published by: UN Information Centre, New Delhi, India; Vol
63, No 1 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); 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.
National Women’s Organization with
others will be organizing Save Ganga &SaveHimalayasMarchto celebrate the 78th
Anniversary of Gandhji’s Dandi March on March 12, 2008 in New Delhi.
It is intended to create mass
awareness and put moral pressure on our government to take time-bound decisive
steps to completely and permanently save the Ganga symbolizing all rivers and
water bodies, and the Giriraj Himalaya, symbolizing all mountains forests and
wildlife.
The March will
commence with prayers near our beloved Bapuji’s Samadhi at 8:30 a.m on 12th
March 2008 and will conclude with the formal presentation of Ten Demands to
Save the Ganga and the Himalayas to Hon’ble Rashatrapatiji, Hon’ble Prime
Minister. It will be an absolutely peaceful Gandhian
non-violent March.
The organizers
requested to all like-minded noble persons must come under one umbrella to
create the mass awareness necessary to put moral pressure on our government to
take time-bound decisive steps to completely and permanently save the Ganga
symbolizing all rivers and water bodies, and the Giriraj Himalayas, symbolizing
all mountains forests and wildlife, which would surely be a major step in the
direction to preventthe impending
catastrophic global ecological crises.
The
Veteran Gandhian Activist Shri Anna Hazare, Swami Nikhilananda, Head of
Chinmaya Mission,Delhi, Veteran parliamentarians Dr Najma Heptulla, Smt.
Nirmala Deshpande, Shri Kunwar Rewati Raman Singh along with many other
eminent persons will lead the March on 12 March 2008.
------------
Letus celebrate 12th March as
THE SATYAGRAHA DAY FOR SAVING OUR
MOTHER EARTH,
THE ONLY PLANET KNOWN TO HAVE LIFE SUSTAING ECOSYSTEMS
------------
More information may be obtain from SmtRama Rauta, President, National Women’s
Organization, Pune.Phone:
020-64730196 Email: ramarauta@...
or log on www.Savegangamovement.org
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: Motorists on National Highway-24 connecting Delhi
with Ghaziabad often marvel at the frenetic construction work underway at the
Commonwealth Games Village facing the Akshardham Temple on the eastern bank
of Yamuna.
Rajendra Singh
talking to satyagrahis / Photo credit: Mahipal S. Rawat / OWSA
But few have noticed one of the longest-running environmental campaigns in
Delhi, at a corner next to a smelling storm-water drain right outside the
Village.
Known only to a few, the Yamuna
Satyagraha, as the campaign is called, completed 200 weather-beaten days
on Sunday.
Around a tent at the protest site, hang a few handwritten posters from a tree
close to which are two cots around which pink pamphlets are strewn. Close by,
sits a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi.
The campaign was launched to “save the oldest and most vital water resource
of Delhi”, which environmentalists feel face grave threat to its survival
from the construction work on the river's bed.
On Sunday, well-wishers came over to commemorate the day. But on any given day,
there are only a few protestors at the site, led by Magsaysay Award winner
Rajendra Singh holding together the fight for something so intrinsic to
Delhi's sustenance.
These “water warriors”, as they call themselves, have been living out of the
tent, playing host to mosquitoes at night and silently watching Delhi zoom by
on the busy highway.
“We are keeping alive people’s right to a free river. It does not matter how
many people take note,” said 26-year-old Sunil Prabhakar, who has been at the
site since August.
“Often people fail to realise what the city loses if its river ceases to
exist,” said he, who hails from Punjab, the land of five rivers.
Yamuna satyagrah /
Photo credit: Mahipal S. Rawat / OWSA
Then there is Atravati Devi, representing those who
have been farming on the Yamuna riverbed for decades. So far this woman from
Mandavali village has composed over a hundred songs on the river.
Except for fellow farmers and others at the protest site, no one in Delhi has
ever heard her songs that thank the river for providing water security to
generations of Delhiites.
“Extreme heat in summer and bone-chilling cold in winter have failed to deter
us because we are used to being on the riverbed day and night,” said
“Masterji” Daljit Singh, head of the farming community.
Everyday, this man arrives at the site in the morning and remains there till
late night.
Why does a majority of Delhi ignore a protest for something so vital to the
city?
“We have programmed ourselves in a way that until any natural calamity is on
our heads, we refuse to cause ripples in our comfortable city lives,” said
conservationist Manoj Misra about the city's supposed apathy in joining in
the protest.
“This is symptomatic of a city that has gotten so comfortable receiving water
through taps they do not care where the water comes from,” he said.
Now, to “awaken the elite and the educated” who have been giving the protest
a royal snub, the group is now organising a panel discussion this month where
eminent social scientists, environmentalists and bureaucrats will debate the
ills of concretisation of a riverbed.
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.
President of India
Witnesses Programme on
Social Evil of Female infanticide
Presented by Yuvak Biradari
The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil witnessed a
ballet programme titled, "Smruti Sankalp Yatra" which included a
cultural and musical presentation on the social evil of female infanticide and
the environmental issue of global warming at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 24th
February 2008
The programme was presented by the Yuvak Biradari (Bharat) of
Mumbai and supported by the Sangeet Natak Academy.The programme highlighted the
evil of female infanticide through a ballet called "Ajanmika", which
combined folk and classical dance forms.
The show also highlighted the pressing problem of global warming
and also included a cultural presentation depicting India's freedom struggle
from 1857 to 1947 through song and dance with ballet in various languages of
the country.
Some 200 school children and about 40 professional theatre
artistes performed in the show.
The following schools were also associated with the show: - the
Nalanda Nrutya Kala Mahavidyalaya, Mumbai, the Fulma Dance Academy, Vadodara,
the R.D. Public School, New Delhi, the Prelude School, Agra and the Sumermal
Jain School, New Delhi.
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 Devinder Bhagat facilitated with Arya Yuva Ratan Award on 26th January 2008 by Kendriya Arya Yuva Parishad (Central Arya Youth Council) for his excellent youth work.
Mr D K Bhagat is volunteer in Arya Samaj last many year and expertise in information and communication. He is dedicated his time to moderate and run the Arya Youth yahoo groups, which is popular young people of Arya Samaji all over world.
Mr D K Bhagat also has long and active association with Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO). Mr Bhagat also involved in National Youth Project and Youth & Family Welfare Programme Council.
The Award was presented by Mr Anil Arya and blessed by Swami Aryawesh President, Sarvedeshik Arya Yuvak Parishad.
Theatre Workshop held in Ramnagar
Progressive Youth Society of Ramnagar (J&K) organized the weeklong Children Theatre Workshop in collaboration with SangeetNatakAcademy, New Delhi. The workshop was held from December 21-27,2007.
In the inaugural function
attended by Mr Yash Paul Sharma, Dist. Social Welfare Officer, as a chief guest and Mr Rattan Doshi was the guest of honour
Asian Consultation on the Prevention of HIV Related to Drug Use held in Goa
The First Asian Consultation on the
Prevention of HIV Related to Drug Use was held in Goa from 28 to 31 January, 2008 and attended more than 400 persons. The Consultation was organized by Asian Consortium on Drug Use, HIV/AIDS and Poverty
The participants feel that the engagement of civil society
groups in the fight to stop drug abuse has been considerably more restricted.
Mr Ton Smits, Executive Director of the Asian Harm Reduction Network (AHRN) said “In Asia, coordinating and harmonizing the policy environment is critical for the sustainability and effectiveness of interventions among drug users.”
A Parliamentarian Forum and workshop were organized by Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development at the consultation, and a statement of
commitment called for policymakers to develop policies and programs aimed at decriminalizing injection drug use; developing HIV education, prevention and treatment programs for IDUs; and encouraging the public to make behavior changes aimed at reducing the spread of the virus among IDUs. More than 20 parliamentarians, ministers and others attended AFPPD's forum and workshop.
UNICEF welcomes International Year of Sanitation
2008 Children and women comprise 90
per cent of those affected
UNICEF welcomed the first day of the International Year of Sanitation 2008. The international year aims to highlight the need for urgent action on behalf of the more than 40 per cent of the world’s population who continue to live without improved sanitation.
Lack of proper sanitation contributes to the deaths of thousands of women and children every day from largely preventable causes, including diarrhoeal diseases. Though more than 1.2 billion
people worldwide have gained access to improved sanitation between 1990 and 2004, an estimated 2.6 billion people -- including 980 million children – have yet to be reached. This is one of the single biggest development challenges facing the world today.
The International Year of Sanitation 2008 was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2006 to accelerate progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goal target of reducing by half the proportion of people living without access to improved sanitation by 2015. In addition, progress on sanitation will contribute to the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals.
Improved sanitation includes clean, safe toilets, wastewater management and hygiene promotion, all of which prevent the transfer of pathogens in human excreta. When not treated safely, it adversely impacts health, often deprives children of getting an education, and impedes social and economic development. Lack of improved sanitation in schools is an important underlying factor in absenteeism and poor classroom performance due to illness, low enrolment and early school dropout, especially for girls whose parents may remove them from the education system when they start menstruating. Lack of toilets exposes women and girls to violence and abuse as some are only able to defecate only after nightfall and in secluded areas.
Proper sanitation, including handwashing with soap, averts the spread of diarrhoeal disease, which is the second biggest killer of children under five. Improving sanitation leads to improved health, dignity, social and economic development, protects the environment and helps people break the cycle of poverty.
Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda on 10 January announced that the state government had aimed at reducing maternal mortality rate to less than 100 by the year 2010 from 162 per lakh live births at present.
In his inaugural address of the two-day meet on Millennium Development Goals with Focus on Maternal Mortality in South Asian Countries organized by the India Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development at Suraj Kund tourist
complex, near New Delhi in Harayan, Mr. Hooda disclosed that state government had introduced a number of schemes to reduce Maternal and Infant Mortality rates.
He had also given high priority to the promotion of clean and safe delivery practices especially in rural areas for making the Maternal Health Programme broad based and client friendly.
MDGs Lagging
behind on Human Rights Rights in Asia Despite Economic Progress
On January 16, 2008, A panel presentation on key priority concerns for the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and human rights staged by UN Information Center (UNIC)-Bangkok, focusing on how these issues resonates throughout Asia-Pacific region; and why, despite economic progress, Asia is lagging behind in meeting the MDGs. The open forum, "MDGs and Human Rights in Asia-Pacific - the Way Forward", was attended by UN officials, experts, and representatives of NGOs and civil society.
The panelists
included Ms. Shalini Dewan, Director of UNIC-India; Mr. Homayoun Alizadeh, Regional Representative for Southeast Asia of OHCHR; Ms. Thelma Kay, Director of the Emerging Social Issues Division of UNESCAP; Mr. Minar Pimple, Deputy Director of UNMC, Asia-Pacific; Ms. Sarah Ireland, Regional Director of Oxfam, Great Britain; and Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director of AFPPD. The panel was chaired by Mr. Kiyo Akasaka, UN Under Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. (AFPPD News)
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Upcoming events:
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National Integration Youth
Camps
National Youth Project will hold the following National Integration Youth Camp.
1)March 19 to 26, 2008:Bangalorefor 1000 youth
2)April 6 to 13, 2008Aizawl, Mizoram for 500 youth
3)April 23 to 30, 2008Rishikesh, Uttarakhandfor 400 youth
4)May 8 to 15, 2008Kerala (Place to announce soon) for 500 youth
5)May 23 to 31, 2008Andhra Pradesh (Place to announce soon) for 500 youth
6)June 15 to 22, 2008Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh for 500 youth.
There is no travel expense/ sponsorship for the camp at Rishikesh and Gorakhpur is available. The participation of youth aged between 18 to 35 is open and railway concession in-group of five is available for all camp.
For more information and participation (only for youth of age 18 to 35 year) contact ICYO secretariat at info.icyo@...
World Urban Forum 4
The World
Urban Forum is a biennial gathering and was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies and policies. The next Forum, which is fourth in series will be held in Nanjing, China from October 13-17, 2008.
Vienna International Historic Model United Nations (HISTOMUN)
The HISTOMUN will be held from March 9-13, 2008 at DiplomaticAcademy in Vienna, Austria. For information log on http://www.histomun.at
Social Business & Microeconomic Opportunities for Youth
This conference is designed as an action space for social entrepreneurs, microfinance practitioners, business leaders, students, and thought influencers who address the issue of poverty with a particular focus on youth. Social business creates wealth, jobs, and solutions to current problems and supports the community and the environment while also meeting bottom line objectives. Change agents come in different sizes and shapes, from a corporation changing an industry to a young adult using discarded plastic bottles for home insulation. To effect change we must invest in it! This conference will identify and offer student internships, demonstrate social business projects, and stimulate new social business ventures around the world, all in an effort to profile and address issues related to youth poverty.
The conference is organized by RegisUniversity and Friends of MicroCredit and will be held from March 12 to 14, 2008 in Denver, Colorado.
The CIVICUS Youth Assembly takes place from 16-21 June 2008 in Glasgow, Scotland and will build on the fantastic success of the 2007 Youth Assembly, with more extensive participation and even more delegate places. Delegates will again be assisted to
attend, with accommodation, food, programme events and CIVICUS delegate fees sponsored. This year we are also delighted to offer a limited number of travel bursaries Space is limited, and delegate places will be awarded to the strongest applicants from around the world.
The Conference on Environmental Governance and Democracy will take place at YaleUniversity, New Haven, USA, from 10 -11 May 2008, in the margins of the 16th Session of the United Nations Commission on
Sustainable Development (CSD).
The objective of the Conference is to develop a research programme and network to strengthen institutional approaches for effective and context-sensitive public participation in environmental governance. Discussions will cover various levels of environmental governance, including international, national, regional, local, and corporate governance.
The International Young Professionals Foundation will organize the 3rd International Young Professionals Summit, IYPS 2008, from 19th to 22nd August 2008 in Manchester, UK.
The aim of the Summit is to bring together young professionals for networking, capacity building and information sharing around our core theme of “How young professionals can help to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals " and specific topics will include: Governance, economy and education; Women and gender equality; Healthcare and HIV / AIDS; Environmental sustainability.
10th International Training Course on Disability and
Development
This conference will be held at Bangalore from 11th to 20th March 2008 The ten-day intensive exercise is intended for Programme Managers of organizations and projects involved in development and disability work.
The course is designed to equip the participants with appropriate
attitudes, necessary knowledge and basic skills to initiate, monitor, develop and strengthen disability and development programmes apart from facilitating information exchange among participants. The participants will also be oriented towards Information Dissemination, Networking and Advocacy related to disability, development and CBR.
The workshop is targeted at middle and senior level professionals from the Government, NGOs, International NGOs and individuals interested in disability work. As the medium of instruction is English, fluency in reading, writing and speaking English is a necessary prerequisite.
Asian Conference on HimalayanRivers & Climate Change
This conference will be Organized by the Research Foundation for Science, Technology & Ecology (Navdanya Trust), and Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Water Keeper Alliance on 11th Feb, 2008 at Indian Habitat Centre New Delhi
Main objective of the conference is to take stock of the current & future threats to Himalayan Rivers & the lives of billion people dependent on them. The conference will also develop
partnership of civil society at Asian level for the conservation & protection of Himalayan Rivers.
52nd Commission on the Status of Women, 25 February – 7 March, New York
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.
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.
In this hands-on
workshop, you’ll roll up your sleeves with internationally renowned fundraising
author and consultant Mal Warwick — and learn by doing how to sharpen the
message you deliver to your supporters and the public at large. You’ll walk
away with invaluable benefits for your organization, including practical
communications tools you can put to work throughout your career.
The unique character of communications
for NGOs
1)Vision and mission—the
basis of it all
2)Affordable marketing
research
3)Using SWOT analysis
for communications
4)Exploring your organizational
identity
5)Determining your organization’s
competitive advantage
6)Conversational
marketing, and how your organisation can benefit from 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 World Bank, the Cities
Alliance and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs invite youth aged 18-25
from all countries of the world to participate in the 5th International Essay Competition:
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.
National Youth Convention on Right to Information & Democracy held
The first National Youth Convention on Right to Information and Democracy was held on the 11th and 12th of January, 2008 in Beawar, Rajasthan. Over 1,000 young participants attended the convention from both rural and urban areas of 11 states across the country and convention was organized by NCPRI.
The two-day convention was held to discuss and focus on the crucial role the youth can play in strengthening Democracy through the use of Right to Information on issues of social importance. The convention was structured with sessions on role of youth in democracy and politics, along with workshops of various concerns like negative impact of globalization, gender, communal politics, agriculture, state of Dalits and Adivasis, budget analysis, Human Rights, Right to Information, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Education and Employment and others.
The main objective of these workshops was to create a general understanding on these issues, the challenges and areas, the problems, the role youth could play in addressing these concerns, the role that Right to Information can play in facilitating these problems and finally draw out a plan for action.
These workshops were facilitated by eminent resource persons like Jean Dreze, the MKSS team (Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Shankar Singh), Vrinda Grover, Aseem Srivastava, Amit Kanwar, Jogendra Bhagat and others.
Shri Sandeep Dikshit, Member of Parliament, was present in this occasion and shared his views on the state of affairs on present Indian politics and the spaces for youth to get involved. In a lively and participative opening panel discussion on youth and political involvement, he said the political parties today are like houses with closed windows and doors, which do not allow any fresh air and light to enter the house. Comparing the present recruitment policy of political parties vis a vis the youth, he said that the political parties are indulging in ‘mind control’ activities. As a result these parties today do not create the space for dissent or disagreement in political thought for the youth joining them. They are unable to differ from the party line. They are then only attracted to the positions and the possibility of getting an election ticket. Another important point emphasized was that the youth today can no longer ignore political spaces or political parties, thinking it is not worth the time and effort to enter a dirty, corrupt and dysfunctional system. Youth should create spaces within the system if we want to change it.
Other speakers in the session included Narayan Singh a young ex Sarpanch from Rajsamand District, Jaishankar Pandey an RTI activist from UP, womens rights activist, and Bhanwar Meghwanshi, a young journalist and dalit activist who also coordinated the session.
In his closing remarks at the end of the second day Sandeep Dixit reiterated the importance of the youth of India to not get alienated from the political system, and even if youth do not directly get involved in “rajniti” as they know it, they must get involved in “raj ki niti” (issues of governance).
The workshops held on different issues highlighted and opened up discussion on important areas. Resolutions for future action were passed in the closing plenary on the right to information, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, and the Role of youth in Democracy. The participants expressed the need for a national forum to take up issues related to the implementation of the Right to Information Act. The need for a website, a campaign to ensure that RTI becomes part of the curriculum in schools and colleges and the need to monitor the decisions/orders of the Central and State Information Commissions were the key issues identified. It was also felt that it was necessary to work out a strategy to challenge decisions of the Information Commission that violate the letter and spirit of the Act and if necessary even approach the Courts.
On the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act it was felt that the youth should mobilize and participate in the gram sabhas in large numbers to ensure that the provisions of the NREGA – preparation of list of works, payment of minimum wage, issuing of job cards and carrying out social audit to ensure transparency in NREGA works is implemented. The participants also suggested that an appeal should be made to the Government that RTI and NREGA be made an essential part of the school and college curriculum to maximize the opportunities provided by both the legislations in ensuring the real participation of all citizens in democracy and democratic decision making.
The participants also emphasized that the definition of politics should be changed. It should not be restricted to party politics alone. It should be expanded to also include people’s politics which is running parallel to the mainstream political system. With specific reference to electoral politics the participants emphasized that value based politics should also be promoted so that poor people’s voice find a place and are reflected in mainstream politics.
Issues related to Dalits, Adivasis and Nomadic tribes were also taken up. The discussion highlighted issues and challenges related to livelihood, atrocities and human rights violations that are faced by these communities. It was decided that a campaign be launched to address these challenges and ensure a life of dignity for these communities.
The first day of the convention commenced with a candlelight march, which started from the historic Chang Gate, where the first dharna demanding for the Right to Information was held in the year 1996. The 1000 participants marched single file through the market areas of Beawar, where the members of the market association greeted them with flowers.
The second day of the convention started with remembering the contribution and message of Swami Vivekanand towards the youth and the larger society.
After which the participants divided to get into workshops of a different
nature. The workshops of the second day aimed in kindling the creative and expressive side of the youth, thus there were workshops on puppetry, theatre, yoga, films, songs, media and journalism, (cartoons and) comics (poster making) and other modes of expression and communication.
On this day, Mallika Sarabhai the well-known artist and her team presented a captivating performance. The two-hour performance titled “Unsunee Awazein” drawn from the real stories written by Harsh Mander , an ex civil servant and one of the first RTI activists, put across a strong social message to the youth present through a sequence of short plays, interspersed with dance and music. The episodes addressed various social issues like leprosy, abuse of street children, drug addiction, politics of communal riots, manual scavenging, abuse of dalits and adivasis and so on. The emotive performance depicted the living conditions of these various communities using popular Bollywood tunes that appeal to the youth of today, with lyrics carrying poignant social messages. Mallika Sarabhai concluded the show imploring the youth present to “act now” by beginning with oneself. It is easy to say we will do something one day, but there are many actions like untouchability and discrimination we practice unthinkingly in our daily lives and we could start by changing this right away, she said. (news based on Aid Awareness article)
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.
Greening Young Minds for Disaster Deterrence, an
exposure programme was been planned, to create awareness particularly among the
youth for coming together and think about some creative possibilities to
protect mother Earth from deep crisis. This project aims in enabling and
instilling in youth the age old and time-tested values and methods of
environmental conservation, through various input sessions coupled with field
visits. It aims to think about the possible alternatives against the
contemporary trends of consumerist and greedy culture. As a pioneer project it
targets frontline youth of all Churches and Religions aged 20-30 for this
venture.
Venue: Mumbai & Roha
Dates: 15-17, Feb 2008
Topic: Greening Young Minds for Disaster Deterence
Organiser: Rev. Dn. Vineeth Koshy (Exec. Secretary - Youth Concerns, NCCI) vineeth@...vineethkoshy@...
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.
Up-coming Commonwealth Youth Ministers
Meeting in Sri Lanka in April 2008
Youth and Peace-building
7th Commonwealth Youth
Ministers Meeting to focus on the role of young people in promoting respect and
understanding
Commonwealth youth
ministers will meet in April 2008 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to discuss emerging
trends in global youth affairs, with a focus on the role of young people in
peace-building.
The ministerial meeting
is a unique opportunity for government ministers to provide mandates and
prioritise actions on youth development across the Commonwealth, which is the
only intergovernmental organisation with a dedicated youth programme.
The regional youth caucus
from Commonwealth countries will meet beforehand and later attend the meeting
alongside their ministers.
The 2008 theme ‘Youth and
Peace-Building’ is drawn from the Munyonyo Statement on Respect and
Understanding, which was adopted by Commonwealth leaders at their biennial
summit in Uganda last November.
The report – Civil Paths
to Peace - explains: “When young people are disenfranchised or humiliated or
made to feel that they have little say and no future, they may become drawn
into movements or ideologies that appear to guarantee them a place in the world
and give them a solid identity …
“Worldwide, an estimated
300,000 people under the age of 18 are now, or have recently been, involved in
armed conflict, and another 500,000 have been recruited into military or
paramilitary forces. But young people need not be only the victims or
perpetrators of violence; they also have an important role as peace-makers.”
Youth ministers and
professional youth workers are keen to develop civil peace and security
practices that identify young people not as ‘the problem’ but as rights-bearers
and stakeholders in rebuilding a just society. The Commonwealth Youth Ministers
Meeting (CYMM) will serve as a platform for sharing ideas and best practices
from countries like Sri Lanka and Uganda, which have experienced conflict.
Today
even the most stable Commonwealth countries are grappling with issues of social
breakdown and violence. Peace-building has therefore become a vital part of
nation-building and successful multiculturalism.
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.
Committee Room no 2, India International Centre (IIC)
9.30 am to 5.00 pm
NGOs are doing excellent work. They have a great desire to achieve more but the limiting factor is lack of funds. Ironically there are plenty of funds available and individuals happen to be the biggest source of these funds.
How then do you reach these individuals?
One of the most effective ways is the Direct Mail.
Direct Mail can be an exciting and rewarding way to keep you in touch with your donors. It brings your organization to the doorstep and into the mailbox of the people who may be interested in your cause.
In this practical workshop, learn from our expert fundraisers, who have years of experience in Direct Mail for reputed NGOs like UNICEF, HELPAGE and CRY, what it takes to make your Direct Mail raise funds, make friends for your organisaton and give greater visibility to your cause.
Led by
Anup Tiwari, Fund Raising Officer, UNICEF
Wg. Cdr. Roy Choudhary, Director, Resource Mobilization, Deepalaya
For more details and to register for the Master Classes in New Delhi
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 Second youth camp (but less published) of the South Asian Association of
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) brought over 60 delegates from across south Asia
to Chennai at the start on 12 January of the five-day summit hosted by India.
The SAARC Youth meet was launched as mandated by the resolutions adopted at
the 14th SAARC summit in April 2007, and aimed to increasing communication,
understanding and cooperation among the youth in member countries.
Representatives from all SAARC countries except Pakistan and Bhutan attended
the camp.
In inaugural address, Anna University Vice-Chancellor D. Viswanathan, stressed
the role the youth should play in addressing social issues, eliminating evil
customs, contributing to economic development, participating in public life and
protecting the environment.
"Youth development
programmes," he said, "should engage youth as resources in the
community and create leadership opportunities for young people."
Project-based and experiential learning in collaboration with business, labour
and industry was also important. These programmes should also be able to
respond effectively while respecting the culture of the person being served.
"In this respect, youth development practitioners may have to increase
their knowledge of different cultures," he said.
He stressed the importance of training rural youth in vocational skills
covering manufacturing and services, and developing programmes to bridge the
urban-rural divide. He urged participants to develop emotional intelligence,
including the qualities of self-awareness, self-motivation
and empathy.
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.
World Assembly of Youth
(WAY) Looking for New Secretary General
The post of the
Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Youth (WAY) has fallen vacant and
President of WAY invite the application.
Founded in 1949, WAY is the
international coordinating body of national youth councils and organizations with
110 members from countries all over the world including ICYO.
The WAY Secretariat is
currently based in the historic city of Melaka, Malaysia. Among the chief
responsibilities of the Secretary-General are:-
1.Management, supervision and
coordination of the WAY Secretariat’s daily operations;
2.Implementation, supervision and
monitoring of WAY’s project and programs including preparation and submission
of projects and program reports;
3.Promote research and development of
youth related programs;
4.Prepare working papers, work
programs and project proposals related to youth development at national and
international levels;
5.Draft project proposals for funding
from international agencies;
6.Liaise with national and
international non-governmental organizations in developing and fostering
linkages and networking;
7.Raise funds for WAY’s programs via
fund raising activities.
To ensure the proper
discharging of responsibilities as the Secretary-General of WAY, certain
pre-requisites are required of the person assuming the post. The pre-requisites
are:-
·University degree with a
comprehensive knowledge and understanding of youth work supported by relevant
professional qualifications and work experience in youth related work;
·Fluency in English with excellent
communication and writing skills relevant to management and drafting of project
and program proposals;
·Good interpersonal abilities and
analytical skills;
·Capable to work under pressure and
willing to travel extensively;
·Knowledge of other languages with be
an added advantage.
The post comes with an
attractive remuneration package. If you are interested in taking up the
challenge, please submit a detailed resume and a brief draft on how to raise
funds from international agencies for WAY. To be included are a passport sized
photograph, current and expected salaries and contact telephone numbers and
email address.
Applications are to be made
via postal address or email to:-
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.
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