Easy money behind flesh trade

A report titled ‘Action Research on Trafficking in Women and Children in India’ has stated the prospect of a good life and easy money has lured many young women and children into prostitution.

The report was released by A.S.Anand, chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday (24 August 2004).

The research data were collected after interviewing 4,006 persons falling under seven categories. These were spread over 13 states and Union Territories.

The categories include victims of commercial sexual exploitation, survivors, brothel owners, traffickers, clientele and police officers.

Most victims interviewed were in the age group of 22 to 35 years. A majority of them entered prostitution by the age of 18. In more than 50 per cent cases, the traffickers were men.

According to the report, 45.5 per cent of the prostitutes’ clientele are married. Most visitors have never encountered the police at the brothels, which shows that police inaction is a significant factor in promoting prostitution. (Hindustan Times/ Naziya Alvi)

 

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News re-circulated to keep informed the organizations working on issue related to child and youth sex trafficking, exploitation and abuse.

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

Email: icyo@...

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India.  ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. Its family consists of over 350 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.

 

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

 

 

World Youth Festival 2004 ended in Barcelona

 

The World Youth Festival was held in Barcelona from August 8 –14, 2004. This is reported that about 1000 youth were attended the event and there youth was most from European countries.

 

Mr Dinesh Suna was the only participant from India amongs the international gathering of one thousand youth. Mr Suna is the Executive Secretary of Youth and Ecumenical Formation, National Council of Churches in India (NCCI). The Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) has facilitated Mr Dinesh Suna participation on request from United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

 

Mr Suna sends us the following report after attending from Barcelona, Spain.

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Report

  

The next big thing to happen in Barcelona after the Olympics is the Forum Barcelona 2004 under the auspices of the UNESCO and several other Unions of the United Nations, the universal forum of cultures is underway from May to September 2004 – a celebration of diversity of cultures across the world for 141 days.

 

The World Youth Festival (WYF) is a part of this celebration in Barcelona and held from August 8 –14, 2004.. The Forum Barcelona 2004 is an international gathering based on 3-core themes:

§      Cultural Privatisation

§      Sustainable Development

§      Conditions for Peace.

 These are reflected in extensive programmes and major performances, exhibitions, conferences and congresses, and other events that encouraged reflection and celebration throughout Barcelona.

 

The WYF, as mentioned earlier, is part of the Forum Barcelona 2004 and is the only meeting place designed and run entirely by Youth organizations, a unique opportunity for regional Youth associations and organizations from around the world to share ideas and objectives and to debate the work and proposals related to the issues concerning and affecting us all. The Festival is an opportunity for us to be heard and seen and to work together to:

 

§      Strengthen the social role of young people, making their social demands and contribution to the development of society visible.

§         Strengthen associates, Youth network and structures at the regional, national and international level.

§         Promote global solidarity in the struggle and search for global justice;

§         Promote and increase the dialogue between Youth associations and Government institutions;

§         Promote Youth associations and development movements as the main policies in strengthening democracy.

 

International youth organizations and the International Preparatory Committee (IPC) comprising of regional youth platforms – African Youth Network, Arab Youth Union, Asian students Association, Asian Youth Council, Caribbean Federation of Youth, European Youth Forum etc, organize the WYF.

 

History

 

The first World Youth Festival was organized in Lisbon, Portugal during August 1-10, 1998. The second Festival took place in Panama in Delhi from July 21-28, 2001 and the third one was held in Barcelona from August 8-14, 2004.  The World Youth Festival 2004, Barcelona has been designed around four basic policies:

§      Globalisation

§      Sustainable Development

§      Cultural Diversity

§      Conditions for Peace

 

These policies are tackled on the Youth perspective, placing emphasis on Youth policies and participants. Furthermore, ten thematic columns have been defined:

§       Education

§       Employment

§       Health

§       Equality

§       Unequal distribution of wealth

§       Sustainable Development

§       Conditions for Peace

§       Active citizenship

§       Democracy

 

I had the opportunity to attend the WYF 2004 as a panellist to speak in the Round Table on ‘Stand up against Racism’ organized by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. I had to speak in the Round Table from a Dalit perspective.

 

Logistical Arrangements

 

The WYF drew more than 10,000 young people from all over the world, mostly from the European countries. The venue of Forum Barcelona 2004 is a huge area spread over 30 hectares of land. Several well equipped conference halls and auditoriums with capacity of 500-5000 huge stadiums for public evenings, concerts etc., open space for spontaneous cultural activities named Speakers Corners, theatres for screening of documentaries and films, galleries for exhibitions, fairs, large eating joints, theme parks for leisure and relaxation for participants, gave the venue the look of a Disney world with a concept and message of respecting and accepting the cultural diversity that exists in this world.

 

More than 8,000 Youth, including me, stayed in the campsite in tents. It was a unique experience for many of us to live in tents throughout the WYF with the youths from various countries. This enabled us to understand the life-style and cultural diversity that all represent. Both the venue and the campsite were declared as environmental friendly and reduced usage of plastics. All the vehicles inside the venue were battery operated. Therefore, there was no noise as well as air pollution. All the participants were given a glass with the festival logo and were asked to use it whenever they wanted to drink something. No plastic glasses from outside were allowed. This helped in preventing littering. At the end of the Festival, the participants were free to keep it as a souvenir or return it to the organizations and get back the cost of the glasses.

 

In the Round Table on ‘Stand up against Racism’ as mentioned earlier, I was one of the panellists to speak on the theme with the Dalit perspective. Along with me there were several young people involved in various anti-racism projects in their own countries. They spoke on the problems of gypsies or the roma people of Hungary, the aboriginals and indigenous people of Argentina who were meted out with discrimination on the basis of their race. Others spoke about their works against discrimination such as using callidoscopi as the method to counter racism, fighting for the abolition of death penalty in USA as most of the blacks are the victims of death penalty, working among the children in anti-racism projects in Guyana etc. All these presentations were very well appreciated by the audience and raised a lot of questions and concerns to mobilise people to support the cause of anti-racism projects at their own localities. The UNHCHR assured us to support our initiatives in countering racism, xenophobia and all kinds of discrimination based on occupation of dissent. Primarily, this Round Table was a follow up of and by the young people of World Conference against racism in Durban in 2004.

 

Cultural Diversity and the Ambience of the Festival

 

Besides meaningful conferences, seminars on various subjects, which were organized, numbering between 50-60 everyday, there were several cultural activities to share the cultural diversity and the struggle of the marginalized people in various countries like Palestine, Ukraine, Iraq, and Ireland etc.

 

Cultural Diversity and Festive Ambiance:

 

As this was the Forum of Universal Culture, a great deal of emphasis was given to cultural expressions.  The African contingent stole the show by their traditional dances with the drum beatings and acrobatics.  The speakers’ corner was filled with these kind of spontaneous activities and not to mention about the cheering crowd, which gathered in no time to witness these wonderful performances and to capture them in their cameras. 

 

Documentary on WYF:

 

The official media accredited team was filming every event and was interviewing some of the protagonist of a just cause in his or her own countries.  I feel it my privilege that I was one of the 5 youths, they have interviewed for the documentary.  Even the closing ceremony showed as short film on the proceedings of the Youth Festival on a huge screen, featuring me along with others.

 

Some critical observations:

Though there are lots of positive things to celebrate in the WYF, there were some loopholes too.  I am giving below some of my observations, which may help the organizers to take note of, for improving the future Youth Festivals.

 

·         There was no monitoring of delegates’ participation in the events in the WYF.  Out of 10,000 youths half of them were bunking the events. Thereby the conferences of capacity of 500-1000 went with an attendance of 50-100.   Most of them are found on the nearby beach instead.  Or else, they were sleeping late in the tents, as the whole night they were not in their tents. 

·         There was no code of conduct mentioned in the camping.   While, there were no lights in the tents for security reasons (electric short circuit/fire) delegates were found smoking inside the tents.  Some of the inmates from the Asian countries got cultural shock by seeing the attitude of the youths towards sex and sexuality. Hence promiscuity was at its peak during the camping, as the tents were mixed accommodation of both boys and girls.

·         From Asia there were very few delegates, though the Asian Youth Council (AYC) is one of the organizing committee members.. About India, it is less said the better.  I was the sole Indian from India participating in the WYF.  Though there were people from Indian origin, but they represented their own countries…. UK, South Africa, etc.

 

Conclusion:  All said and done the WYF is a life time event for the young people to witness and participate.  It is quite heartening to see so many young people, especially from European countries, where youths are generally termed as self centered and not concerned about the social realities. 

 

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the ICYO (Indian Committee of Youth Organizations) and its General Secretary, Mr. Raavi Narayan for nominating my name to the UN OHCHR (United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) to be a panelist and also I am thankful to Mr. Pierre SOB, Coordinator, Anti-Discrimination Unit of UN OHCHR and his colleagues for the encouragement and support before and during the WYF-2004.  I am also thankful to my fellow panelists for their support and friendship.  Finally I thank Rev. Dr. Ipe Joseph, General Secretary, NCCI for allowing me to attend this event.  I hope the NCCI Youth and Ecumenical Formation programme will be able to do the follow up at its own level.

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Youth Information is the newsletter from

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)

194-A, Safdarjang Enclave

New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093 

Phone/Fax: 91 11 26183978

Email: icyo@...   

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India.  ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. Its family consists of over 350 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.

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

 

India population 'to be biggest'

India is set to overtake China as the world's most populous nation by 2050, while some countries will shrink by nearly 40%, according to new research.

The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) says the next half-century will see wild swings in population sizes.

It predicts that the number of people on Earth will reach 9.3bn by 2050, compared to 6.3bn today.

Britain's population is likely to overtake that of France, while the US will grow by nearly 50%, it says.

The Washington-based PRB says the general trend will be for Western developed nations to decline slightly in numbers - the US being the major exception - while developing states continue to expand rapidly.

PREDICTED POPULATIONS, 2050 1 India, 1,628m (2) 2 China, 1,437m (1) 3 United States, 420m (3) 4 Indonesia, 308m (4) 5 Nigeria, 307m (9) Source: PRB (2004 position in brackets)

The organization says that at present "nearly 99% of all population increase takes place in poor countries".

India is expected to grow from 1.08bn to 1.63bn people, overtaking China, which is forecast to reach 1.44bn from 1.3bn currently.

The US will remain the third biggest nation, according to the report, growing to 420m from 294m people.

Britain is expected to grow only slightly, to 65m, from 59.5m, while many of its European neighbours decline.

In Eastern Europe the decline will be marked, if current trends continue.

Bulgaria could lose 38% of its 7.8m inhabitants, with Russia declining by 17% - some 25m people.

Anomalies affect prediction

The projections are based on infant mortality rates, life expectancy, fertility rates and age structure, as well as factors like contraception and Aids rates.

What the study cannot predict is how migration between nations may affect population growth.

Carl Haub, the chairman of population information at the PRB, admits it is not possible to know exactly how the world will grow. "So many demographic anomalies exist that the future is uncertain," he said.

Most recent population studies agree, however, that humanity will grow rapidly, at least in the near future, and that the planet's resources will be increasingly stretched.

The UN published a recent study, whose "medium-case" scenario was that the world would reach 9bn by 2300 - 250 years later than PRB predict.

Its most extreme prediction was that, if current fertility rates continued, there would be 134 trillion of us by 2300 - though it admitted this is possible only in theory.

In March the US Census Bureau said world growth was actually slowing, and that Aids meant Africa's population might actually begin to decline.

(Source : BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/3575994.stm )

 

Newsletter from Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

Youth Information

                                        August 2004 Special issue
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ICYO - Platform of 350 Youth Organizations in India.          

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

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The National Meet of ATSEC is going-on in New Delhi from 16-17 August 2004. This special issue is focus on trafficking issues and dedicated to Meet

 

Tracking the Traffickers: Stop focusing on its victims and
start prosecuting those who buy and sell them.

 

Tracking the traffickers: Victor Malarek, author of a new book about the global sex trade, says we should stop focusing on its victims and start prosecuting those who buy and sell them. 

 

For the past four years, Victor Malarek has immersed himself in the world of pimps, traffickers, rapists and some of the most disenfranchised women and girls in the world. One of Canada's leading investigative journalists, he is the author of a new book about the global sex trade, The Natashas, a harsh introduction into a business that causes uncalculated misery to hundreds of thousands of young women.

 

The title refers to the generic name given by customers to the women and girls trafficked across international borders every year; the US state department currently puts this figure at around 900,000, most of them from eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Malarek estimates that trafficking in women generates about $ 12bn (Ł6.6bn) a year, making it the third largest money-making venture in the world, after trafficking in weapons and drugs.

 

Malarek's book takes us to auctions in Bosnia, where women are displayed naked on wooden crates to be poked and prodded like livestock. He hears stories of rape, abuse and torture on a shocking scale. But he avoids repeating what counter-trafficking activists already know, and what has been said many times before - that these women deserve our pity and compassion. There have been countless international events set up to address the issue of trafficking, but in Malarek's view the focus has been too much on the women forced into it, and not enough on the traffickers themselves, the perpetrators of the crime; there has been too much hand-wringing, and not enough action and enforcement. "We have spent millions researching the causes," he says, "and on international talking shops drawing up action plans and new legislation. But unless we implement these laws, and give police more money to investigate and prosecute the pimps, we will get nowhere."

 

The Natashas is an angry, impassioned book, for which Malarek makes no apologies. He describes the people who buy and sell women as "low-life criminals", "gutter trash" and "heartless goons". He does not make a distinction between "forced" and "chosen" prostitution - as many campaigners in the field do - but outlines the human rights abuses evident in the sex industry per se. He also identifies customers as a large part of the problem. "Let's look at how societies can discourage men from buying these women," he says, "which would reduce the supply. Some people justify prostitution by saying, 'It's the world's oldest profession.' I say there are ways to stop this. Trafficking is an easy crime to solve. If I can find the brothels and traffickers, so can the police. Just look in the tabloid personal advertisements for a start." These men are not looking for relationships, he says. "They want sex with a faceless female. Those who use trafficked women want to pretend that they are not like their sisters, mothers or partners."

 

"The TIP report was designed to stop the traffickers operating with impunity," he says. "It was supposed to be about having the courage and vision to take a firm and even bold stand. It was supposed to be about leadership and accountability. But despite all the hoopla and sabre rattling, the US has degraded the process to little more than a diplomatic game."  (from PUSH)

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US warns sanctions against Bangladesh over human trafficking problem

 

The United States warned Tuesday, the August 10, 2004 that sanctions could be imposed on Bangladesh if it did not take significant steps to combat human trafficking.

 

The warning came as the two countries discussed steps that should be taken to address the issue based on a State Department report, which said 10,000 to 20,000 women and children were trafficked annually from or through Bangladesh to India, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.  "Sanctions could be imposed if the government of Bangladesh does not take significant steps to address trafficking issues," said Adam Ereli, the department's deputy spokesman, in a written reply to questions raised at a media briefing Tuesday.

 

He did not elaborate on sanctions but said the United States was "working with Bangladesh on areas of compliance" with the recommendations of the "Trafficking in Persons Report 2004" released by the State Department.

 

The report, which divides countries into three categories, had previously ranked Bangladesh in "tier two" along with India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. However, in 2004 it downgraded it to "tier three" saying it was not making significant efforts to eliminate trafficking.  Ereli made clear that no decision had been made on whether sanctions would be appropriate in Bangadesh's case. US President George W. Bush has until September 30 to decide whether to impose sanctions, he said. A team of State Department officials will conclude a four-day visit to Bangladesh Wednesday following discussions with ministers and non-governmental organisations, said a source in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka.

 

Media reports have said sanctions could affect educational and cultural exchanges.

 

Trafficking is a major problem in South and Southeast Asia where extreme poverty forces tens of thousands of people to look for work abroad making them vulnerable to traffickers who lure people into prostitution or domestic slavery with bogus employment offers.

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2.5% sex workers in India from Bangladesh.

 

Concerned over the trafficking of women from Bangladesh, Director General India's Border Security Force Ajai Raj Sharma said among other illegal trades, they also constitute 2.5 per cent of the sex workers in the country and demanded coordinated efforts between the force, state police and NGOs to combat the problem.

 

Noting that illegal immigration from Bangladesh was a serious problem, Sharma said "more than 11,000 Bangladeshi nationals were deported last year, out of which over 3,000 were women. And about 2.5 per cent of all prostitutes in India were from that country."

 

Briefing reporters here on the July 22 consultation in Kolkata between National Commission for Women (NCW) and BSF on the issue, Sharma said the "very porous" Indo-Bangla border was being fenced. He, however, added that a large chunk of the border is riverine, which cannot be fenced.

 

"A coordinated effort among the concerned agencies is required to fight the menace... state police can develop intelligence on touts carrying out trafficking. NGOs and residents of border areas also need to be tied in," he said.

 

Sharma also said Bangladesh Rifles needs to be more pro-active in stopping the trafficking of women as the problem originate on their side of the border.

 

NCW chairperson Poornima Advani said the BSF and state police force need to be sensitised on the issue. She said 'short stay homes' should be built along the border and every police post should have a 'mahila desk' so that the women held can be kept there overnight.

 

Advani also said the laws present in the book are either not stringent enough, misused or even underused to punish touts and brothel owners.

 

She said women were also being trafficked in the garb of marriage and called for compulsory registration of marriages.

 

In an effort to devise strategies to stem cross border trafficking of women from Bangladesh, the NCW had held a meeting with BSF, West Bengal Police and Assam Police in Kolkata on Thursday.

 

The modus operandi of the organized gangs of touts and traffickers and their likely destination were discussed.

 

Advani also interacted with the field commanders of BSF to get a first hand knowledge about border management with special emphasis on trafficking of women. (PTI)

 

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This is the newsletter of ICYO.

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

Khare Apart. 194-A, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093 Phone/Fax: 91 11 26183978

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

 

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

National Youth Meet: Developing National Youth Action Plan

 

SAYEN (youth network on Environment in India) National Youth Meet will be held from 11-14 August 2004. One of the purpose of the meet is to  “Developing National Youth Action Plan”. The meet will be held at CEE in Ahmedabad. Actionaid India and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are supporting the National Youth Meet.

 

The meet would discuss issues related to youth and develop SAYEN National Action Plan in the context of the National Youth Policy. Also, one of the immediate activities of SAYEN is involving youth in documenting best practices related to water conservation for energy conservation, a project conducted as part of (South Asia Regional Initiative) SARI-Energy, supported by the USAID and managed by Winrock International. Activities to be conducted as part of the project include documenting case studies, developing a publication and organizing a regional exhibition. The project would be discussed in context of the SAYEN National Action Plan. A one-day field visit will also be organized for participants to provide an understanding of energy and water linkages.

 

The meet is open for youth representative working on youth related programmes in an organization in India or interested youth from Higher Education Institutions and involved in sustainable development activities.

 

Travel: The organizer will provide the 2^nd class sleeper train fare to selected participants. Please note this travel reimbursement will be provided to only those who participate on all days of the workshop.

 

Lodging and Boarding at Ahmedabad: Simple dormitory type accommodation from 10^th evening till 14^th Lunch in Ahmedabad.

 

Application form and other details are available at www.sayen.org/new.htm

---------------------------------

This is the newsletter of ICYO.

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

194-A, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093 Phone/Fax: 91 11 26183978

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

 

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

 

Announcement:

Providing an enabling environment for
young people to make choices

Theme for Int Conf. on Drugs and Young People

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The World Youth Foundation (WYF) in cooperation with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia, Melaka State Government, Ted Noffs Foundation, Australia etc will be organizing the International Conference on Drugs and Young People and theme of this conference will be “Providing an enabling environment for young people to make choices”. The tentative dates of conference are 27-30 September 2004.

 

Objectives

§         To create a better understanding among young people of the causes, nature and extent of the problem of drug abuse among young people.

§         To better inform young people the various perspectives on drug and substance use.

§         To examine existing approaches to substance prevention in order to develop new drug and substance use prevention programs that are youth-focused and youth-friendly.

§         To consider those strategies that work and those that do not, and in particular to consider:

 

1.  The effectiveness of existing laws, policies, programs and services;

2.  The impact to the community and in particular at-risk youth;

3.  The effectiveness of current resource allocations in targeting the problem of drug   and substance use;

4.  The role of civil society, government, and the private sectors.

 

§         To recommend a future course of action

§         To identify ways to improve existing strategies, programs and services.

§         To engage young people to be involved with drug use prevention programs.

 

 

The Participation is open for: Youth representatives from various national youth coordination councils; representatives of collaborating Ministries working on drug and substance use related aspects. 

 

The interested you must be proficient in English; working on issue related to issues of the conference. The participants must be under age of 30 years.

 

The organizer will provide local hospitality and internal travel for successful participants. The international travel cost and other expenses are the responsibility of participant or nominating organization.

 

Interested youth from India are requested to write to ICYO at email: conference@... for application form and other detail. Interested youth must send the detail including name, organization, postal address etc, while requesting for application form.

 

The last date to receive application is 31^st July 2004.

Achieving the ICPD goals is essential for the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Washington Declaration

United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) was held in 1994 and formulate the twenty years Plan of Action (POA), now we reach midway, but still not much achieved despite praiseworthy efforts. The inadequate resources and lack of commitment from the communities/governments are some points always raised in the explanation.

The Population 2005 with Population Institute hosted the Global Population Forum 2004 in Washington D.C., USA take stake of last 10 years progresses in implementation of POA and recommend the strategies to achieve the goal set in ICPD for 2014. The forum, which was held from 13 to 14 May 2004 and attended by policymakers, parliamentarians, NGO and media of 42 countries, adopted the Washington Declaration on 14^th May 2004. 

Here is full text of:

WASHINGTON DECLARATION

The Forum,

-                     Reaffirms the principles, objectives and actions in the Program of Action (POA) of the International Conference on Population and Development as well as the Key Actions for Further Implementation of the Program adopted in 1999.

-           Recognizes that while much progress has been achieved in many countries in implementing the recommendations of the POA, progress has not been uniform and much needs to be done, particularly in the world’s least developed countries.

-                     Reiterates that achieving the ICPD goals is essential for the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

-           Stresses that a number of priority issues, programmatic constraints and emerging concerns in the areas of reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, migration, ageing, closing the resource gap, and strengthening partnerships need to be addressed urgently in the future, in particular, the following:

Population and Development

Population growth continues to be high in many developing and especially least developed countries; in combination with poverty and trends in urbanisation, it is placing enormous stress on fresh water resources, threatening the sustainability of agriculture and worsening the quality of air through emission of green-house gases. As a matter of priority, concerned countries should further strengthen their population, gender, education, particularly for girls, reproductive health and sustainable development programs. 

Reproductive Health

Despite praiseworthy efforts to achieve interim ICPD goals, the Forum 2004 cautions that significant gaps remain, notably in the provision of services supporting adolescent reproductive health, prevention and treatment services related to HIV/AIDS, combating the growing scourge of trafficking in women and children and gender-based violence, and addressing the increase in abortion rates, where contraception is unavailable or unaffordable.

When the POA was formulated in 1994, family planning represented an important component of many national population programs. Given the current large unmet needs for contraception of women, men and adolescents, as well as the limited availability of contraceptive commodities and supplies in many countries, family planning programs require continued attention.

Programs are urgently required to meet the growing needs of adolescents, including services that attend to their sexual health. Sadly, insufficient attention is being drawn to this important and sensitive issue. Also, adolescents should be directly involved in all decisions regarding their reproductive health and rights.

The Forum, moreover, laments the fact that program resource levels have fallen far below those set in 1994. The failure of many donors to fully meet their commitments has impacted negatively on programs in reproductive health in many countries of the world, particularly in the least developed countries and countries with economies in transition. 

The Forum recommends an approach that would effectively:

-                     Involve policymakers in program strategy development and in the creation of programs.

-           Seek to improve access to quality service delivery and care, and work to build infrastructure and capacities at the local level and in outlying rural areas, encouraging the growth of NGOs and other interested partners, and promoting the involvement and support of the private sector and of the media.

-           Mobilize youth to adopt and develop their own agendas, as is increasingly being done in efforts designed to empower women.

-           Shift from excessive concern with data and statistics to human issues having a “human face.”

-                     Support efforts by education authorities to incorporate sex education materials into ongoing teaching programs, while stressing that materials and approaches be developed and/or adapted by teachers, parents, and, most importantly, by youth.

-           As nations must increasingly resort to solving their population problems themselves, major concerns are those of committing adequate resources, setting priorities, and ensuring proper monitoring and evaluation of programs during their implementation.

-           Close the gaps, where apparent, between policymaking and program practice—for example, availability of services and contraceptives.

-           For donor countries, renew funding commitments consistent with the clearly articulated ICPD needs.

HIV/AIDS

The Forum noted with alarm that some 40 million people are currently infected with HIV/AIDS, that three million AIDS-infected persons are dying each year, and that an estimated five million new cases are being added annually to the total of those afflicted.  In some regions, it is estimated that along with sex workers, intravenous drug users are a major source of infection to the larger society; but poverty, population mobility, gender inequality, rampant sexual transmitted infections (STIs) and high propensities for engaging in unprotected sex are the drivers of the current explosive epidemics in the most affected countries. One of the most affected groups is young people between the ages of 15 and 24.

The Forum recommends: 

-           That the viability of any and all steps taken to combat the disease depends on funding—for prevention programs (to include everything from condoms and contraceptives to comprehensive sexual and transmittance education) to reduce the number of new infections, and for treatment for those 40 million persons already living with HIV/AIDS.  For instance, funding at a level of $10.5 billion, against current levels closer to $4.3 billion, would save an estimated 29 million lives by the year 2010.

  -         That funding must be directed to proven prevention, treatment, and coping methods, with consideration given to demographically targeted education programs that address the specific risks unique to different groups and geographies.

-           That special attention must be paid to the problems facing women, who suffer disproportionately from the disabilities and stigma of the disease, not to mention greater physiological vulnerability.

-           That the importance of initiatives dealing with the social side effects of HIV/AIDS, especially at the community level, cannot be forgotten.  Orphans, decreased productivity, and food insecurity are but a few of the social side effects of HIV/AIDS—the disease must be addressed in all of its forms.

-           That greater efforts are made to provide the much-needed medical treatment— Specifically, supplies of antiretrovirals—at universally affordable cost, while vigorous support is directed to research for an effective vaccine.

-           That funding towards treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS should not have to come at the cost of sacrificing other ICPD and Millennium Development Goals; they must all be considered in the broader context of improving the quality of human life worldwide.

 International Migration

            In the decade since Cairo, the number of international migrants has grown to some 175 million. Migration has become a priority issue for both developed and developing countries and for the international community as a whole. Also, since Cairo international migration has been the subject of a large number of regional and sub regional meetings covering all geographical regions. An ongoing independent Global Commission on International Migration is expected to provide the United Nations and interested stakeholders in 2005 with a set of recommendations on this major international concern.

The importance of this issue is further highlighted by the fact that the UN General Assembly will devote its 2006 high-level dialogue to an exploration of “the multidimensional aspects of international migration and development in order to identify appropriate ways and means to maximize its development benefits and minimize its negative impacts…and should have a strong focus on policy issues including the challenge of achieving international agreed development goals.”

In order to best build upon these encouraging developments the Forum:

-           Recommends that all involved parties make maximum efforts to ensure that due attention is paid to each of the following important migration issues: to increase knowledge about factors involved in migration and its implications, especially as they relate to poverty, family break-up, remittances, the brain drain, linkages to security concerns, to the ageing phenomena in many countries, and to the health care needs, including the reproductive health and HIV/AIDS care needs of migrants and refugees;

 -          Promotes co-operation among countries of origin, transit and destination for international migratory movements in order to enhance their positive effects and promote respect for the human rights of migrants and their families through compliance with the international instruments now in force; and

-           Urges the adoption of measures to prevent all forms of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, including for purposes of sexual exploitation, especially women, girls and boys.

Ageing

The Forum recognised the increasing urgency of ageing as global issue and noted that in the next 50 years the number of elderly will rise from 600 million to two billion.  Population ageing affects not only the most developed regions, but also the wide range of developing countries. In response to the increasing proportion of elderly people, countries have adopted a wide variety of actions and measures, among others, to improving countries’ social security systems, achieving better living arrangements, improving the self-reliance of the elderly, and delivering a wider range of services appropriate to the elderly populations.

Specific actions include the following:

-           National governments, international organisations and non-governmental organisations should help identify better the specific implications of the ageing process.

-           Countries, non-governmental organisations and the international donor community should intensify their efforts to achieve the goals and objectives of the ICPD Program of Action in the area of ageing.

-           The relevant UN organisations, in particular UNFPA, also should strengthen their efforts to help countries formulate and implement appropriate policies and programs on ageing and to seek adequate resources.

Closing the Resource Gap

            The Forum participants underscored that most of the constraints in implementing the POA are further exacerbated by the inadequacy of financial and other resources.

The Forum:

-           Recognises that the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the spread of sexually transmitted infections are worsening in developing countries with limited resources to combat these continuing and lethal health crises.

-           Recognises that economic constraints and shifting priorities have led to a reduction of levels of support for population and reproductive health programs from donor countries, reflected by a $3 billion funding shortfall among these countries and that this gap is a major reason that greater progress has not been made.

-           Recognises that developing countries are committing their own resources for population and reproductive health, demonstrating their view of the vital importance of these efforts.

-           Encourages policymakers and appropriate agencies at all government levels to review, revise, and update, as necessary, the resource needs and requirements of meeting these targets.

-           Calls upon governments, international agencies, foundations and the private sector to provide greater resources for information and services to prevent diagnose and treat STIs, particularly HIV/AIDS.

-           Calls upon developing countries to continue to expand their level of support and urge donor countries to increase their resources for implementing the Program of Action. 

-            Also, urges the U.S. to resume funding to UNFPA.  

Strengthening Partnerships

-           Recognises the crucial role of non-governmental organizations, which often have taken the lead in both proving that there is a demand for population and reproductive health services and offering programs to deliver these services.

-           Recognises that international organisations often engender a level of confidence, trust and sustained support that other providers of population and reproductive health services may not.

-           Calls upon governments to build and maintain partnerships with non-governmental organisations and international organisations to both explore new opportunities and work toward constructive and innovative co-operative and complementary approaches to accelerating progress toward achieving the goals of the Program of Action.

Commitment

In closing, all of us assembled here realise, at this halfway mark in the 20-year Program of Action, that the time has come for the international community to stand tall and remain resolute in its commitment to implement the Program of Action. We must turn the dream of Cairo into a full reality during the next decade by rededicating ourselves to implementing the Program of Action with renewed vigor, political solidarity and adequate resource commitments; this in turn will contribute to eradication of poverty and improvement of quality of life for all people.  If we fail to do it, the ICPD POA will be swept into dustbins of history.

            We, the Forum participants, unequivocally commit ourselves today the 14^th May 2004 to supporting and implementing this Declaration.      

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This is the newsletter of ICYO.

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

Khare Apart. 194-A, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093 Phone/Fax: 91 11 26183978

Email: icyo@...

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World Youth Report 2003

Report tacks in depth analysis and the concerns of the youth in the developing countries.

 

It's good to be young - if you live in an industrialized nation. But AIDS, armed conflict and poverty have taken a heavy toll on the vast majority of the 1.1 billion youths worldwide, according to the U.N. report. Young men and women between the ages of 15 and 24 years are better educated than previous generations and have access to more information via computers and other media, but 133 million remain illiterate and 130 million children are not in school, according to the World Youth Report 2003 released by United Nations.

 

The 408-page World Youth Report, the first comprehensive U.N. attempt to examine the global situation of young people since 1995, fail to fulfill its objective as its more focus on developed countries rather than global, report itself accepted this fact.  The report explain the reason in chapter 15  “The lack of data relating to certain fields in developing countries, as well as the problems of data comparability, are challenging the research community to develop a system of global indicators as well as qualitative research methods in order to build a truly global picture of the situation of youth.” The obvious dominance of the Western school/tradition of youth research is one of the key challenges to be addressed in the future, given the fact that the majority of young people are living in developing countries.

 

Here it is important because, as per report 85 percent of the youths live in developing countries and 22.5 percent of them survived on less than US$1 a day (in 2000).

 

6,000 - 7,000 Young people become infected with HIV every day – WYR 2004

 

The Report mentions some the major threat (problem) face by youth. One is AIDS that has transformed the lives of children and youth all over the world. An average of between 6,000 and 7,000 young people become infected with HIV every day.

 

The report called for more programs to prevent AIDS and stop drugs use and greater involvement of youth in decision-making. "Young people can be dynamic agents of social change, taking an active role in combating these problems, but they must be given the right tools to work with," the report said.

 

UNESCO Dhaka: Out-of-school adolescents learning needs

 

In March 2004, the UNESCO Office in Dhaka, Bangladesh, organized a sub-regional workshop on policy issues concerning the learning needs of out-of-school adolescents. The seminar was based on a situational analysis of out-of-school adolescents in South Asia and on the lessons learnt from the implementation of an interdisciplinary UNESCO Pilot Project pertaining to the organization's cross-cutting theme 'Eradication of poverty'. 

 

Partnerships have been made with local youth NGOs, who are in charge of the Monitoring and Evaluation component of the project. ICYO is one of the partner and Mr. Raavi Narayan, Secretary General attended the seminar.

 

New Youth & Sport Minister in India

 

Shri Manmohan Singh, New Prime Minister of India appoint Mr. Sunil Dutt as Cabinet Minister for Youth & Sport. Mr Sunil Dutt assumed his office at Shashtri Bhavan on May 25.2004

 

Actor turn politician Mr Dutt  said "For me, the youth of the country is the future. I believe that the country can make great strides by inspiring the youth and instill the feeling of nationalism and oneness the country. I'll be striving to achieve this." Mr Dutt  told in press conference after assuming the office. "I've always felt one with the youth. That's why no older man is with me. I'am always surrounded by young. People always ask me about my age. I say openly that I'm 25 plus. Age is mental," Dutt said jocularly.

 

Youth Across Asia: A New Initiative

 

A new initiative to transfer skills and capabilities among young people through volunteering has been launched by the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) at meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 30 April to 2 May 2004.

 

Girls Get Lessons on Empowerment

 

CRY and Nav Shristi organized the workshop in month of May 2004 to make adolescent girls aware of their rights. An attempt to empower young girls, this intensive workshop hopes to familiarize them with the choices available so that they become a force within their own families and the community and giving young girls an opportunity to have a voice in their future.

 

The aim of the workshop was to start a chain so that young women are able to spread the message further and motivate their peers to take a step closer to empowerment. Apart from raising awareness among young girls, the workshop intends to facilitate the process of formation of a federation of adolescents. Once the federation is formed, these groups will be able to get their voices heard and press for their demands, feel the organizers.

 

India is poorly prepared for the "tidal wave" of the disease: AIDS official

 

A senior international health official warned that HIV/AIDS is growing into a "catastrophic epidemic" in India, the world's second most populous country.

 

India is also poorly prepared for the "tidal wave" of the disease the country is facing, Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria told journalists on May 11,2004.

 

"The Indian epidemic is rapidly becoming the largest epidemic in the world," Feachem said. "There is nothing in place in India today which is of a scale or of a seriousness which will prevent a catastrophic epidemic unfolding."

 

About 3.8 to 4.6 million people are estimated to be HIV positive in India, according to official estimates cited by the WHO, but in private some officials fear the figure is much higher and the virus is spreading rapidly. "We need to do a huge amount more in prevention, in testing, in treatment if India is going to turn around the tidal wave of HIV/AIDS which is breaking over it," Feachem said.

 

Globalization: Youth Commission Report

 

International Youth Parliament compiled the report on 'Globalization' and written by young people from around the world. The report considers the way that Globalization affects young people and their communities. It offers recommendations for action in order to maximize positive opportunities and minimize the negative impacts of globalization.  For more information contact info@...

Up-coming Events:

 

4^th International Youth Dialogue

 

As the World Assembly of Youth is drawing to a close of its Millennium Plan of Action, adopted in year 2000, the time has come for the organisation to reassess its effectiveness in decision-making processes. After three International Youth Dialogues, and several other international youth meetings, the question that we need to ask ourselves is: how effective is our voice in decision-making processes?

 

To discuss on these issues World Assembly of Youth (WAY) is hosting the 4^th International Youth Dialogue (MIYD04) at Melaka, Malaysia from June 28-30, 2004 with the theme Youth Participation in Decision-Making Processes.

 

The MIYD04 will therefore be a platform for young people to take stock of their efficacy in decision-making processes at various levels. It will also impart critical skills and knowledge to ensure that participants are properly equipped to participate meaningfully in decision-making processes.

 

The organizer will provide the lodging boarding during the event to selected participants, the international travel and other expenses to born by participants or nominating organization. More detail is available on request from ICYO secretariat (pl mention the name/org/country).

 

Youth Summit for the UN

 

The Bosnian Mission to the UN is sponsoring an event with Friendship Ambassadors Foundation to build upon its upcoming Youth Summit in Sarajevo by hosting this second gathering in New York, both the United Nations Headquarters and the Wainwright House in upstate New York from August 17-20,2004. This summit is aimed at new youth who have not visited or worked with the United Nations in the past as well as youth who are active and can be mentors and guides, and is an opportunity to meet and discuss the pressing issues of today, with a focus on U.N. initiatives and the Millennium Development Goals. 

 

Digital Generations: Children, Young People and New Media

 

The International Conference on Digital Generations: Children, young people and new media will be held form 26-29 July 2004 at London, England and organized by Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media Institute of Education, University of London.

 

The themes will include: Digital divides: social differences in children's uses of new media, Globalization and intercultural communication; Changing youth and childhood identities; New media, schools and informal learning; Regulation: censorship or consumer empowerment?; Play, games and interactivity; Children and young people as media producers. For more detail contact: newmedia2004@...

 

Int. Children's Conference on the Environment

 

The Tunza International Children's Conference on the Environment to be held 19-23, July 2004 in New London, Connecticut, USA.

 

The Conference which open for children aged 10 - 13, expecting the delegates from 100 countries around the world.   Delegates will learn about and discuss environmental topics around four major themes issues: Oceans, Rivers and Waterways; Living on the Edge of Extinction; Indigenous Healing Ways; and Energy.

 

The Conference is the largest U.N event dedicated to bringing children from around the world together to discuss the environment and learn about their rights and responsibilities as stewards.  Delegates to the conference can look forward to presenting environmental projects, asking questions to environmental experts and recommending and challenging governments and people of the world to address their environmental concerns and issues.  More importantly, delegates will be able to make friends from around the world and enjoy evening shows and events specifically designed for their age group. More information log on www.icc04.org

 

Conference on Entertainment Education

 

The Fourth Entertainment Education Conference will be held from the 26th to 30th September 2004 in South Africa. Entitled "Community and Context", the conference will be held in Cape Town, South Africa. For more detail and registration log on www.ee4.org

7th Global Conference: The Impact of National Youth Service

 

The 7th Global Conference of IANYS is to held from August 23-27, 2004 in Accra, Ghana. President J. A. Kuffour of the Republic of Ghana is to give the official welcome and opening address. The theme of the 7 GC is ‘the Impact of National Youth Service’.

 

Ghana National Service Scheme (GNSS) will organize the conference. For more information contact madamarmstrong@...

 

Youth Leadership & Peace Building Course

 

The main aim of 'Youth Leadership and Peace Building course for Youth Leaders in NGO sector' is to train youth leaders in the field of peace and development in order to meet the challenges facing youth NGOs in the 21st century either in the developed or developing countries of the world. 

 

The course is designed for youth leaders (age between 25-30) across the world working for the non-governmental sector. The International Youth Development Foundation is organizer of the course and will be held from 16th-18th july,2004 in United Kingdom.

 

World Bank: My Vision, My Voice Photo Contest

 

The World Bank has launched a global photo contest titled, My Vision, My Voice photo. Young people between the ages of 14 and 20 are invited to zoom in on their surroundings and capture their world through images. What do young people think the world needs more of, or less of - schools, jobs,

training, health services, something nobody else has thought of?

For more information log on www.youthink.worldbank.org/photocontest

 

International Youth Day

 

12 August is declared by United Nations as International Youth Day. This year's theme will be the 'Youth and Intergenerational Relations’.

 

DPI World Summit 2004:Diversity Within

 

DPI's World Summit will be an opportunity for national assemblies, disability organizations, NGOs, international development agencies, as well as goods and services providers in the disability field to discuss and share information. 

 

A major objective for DPI is the promotion of equality and diversity within our organization.  The theme for the Summit will be diversity of people and their cultures and will focus on women, youth, and Indigenous & Arab peoples.

 

Over 30 workshops are planned for the three-day event.  Some of the issues that will be covered are: Human Rights; Self-determined Living; Bioethics; Education; Participation; Sharing the Knowledge; Local Capacity Building.

 

The Conference will be held at Winnipeg, Canada from 8-10 September 2004. For more detail log on www.dpi.org

 

Asian Women Parliamentarians & Ministers Conference

 

There is a need for women, especially women leaders, to assert leadership in placing vital issues of poverty, gender and reproductive health on their respective national agendas.  The contribution of women leaders is critical as they are directly involved in policy formulation, program implementation and access to and control of budget allocation decisions. The upcoming 2^nd Asian Women Parliamentarians & Ministers Conference will strengthen the women role in policymaking and more budget allocation for population control and better reproductive health.

 

The Conference will be held from June 29 – 30, 2004 at Parliament House, Canberra, Australia with the main theme "A woman's perspective: Population, Development and Reproductive Health in the Asia-Pacific Region".

 

Australian All Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development and Asian Forum of Parliamentarians for Population and Development will organize the Conference  in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Parliament of Australia.

 

The parliamentarians, ministers from Asia-Pacific region, UNFPA and UNIFEM officials, are amangs those will be invited apart from observers from multilateral and bilateral agencies, non-governmental organizations and media.

 

Training Course on International Youth Structures 

 

The training course on International Youth Structures will be at European Youth Centre, Strasbourg from October 5-16, 2004.

 

The main aim of the course is to help participants, already active in international structures,

to better understand and more effectively use European youth structures and European youth programmes. The course is open for youth between the age of 18 and 30 years. For more detail log on www.coe.int

 

Seminar: Intercultural learning as a tool for a better inter-religious dialogue

 

The third annual International Youth Seminar on Intercultural learning as a tool for a better inter-religious dialogue will be held from September 6-10, 2004 in Nazareth, Israel.

 

The main objective of the seminar is: to increase awareness of the role of religion in shaping society, amongst youth from the international community; to encourage critical thought amongst youth to help them to independently confront religious and cultural misconceptions; to promote intercultural dialogue as a tool for addressing common issues with a focus on inter-religious dialogue; to promote understanding of different religions and different theoretical and practical approaches regarding religion; to build cooperation between countries and organizations. For more detail log on www.yap.org

 

Awards

 

Global Youth In Action Awards

 

The ‘Global Youth In Action Awards’, which carry US$ 1,000, open for application. The GYAN announce that Awards are given to projects initiated by youth, and preference is given to projects less than two years old and initiated by one or more youth under the age of 25 at the time of the launch.

 

The purpose of award is to recognize and support positive youth action in communities around the world. With a grant from the Shei'rah Foundation, this year's awards program, GYAN seek to recognize youth-initiated projects that take a new approach to problem-solving. The last date of receiving the application is July 1, 2004. For more detail contact gyan@...

 

Reebok Human Rights Award for Youth

 

The Reebok Human Rights Award honours young people from around the world who have made significant contributions to the cause of human rights, often against great odds, last may years.

 

The purpose of the Award is to shine a positive, international light on the awardees and to support their work in human rights.  A $50,000 grant is given to further the work of each Award recipient.

 

The applicants must be 30 years of age or younger on December 31, 2004 and must be working on an issue that directly relates to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For more detail log on www.reebok.com/humanrights

 

Award for Human Rights Defenders

 

The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA) is the main award of the non-governmental human rights movement.

For more detail log on www.martinennalsaward.org/en/nomination/index.html

 

 

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This is the newsletter of ICYO.

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

Khare Apart. 194-A, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093 Phone/Fax: 91 11 26183978

Email: icyo@...

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India.  ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. Its family consists of over 350 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.

 

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

        March 2004

 

ICYO is a Non-Governmental Development Youth Network Organization in India

 

INDIA: New National Charter for Children

The Government of India on 9 February 2004 has notified a National Charter for Children to reiterate its commitment to the cause of children in order to see that no child remains hungry, illiterate or sick. The Charter was discussed in the Indian Parliament last December.

The National Charter for Children incorporates the main essence of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and makes the Government accountable for the implementation of those rights.

The Charter states that children will be provided with free and compulsory education, protected from hazardous work until the age of fourteen and given opportunities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. The Charter also protects children from economic exploitation and all forms of abuse and strengthens the family. Special emphasis is given to the girl child with reference to eradicating crimes and atrocities committed against the girl, including child marriage, discriminatory practices, forcing girls into prostitution and trafficking. (CRIN)

Empowering Adolescents: The charter has special mention under item no 12 for adolescents that focus on empowerment. It stated “The State and community shall take all steps to provide the necessary education and skills to adolescent children so as to equip them to become economically productive citizens. Special programmes will be undertaken to improve the health and nutritional status of the adolescent girl”.

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CYP Consultation on Youth & HIV/AIDS

The information on HIV/AIDS must be reach to youth was the focus on valedictory speech of Mr. Vikram Verma, Minister of Youth Affairs & Sport, Govt of India, while addressing in closing function of Asia Regional consultation on Youth and HIV/AIDS, on 14 February 2004. He added that the education is the key to protect the young generation from AIDS.

The Consultation was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India from 10 to 14 February  and  jointly organized by Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) Asia Centre and Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

Ms, Vandana K Jana,Joint Secretary, Youth and Sports inaugurated the Consultation and share experiences during her posting in North Eastern states and Orissa. Earlier Ms. Raka Rashid Regional Director of CYP gave the overall scenario of epidemic in Asian Commonwealth countries. Mr. Hassan Shifau, Senior Programme Officer update the participants about the various programmes and activities of CYP Asian Centre.

“Networking of NGOs and other stakeholders working in different aspects of HIV/AIDS, mitigation, awareness, education, treatment etc.’ is the one of key recommendation came out from the Consultation. Earlier, during the country wise group discussion, Indian participants discussed the possibility of formation of youth group on HIV/AIDS and develop the ‘Concept Paper’ on this issue. Later on the Concept Paper was present in Closing function to inform the Hon. Minister of Youth Affairs.

Commonwealth Asia member countries attended the Consultation. ICYO represented by Mr. Raavi Narayan.

The five day deliberation came-out in form of concrete recommendations for consideration of respective governments, CYP Asia Centre, partner agencies and other stakeholders:

- Establish appropriate surveillance and monitoring systems.

- Youth Ambassadors for Positive Living Programme to be further expanded and appropriate training modules developed.

- Networking of NGOs and other stakeholders working in different aspects of HIV/AIDS, mitigation, awareness, education, treatment etc.

- Integration of Sports, Arts and Culture in HIV/AIDS awareness and vice versa.

- Integration of minority groups in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and surveillance.

- Set up a youth cell within national AIDS control agencies in collaboration with corporate sector to only deal with youth concerns on HIV/AIDS.

- Effectively use print and electronic media so that messages are accurate, relevant and youth friendly.

- Sensitize heads of institutions including educational institutions and government agencies.

- Encourage health –seeking behaviour among young people.

-Incorporate HIV/AIDS and drug/substance abuse awareness education at various levels of the education system.

Three hundred thousand children still out of school in Karnataka

The Karnataka Minister of State for Primary & Secondary Education, Mr. Chandrashekar, has said that about three hundred thousand children between 6 to 14 age group are still out of school in the state.

A major challenge before the Government was to retain the children in the school. A number of children dropped out of the school due to poverty and lack of encouragement. (IAEA Newsletter)

International Youth Dialogue

The WAY will organize the 4th International Youth Dialogue and will be held in Melaka, Malaysia from June 28-30, 2004. This year features the theme Youth Participation in Decision-Making Processes. 

The main aims of fourth Youth Dialogue to review, at length, youth participation in decision-making processes, and to ascertain how young people can increase their efficacy therein. It is crucial for this to be achieved if ever the decisions and resolutions of young people will be implemented.

The Dialogue will be a platform for young people to take stock of their efficacy in decision-making processes at various levels. It will also impart critical skills and knowledge to ensure that participants are properly equipped to participate meaningfully in decision-making processes.

For more information write to: secretarygeneral@...

Population and Education Seminar in India

The IAPPD in cooperation with UNFPA, Government of India and AFPPD organized a National Legislative Seminar on Education and Population at Rajkot, Gujrat on 13 and 14 February.  Mr. Jyoti Singh, President Population 2005 and Former Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, Mr. Nizamuddin, Former Director of UNFPA Asia Pacific Division addressed the seminar and it was attended by more than 100 legislators.

World Youth Report 2003

The Secretariat for Prgramme on Youth of United Nations will launch the World Youth Report 2003 on 22^nd April 2004 at UN Headquarters, New York during the "Headquarters briefing youth NGO's".
The secretariat will also brief on the upcoming two special meetings of the General Assembly on youth in 2005.

World Youth Festival

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

Parliamentary Meeting on HIV/AIDS for Youth:

The Inter-country Parliamentarians meeting will be held in Bali, Indonesia from 22-24 September 2004. The Asian Forum for Parliamentarians on Population and Development will be the organizer.

Children's Conference on Environment

From July 19 - 23, 2004 children from 100 countries will come together at the Tunza International Children's Conference on the Environment to discuss issues of critical importance to the world. The delegates will study, deliberate, and publish their unique positions on Oceans, Rivers and Waterways; Living on the Edge of Extinction; Indigenous Healing Ways; and Energy Policy. Assembling in USA, these 600 young people, ages 10 to 13, will speak out on what needs to be done to save our environment.

The conference will be host by UNEP. For more information visit www.icc04.org

Commonwealth Photographic Awards: theme – Youth

The Commonwealth Press Union (CPU), in collaboration with the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) invites the entries or the 2004 Commonwealth Photographic Awards. The overall theme for the Awards this year is ‘Youth’.  This is an open competition for all Commonwealth residents.

A special category - ‘Young Snappers’ - has been created this year for young people aged 12 to 18.

The overall winner of the Awards will receive Ł2000 sterling, and further prizes will be awarded to the regional winners and to the winning ‘Young Snapper’. 

An additional award - ‘The Dan Eldon Prize’ - will be awarded to a young photographer (aged 18-30) whose work is used for social or humanitarian purposes.   The last date of entries is May 30, 2004. For detail visit web: www.cpu.org.uk

Next Youth Employment Summit in Mexico

The Youth Employment Summit to be held in Veracruz, Mexico from October 4-7, 2004.

The event will be host by Federal Government of Mexico. It is expected that 1,000
youth development practitioners, government officials, business leaders, youth leaders and NGOs will attend the Summit. The some of issues to be discuss includes entrepreneurship, renewable energy, HIV / AIDS and youth participation in civic affairs.

YOUNG PEOPLE Change the World!

Young people and groups of young people from youth organizations, up to 25 years old
are invited to attend the third annual "YOUNG PEOPLE Change the World!" in International Summer School for Young Activists. The event will be held from July 10-17 2004 and held in South Wales, UK. As per organizer, young people will have the opportunity to meet other young people from around the world to discuss issues, share ideas, enhance your practical skills, develop collaborations and make contacts that will continue beyond the Summer School. For more detail contact: summerschool@...

World Congress will also focus on ‘Globalization and Youth Sociology’

International Institute of Sociology, China will host the 36th World Congress and will be held in Beijing from July 7-11, 2004.

The main theme of the 36th Congress is "Social Change in the Age of Globalization". The Congress will provide opportunities to participants from different parts of the world to share ideas and research findings, to communicate with one another, and to establish academic and intellectual relationship for future exchange.

The Congress will also focus on ‘Globalization and Youth Sociology’ and devote one session to discuss the reflection and impact of the ongoing process of g globalization on Youth Sociology. For more information visit: www.iis2003beijing.com.cn

World Forum Human Rights

The World Forum Human Rights will be held in France from May 16-19, 2004. The Forum will bring together on an equal footing all categories of actors in the field of human rights. This will allow an extensive exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences on how to create global alliances to address today's most pressing challenges, including terrorism, discrimination and poverty, the three main themes of the Forum. Contact email: aframery@...

Int. Conference on Health & Environment

13^th International Conference on Health & Environment: Global Partners for Global Solutions will be held from April 29-30, 2004 at United Nations, New York, USA.  The theme this year is the "25 Year Window: Linking Conflict with Environment and Population". The topics to be discussed include HIV/AIDS: Current Research, New Treatments, Consequences of Conflict on Health and the Environment etc.

The Conference is organized by World Information Transfer and Co-sponsored by the Government of Croatia and the Government of Ukraine.

International Conference on Social Sciences

The 3^rd Annual Hawaii International Conference on Social Sciences will be held from June 16 to June 19, 2004 in Honolulu, Hawaii.  The Conference will provide many opportunities for academicians and professionals from the social sciences fields to interact with members inside and outside their own particular disciplines. For more information visit www.hicsocial.org

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

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Email: icyo@...

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India.  ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. Its family consists of over 350 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.

 

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

 

 

Newsletter from Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

Youth Information

                                        February 2004 

ICYO - Platform of 350 Youth Organizations in India.          

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

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Women, Girls, HIV & AIDS: theme for WAC 2004

 

The theme for the World AIDS Campaign 2004 is Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS. The year-long Campaign launched in February, culminating in World AIDS Day on 1 December, seeks to accelerate the global response to HIV and AIDS through a focus on women and girls – preventing new infections, promoting equal access to treatment and mitigating the impact of AIDS.

 

The main goal is to accelerate the global response to HIV and AIDS through a focus on women and girls – preventing new infections, promoting equal access to treatment and mitigating the impact of AIDS.

 

The some of objectives includes:

 

Resilience & leadership

            - Promote the role of women and girls in tackling the epidemic.      

Support

            - Encourage women and girls living with HIV to tell their story.

Awareness

- Highlight the impact HIV and AIDS has on women and girls globally, regionally & nationally.

Change

- Challenge gender differences that make women and girls more vulnerable to HIV.

National Focus

- Ensure national policies and responses focus on the impact of AIDS on women and girls.

Confidence

- Increase the self-esteem of women, especially those vulnerable to/or infected with HIV.

 

The Problem

 

HIV prevention efforts are failing women and girls as they continue to be infected with HIV – across the world many women infected through heterosexual sex were infected by their husbands or long-term partners.

 

Marriage is no protection against HIV. Across the developing world, the majority of women will be married by age 20 and have higher rates of HIV than their unmarried, sexually active peers.

 

Across the world, between one fifth and a half of all girls and young women report that their first sexual encounter was forced.

 

In some of the regions worst-affected by AIDS, more than half of girls aged 15 to 19 have either never heard about AIDS or have at least one major misconception about how HIV is transmitted.

 

Women comprise about half of all people living with HIV/AIDS. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 58 percent of those living with HIV were women as of end 2003 and young women aged 15 to 24 were 2.5 times more likely to be infected than young men. 

 

HIV and Young People:

Empower school AIDS Education Programme in Tamil Nadu in India

 

The HIV/AIDS epidemic poses one of the greatest threats to our state's future. Although it is an uncomfortable fact, we in Tamil Nadu are facing one of the fastest growing epidemics in the country. In few districts, the level of HIV infections has exceeded 4% of the adult population. Over 50% of new infections in the world are occurring in the age group of 15-25 years. Similar trends are being observed here in Tamil Nadu, underlining the need to focus on young people.

 

Young people are our greatest hope in the continuing struggle against this fatal disease. There are some parts of the world where the spread of HIV/AIDS has declined only because young women and men were given the information, tools and incentives to adopt safe behaviours. (indev/feb)

 

HIV/AIDS: Young married women are at greater risk.

 

“AIDS has added to women’s vulnerability,” says Dr Nafis Sadik, special advisor to the United Nations secretary general who is in India to give the inaugural Sat Paul Mittal Memorial Lecture on women and population.

 

According to Dr Sadik, marriage no longer provides safety and economic security to women. “Instead,” she says, “it has become a hazard to women’s health. Ninety to 95% of married women in South Asia who are HIV-positive are infected by their husbands. Married women have a higher incidence of HIV than men in the same age-group.”

 

Recent reports show that young married women are at greater risk even with single partners because of the ‘sexual behaviour’ of their partners. A study in Uttar Pradesh showed that 90% of affected women were young and married and had only one sexual partner. Another study reported that in Karnataka, the northeast and the coastal belt, infection among younger married women was six times higher.

 

Dr Sadik believes that education and awareness drives targeting male populations will help address such issues.

 

40% of syringes unsafe in India

 

“A study conducted on the issue of unsafe injections in India reveals that 23.9% of injections use syringes of doubtful sterility and 16.2% are made up of recycled syringes and needles,” the Indian health ministry is quoted as saying.

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently observed that three out of every four injections in India and other south Asian countries use unsterilised needles, which make people vulnerable to infections like HIV and hepatitis. Three recent studies in an international journal on sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS also argue that unsafe injections, not unsafe sex, are the main reason for the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

 

According to the journal, 48% of AIDS cases are a result of using unclean syringes, while 30% are due to unsafe sex. It also pointed to the occurrence of HIV in infants whose mothers are not HIV-positive.

 

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To receive this newsletter regularly Send blank email to subscribe

YouthInformation-subscribe@...

_________________________________________

 

This is the newsletter of ICYO.

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

Khare Apart. 194-A, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093 Phone/Fax: 91 11 26183978

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

 

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

 

        JANUARY- 2004

 

ICYO - Platform of 350 Youth Organizations in India.          

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

In Delhi - Teen Abortions on the Rise

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

In India - Young People and Abortion

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

UNICEF pledges for 2004 to focus on child survival

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Launching of World Youth Report

 

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

Upcoming events

 

Regional Consultation on Youth and HIV/AIDS by CYP

 

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

 

World Youth Festival

 

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

 

5th Annual Global Youth Service Day

 

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

 

International Youth Parliament

 

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

 

Int. Health & Environment Conference

 

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

 

Int. Conference on Politics and Information Systems

 

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

 

Europe, Youth and Globalization 2004

 

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

 

Students’ Forum Study Session

 

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

 

World Bank- Essay competition

 

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

 

Int. Summer School for Young Activists

 

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

 

Digital Generations: Children, young people and new media

Date: 26-29 July 2004

Location: London, England

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

Contact: newmedia2004@... 

Sexuality and Rights: Residential Course

 

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

 

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

 

Training on Making Governance Gender Responsive

 

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

 

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

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To receive this newsletter regularly Send blank email to subscribe

YouthInformation-subscribe@...

_________________________________________

 

This is the newsletter of ICYO.

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

Khare Apart. 194-A, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093 Phone/Fax: 91 11 26183978

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

 

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

 One fourth fewer babies in India are not wanted by their mother
but lack of family planning services, young women have to.

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MDGs: Reproductive Health not found place

The Millennium Declaration promoted the 8 goals that popularly known as Millennium Development Goals (MGDs). The most of the UN Agencies while planning its programmes they keep this goals in focus. But unfortunately, Reproductive health along with other ICPD goals was not included in these goals. This affecting the reproductive health services worldwide specially in developing and poor countries. Its directly effect the young people and their health. The short of funds left behind the target set in ICPD, the diversion and absorb the fund in HIV/AIDS make the situation more worst.

Mr Jyoti Shanker Singh in his statement during the 5^th International Medical Parliamentarians Conference on Family Health spoke about the relationship between the goals and objectives of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) that dealt with the issues of reproductive health and population and the overall goals for the eradication of hunger and poverty that are contained in the Millennium Declaration adopted by the United Nations in the year 2000. The relationship needs to be examined because some but not all of the ICPD goals are incorporated in the Millennium Declaration.

International Medical Parliamentarians Organization (IMPO) organized the Conference from 4 to 7 December 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand. Mr. Singh addressed the Conference on topic ‘Reproductive Health: Population and Millennium Development Goals’.

Mr Singh said that four of the ICPD goals – achievement of universal primary education and elimination of the gender gap in primary and secondary education by 2015, reduction of child mortality, reduction of maternal mortality and improvement in maternal health, and combating HIV/AIDS are included in the Millennium Declaration. The goal on HIV/AIDS prevention was updated by the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly on ICPD+5 in 1999 and the Millennium Declaration adds malaria and tuberculosis to the list of diseases, which need to be eradicated. Chapter III of the ICPD Programme of Action on the interrelationships between population, sustained economic growth and sustainable development contains various elements of what became the Millennium goal on environmental sustainability; and several chapters of the Programme of Action contain recommendations, which have been grouped together under the Millennium goal on developing a global partnership for development.

He reminded that the ICPD Programme of Action notes that ‘‘widespread poverty remains the major challenge to development efforts. Poverty is often accompanied by unemployment, malnutrition, illiteracy, low status of women, exposure to environmental risks and limited access to social and health services, including reproductive health services, which, in turn include family planning. All these factors contribute to high levels of fertility, morbidity and mortality, as well as low economic productivity. Poverty is also closely related to inappropriate spatial distribution of population, to unsustainable use and inequitable distribution of such natural resources as land and water, and to serious environmental degradation.’’

This whole paragraph of Programme of Action provides a clear and comprehensive rationale for linking reproductive health and population programs to the elimination of extreme poverty – the overarching goal of the Millennium Declaration. Furthermore, the goal relating to the empowerment of women is to be found in both the ICPD Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals.

Mr. Singh further inform that the one major goal of ICPD that is not to be found in the Millennium Declaration is that on reproductive health. This goal was the subject of much debate before and during the ICPD and was ultimately adopted by consensus among the 179 countries participating in the Conference. Since the 1994 Conference, the reproductive health goal has been adopted by an increasing number of developing countries.

To quote the ICPD text:

"All countries should strive to make accessible through the primary health-care system, reproductive health to all individuals of appropriate ages as soon as possible and no later than the year 2015. Reproductive health care in the context of primary health care should, inter alia, include: family-planning counselling, information, education, communication and services; education and services for pre-natal care, safe delivery and post-natal care; prevention and appropriate treatment of infertility; abortion as specified in paragraph 8.25, including prevention of abortion and the management of the consequences of abortion; treatment of reproductive tract infections; sexually transmitted diseases and other reproductive health conditions; and information, education and counselling, as appropriate, on human sexuality, reproductive health and responsible parenthood. Referral for family-planning services and further diagnosis and treatment for complications of pregnancy, delivery and abortion, infertility, reproductive tract infections, breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS should always be available, as required. Active discouragement of harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation, should also be an integral component of primary health care, including reproductive health-care programmes." [Paragraph. 7.6 of the ICPD Programme of Action]

Those who were involved in the preparatory process regarding the Declaration indicate that the ICPD goal on reproductive health was not included to avoid protracted and difficult negotiations, even though it was clear that only a small group of countries were opposed to its inclusion. It should be noted, in passing, that this group, though it was small, was also very determined to hold up the adoption of the text of the Declaration if it did not get its way.

As the United Nations Secretary-General pointed out in his message to the Asia-Pacific regional conference in Bangkok in December 2002, “the Millennium Development Goals, particularly the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, cannot be achieved if questions of population and reproductive health are not squarely addressed. And that means stronger efforts to promote women’s rights, and greater investment in education and health, including reproductive health and family planning.”

The fact of the matter is that the ICPD goals and objectives (including the goal on reproductive health) as endorsed by the General Assembly in 1994 as well as various other UN bodies remain valid in their own right and as integral components of the overall poverty eradication and development strategy reflected in the Millennium Declaration. This does not mean that they should not be updated as and when necessary. The goal on HIV/AIDS was updated by the ICPD+5 review; and the cost estimates for HIV/AIDS prevention included in the Program of Action are clearly inadequate ($1.3 billion in 2002, $ 1.4 billion in 2005). The HIV/AIDS pandemic affects more than 42 million individuals today and the United Nations Secretary-General estimates that more than $ 10 billion will be needed annually for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

As a result of the initiative taken by the UN Secretary-General and following a special session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS, a Global Fund on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis has been set up in Geneva, Switzerland and it has received pledges from several governments to the tune of more than $ 4 billion covering a period of 3 years. US President George W. Bush pledged earlier this year that the United States will provide $ 15 billion to fight HIV/AIDS particularly in Africa and the Caribbean over a period of 5 years; and several other countries, including Japan and UK, also have pledged large sums of money for HIV/AIDS.

The increasing contribution being made by several Western governments and Japan to combating HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases is to be welcomed; though we remain far short of the annual target of $ 10 billion set by the Secretary-General. At the same time, I would like to submit that this worthwhile effort must not be undertaken at the expense of support for family planning and reproductive health programs. The trend in this regard is quite worrying. The tabulation of the financial resources for population activities in 2001 shows that the donors are contributing only about $ 2.5 billion as against the goal of $ 5.7 billion set by Cairo. Of the amount of $ 2.5 billion, 39 per cent was spent on STD/HIV/AIDS, while 30 per cent was spent on family planning services, 24 per cent on other reproductive health services and 8 per cent on basic research, data and policy analysis. The funding for family planning services has decreased from 55 per cent in 1995 to 30 per cent in 2001; while the funding for basic health services rose from 18 per cent in 1995 to 30 per cent in 1999 but has declined to 24 per cent in 2001.The funding for research, data and policy analysis has declined during the same period from 18 per cent to 8 per cent.

As the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has repeatedly pointed out, the need and the demand for commodities and services in the area of family planning and reproductive health continue to grow, particularly in the poorest countries which can least afford to allocate the funds required. As we approach the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, the governments, NGOs and the international community should refocus their attention on how international assistance can be substantially increased to accelerate the implementation of the ICPD goals, particularly on reproductive health.

Mr Jyoti Shanker Singh is the President of ‘Population 2005’ and very old associate of ICYO movement. 134 representatives attended the Conference from 52 countries around the world including ICYO.

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Send the blank email to subscribe YI: YouthInformation-subscribe@...

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This is newsletter from ICYO

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

Khare Apart. 194-A, Safdarjung Enclave

New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093 

Phone/Fax: 91 11 26183978

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

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

 

 

ICYO   Youth Information E-Newsletter

 December 2003 

 

] ICYO - Platform of 350 Youth Organizations in India.          

Z ICYO - India’s largest network of urban and rural youth.                           ICYO Membership is open now for youth, age groups 14-26.

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Partnership UNESCO-ICYO:  “Breaking the Poverty cycle of Women:
Empowering adolescent girls to become the agents of social transformation”

 

ICYO has been identified by UNESCO’s Section for Youth as a partner organization in a UNESCO project pertaining to the organization’s cross-cutting theme “Eradication of poverty, especially extreme poverty.” Based in four countries (India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh), the main objective of the project is to empower young people, in particular adolescent girls aged 14 to 18, to become the agents of social transformation, ensuring their participation in society as equal and valuable partners.

 

This unique and ambitious program comprises a number of interlocking components to promote education and skills development, awareness of science and application of technology, micro-finance for entrepreneurship, health and legal counseling and the development of guidelines for related policy.

 

A major challenge of the project is to monitor and evaluate the process of empowerment of the young girls/women and to measure the levels of social transformation, hence development impacts. In accordance with UNESCO’s strategy of action WITH and FOR youth, which strives to involve young people as equal partners in all aspects of project planning and implementation, local youth NGOs are directly involved and in charge of the Monitoring and Evaluation component of the project.

 

The Peer Group Monitoring and Evaluation used by ICYO as the selected local youth NGO in India is an innovative approach that will provide project partners with a better reflective mechanism to evaluate the project’s progress from the recipient’s experience, i.e. from a youth perspective. By observing the progress of the project and its objectives through the young people’s eyes –it is they, after all, who are the experts on their situation-, UNESCO is striving to ensure that the needs of the adolescent girls and the objectives of the project are truly integrated and fulfilled. Furthermore, this component of the project provides a substantial opportunity for capacity-building of the youth NGO partners assuming this challenging task.

 

The knowledge gained from this impact evaluation study entrusted to ICYO and the local youth NGOs in the three other countries will also provide critical input into the appropriate design of future programs and projects. With this approach to the monitoring and evaluation dimension of the project, UNESCO is the first international organization to include direct youth participation in poverty eradication strategies.

 

For more information on UNESCO’s strategies of action with and for youth, please also consult www.unesco.org/youth

 

AIDS/AIDS/AIDS/AIDS/AIDS/AIDS/AIDS/AIDS/AIDS/AIDS/AIDS

 

Miss Universe, Amelia Vega Promotes World AIDS Day  

 

Amelia Vega is the most beautiful woman in the world. But the reigning Miss Universe is less concerned with her striking looks than with striking a blow against the ugliness of the international AIDS epidemic. 

 

"The problem is people are afraid to talk about AIDS in my country," Vega says. "We need to talk about it, learn about it and begin to solve our problems through education and changes in behavior that put people at risk. Young people are at risk and they need good information."

 

WHO and AIDS

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) called on developing countries to train and organize 100,000 health care and nonprofessional workers to carry out its plan to begin delivering antiretroviral drugs to three million AIDS patients by the end of 2005.

 

The WHO said 6 million of the 40 million people infected with the AIDS virus were in immediate need of antiretroviral treatment, but that only about 480,000 were receiving it.

 

6000 Young HIV+ Every Day

 

The face of HIV/AIDS is primarily young, and all too often female. Almost 12 million young people (aged 15-24) and 3 million children live with HIV or AIDS. The majority of new infections are among the young - 6,000 young people and almost 2,000 children become HIV-positive every day, UNICEF says.

 

Youth Must be in involved in Decision making

 

ICYO strongly believe that youth do not have the opportunity to participate at decision-making levels, even in issues that affect them so much. As regards HIV/AIDS, the youth are key stakeholders, they are the most vulnerable and they are the most infected. Hence, they are major agents in the fight against AIDS. Out of the 40 million people infected world over, youth constitute 30% (12 million) are youth and this calls for urgent action.

 

Every third girl will experience violence in her lifetime: UNIFEM 

 

The United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, says one in three women will be raped, beaten, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. The United Nations released its findings to coincide with Elimination of Violence Against Women Day on 25^th November. UNIFEM Director Noleen Heyzer says the stark statistics sum up the crisis confronting women throughout the world.

 

"If we imagine a classroom, one in every three girls will experience violence in her lifetime. We also know the terrible cost of violence against women," he said. "It is a cost that it is too high. We need to end violence against women. We need to end it. In fact, not a minute more can we put up with this violence against women".

 

UNIFEM's findings are based on a series of regional reviews conducted last year. The report also marks the 10th anniversary of the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights, which placed women's rights on the international agenda for the first time.

 

Up - Coming Events:

 

Int. Cultural Youth Summit

 

The Youth Without Barriers Movement will be hosting the first International Cultural Youth Summit with the theme Young People Creation a Global Culture from 14-18 January 2004 in Philippines.

 

The main objectives are including Promote intercultural education as factor for youth empowerment, establish sustainable partnerships among youth organizations around the globe, and highlight the imperative of cultural development and preservation in the evolving global order.

 

The Summit is open for Youth Delegates age 18-34 from around the world and of diverse social, cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds.

For more information contact: reauy_opasc@...

 

Digital Generations: Children, young people and new media

Date: 26-29 July 2004

Location: London, England

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

Contact: newmedia2004@... 

 

Europe, Youth and Globalization

 

From 5th to to 9th May 2004, the Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the North-South Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, will hold a large-scale youth event in Strasbourg, France, on the theme "Europe, Youth and Globalization".

 

Workshops Trafficking and HIV/AIDS

Date: 10-11 December 2003

Location: New Delhi, India.

Organizer: STOP and Regional HIV and Development Programme, UNDP.

Theme: Trafficking and HIV/AIDS – Disaggregating the Vulnerabilities

Contact: romadeba@...

 

3rd Annual Hawaii International Conference on Social Sciences

Date: June 16 - 19, 2004

Location: Honolulu Hawaii, USA

Organizer: East West Council for Education, Center of Asian Pacific Studies of Peking University

Contact: social@...        http://www.hicsocial.org

Global Medical Parliamentarians Conference

 

AFPPD and IMPO with UNFPA and the Japan Trust Fund for Parliamentarians will organize yet another unique event for parliamentarians from all parts of the world who have medical background.  The conference will take place in Bangkok from 6-7 December 2003.

 

DaimlerChrysler and UNESCO launch Mondialogo

DaimlerChrysler and UNESCO have launched a new partnership programme known as Mondialogo to promote intercultural dialogue and exchange, respect and tolerance.  In short, it aims to help different cultures to live together by encouraging young people to interact with their peers from other parts of the world.  It will do this via an interactive website, a school contest and an engineering award.

 
For detail visit: www.mondialogo.org

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This is newsletter from ICYO

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations

Khare Apart. 194-A, Safdarjung Enclave

New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093 

Phone/Fax: 91 11 26183978

Email: icyo@...   

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India.  ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. Its family consists of over 350 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.

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