World has failed to meet MDG on girls’ education says new report
A new report released by the Global Campaign for Education on International Women's Day criticises world leaders for their failure to achieve a very important MDG - getting equal numbers of girls as boys into school by 2005. The majority of developing countries are set to miss the target, and new research cited in the report shows that an extra 1 million child deaths will occur this year alone because of failure to close the education gap that girls face. The campaign group warned that slow progress on girls' education is perpetuating hunger, poverty and ill health. 'This is the first of the Millennium goals to be missed,' said GCE coordinator Anne Jellema, 'and it is being swept under the carpet. The credibility and the attainability of all the other Millennium goals will be seriously undermined unless the international community agrees fresh action and new resources to guarantee a basic education to every girl.
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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations 194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029 email: icyoindia@... / icyo@...
US threat fires India
to target trafficking Rajnish Sharma, New
Delhi, March 23,2005
The Home Ministry plans a series of measures
to check trafficking of women and children following a US warning that it will
impose economic sanctions on India from June for its failure to do so.
Ministry sources said US Ambassador to India
David Mulford met Home Minister Shivraj Patil over a week ago and conveyed to
him that under the US's Victims of Trafficking and Violence Act, India's
position could be downgraded for not doing enough to curb trafficking. If this
happens, the US will be bound to vote against loans to India from international
financial institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the
Asian Development Bank.
The Centre seems keen on taking some tough
measures to tackle the problem. Patil has convened a meeting of senior officials
of the Home Ministry and the Department of Women and Child Welfare on March 28
in this regard.
The Home Ministry is also planning ask all
states - especially Bihar, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and
Maharashtra, where the problem is acute -- to initiate strict measures against
trafficking.
"States where the problem is more acute
will be asked to rope in voluntary agencies to launch programmes for
rehabilitation for such victims," a senior ministry official said.
Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata - which are
viewed as "big markets" for the flesh trade will be asked to launch
special drives to check trafficking, particularly of minor girls.
New Delhi also plans to get security forces
manning the porous Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bangladesh borders to step up the vigil
since women from Nepal and Bangladesh are regularly smuggled into India and
sold.
The ministry, which will send a detailed
report to the US ambassador on the measures initiated to check human
trafficking, will also monitor the use of funds received from US agencies in
India for "training and sensitising" people on the issue. (Hindustan
Times, Delhi edition, 24 March 2005)
The Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) will organize the ‘South Asian Conference of Youth Organizations’ with support from World Bank. The Conference will be held from 16 -18 March 2005 in New Delhi, India. ICYO invites youth from organizations working for young people to attend the Conference. The Conference is open for youth under 24.
The conference will focus on capacity building of Youth Organizations and discuss various issues directly concern to young people. Some are HIV and Risky behaviour, Employment, Peace and Conflict prevention. Some other issues include MDGs, need of networking to strengthen the cooperation etc. The organizer will provide the lodging boarding and travel grant to selected participants.
For more detail and application form contact:
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) 194-A, Arjun Nagar Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India Phone 91 9811729093 / 91 11 26183978 Email: youthorgconference@... / icyo@... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India. ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. It's family consists of over 354 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India. Affiliation: Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations; Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development; Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC); Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN), ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Partner of AIDS Care Watch Campaign, Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand. Close collaboration/working relation with Asian Forum of Parliamentarians (AFPPD), Int. Medical Parliamentarians Organization (IMPO), World Youth Foundation, Malaysia.
Participation in South Asian Conference of Youth Organizations
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) with the support from World Bank is organizing the ‘South Asian Conference of Youth Organizations’ from 16-18 March 2005 in New Delhi to discuss and formulate the plan of action for capacity building of organizations serving to youth.
The conference will also provide the platform to discuss the outcomes of World Conference held Sarajevo. This conference is one of the event of ICYO towards the capacity building of organizations and involve the youth and youth organizations in development process. ICYO expecting the WB official’s presence and participation.
The HIV/AIDS and risky behaviours, Employment, Peace and Conflict Prevention and related issues will also be discussed in the Conference.
ICYO invites the nomination (must be under 24 year of age) from youth organizations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Maldev.
The lodging boarding (shared accommodation) and travel will be provided all selected participants.
Interested youth organization to receive the application form, please send the profile of organization to youthorgconference@...
Please note that ICYO member organizations in India and partners in other South Asian Countries will get the preference to attend the Conference.
We are pasting more information below. The ICYO secretariat will happy to provide any additional information you may need.
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Announcement:
South Asian Conference of Youth Organizations
The Youth organizations has vital role in development of civil society in general and young people in particular, in South Asia. Last few years, it is felt that organization working for youth are has more responsibilities in compare to early days. The HIV/AIDS is spreading rapidly and affect mostly young people, globalization affect the employment market thus unemployment is major problem face by youth. And many more issues which need to readdress.The organizations deal with youth need to reorient themselves to tune according the need of time.
Recently, World Bank organized the Second ‘Youth, Development and Peace Conference (YDP 2004) in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and conference’s prime recommendation is to capacity building of organizations dealing with young people.The recent Delhi visit of World Bank’s President Mr. James Wolfensohn and meeting with youth further extended his and WB commitment with and for youth.
ICYO with the support of World Bank is organizing the ‘South Asian Conference of Youth Organizations’ from 16-18 March 2005 in New Delhi to discuss and formulate the plan of action for capacity building of organizations serving the youth and other related issues.
The conference will also provide the platform to discuss the outcomes of World Conference held Sarajevo. This conference is one of the event of ICYO towards the capacity building of organizations and involve the youth and youth organizations in development process. ICYO expecting the WB official’s presence and participation.
The capacity building in issues like HIV/AIDS and risky behaviours, Employment, Peace and Conflict Prevention will be in focus.
ICYO invites the nomination from youth organizations/ organizations working for youth to attend this conference. The participants must be under 24, involved in organizational activities, good/communicable knowledge of English language.
ICYO will take care of lodging boarding during the conference and travel support to selected participants.
Please note this is the information only, after receiving the nominations, selected participants will communicate with invitation letter including the detail of venue and other logistics. Please note that the medium of the conference will be English.
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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) Phone 91 9811729093 Fax: 91 11 26183978 Email: icyo@... / youthorgconference@... --------------------------------------- Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India. ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. It's family consists of over 354 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.
Affiliation: Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations; Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development; Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC); Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN), ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Partner of AIDS Care Watch Campaign, Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand. Close collaboration/working relation with Asian Forum of Parliamentarians (AFPPD), Int. Medical Parliamentarians Organization (IMPO), World Youth Foundation, Malaysia.
The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) will organize the Asia-Pacific Workshop of Academic Parliamentarians from 8-9 March 2005 in Krabi, Thailand.
The main objective of the workshop is discuss interlinking education with population and sustainable development. Other issues included are young people and the need for sexual and reproductive health education and counseling, cultural and religious factors, HIV/AIDS, role of media, and the impact of ICT. Around 60 members of parliament with academic background and youth from the field, are expected to attend.
The Youth from Asia Pacific, under 24 will be invited for the workshop. The fund to support the travel and lodging boarding will be provided to selected youth. Interested youth may contact ICYO secretariat with full detail of their work and detail of organizations where they are involved.
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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) 194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjung Enclave New Delhi 110029 Phone 11 26183978 / 9811729093 Email: icyo@hathway.com / icyo@...
Youth
participation in Workshop of Academic Parliamentarians
The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians
on Population and Development has been constantly working to enhance the reach
of parliamentarians for their education, motivation and involvement in
population and sexual and reproductive health programme.
Asia-Pacific Workshop of Academic
Parliamentarians is initiative involve parliamentarians with academic
background, specifically those who have been teachers and professors to discuss
education and population, communication, and population research. The workshop
will seek their views about legal and policy changes in population education and
communication.
The meeting will discuss
interlinking education with population and sustainable development. Other
issues included are young people and the need for sexual and reproductive
health education and counselling, cultural and religious factors, HIV/AIDS,
role of media, and the impact of ICT. Around 60 members of parliament with
academic background are expected to attend.
The organizer is also inviting the
youth from the regions of target age under 24 from youth organization working
on issue of the workshop. The “Youth Organization” from Asia Pacific region
interested to attend the event send the profile and detail of youth to icyo@...
The workshop will be held in from
8-9 March 2005 in Krabi, Thailand. The selected participants will provided the
full hospitality including the airfare etc.
Vacancies:
ICYO
looking for Delhi based young people for the following work:
1.
Communication Associate: having communication skill, prepare the report, document,
Knowledge of web designing.
2.Programme support staff:Having a degree in social work, Skills in coordination and also has good
communication skills. Preference would be giving to those who have command over
English.
E – Newsletter
of Indian Committee of Youth
Organizations
February 2005 (First Issue)
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a coordinating
body of 354 Youth Organizations in India, working as umbrella organization for
Youth.
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World Bank EDs meet Youth group.
The group of Executive Directors of World Bank is traveling
South Asia and meet various groups, visit various projects. On 4th
February 2005, these Executive Directors meet the youth group in World Bank
office in New Delhi.
During the discussion with youth group, WB officials brief
about the purpose of the visit and youth and representatives of youth
organizations also gave brief detail of their work.
Mr Gopal Jain of SAYEN need to be inclusion sustainable development and youth
in main component in all project in future, BYST informed the entrepreneur
development programme undertake by them. The students from LSR College, Delhi
needs more programme for ‘self help’. Mr Naresh Karmalker, Habitat for Humanity
International briefed about their programme in campus and work undertaken of
house building in tsunami hit areas.
Mr. Komal Tripathi from STOP brief about the activities of organizations and
work going on for survivors in trafficked and sexually exploited girls;
HIV/AIDS awareness in these group. Mr. Gaurav
Pasricha of AIESEC brief of skill and capacity building of youth through
placement and other related activities.
Earlier, Ms Gitanjali Chopra, Youth Focal Point in WB,
welcomes the guest and gave the background of youth initiatives by WB.Mr Ravi Narayan, Secretary General, Indian
Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) after the introduction of organization,
briefed about ICYO’s involvement with WB in Youth field. Mr Narayan informed
the visiting Exec. Drictors that ICYO will organize the South Asia level youth
conference in coming March to discuss and chalk-out the programme to implement
the agenda set in World Bank’s conference held in Sarajevo last year.
The member of visiting group includes the Ad MELKERT -
Executive Director from the Netherlands, representing also
Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,
Georgia, Israel, former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Moldova, Netherlands, Romania, and Ukraine; Tom SCHOLAR - Executive
Director representing the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland on the Boards
of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund; Pietro
VEGLIO - Executive Director from Switzerland
representing also Azerbaijan, Kyrgyz
Republic, Poland, Serbia and Montenegro,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; Jorge FAMILIAR CALDERON -
Alternate Executive Director from Mexico, representing also Costa
Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua,
Spain, and Venezuela; Terrence O’BRIEN -Alternate Executive Director from Australia, representing
also Cambodia, Kiribati, Korea,
Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia,
Mongolia, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea,
Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu; Toshio OYA - Alternate Executive Director
from Japan; Anthony REQUIN - Alternate Executive Director from France.
Mr. Chander Mohan Vasudev,
Executive Director from India, representing also
Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka also present in meeting.
Fertility rate dropped in developing
countries
The Fertility rate in developing countries has
dropped below three children per women for the first time, said the World
Fertility 2003, a U.N. report, released recently. Report said the fertility
rate of 2.9 came as people across developing nations are waiting longer to
marry and have children, and are using family planning including contraception
more often.
"Women and men in developing countries are
marrying later, having fewer children and having them later," a summary of
the report said.
Among key findings of the report: In the world's
192 countries, the number of women between the ages
of 25 and 29 who are single rose from 15 percent in the 1970s to 24 percent in
the 1990s. For men, the increase was from 32 percent to 44 percent.
The report, "World Fertility 2003,"
said government policies had played a central role in changing reproductive
behavior. It cited support by 92 percent of all governments for family
planning, and widespread backing for the distribution of contraceptives.
According to the report, the use of
contraceptives rose from 38 percent to 52 percent of women. In the developing
world, the numbers also rose, from 27 percent to 40 percent.
The report issued by the U.N. Department of
Economic and Social Affairs' Population Division.
Young people in the service of Tsunami
victim
We received some reports on the activities undertaken by
various organizations, in this issue we reproduce the report from CRED.
Centre for Rural Education and Development on 28th
December, to Nagai district and could see the problems like - no man power
to remove dead bodies, lack of drinking water, non availability of food,
clothes, medicines and requirement for trauma counseling to the individuals and
absence of administrative machinery to take control of situation etc.
Immediately we could inform our office and mobilize our SHG members
with rice, wheat powder, old clothes, medicines, water pockets and reached
the spot again on 29th late night and organized the relief work. Team
realized the old clothes were not used properly and in fact there was
inconvenience in the distribution. Meanwhile on 30th materials were dumped by
many organizations in the HQ and Team also had the problem in distribution,
that too remote areas. The CRED - Family Counselling Centres was assisting
us by sending counsellors for Truma counselling to the affected people
CRED with SHG volunteers were went there
and given a lot of dresses and groceries and other rehabilitative
things, also collected donations and given to that people.
Int. Youth Meeting on Environment and
Disaster Management
The World Youth Foundation will host an
international meeting among young people on Environment and Disaster Management
in June 2005.The discussion will cover
related to environment and disaster management like awareness and prevention
programmes pertaining to Environment and Disaster Management; problems and
solution pertaining to relief and volunteer coordination; role of information
technology in disaster management; climate change and environment
conservation/management; key message for example of progress made or good
programmes that highlight the role of young people in environment and
disaster management and many more.
Consultation on Combating CSA – Changing Realities
AALI will organize the two
Days National Level Consultation on
“Combating Child Sexual Abuse – Changing Realities” from March 18 – 19 March
2005 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, supported by SCF (UK), India.
The focal issue of the
Consultation would be legal protection required by and provided for the
children in abusive situation specially those who are in; conflict with law –
as witnesses, delinquents or proven delinquents; an abusive situation in need of
support, especially if the abuse is placed in the family domain.
Youth Forum on Ethics of Science and Technology
World Commission on the
Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) be held in Bangkok,
Thailand from March 23 – 25, 2005. Empowering youth on ethics of science and
technology would be of great advantage to create and strengthen awareness of
our youth on ethical issues.Therefore,
during the COMEST, a Youth Forum on Ethics of Science and Technology will also
be organized in parallel to the Session to provide an opportunity to youth to
share and discuss on ethical problems.This is a good opportunity to provide youth to meet and discuss in order
to share and exchange their views on ethical issues on science and technology
focusing on the use of information and technology, plagiarism behavior of
scientists, and innovative creativity.
Kofi Annan will launch the UN
Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
The United Nations Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development will be officially launched on March 1 2005 in New
York.
The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and UNESCO's Koïchiro
Matsuura will be present at the ceremony. In addition to the international
launch, a series of regional and national launches of the Decade will take
place during the course of 2005.
Youth Conference on
Peace
The Association Waslala and Casa de la Juventud
de Alcobendas will host this Youth Conference on Peace issues from March 14 –
19, 2005 in Madrid, Spain. Participants will share strategies on peace related
programs. Applicants aged 24 to 39 with experience in youth work, peace action
or global issues are welcomed. For more information or for an application, log
on http://waslala.net/conference/
Vacancies:
ICYO
looking for Delhi based young people for the following work:
1.Communication
Associate: Having the capacity to document, Knowledge of computer programme including
web designing.
2.Programme
support staff: Having a degree in social work, Skills in coordination and also
has good communication skills. Preference would be giving to those who have command
over English.
Indian
Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit,
non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of
mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary
agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth
welfare in India. ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth
NGOs
in India. It's family consists of over 354 organizations spread in 122
districts
of 22 states from different corners of India.
Affiliation:
Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations;
Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development;
Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth
Environment Network (SAYEN), Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand;
ATSECE-DELHI,
Indian Partner of AIDS Care Watch Campaign;
Working
relation with Indian Association of Parliamentarians (IAPPD);
International Medical Parliamentarians Organizations (IMPO); AFPPD.e
- Medical Parliamentarians
around the world want RH as MDG
- Trainings.
- National Conference on “Tomorrow’s
Youth Today.
- Workshop for Academic Parliamentarians.
- UN Millennium
Project Report 2005.
- UN conference adopts 10-year plan to tackle natural
hazards.
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ICYO
–Youth Information
Newsletter from
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
January
2005 - Second Issue.
Youth in the
service of Tsunami victim
Tsunami in
Tamil Nadu damaged thousands of houses leaving the hundred of thousands
homeless, and its now the responsibilities of civil society to put them in
permanent shelter, help them to build their home again to return in normal
life. To assess the damage and look at the possibilities of ‘youth assistance
for rehabilitation’, Dr S. N. Subba Rao visited the area on 12 January 2005.
He also visited
the Nagapattanum, the worst hit area and find that there is urgent need of help
there decided to organize the Youth Camp in this area.
The National
Youth Project will invites the 200 youth from the network to help in
re-building the community living in Nagapattanum and near by areas.
There is shortage
of medicines for tsunami sufferers therefore organizer appeal to participants attending
the camp to collect the medicine. The organizer also released the list of
medicines needed, this included MVI Polzhin 30; Dexona 30 vials; Avil 30 Vials;
Scalp Vein Set 30; IV Infusion Set30; Micropore/ Streaking; Injection
RL/NS/DNS; Cetrinzine Syrup; Amox +Paracetamol Syrup; Cetrizine Tablets;
dressing material; antibiotics etc.
Stage
set for WAY General Assembly
The preparation
for the fourteen General Assembly (GA) of World Assembly of Youth (WAY) is
going on and all set to held in Windhoek, Namibia, from February 20-23, 2005.
The secretary
general of the WAY, Mr. Donald Charumbira, has said that the large number of
national youth councils and number of ministries of youth, confirmed their
participation in forthcoming WAY General Assembly. Mr Charumbia speaking at a
preparatory meeting recently held in Malaka, Malaysia, for the GA.
"We are
pleased with the response of National Youth Councils from around the world, as
they have not had such an opportunity to gather in such numbers for some time.
More pleasing is the response of ministries of youth and other governmental
organs that are also attending, thus making the General Assembly an important
bridge between civil society and governments.
During the
General Assembly, World Youth Awards shall be presented to three outstanding
National Youth Councils, and an award for exemplary leadership will also be
presented to Namibia's President Sam Nujoma.
Medical Parliamentarians around the world want RH as MDG
The Senate of Malaysia
hosted the 6th International Medical Parliamentarians Conference with an Asian
Focus on “MDG's – Poverty and Health: Connecting Parliamentarians With Ground
Realities” on 13-14 December 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The participants
discussed issues such as poverty, MDG's and its impact on health including
reproductive health. Roles of medical parliamentarians in promoting these
issues were also discussed. Efforts were made to expose medical
parliamentarians with some case studies.
The conference
resulted with a unanimous statement that ‘Population and Reproductive Health’
should be part of the MDGs as stated in Strasbourg Parliamentarians
Declaration.
The Conference
organized by International Medical Parliamentarians Organization (IMPO).
Trainings
The
Centre for Media Studies announce training on various issues including Project
Management (15-16 February 2005); Behavioral Change Communication
(8-11 February 2005); Financial Management (24-25 February 2005) and training
will be held in Delhi, India.For cost
and other details contact chetna@...
Correction
The last issue of Youth Information, acknowledge the CRIN
Annual Report. Please note, this report is published by ‘Child Rights
Information Network’ and not by Save the Children as stated in newsletter. The
Save the Children is the host of thy network.
ICYO would like extending thanks to CRIN staff to bring the
mistake in our notice.
National Conference on Tomorrow’s Youth Today – reviewing
roles of 10-14 years old
The Family
Planning Association of India announce its National Conference on above theme.
The main purpose of the conference is to bring different stakeholders on a
common platform and examine the issues of 10-14 years old within the context of
development and developing effective program strategies.
The objectives
of the conference will be to identify and review the current situation in terms
of the sexual and reproductive health concerns and needs of the very young
adolescents; recommend appropriate strategies for effective reproductive and
sexual health programmes and policies.
The conference
will be held from February 23-24, 2005 in New Delhi, India and last date for
registration is February 15, 2005.India.
AFPPD
will organize the Asia-Pacific Workshop of Academic Parliamentarians and held
from March 8-9, 2005 in Krabi, Thailand. Representatives of National
parliamentary Committees of AFPPD in the regions are expected to attend the
event.
The
workshop is important for parliamentarians those belong to teaching
profession.The workshop will also seek
their views about legal and policy changes in population education and
communication.
UN Millennium Project Report 2005
The United
Nations, Delhi office will released the UN Millennium Project Report 2005 on
February 2, 2005.The report titled ‘Investing
in Development: A practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs)’.
Dr. Rohini
Nayyar, Senior Consultant, Planning Commission will be chair the event and Prof.
Jeffery D. Sachs, Director, Millennium Project will present the report.
UN conference adopts 10-year plan to tackle
natural hazards
The United
Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction – a long-planned event that
gained added importance in the wake of the recent Indian Ocean tsunami – has
concluded in Kobe, Japan, with countries pledging to reduce the risks facing
millions of people who are exposed to natural calamities.
At the final session on January 22,2005 of the conference
adopted the “Hyogo Framework for Action: 2005 – 2015,” which calls for putting
disaster risk at the center of national policies, strengthening the capacity of
disaster-prone countries to address risk, and investing heavily in disaster
preparedness.
“This new plan will help reduce the gap between what we know
and what we do; the critical ingredient is political commitment,” said UN
Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland, who has been deeply involved in the
tsunami relief effort.
Taking place less than one month after that catastrophic
event claimed more than 165,000 lives, the conference heard numerous voices
from around the globe pledging to foster protection against future calamities.
Speaking at the closing meeting, the President of the
Conference, Yoshitaka Murata, said “these five days spent in Kobe will make a
real difference in the way we look at hazards, at risks and vulnerability, and
that we all truly engage on the road for a safer world.”
The conference also adopted a declaration recommending that
a “culture of disaster prevention and resilience” must be fostered and
recognizing the relationship between disaster reduction, sustainable
development and poverty reduction.
While hailing the progress achieved in Kobe, Mr. Egeland
cautioned that success is “contingent on partnerships on working together to
meet this global challenge.”
At the meeting, an International Early Warning Programme was
launched to improve resilience to all types of natural hazards including droughts,
wildland fires, floods, typhoons, hurricanes, landslides, volcanic eruption and
tsunamis. This UN initiative will emphasize the importance of people-centered
early warning systems and community education about disaster preparedness.
In response to last month's tsunami disaster, the World
Conference held a special session where delegates pledged their support to
create a regional tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean. The new
warning system will draw from the experience of the Pacific Ocean tsunami early
warning systems making use of the existing coordination mechanism of the
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UNESCO.
Also launched during the Conference were an international
flood initiative, an alliance to support earthquake risk reduction and the
earthquake megacities initiative, all geared to helping countries and
communities cope with disasters.
“The world may
not be a safer place next week but that is when we will have to start working
together to ensure that commitments made at this event become a reality,” said
Mr. Egeland. (UN News Centre)
ICYO is a non
-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual
cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth
orgs. and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India.
It’s functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. ICYO family
consists of 354 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22statesfrom 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 status in Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Member of Youth for Habitat International Network;
Member of CRIN;
Member of South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN);
Member of ATSECE - Delhi,
Affiliate group of ECPAT Int., Thailand.
Working relation World Youth Foundation (WYF), Malaysia.
Input invited on “World Programme of Action for Youth”
Cash incentives for family planning is increased
Upcoming events
Acknowledge
ICYO – Youth Information Newsletter
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
January 2005
Platform of 354 Youth Organizations in India
India’s largest network of urban and rural youth
Conference of Youth Organizations
The year 2005 is very important for youth as it’s a time to see back what happened in last ten year since World Programme of Action for Youth was chalk-out. Various programmes already announce worldwide to talk stock of current status of young people.
The Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is planning to organize the “Conference of Youth Organizations” in New Delhi to discuss the all the issues related to young people and role of youth organizations to help the young people.
In tentative agenda the conference will focus on:
HIV/AIDS and risky behaviour – Youth are main target of HIV/AIDS and they are also blame for spreading the disease and not working enough to stop it. Is the need of educating the children to protect their future? Care and support needs of children and youth living with HIV/AIDS.
Youth Employment – The India’s youth population is 540 millions and unemployment is major concern for them in “world of open economy’. The conference will look at the problem and discuss possible steps to overcome it.
Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse of children and youth – The problem of sexual abuse; exploitation and trafficking is the growing concern for civil society but not much work is done to protect the innocent. Unemployment and over-population are adding the problem. Conference will discuss the issue in depth.
Population and Family Planning – India has oldest family programme in the world, even than its failed and population is growing fast. At present majority of population is youth in India. The youth organizations sideline in all family programmes lead to no involvement of young people in practicing and promoting the family planning methods.
Conflict Prevention – People unrest in the civil society one of growing problem and need of education young people to ensure play role in conflict prevention and resolution.
Empower and strengthen of Youth Organizations – The conference will discuss the ways and means to enhance the capacity of youth organizations.
The Conference will also discuss other issues like education, peace, culture promotion, ageing, and problem facing by physically challenged young people.
Campaign against Trafficking
STOP organized Anti-trafficking Rally in New Seema Puri and Bawana areas of New Delhi on December 5, 2005 on the occasion of Anti-trafficking day. The main purpose of these rallies was to create awareness generation in these two areas, because traffickers always target these localities.
A large participation of locals are shows the concern and anger, specially the women and young girls. The messages to combat trafficking and exploitation of children and women spread through street plays and community singing.
Community awareness and vigilance has always been a strong point of STOP's intervention in its effort to fight against trafficking said Ms Debabrata, President of STOP, she added that these rallies were organized to increase the community awarenss.
ATSEC Delhi Meet
ATSEC Delhi Chapter meeting held on December 20, 2004 and discuss in depth to protect the children and youth of Delhi from sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and trafficking. The Delhi chapter decided in meeting to published the bilingual newsletter to create awareness on the issues that’s ATSEC is working, This is also decided to organize the youth conference in Delhi.
New President for European Youth Forum
The European Youth Forum elected Mr. Renaldas Vaisbrodas, its new president in General Assembly held at Madrid on 11-13 November 2005. He holds the Vice President post in past bureau. Mr. James Doorely and Ms Bettina Schwarzmayr are the new Voice Presidents and new Bureau Members are Ms Marta Escribano, Ms. Hiroshima Mandee, Ms Mariana Turcan,Mr Joao Salviano Carmo,Mr Lief Holmberg, Mr Jan Kreutz, Mr Peter Torp, Mr Jaakko Weuro,
CSD will review the Youth Report
The Commission for Social Development (CSD) will meet for its 43rd session in February 9 –18, 2005 at UN headquarters in New York, USA.One of main agenda is to review of the ‘World Programme of Action for Youth’ and discuss the Secretary-General's World Youth Report 2005.
A panel discussion on the global situation of youth will also be held on February 14, 2005.The panel discussion will focus on linkages between the World Programme of Action for Youth and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), entitled "Working with Young People on Common Goals".
Input invited on “World Programme of Action for Youth”
In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly will review the achievements made in the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth, ten years after itsadoption. UN invited the input from youth and youth organizations. Reviews received from before 30 April 2005 will be summarized into a report that will be submitted to the General Assembly.
All youth organisations are invited to submit their WPAY review well before 30 April 2005 to the UN Programme on Youth.
Cash incentives for family planning increased
In a population control drive in Maoist-dominated tribal areas of Chhattisgarh state of India where couples prefer several children, the local has announced cash incentives for men and women opting for family planning methods.
State Health Minister of Chhattisgarh said that cash incentives would now be increased for men going in for vasectomy to Rs.250 from the earlier amount of Rs.140. Women going in for tubectomy would get Rs.200 from the earlier Rs.40.
"We will try to convince the local population in these areas to adopt the two-child norm and avail of the cash incentives apart from several government schemes and loans reserved for parents with two or less than two kids," he said. These trabals traditionally go for about six children.
Upcoming events:
Essay Competition by World Bank
The World Bank invite young people to participate in an International Essay Competition ‘share your ideas on development’ and win $5,000.
This year's competition focuses on practical solutions for building a secure future for yourself and others.
The topic of competition includes world’s current crises e.g. armed conflict, HIV/AIDS, unemployment and environmental risks - young people are on the front lines and are the main victims. For example, in Bangladesh, the regular flooding encountered by poor young people in this water-rich country is life threatening.
To learn what the lack of a secure future really means to youth, to understand how you deal with this challenge in your daily life and to enlist their help in finding solutions, the World Bank organize this an international Essay Competition: ‘Building a Secure Future’ - Seeking Practical Solutions; What are the biggest obstacles face in your daily life? - What practical solutions would youth propose to build a secure future for themselves and others?
The Participants must be between 18 and 25 years of age, students taking PhD courses are not eligible. The essays should not be longer than 10 pages (4000 words, maximum) and can be submitted in English, French or Spanish only. The deadline for submission is April 15, 2005 and finalists will be announced May 1, 2005. The first prize is US $ 5,000 and runners-up will get the US $1,000.
The 4th annual Regional Meeting of Oneworld, South Asia will be held on March 3-4, 2005 in New Delhi.
The theme this year is ‘Towards building Communities of Practice (CoPs) for achieving the MDGs’ and organizer is expecting 400 delegates from the region.
Conflict Management and Resolution
The Summer Institute on Conflict Management and Resolution is a two-week academic programme for people who recognise that one's ability to manage and resolve conflict is a key to personal effectiveness. In the international arena - whether one's work is management, policy and program planning, or finance - the cross-cultural dimension complicates the normal challenges of managing conflict, negotiating and mediating. Through lectures, discussions, opportunities for self-reflection, and many 'hands-on' exercises, the programme integrates theory and practice, allowing participants to develop their levels of both understanding and competence. Particular emphasis will be placed on negotiation and mediation skills, organizational conflict and the management of change - all with an eye toward cross-cultural differences.
The progrmme will be held from Jun 6-17, 2005 in Amsterdam, Netherland.
The Government of South Australia and the Australian National Commission to UNESCO will organize the International youth forum 'Young people taking the lead in social change'.
This program builds on current UNESCO youth agendas and discussions that have been canvassed in member countries. The event aims to support young people from across the globe making connections, networks and associations through a range of social gatherings and space for discussion.
The forum is open for youth aged 18 -25 and will be held in Adelaide, Australia from 1 to 4 March 2005. The SA Government has made a commitment to support and encourage young people to participate in their futures and the life of the State. The event will engage young people who may not normally have the opportunity to attend this kind of event and would thrive and develop from the experience, connections and learning.
International Conference on Women in Forestry
The 9th International Conference on"Women in Forestry" will be held in Lithuania from 22 - 28 May 2005.
The conference main purpose is to provide a first hand look at Lithuanian forestry practice. Log on: http://www.forest.lt/?1157196142
Roundtable on Environment and the Millennium Development Goals
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Millennium Campaign, and the United Nations Foundation will organize the roundtable on "Environment and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Influencing the 2005 Debate".
The meeting will take place February 1, 2005 in New York, USA.
Children and Poverty: Global Trends, Local Solutions.
The UNICEF and Graduate Program in International Affairs (GPIA), New School University will organize Conference on 'Children and Poverty: Global Trends, Local Solutions' from April 25 -27, 2005 in New York, USA
The conference will explore issues and trends related to children living in poverty by examining the concepts and measurements of poverty, as well as the actions needed to secure a protective, harmonious and stimulating environment for family upbringing.
The University of Oslo, Norwegian Social Research Association, Childwatch International Research Network will organize the conference on Childhoods 2005 from June 29 - July 3, 2005 in Oslo, Norway.
For more information contact: childhoods@...
Childstreet 2005
The International Institute for the Urban Environment will organize the international conference "Childstreet 2005" from August 24 - 26, 2005 in Delft, Netherlands.
The conference will bring together parents, politicians, planners, pressure groups, professionals, practitioners and other people to share current thinking and disseminate good practice on one of the most pressing challenges facing local government today: how can we facilitate children's needs for playing and independent (walking and cycling) mobility in ever busier cities?
During the conference we will look for solutions providing the on-street child-friendly balance between traffic and social activities like meeting and playing.
ICYO received the following publications in recent past. We hereby acknowledge the receipt and thanks for sending these valuable printed materials, which is useful for our work.
Youth Culture (English & Hindi):
Published by National Youth Project, New Delhi India.
Young Matters (English):
Published by North East Progressive Youth Forum, Guwahati, India
Youth of India:
Published by National Council of YMCAs of India, New Delhi, India.
Sexual Health Exchange: 2004/3-4 – (focused on Girls and young women)
Published by SAfAIDS and KIT, Zimbabwe.
Yuvahit:
Published by Mr Hitendra Somani, Pune,India.
CYP Young Asia
Published by CYP Asia Centre, Chandigarh, India.
AHRNews
Published by AHRN Thailand.
One Country
Published by Baha’I International Community, New York, USA.
Habitat Debate
Published by UN Habitat, Nairobi, Kenya.
Niti Marg (Hindi):
Published by Jayant Verma, Bhopal, India.
UN Newsletter (English):
Published by UN Information Centre, New Delhi. India
The HVP Hearld:
Published by Hindu Vidyapeeth, Nepal.
The World Parliaments
Published by Inter-Parliamentary Union, Geneva, Switzerland.
AFPPD Newsletter (English):
Published by AFPPD, Bangkok, Thailand.
Go Between (English):
Published by NGLS, Geneva, Switzerland.
Population 2005 (English):
Published by Population 2005, Washington DC, USA.
Books:
CRIN Annual Report
Published by Save the Children UK, UK.
Achieving Population and Development Goal by 2015
Published by Population 2005, Washington, USA.
Empower Women & Girls Prevent HIV/AIDS
Published by APAC Project, Voluntary Health Services, Chennai, T.N., India.
Planner for 2005
Published by APAC Project, Voluntary Health Services, Chennai, T.N., India.
------------------------------------ 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 354 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.
Affiliation: Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations; Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development; Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC); Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN), ATSECE-DELHI, Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand.
Int. Youth
Dialogue focused on employability and entrepreneurship
80
young people invited from 37 countries by GTZ in International Youth Dialogue
and XV Malente Symposium on ‘youth @ work’ reflecting the
growing realization that youth have a central role to play in policies
affecting their lives.
The
Int. Youth Dialogue was held in Lubec on 18
October 2004
and focused on ‘Youth and the Job Market: Prepared for each other.’
The Dialogue was the opportunity for young people to review and evaluate current international youth
employment efforts and present ways of achieving successful youth participation
in employment policy at country level.
The
day long discussion was ended with the presentation and question answer session
which was attended by high-level officials of GTZ and World Bank. The out come
of the Dialogue later presented in XV Malente
Symposium held in 19 and 20 October 2004 and attended by more than 350 delegates from all
over the world. This Symposium was also the meeting point of Ministers and
senior government officials from 7 of the YEN (Youth Employment Network) Lead
Countries. The First meeting of first roundtable meeting of YEN Lead Country
Ministers also held immediate after of this symposium.
Participants
focused on two out of four areas of common policy intervention as identified by
YEN, employability and entrepreneurship. While employability means investment
in education and vocational training, youth entrepreneurship, both social and
economic, has to be seen as a viable career option for young people.
Apart
from attending the above events youth also had the opportunity to visit various
youth organizations and youth projects in Germany on 21 to 23 October.
ICYO attended the
event.
HIV
& AIDS Prevention among Youth – Parliament support
The
Asian Forum in cooperation with UNFPA, IPPF and AIDCOM Malaysia has been
involved in a three country project “Advocacy for HIV & AIDS
Prevention among young people in Asia
and Pacific.” Under this project, “Advocacy intervention
package” has been prepared, which deals with issues and goals in HIV
prevention, developing an advocacy plan, stakeholders analysis for advocacy,
advocacy tools and techniques, and training of advocating; a trainers guide.
The
meeting of Members of Parliaments of selected countries, youth and experts were
convened in Bangkok,
Thailand
from 22 to 24
September 2004 by Asian Forum for
Parliamentarians on Population and Development.
Mr.
JagannathManda, M.P. from India
presented the paper ‘Successful policy change in HIV/AIDS and RH.
MrRaviNarayan, Secretary General of ICYO also invited and
attended the event.
Youth should take
responsibility of nation building
- Arjun Singh, HRD
Minister
The
time is come when Youth should take responsibility rather look for others for
nation building and development of young, said MrArjun Singh, Minister of Human Resource and Development. He
was addressing on 2nd December to 500 youth attending National Youth
Peace Camp held in Delhi from 26 November to 3
December 2004.
This camp was attended by youth from 22 states of India
He
presented compliments to young people for taking lead in creating peace and
harmony under the leadership of Dr SubbaRao. Mr Sunil Dutt,
Minister for Youth and Sports promise for all support from Youth ministry for
national integration programmes undertaken by young
people.
Mr.
Arjun Singh on his residence invited all the
participants of camp on 2nd December and attended by numbers of ministers and
members of parliament. The all religions prayer and musical drama in 18
languages are the main events of the evening.
ICYO
attended the event.
World
Bank President discussed youth issues with Indian Youth
Mr. James D. Wolfensohn, President of World Bank committed in World Bank
Conference on Youth Development and Peace (YDP) to work with youth organizations worldwide to achieve
the goal set in first conference held in 2003 at Paris for poverty reduction. The Conference was
held in September 2004 at Sarajevo, Bosnia.
To
keep his promise and commitment he invited youth leaders from ICYO for meeting
during his visit to India. First Country Director for India welcomes every in meeting. Than Mr. Wolfensohn talk about the their
commitments to words the youth and share some experiences while visiting the
youth project around the world.
World
Bank work in development sector to bridge the gap, he
said. He further clarified that he is not here to be patronizing the youth but
work with youth.
Pressing
on the Youth issues he said “Youth is not the ‘Future’; it is
the ‘Now’-unless the youth has hope and opportunity there can be no
hope for peace” he told the ICYO delegates. He said that World Bank
should reach out and address the questions that the young people face.
Mr.
Wolfensohn praised the youth delegation for coming
ahead with ideas and initiatives to work with the bank on social challenges
saying that ‘we should formulate ideas in which we can act rather than
just thinking about these issues’.
World
Bank has opened the door and the channel for social dialogue and initiating a
close network with such youth organizations to work he
also applauded the youth initiative already in place in India,
he said.
Mr.
RaviNarayan, Secretary
General of Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) shared the outcomes
of World Bank’s Conference on Youth Peace and Development held in
Sarajevo (attend by ICYO member organizations) including the Plan of Action
adopted by Conference. MrRavi
also reminded the commitments made by MrWolfensohn during the concluding session.
He
also gave brief account on development till date in implement of Plan of
Action. MrRavi inform that
ICYO is already disseminating the information to youth organization and soon
start working to involved the youth organizations to work on implementation on PoA. He explain to President,
about the process and future plan to achieve the concrete result in the field
of youth development. The process of formation the loose network to work with
WB and its progress also discussed.
The
students from Delhi Economic Student Forum talk about the problem of child labour and violence against working children. AIESCE, IIT
representative informed about their contribution to improve the skill and increase
the job opportunity through placement though-out the world. BYST informed the enterpreneour development progarmme.
Some young women leaders raise the alarm against the HIV/AIDS and suggested to
work on successful case study to replicate. The President shows solidarity but
add that news initiative should not be rule out. MrPrafful Patel, Vice President, South Asia region, WB offer
to make available the video conference facilities to share and learn the best
practices from other countries to increase the capacity of youth working on
specific areas.
Representative
from people with disabilities raise their concern about margin money while they
wanted to start bank, bank is not even open the account.MrWolfensohn encouraged the youth leader and suggested to
develop the programme to work on issue raised during
the meeting.
The
main focus of this meeting was to discuss future prospects on how the bank and
the youth together can work to solve the existing issues and challenges in the
country like HIV/AIDS, poverty, unemployment, peace and disabilities.
This
initiative opens the door of communication with World Bank for Youth
organizations. On the issue of formation of loose network, ICYO further
discussed the matter with WB officials and youth organizations of other
countries through tele-conference.
Draft World Youth Report 2005 released
The
advance unedited text of the Secretary General's World Youth Report released
and is available online. It provides an evaluation of the progress achieved in
the implementation of the World Programme of Action
for Youth (WPAY) since its adoption in 1995. It reviews the global situation of
young people with regard to the fifteen priority areas for youth education,
employment, poverty, health, environment, drugs, delinquency, leisure, girls
and young women, participation, ICT, globalization, HIV/AIDS, conflict and
intergenerational issues. The report will be discussed by the 43rd session of
Commission for Social Development (CSD) in 9-18 February 2005, before it is
submitted to the General Assembly in October 2005.
Symposium on Youth Employment and Globalization
held in Tokyo
On 2 and 3 December 2004, UnitedNationsUniversity (UNU), ILO, and others convened an international
symposium on "Globalization and the Future of Youth in Asia - Creating Working Opportunities and Enabling
Environment for Young People". During the symposium views and experiences
were exchanged among relevant organizations and civil society groups seeking to
promote decent work for young people.
ATSEC
– Delhi Meeting held
The meeting of the members of ATSEC –Delhi chapter held
in at STOP office on 20 December
2004. The member of the group finalized the
various events for next three months. ICYO attended the meeting.
Boom
in internet cause increase paedophilia
-Carmen Madrinan, Exe. Dir.,
ECPAT Int.
The
sexual exploitation of children is becoming increasingly widespread because of
the greater reach of the internet, the involvement of organized crime, economic
pressures and the impact of HIV/AIDS, are the issues raised in a UN-organized conference in Bangkok.
Experts
warned that unless governments translate the many recently passed laws on the
issue into action, millions more children could end up in sexual slavery.
"In most respects it's getting worse as the forces driving sexual
exploitation become more powerful," said GopalanBalagopal, a child protection adviser with the UN's
children's body UNICEF.
The
ILO estimates that 1.2 million children are trafficked annually while the
number of children thought to be sexually exploited is much greater than that.
The
majority of exploited children are young teenagers but MrBalagopal said it was not uncommon to find children
as young as nine years old.
Ms
Carmen Madrinan, Executive Director of ECPAT
International said the boom in internet paedophilia
was not restricted to developed nations. "What we're seeing now is that
even in places with lower connectivity, such as in Asia, the
exploitation is growing very very rapidly," she
said.
Representatives of 20 Asian countries and the
United Nations commenced this conference to examine the problem of child
trafficking.
National Youth
Commission to be close.
The Council of Ministers of India recently
recommended to dissolve the National Youth Commission.
Night shelter for women of Delhi
The Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta inaugurated
the women's night shelter in Delhi. This shelter has an initial capacity of
20 inmates at present.
Another night shelter home also inaugurated by Mr Mehta at YamunaPushta. This home has the capacity of 400 inmates.
More than 3,200 missing women are
untraced every year in India
At least 15,407
children from six Indian cities go missing every year, according to data from
the autonomous National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) published recently.
More than 3,200 women
are untraced every year, a team of experts at NHRC said, confirming the
alarming rate of trafficking of women and children in the country.
Yet, only 60 per cent
of missing person's cases are reported to the police and state governments were
doing little to stop trafficking, the experts said, adding that 40 per cent of
police officers did not have any knowledge about laws to prevent trafficking.
Incoming events:
CSD will review the World Programme of Action for Youth
Event: 43rd session, Commission
for Social Development
Place: New York
Date: 9-18 February 05.
Organizer: ECOSOC Commission for Social Development.
The ECOSOC Commission for Social Development will meet to review of the World Programme of Action for Youth in its 43re session, as the
Commission will discuss the Secretary-General's World Youth Report 2005, before
it is submitted to the General Assembly in the fall of 2005. It is expected
that a panel discussion on the global situation of youth will be held on Monday 14 February 2005.
Event: 2nd
International Forum on Partnerships for Sustainable Development: Advancing
Implementation on Water and Energy Place: Marrakech, Morocco.
Date: 21-23 March 2005.
Organizer: Moroccan
Ministry of Territory Planning, Water and Environment.
UNEP is organizing the first Children's World Summit for the
Environment in Japan from 26 to 29 July 2005 in conjunction with Expo 2005. The
Aichi Prefectural Government, the City of Toyota and the City of Toyohashi will
host it.
Children's
World Summit for the Environment
The Summit is a follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, in Johannesburg, South
Africa. Its aim is to discuss how to better involve children in the implementation
of the decisions from these summits.
The Children's World Summit for the Environment will bring together 1,000 children,
aged between 10 and 14, from over 150 countries, together with their adult
chaperones.
The Summit will help to increase children's understanding of environmental issues
by letting them share experiences and opinions, give them an opportunity to
collectively voice their concerns for the environment and inspire them to
initiate and implement community environmental projects.
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 worldwide. The majority of new
infections are among the young - 6,000 young people and almost 2,000 children
become HIV-positive every day.
For every person living with HIV/AIDS, a
family and a community is affected. As the disease start killing, parents and
caregivers, it fuels poverty and despair among children and adolescents and
stretches family resources to untenable limits.
In India, more than
5 million people living with HIV virus, second highest number of infections per
country and 62% among are young women or girls.
Where we are?
The government of
India investing million of rupee in prevention programmes but epidemic is
spreading by breaking of all barriers. India currently has an overall adult
infection rate is little less than one per cent but some states prevalence rate
among pregnant women have crossed the one percent threshold and in Gujarat and
Goa prevalence among populations with high-risk behaviour is above 5%.The other state which are not mention in
government or agencies record but infection is visual are Bihar, Tamil Nadu and
in sex workers of Delhi.
Now India is stand
on cross road. Mr Peter Piot recently express his views in World Bank
Institute’s newly published magazine Development Outreach by saying Asia should
‘act now or pay later’. He clearly wrote ‘Africa learned this lesson the hard
way; denial and ignorance do not reverse this epidemic. It is a lesson that the
countries of Asia and Pacific must immediately take to heart’.
.
Every one blame Youth
According to UNAIDS the latest figure show that HIV
infection rate is growing fastest amongst people aged between 15-29 year,
irrespective of their profile as migrant laboures, street children,
prostitutes, or young mothers. So much so, that it’s report of 2003, the UN
Called HIV/AIDS “the disease of young people” (Regional Human
Development Report, UNDP, 2003).
Ms. Thoraya
Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA wrote a letter in August ’04 to
Secretary General, ICYO, also turn the table on youth side for not doing youth
themselves to prevent. Mrs Obaid wrote “Let me turn to the HIV/AIDS issue,
Global efforts against HIV/AIDS prevention have focused on youth, not to blame
them as you mentioned in your statement – but because it is in this group, your group of
young people, where our biggest hope for a better future lies. Globally, over half of all new HIV infections are in young
people, with an estimated 5,000-6000 young people a day becoming infected – and
over 60% of these are young women.’
On other side Mr
Annan, Secretary General of United Nations already accepted that the youth have
no information and or incomplete information or no information about HIV/AIDS.
Need of cooperation
Its look like that
youth are most victim of the epidemic but effective programmes for young people
still not on card, youth programmes are centred to classroom students, but most
vulnerable youth group ’non-students’ including minority groups, are not
covered properly. Most of the programmes for these section are executive by the
agencies or organizations have no experience to work with urban youth.
Youth are a
positive force for change. Healthy, educated, engaged, and productive youth can
break the cycle of spreading the HIV virus. There is need to make them Healthy,
educated and informed. Than they will slow the AIDS epidemic.
Here the role Youth Organization, those has experience to work with
youth and ensuring the continuation of activities in energetic manner, can play vital and crucial to cater
the non-student youth, rural youth. But lack of resources, capacity these are
not in forefront in fighting against HIV/AIDS.
The
institutions, agencies, governments must also take the responsibility to keep
informed the youth, youth NGOs can share the responsibilities subjected to
provided resource allocation.
The World Bank,
working and investing on HIV/AIDS programmes including India, realized the
importance of Youth Organizations and its capacities and capabilities. They
organized the World conferences in Paris and Sarajevo and discuss the progammes
and action, with youth organizations, the last one ended in Sarajevo, BiH on 7
September 2004. In closing session, Mr. James D. Wolfensohn, President of World Bank
made commitment from WB to “Empower and strengthen Youth Organizations; to
facilitate joint work on selected issues; and to find solutions to operate at
national/local.
He again
focused at youth concern on HIV/AIDS while he invited the ICYO delegation of
youth leaders 17 November 2004 during his Delhi visit.
The other agencies
working on HIV/AIDS prevention should take lesson from World Bank and use the
‘Youth Organizations’ in India to reach-out youth; empower them with
information, knowledge and skill.
Affiliation: Consultative
(Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations; Consultative Status with
Commission on Sustainable Development; Full Member of World Assembly of
Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC); Youth for Habitat International
Network; CRIN, South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN),
ATSECE-Delhi,
Affiliate group of ECPAT Int., Thailand. Working relation World Youth
Foundation, Malaysia.
ICYO is a
non - governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of
mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary
agencies, youth orgs. and individuals working in the field of youth welfare
in India. It’s functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in
India. ICYO family consists of 354 organizations spread in 122 districts of
22 states from different corners of India.
‘Child-protection laws in India require a comprehensive
overhaul to remove loopholes and ambiguities if they are to be effective tools
for safeguarding children against commercial sexual exploitation.’ This is the
key recommendation of a new ECPAT report to be released on Monday 29 November
at the Consultation on Legal Reform to Combat the Commercial Sexual
Exploitation of Children in New Delhi, India.
Consultation on ‘Legal Reform to Combat the
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in India’
Call for overhaul of child-protection
laws in India
Child-protection
laws in India require a comprehensive overhaul to remove loopholes and
ambiguities if they are to be effective tools for safeguarding children against
commercial sexual exploitation. This is the key recommendation of a new report
to be released at the “Consultation on Legal Reform to Combat the Commercial
Sexual Exploitation of Children” in New Delhi on Monday 29 November 2004.
The Report on Laws and Legal Procedures
Concerning the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in India
will be presented to a meeting of judges, government officials, lawyers, law
enforcement personnel and children’s rights advocates.
The report
and consultation stem from a joint initiative between children’s rights
organisations ECPAT International and Plan International to investigate legal
responses to the commercial sexual exploitation of children in India, Nepal,
Bangladesh and Indonesia.
The report
notes a rise in reported cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children in
India, including the prostitution of children, child pornography and
trafficking of children for sexual purposes. As well, new manifestations of
these problems are emerging. Child sex tourism is increasing and spreading to
new areas of the country, and the prostitution of children is now also
occurring through so-called ‘friendship clubs’. The clubs involve people
advertising for ‘friendships’ with the aim of finding a sexual partner. Police
say the clubs involve prostitution, and that minors have been found on club
premises during police raids.
A major
obstacle to protecting children in India stems from piecemeal laws that police
and law officers find difficult to implement because of inadequate or
inconsistent procedures to support implementation, according to the report.
A key
concern is that child victims of commercial sexual exploitation receive poor
legal assistance, if any at all. No special provisions ensure they have access
to their own legal counsel so that they are fully informed about legal
proceedings and their rights, including their rights as witnesses.
The report recommends that India’s child protection laws be clarified so
that violations are well defined and clear guidance is offered on procedures to
implement the law. Police and legal officers would then be better able to
enforce child-protection measures, including guaranteeing that children
involved in legal proceedings benefit from formalized child-friendly legal
procedures and receive legal assistance and appropriate social services. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
(ICYO) 194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjung Enclave
New Delhi 110029.
Phone 11 26183978 / 9811729093
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. It's family consists of over 354 organizations spread in 122
districts
of 22 states from different corners of India.
Affiliation: Consultative
(Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations;
Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development;
Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth
Environment Network (SAYEN), ATSECE-DELHI, Affiliate group of ECPAT
International, Thailand.
Close working relation with Asian Forum of Parliamentarians (AFPPD),
Int. Medical Parliamentarians
Organization (IMPO), World Youth Foundation (WYF).
World Bank President Discussed
Youth Agenda with the Indian Committee of Youth Organizations Delegation
-----------------------------------
Not here to be patronizing the youth but
working with Youth
– President, World Bank
New Delhi, November 17, 2004, Mr.
James D. Wolfensohn, President of World Bank arrived in Delhi on his two days
visit and met the youth delegation of Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
(ICYO) and other University Students at Hotel Taj Mahal.
Pressing
on the Youth issues he said “Youth is not the ‘Future’; it is the ‘Now’-unless
the youth has hope and opportunity there can be no hope for peace” he told the
delegation. ‘We are not here to be patronizing the youth but working with you”
he added. He said that World Bank should reach out and address the questions
that the young people face.
Mr. Wolfensohn praised the youth
delegation for coming ahead with ideas and initiatives to work with the bank on
social challenges saying that ‘we should formulate ideas in which we can act
rather than just thinking about these issues’.
Quoting that World Bank has opened
the door and the channel for social dialogue and initiating a close network
with such youth organizations to work he also applauded the youth initiative
already in place in India.
Mr. Ravi Narayan, Secretary
General of Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) shared the outcomes
of World Bank’s Conference on Youth Peace and Development held earlier and
commitments made. He also gave brief account on the further development to
implement the plan of action and future plan to engage the youth organizations
to work with World Bank in India as well as in the region.
The youth raised the various
concern related continuing the motions after this meeting. It was clarified
that rather looking for new initiatives; World Bank should focus on good
initiatives and strengthen or replicate them.
Child labour was another issue
raised by students. The high cost of equipments and artificial organs are the
main concern raised by youth with disabilities. AIESEC and Bhartiya Yuva
Sangathan Trust informed some of the best practices to create the job
opportunities. Mr Prafful Patel, Vice President, South Asia region, WB offer to
make available the video conference facilities to share and learn the best
practices from other countries to increase the capacity of youth working on
specific areas.
The main focus of this meeting was
to discuss future prospects on how the bank and the youth together can work to
solve the existing issues and challenges in the country like HIV/AIDS, poverty,
illiteracy, unemployment, peace and disabilities.
The meeting was given a very high
praise and it ended with future plans to meet in coming months with World Bank
officials and do the follow up of the work done by the participants.
END
=======
======== ======= ====
News released by Youth Information
------------------------------------------------
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)
194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110 029
The World Bank committed to work for development of young people in the Conference on Youth, Development and Peace held in September last in Sarajevo, Bosnia. This initiative was only possible due to active support of President of World Bank due to his faith on young people.
Mr. James D. Wolfensohn, President of World Bank is coming to India; here also he will first meet young people before start their other appointments. The meeting with youth will be held on 17 November 2004 in Delhi and expected the students from various colleges, representative of youth organizations will attend the meeting.
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 354 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); CRIN, South Asian Environment Network (SAYEN), ATSEC-Delhi, Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Bangkok, Thailand. Close working relation with AFPPD, IMPO.
- Over 3,000 students to take part in mock parliament to educate
legislators about HIV/AIDS.
-- Six
standing committees will prepare a status paper on one of the issues concerning
HIV/AIDS
--- At
the end of session, draft legislation will be adopted and presented to Union
health minister A. Ramdoss
ICYO-Youth InformationE-Newsletter
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
More information and collaborations to
work with Indian youth, contact: icyo@...
Mock
Parliament (of students) on HIV/AIDS
As
part of the Centre's commitment to HIV/AIDS prevention, a mock parliament is
being held on November 7 to educate legislators on the subject. The effort is
spearheaded by Union minister Oscar Fernandes under the aegis of the
Parliamentary Forum on HIV/AIDS and Naco. It intends to use youth leaders to
sensitize legislators at the national,
state
and district levels about HIV/AIDS and its prevention.
Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh, former PM A.B. Vajpayee, Congress president Sonia
Gandhi and senior cabinet ministers will witness 543 student leaders go through
Question Hero and Zero Hour on various aspects of HIV/AIDS.
About
3,000 student leaders from all over the country will participate. Of these, 543
have been handpicked to play parliamentarians. A dozen MPs have been roped in
to train the youth in parliamentary procedure.
But
the absence of MPs at this forum is worrying organizers. According to a senior
Congress leader, as against the expected attendance of 100 MPs, only 30 have
confirmed that they will be able to attend the two-day session. "Flying
them in when Parliament is not in session is always a difficult task," he
said.
The
mock Parliament will follow proper parliamentary procedure. There will be six
standing committees and each will prepare a status paper on one of the issues
concerning HIV/AIDS. At the end of the day, they will adopt a draft legislation
that will be presented to Union health minister A. Ramdoss.
The
government is also determined to involve crucial ministries in the effort
against HIV/AIDS. The I&B ministry intends to get private channels to
provide free airtime for messages on HIV/AIDS. I&B minister Jaipal Reddy
has also said that Prasar Bharati will allot a prime time slot to Naco for a
daily soap on DD. There is also a move to rework the education policy. Teachers
training will include HIV/AIDS education and the subject will also form part of
alternate education schemes for young people out of school.
(Hindustan
times/Delhi edition/3 November 2004/page 7/story by Kumkum Chadha)
The Seminar “Youth for Human Unity: exploration for new values through Inter-cultural and Inter-religious Dialogue” will be held from 21 – 28 February 2005 at Auroville Village in Tamil Nadu, India. The Seminar will be organized by Auroville and supported by UNESCO.
The seminar is open for student/youth of age group 18-25 from all SAARC counties.
The main aims and objectives of seminar is:
To create an event that will foster interactive dialogue among culturally and religiously diverse participants that will explore the following themes:
What values and human qualities are necessary and how might they be transmitted in order to:
Foster the emergence of a deeper sense of human unity and inter-relatedness within culturally and religiously diverse societies
Create the seeds for a sustainable future
Facilitate the conditions for visionary youth to feel confident and capable to make the transition into future community leaders.
For more detail and questionnaire contact icyo@...
The youth of India represent about the half of country’s population. It is an overwhelming and forward-looking human resource. Seventy percent of youth population consists of rural youth. The role and contribution of youth has vital importance in country like India.
The India, a nation of billion people has many specialties of India, its gave birth to 4 religions: Hindu (Vedic), Jain, Buddhist, Sikh; India has the second biggest Muslim population in the world, after Indonesia; India has three states, Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya with over 75% population Christian; though Zoroiastrian and Bahai religions took birth in Iran, today, over 70% of Zoroastians of the world live in India and the biggest Bahai temple in the world is in India; the Indian constitution has listed 18 languages as official languages.
If such a heterogeneous nation has to live in peace, then it is necessary that NOT ONLY TOLERATE ALL RELIGIONS, BUT ACCEPT ALL RELIGIONS AS TRUE.
To keep this sprit in mind, National Youth Project will organize the National Integration Youth Camp in Delhi from 26th November to 3rd December 2004. The main objective of the camp is trained the Young people to promote the Peace, non-violence and Harmony in civil society.
About 500 youth from all over India will be invited in the camp.
ICYO invites the application from youth age16-28 year to nominate in camp. The organizer will provide the camping accommodation, simple vegetarian food during the camp. Interested youth may contact with small write-up on him or her self with the photograph, to ICYO secretariat.
The organizer also invites youth from SAARC countries; those are interested may also contact ICYO secretariat.
Antar Bharati Children’s Festival in Goa
Develop the cultural integration and collective work-culture in children is the main objective of Children’s Festival. National Youth Project will organize this event in Madgoa, Goa from 27-31 December 2004.
To keep the objective of event, all children will be the guest of local people and stay with local families during the event.
Children from age group of 8-12 are invited to participate in camp. It is necessary that each group should be escorted with one adult person.
The railway authority provided the concession on children’s travel through recognized school and child will ravel at 25% of the train fare.
For more information, please write with detail (no of children, railway concession, contact address, phone etc) to secretarygeneral@...
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India. ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. It's family consists of over 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); Asian Youth Council (AYC); Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN,
South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN),
ATSECE-DELHI, Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand.
500,000 women and children are
trafficked in Asia, each year.
The United Nations Children's Fund
says South Asia is facing a boom in child trafficking, with increasing numbers
of minors forced into the sex trade. UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia
Dr. Sadiq Rasheed made the comment in Colombo, recently.
"The situation is nothing short
of, I would say, a modern-day slavery," said Rasheed. "It is one of
the blights of South Asia. The situation is getting out of hand."
The UNICEF official said there
should be no hiding place for those selling and trading children for sex. He
stressed that the problem could be stopped immediately if men in South Asia
simply said "no" to child sex.
Around 500,000 women and children
are trafficked each year in Asia, with a majority of them in South Asia,
Rasheed added. That compares to a worldwide figure of 1.2 million.
Workshop held on Combating Trafficking of Women and Children in Nepal
The Workshop on "Combating Trafficking of Women and
Children" from 15th to 16th September 2004 was held
in Nepal. The program aimed to review past activities in the field of
trafficking of women and children.
The workshop began with comprehensive presentations on the
program achievements, success indicators depicting its constraints. It was
observed that establishment of emergency fund by (Village Task Force) VTF &
(District Task Force) DTF in all districts, partnership between five National
NGOs against Trafficking were the best efforts viewed during the project period.
Mobilization of Women Health Workers through District Public Health Offices
against Trafficking, effective dissemination of the information on
safe-migration and awareness programs on trafficking were also observed as the
achievement of the program. Despite the successful undertakings, lack of
cooperation from Ministry to recognize the VTF and the project and lack of
cooperation from Government to established counseling booth in Katmandu were
observed as the major constraints of the project initiatives.
Based on the accomplishments and constraints future
activities and strategies were developed. The discussion focused on the
establishment of mechanisms for linkages between local task forces, Ministry
and (National Task Force) NTF. The group also worked on the strategic advocacy
agenda in Trafficking for changes in policy level.
The program concluded with the development of programs of
action. (from KSOL e-bulletin)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This is the newsletter of
ICYO.
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
Khare Apart. 194-A,
Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India
Indian
Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit,
non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual
cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth
groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in
India. ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India.
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); Member of
ATSEC, Delhi, Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Bangkok, Thailand
ICYO, the Indian Committee of Youth Organizations, has more than three four hundred fifty youth organizations from twenty-two states of India are member. ICYO members include youth clubs; youth managed organizations, youth serving organizations, youth institutions and advocacy organizations.
The main objective of the organization is to strengthen the youth organization movement through capacity building by keeping informed and assist/guide youth and youth organizations to serve better. ICYO also proving the platform to youth and representatives of Youth NGOs to, raise their concern at national and international.
The ICYO is committed to expanding our membership base in all categories and invites the applications from youth organizations from all over India.
Please find the application form in word format as attachment. The detail information for individual membership will be sent on request.
Please send the application by post with relevant documents to ICYO office as address given below.
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) 194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjung Enclave
New Delhi 110029 Phone 11 26183078 / 9811729093 Email: member@...
A Global Dialogue on "Access for All: Fighting HIV/AIDS." is being organized by the World Bank Institute on September 15, 20 04 through videoconferencing.
The Development OUTREACH Global Dialogue will be based on the special report, “Access for All; Fighting HIVV/AIDS.” Possible panel participants will be: Debrework Zewdie, Peter Piot, Keith Hansen, Mean Chhi Vun, Patricio Marquez,Anya Sarang, Joseph Valadez,Thomas Scalway, Waafas Ofusu-Ammah, and Rolake Nwagwu. The moderators will be Joan Macneil and Phil Hay,
The audiences will include government officials, city officials, policy makers, business leaders, academics, researchers, as well as NGO representatives and practitioners in the field. The average size will be 20-25 participants in each country from South and East Asia and ECA countries..
The second session will be held on September 22, 2004 and connect with Africa and LAC.
With youth
unemployment worldwide skyrocketing to an all-time high, world governments need
to step up efforts of tackling the problem in order to meet the UN millennium
development goals, the United Nations labor agency said.
"We are wasting
an important part of the energy and talent of the most educated youth
generation the world has ever had," International Labor Organization (ILO)
Director-General Juan Somavia said in an ILO report, "Enlarging the
chances of young people to find and keep decent work is absolutely critical to
achieving the UN millennium development goals."
Young people aged 15
to 24 represent nearly half the world's jobless although they are only 25
percent of the working age population, and halving world youth unemployment
rate would add at least 2.2 trillion US dollars to global gross domestic
product (GDP), around 4 percent of the 2003 value, the report said.
Eighty-five percent
of the world's youth live in developing countries where they are 3.8 times more
likely to be unemployed than adults, as compared with 2.3 times in
industrialized economies.
Not
only do young people suffer from lower chances of finding employment but also
there are significant differences in unemployment rates based on age, sex, and
socio-economic background within the youth labour force. In all developing
regions except East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa the regional female youth
unemployment rate exceeded that of the male rate. The regions of Latin America
and the Caribbean and the Middle East and North Africa showed the greatest
difference between the unemployment rates for young women and young men. It is
worrying that in regions where female unemployment rates are considerably
higher than male unemployment rates the trend also holds for young people. This
is likely to indicate that the gender gap will persist for the next generation.
In the wage sector, report acknowledge that
youth gets lower wage, reason less skilled or less experience, but it is unfortunate,
young people might lack experience but on the other hand they might be more motivated,
more energy, more sprit and offer new ideas or insights. Ignoring this
potential signifies an economic waste.
Unsafe abortions kill 10.5 million women
every year in Asia alone: ICPD+10
Nearly 70,000 women,
almost half of them in Asia, die from unsafe abortions each year despite
government pledges made a decade ago to improve human rights and reproductive
health, researchers said in meeting at London to gauge progress made during
last 10 years after ICPD held in 1994.
The presented report
said Cairo (ICPD 1994) showed only small gains have been made to prevent
maternal deaths from abortions.
Unsafe abortion was
recognized as a major public health concern at the ICPD IN 1994 when 179
members of the United Nations set goals to improve women's reproductive health,
education and rights and to increase family planning services to reduce unsafe
abortions by 2015. But not much achieved till date.
According to the
report, Asia accounts for 55 percent of the world's unsafe abortions, the
highest of any region, with about 10.5 million in year 2000.
Children court in Goa, India to tackle Paedophilia
The
Chief Minister of Goa, India, Mr Manohar Parrikar said his government would
expedite the process for setting up of a children’s court and complete all
necessary procedures by October 2994 to put an end to paedophilic activities in
the state. He observed that paedophiles in Goa were of foreign origin
particularly from Europe.
Reacting
sharply to an expose by a private television news channel in association with a
Delhi-based national news weekly on rampant paedophilic activities in the
state, Chief Minister (CM) said the effort appeared to be an “advertisement
campaign” for attracting paedophile clientele to Goa rather than exposing the
heinous crimes.
Speaking about
tightening of legal noose around paedophilic activities in the state, the CM
said the additional sessions judge had already been appointed as the president
of the children’s court in consultation with the High Court and three jury
members would be appointed soon.
Who are the Condom users!
The Millions of the
condoms distributed free in India to combat AIDS and a soaring population are
being used for other purposes, such as waterproofing roofs, reinforcing roads
and even polishing saris, say health workers.
In fact, only
one-quarter of the more than one billion condoms manufactured annually in India
were being "properly utilized,'' said a report by doctors at King George's
Medical University in Lucknow.
Health workers said
millions of condoms were also melted down and made into toys, or sold as
balloons to children after being dyed. According the report, villagers have
used them as disposable water containers to wash, after relieving themselves in
the fields. A large number of condoms was also used as waterproofing for roofs.
Weavers in Varanasi
used about 200,000 condoms daily to lubricate their looms and to polish the
gold and silver thread used to embroider the saris they produced, and to impart
a gossamer-like sheen to them.
Sari manufacturers in
bulk purchased the condoms from agents, who in turn reportedly acquired them
from agencies involved in family planning and AIDS prevention.
New chief for U.N. Population
Fund in India
Hendrik van der Pol
from the Netherlands has been appointed the new Representative in India of the
United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). He has come here - to
serve his first professional tenure in an Asian country - after working as the
UNFPA Representative in Guatemala.
Youth, Development and Peace
Conference of World Bank end with new commitment
The
World Bank agreed and committed to work with youth organizations worldwide to
achieve the goal set in first conference held in 2003 at Paris for poverty
reduction. This is the outcome of the 2nd World Bank’s conference on
Youth, Development and Peace ended on 7 September 2004 in Sarajevo, BiH, The
conference was attended about 180 representatives of Youth Organizations, World
Bank including the President, President, officers from Vice Presidency
and officers from many country offices.
ICYO attended the event and represented by Mr.
Ravi Narayan, Ms Madhuri Manohar and Ms Komal
Tripathi. (Detail report in coming
issue of Youth Information.)
Up-Coming Events:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Int.
Conf. on Drugs and Young People
The World Youth Foundation (WYF) in cooperation
with the ESCAP, Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia and others will
organizing the International Conference on Drugs and Young People. The theme of
this conference will be “Providing an enabling environment for young people to
make choices”. The conference will be held from September 27-30, 2004 at
Malaka, Malaysia.
In the conference,
India will represented by Mr. Sunil Mahonty, Care India, Bikaner, Rajasthan; Ms
Devika Grover, Salaam
Bombay Foundation, Mumbai, Maharastra; Ms Mannmeet Kaur, FXB Rajasthan Society, Ahemdabad, Gujarat and Mr. Vikas
Shamrao, Nagpur, Maharastra. There are many speakers from India also
present the paper.
Conference on Young People’s
Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs
The Conference on “Young People’s Sexual
and Reproductive Health Needs: Progress, Achievements and Ways Forward”
will address the sexual and reproductive health needs of young people and
organized by CORT from December 2-4, 2004 in New Delhi, India.
The registration fee is US $ 150 (for
overseas participants) and Rs. 600/- (for Indian participants). Log on www.cortindia.com.
XIV WAY General Assembly in
Namibia
The Fourteen General Assembly (GA) of World
Assembly of Youth (WAY) will be held in Windhoek, Namibia, from October 28 -
31, 2004 and hosted by the National Youth Council of Namibia, in collaboration
with the Government of Namibia.
The theme of the General Assembly shall be Youth
Rise to Meet the HIV/AIDS
Challenge! This is in the realization of the heavy toll that HIV/AIDS is
bearing on young people today, who make up more than half of new HIV/AIDS
infections.
»STOP« Child Trafficking
Conference
The International Conference against Child
Trafficking will be held in Osnabrück, Germany from November 2 –4, 2004 and
jointly organized by terre des hommes, the aid agency focusing on children and
development policy.
The conference ‘STOP Child Trafficking’ will
mark another stage in the International Campaign against Child Trafficking,
launched by the organizer in October 2001.
The aim of the Conference is to facilitate an
action-oriented dialogue between national and international specialists. This
will also serve as a forum for knowledge exchange and further development in
the existing activities. The conference should close with a common final
document that includes precise recommendations for an effective fight against
child trafficking. Log on http://www.stopchildtrafficking.org.
HIV
& AIDS Prevention among Youth
The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on
Population & Development (AFPPD) will be organized the “HIV & AIDS Prevention
among Youth” in Bali, Indonesia from September 22-24, 2994.
The AFPPD in
cooperation with UNFPA, IPPF and AIDCOM Malaysia developed the “Advocacy
intervention package” for “Advocacy for HIV & AIDS Prevention among young
people in Asia and Pacific.”The
package which deals with issues and goals in HIV prevention, developing an
advocacy plan, stakeholders analysis for advocacy, advocacy tools and
techniques, and training of advocating; a trainers guide.
The parliamentarians
from the three-targeted countries with parliamentarians from other countries
will discuss the package in this meeting.ICYO also invited in the Meeting.
National Integration Youth Camp in Kannur,
Kerala
Karayil Yuvajana Kalasamithi in Association with National
Youth Project and others will host the National Integration Youth Camp in
Kannur, Kerala from October 12- 19, 2004. More than 200 youth form various part
of India are invited to participate in Camp.
The main purpose of the Camp is to promote the nationalism
amongs the youth; create the harmony amongs the various cast and religions.
For railway concession and invitation (India youth only)
contact phone 04985 2022157 / 09447482816
National Integration Youth Camp in Roper, Punjab
The NYP unit in Punjab will
host this youth camp from September 24-30, 2004 in Roper. The youth group of
five and age of under of 35 are invited in the camp. The main purpose of the
Camp is promote the nationalism amongs the youth; create the harmony in
civil society. More detail is
available in ICYO secretariat.
On-Spot-Painting competition for
children
NYP Delhi unit will host the On-Spot-Painting competition
for children in Delhi on October 2. 2004. For detail contact ICYO.
National Children Festival
National Children Festival will be held in Delhi in
November 2004 and participated by 1000 children from all over India. This is
annual venture of NYP. More detail will available soon from ICYO secretariat.
International Conference on Education
for a Sustainable Future
Centre for Environment Education (CEE India), in
partnership with the Ministry of Environment & Forests and the Ministry of
Human Resource Development is organizing the conference to mark the beginning
of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and to share CEE's
twenty years experience in Environment Education and Education for Sustainable
Development. Log on http://www.ceeindia.org/esf/
First Asia Pacific Women, Girls &
HIV/AIDS Best Practices Conference
International Symposium on Gender in Sustainable Development
The above Symposium will be held in Yogyakarta,
Indonesia from September 22-25, 2004. The theme of the symposium is Women make the world different through science.
Email: info@...
Int. Conference on Gender and Activism
This conference will be held in Lausanne,
Swizerland from November 26-27, 2004. Email: olivier.fillieule@...
24th International
Fundraising Congress
This Conference will be held in Netherlands from
October 12-15, 2004. More information available atwww.resource-alliance.org
Scholarships
for Higher study
Those interested in
and committed to working for peace, and at least an undergraduate degree and
some working experience, and would you like to complete an MA in International
Relations, Peace and Conflict Resolution may apply for Rotary Foundation award.
The Rotary Foundation awards 70 scholarships each year to people who have
demonstrated an interest in humanitarian work, social justice, peace and
international understanding. The Scholarship consists of a full stipend,
covering all tuition fees and living costs over two years.
ICYO received the following publications in
recent past. We hereby acknowledge the receipt and thanks for sending these
valuable printed materials, which is useful for our work.
Youth Culture (English & Hindi):
Published by National Youth Project, New Delhi
India.
Young Matters (English):
Published by North East Progressive Youth Forum,
Guwahati, India
Youth of India:
Published by National Council of YMCAs of India,
New Delhi, India.
X-press (English):
Published by IPPF, London,
UK.
Newsletter (English):
Published
by International Youth Centre, New Delhi, India.
Niti Marg (Hindi):
Published by Jayant Verma, Bhopal, India.
Ekam Lokam (English):
Published
by Oneworld South Asia, New Delhi, India.
UN Newsletter (English):
Published by UN Information Centre, New Delhi.
India
Innovation (English):
Published by International Bureau of Education,
Geneva, Switzerland.
AFPPD Newsletter (English):
Published by AFPPD, Bangkok, Thailand.
Positive (English):
Published by Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit,
Mumbai, India.
Population Reports (English):
Published by Jain Communications &
Electronic Pvt Ltd. New Delhi, India
ECPAT Newsletter (English):
Published by ECPAT International, Bangkok,
Thailand.
Defenders’ (English):
Published by The Organization for Defending
Victim of Voilence, Tehran, Iran
Go Between (English):
Published by NGLS, Geneva, Switzerland.
IAPPD Newsletter (English):
Published by IAPPD, New Delhi, India.
Population 2005 (English):
Published by Population 2005, Washington DC,
USA.
Sexual Health Exchange:
Published by SAfAIDS and KIT, Zimbabwe.
Books:
Youth Entrepreneurship
Everywhere:
To Turn Job-Seekers into Job-Creators.
Book written by Dr A. Peter,
Executive Director YRDO, Chennai, India.
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 354
organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of
India.
Affiliation:
Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations;
Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development;
Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth
Environment Network (SAYEN), ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Consortium
on Anti -Trafficking, Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand.
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)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
News re-circulated to keep
informed the organizations working on issue related to child and youth sex
trafficking, exploitation and abuse.
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
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.
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 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.
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 (£6.6bn) 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.
=\=\=\=\=
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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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
The International Conference on Drugs and Young People with the theme “Providing an enabling environment for young people to make choices” will be from September 27-30, 2004 in Malaka, Malaysia.
The main Objectives of conference are 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 recommend a future course of action
The World Youth Foundation is the organizer of the Conference.
The interested youth must be proficient in English. The participants must be under age of 30 years.
The organizer will provide local hospitality and local transport in Malaysia to successful participants. The international travel and other expenses are the responsibility of participant or nominating organization.
The last date to apply is August 10, 2004.
For more detail and application form contact conference@...
Conference on “Combat Trafficking and deal with HIV/AIDS issues”
To empower the various stakeholders in this sphere, including the women groups in the red light areas, so that collectively one can forge out a doable plan of action to resolve the issue. With this aim ATSEC – Delhi Chapter and STOP is organizing a two-day Western Zonal Conference on Empowering the stakeholders including the women’s groups in the red light areas to “Combat Trafficking and deal with HIV/AIDS issues”.
The Conference shall also include issues regarding trafficking of women and children and their HIV/AIDS related problems. Government representatives invited to share views and also women groups in the red light areas invited to share her experiences which will help us evaluate the issue from different angles. This shall enable one to formulate and concretize a blue print of actions to curb trafficking in this zone.
The conference will be held from August 3-4.2004. in Mumbai, Maharastra.
-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
ICYO-Youth Information Service by Indian Committee of Youth Organizations
194-A, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India. ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. 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.
July 2004 ICYO is a Non-Governmental Development Youth Network in India
New Indian Government may give licence to girls/women to sell sex
The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in India is planning to give the licence for sexual activities on commercial basis across India.
The Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Ms. Kanti Singh disclosed in press conference in Patna, recently.
Ms. Kanti Singh said that 'Giving licences to sex workers is an old demand of sex workers themselves.
But Minister forget that to fulfill the demand of two million sex workers government is taking the risk of opening new venture for quarter billion young girls specially unemployed and women struggling with poverty, drought etc.
At present in India, prostitution is illegal and comes under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act 1986 and government is working towards making it ‘moral’.
Bal Sansads (Children Parliament)
In Rajasthan, Indian the 4,000 children (in Tilonia) have elected 56 members of parliament to their fifth Bal Sansad (Children Parliament). The Bal Sansad is a novel way to teach children about democratic processes.
The Barefoot College, which hosted the parliament, is located in Tilonia, a small village 175 km from Jaipur. The Bal Sansad was conceived as a tool to make children aware of the powers of a parliamentary democracy. It is also an early lesson in being a responsible citizen and stresses the need for involvement in community affairs.
The meeting of the cabinet is a serious matter. Each minister has to visit every school under his administration five times a month and oversee everything including the maintenance of records. Members of this parliament are vested with the power to fire teachers who fail in their duties, following an investigation based on the formal lodging of a complaint. Children can lobby for solar power and water pumps in villages that do not have them. (InfoChange News & Features, May 2004)
Young Asians Fired Up Against Drugs
A rock concert and fire-spinning show to raise awareness about drug abuse was organized in Shillong, India on 26 June 2004. Two Youth Ambassadors, Hasina Kharbhih, India and Dr Ashique Selim, Bangladesh organized the event to mark the International Day against Drug/Substance Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The innovative programme was designed to reach out to young people and students of local schools and colleges. Music by local rock group 'Revel Souls' and a band from Kripa Foundation Drug Awareness, Counselling and Assistance Centre set the tune for the fire-spinning dance by Naur.
The Governor of Meghalaya, M M Jacob, said: "Every responsible citizen and NGO must tackle the menace of drug abuse. There should be more work and less talk in this sector."
Positive Development of Youth Project Launched in India and Mexico
International Youth Foundation (IYF) launched a new project to promote healthy lifestyles, employability and community engagement for young people in India (New Delhi and Banglore) and in Mexico City. First year, under the project will focus on the development of a 50-lesson life skills curriculum. During the second and third year, the program will be tested and refined as young people, who are both in and out of school, participate in the interactive learning experiences taught by staff of local youth serving organizations (YSOs).
Conference on Youth, Development and Peace
"The World Bank's Youth, Development and Peace Conference" will be held from September 5-7, 2004 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a follow-up to the first youth meeting of the World Bank that took place in 2003. This second meeting will serve as an opportunity to measure progress and plan the next steps for the continued collaboration between youth and the World Bank in addressing poverty and promoting development and peace.
Incoming Events:
Int. Conf. on Drugs and Young People: ‘Providing an enabling environment for young people to make choices
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 and will be held in Malaka, Malaysia.
Some objectives are: §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 recommend a future course of action.
The interested youth must be proficient in English; working on issue related to issues of the conference. The participants must be under age of 30.
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 31st July 2004.
Course on Project Management
A specialized course on Project Management to be organized by YUVA in collaboration with MDF, South Asia, 2-12 August 2004 at Mumbai, India.
Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA) is a voluntary development organization working within the human rights framework to facilitate the development of People’ s Organizations and People’ s Institutions.
This 10-day course aims at providing specialized inputs in managing ‘projects’ and ‘people in projects’. It is meant for project managers / coordinators, technical advisors and consultants from organizations which aim at high-end results and meaningful impact through their projects.
For more information and brochure/application form download, log on www.yuvaindia.org
39th International Youth Camp
39th International Youth Camp (IYC) to take place during the periods of13-24 July, 10-21August, 18-28 August and 7-18 September, 2004 at six differentlocalities of the Republic of Korea.Since its inception in 1966 in response to UNESCO's recommendation at the 13th session of the UNESCO General Conference to emphasize youth programmes, the IYC has become an annual tradition for the KoreanNational Commission for UNESCO (KNCU).
This year more focused given on community projects for the environment under the general theme "Steps toward a Sustainable Future". Korean National Commission organizes the camp for UNESCO and Participation Fee is US $170. More information needed, contact iyc@...
Youthopia Festival in New Delhi
The annual festival - Youthopia (Youth4change) will be coordinated by PATH from 20 - 22 August 2004 in New Delhi. One of the aim of PATH (organizer) is to enable youth to become valuable resource for the nation's development. The theme of this year's festival is Contemporary youth - Rights, duties & search of new avenues.
Youth Leadership and Peace Building Course
The course is designed for youth leaders across the world working for the youth issues, development, ICT and other sectors. The course will be held from 6-9 November 2004 in Nepal. Log on www.nicenepal.com
Training Course on HIV/AIDS: Vulnerability, Rights and Young People
An intensive two-week international residential course to explore the linkages between HIV/AIDS, Vulnerability, Human Rights and Young People will be organize by International Planned Parenthood Federation with the collaboration with GTZ in Johannesburg, South Africa from 7-20 November 2004.
The main objectives of the course are: to enhance their understanding of the global context and trends, and personalize the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic;to understand vulnerability and how to initiate comprehensive programmes to address it while ensuring effective participation at all levels; strengthen commitment to addressing the SRH and development needs of the most vulnerable individuals/ groups (people living with HIV/AIDS, orphans, young married girls, sex workers, injecting drug users, young people affected by war and poverty etc.The course fee is US $ 1000. Email: hivcourse@...
Cultural Projects for Development
The by ITC-ILO and University of Turin, Italy will conduct the post graduate course (three and half month) on "Cultural Projects for Development".
There are some scholarship opportunities especially for the students of developing countries. Interested candidates log on: www.zope.itcilo.it/masters/cultural
Int. Young Professionals Summit
The second International Young Professionals Summit will be held from 29 November - 3 December 2004 in Brisbane, Australia.
The Summit has been designed to bring together young professionals aged 18 - 35 years to develop workable solutions and implement development activities related to its two key themes: Sustainable Livelihoods and Science and Technology for Development.
Jana Int. Film Festival for Children & Youth Call forEntries
The 2004 Jana Int. Film Festival for Children & Youth will display films on andby children under 18 years of age. Preference will be given to films by children& youth themselves, or with the active participation of them.The festival invites works by children & young adults, whose works are about or for children and youth globally.
The Film Festival for Children and Youth will be held from October 8 -14, 2004 and the last date for submission is July 15, 2004. For more detail log on www.oneworld.org/al-jana
Calcutta Short Film Festival
First Calcutta Short Film Festival will be held from 8-12 August 2004 in Kolkota and organized byChitrabani in association with Nandan.
The festival has a four-fold objective: To provide a forum for screening of short films especially for newcomers; To create awareness among people the existence of short films; To inspire youngsters to produce short films; To encourage creativity and newness and excellence in the art of short filmmaking.
The short films (within 30 minutes) are invited for the festival. There is no entry fee for submitting films. Email:cbcal@... / joe@...
Int. Conference on Men as Partners in Sexual and Reproductive Health
The National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health will organize the International Conference on Men as Partners in Sexual and Reproductive Health from 28 November 28-December 1, 2004 in Mumbai, India. Email: dirirr@...
Linking & Learning Programme on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Dignity International with Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, International Human Rights Internship Program, International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) organizing the third Global Linking & Learning Programme on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Alcochete, Portugal from December 1-10, 2004.
The overall goal of this programme is to strengthen the knowledge and skills of those working to empower people living in extreme poverty through the adoption of a human rights framework and thereby contribute to build the capacity of grassroots movements to better promote and defend basic ESC rights.
The IV Colloquium, the "UN Millennium Declaration and Development Goals: challenges for Human Rights", will be an opportunity for experienced human rights activists to learn about and create approaches for realising human rights as part of the Millennium Development Goals from diverse and rich perspectives emerging from the Southern hemisphere. The Colloquium will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 10 -16 October 2004. Log on www.conectas.org/coloquio/home.php
ILPS Second International Assembly
From November 10 to 14, 2004, over 200 mass organizations from almost every region of the globe are set to gather at the International League of Peoples' Struggle's Second International Assembly in Netherlands.
Under the theme "Advance the people's solidarity and struggle against imperialist war and plunder", the League expects to bring together hundreds of its Participating Organizations along with interested observers and individuals.Their aim will be to tackle this important theme and forward the important task of strengthening people's resistance against unjust wars and its imperialist underpinnings. Email: ilp515@...
Int. PRA Training Workshop
The 8th International Thematic PRA Training Workshop for senior and mid level development workers to be organized from 25th October to 5th November 2004.
The main objectives of the workshop are includes: to explore the principles, approaches and tools of participatory methodologies; discover the latest innovations developed by practitioners world wide; provide invaluable hands-on learning opportunities through field work in villages and urban slums; and focus on participatory methodologies in specific thematic work areas.
The fee is US$ 1,500 for international participants and Rs. 18,000 for Indian participants. The workshop will be held in India and venue will be announce soon. The last date for registrations is 25th August 2004.Email: workshop2004@...
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@...
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
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This is monthly newsletter of: ICYO
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)
194-A, Safdarjang Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India
Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India. ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. 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.
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