The World Assembly of Youth (WAY) is the international coordinating body of national youth councils and organisations. The full members of WAY are national youth councils. WAY has 120 member organisations from all continents. In this bulletin: Ghana, Botswana, Ireland, Nigeria, Bahamas, Cameroon, Romania, Namibia, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Yemen, Serbia, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Taiwan, New Zeland, Sierra Leone, Russia, France, Kenya, Way.

GHANA : NYC urged to equip the youth with employable skills

BOTSWANA : BNYC offers new initiatives ; Ngami CEDA disburses only P100 000

IRELAND : Cavan Comhairle na nÓg call for free cancer vaccine

NIGERIA : Ika North LG boss urges youths to shun vices

BAHAMAS : High-Tech solution

CAMEROON : Rational investment

ROMANIA : UN programme for youth, evaluated

NAMIBIA : NYC submission supports splitting of roles ; NYC wants freeze on
Tertiary Colleges

UNITED KINGDOM : NYA heads young people's leadership consortium

PAKISTAN : WPF hails approval of National Youth Policy

YEMEN : Powers of democratic change in youth development

SERBIA : Memorandum on youth office signed

AZERBAIJAN : Public Council for Youth holds meeting

SOUTH AFRICA : Need to create more jobs for the youth

TAIWAN : Environmental knowledge is power for civic group

NEW ZEALAND : Tough is not enough

SIERRA LEONE : National youth dialogue commences

RUSSIA : PM urges improving youth policies

FRANCE : UNESCO awards recognize young scientists’ contributions to
biodiversity

KENYA : African youth to climb Kilimanjaro, joining UN campaign for climate
change

WAY : Youth Issues Awareness Competition (YIAC)

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GHANA

NYC urged to equip the youth with employable skills

Accra, Feb. 05 - THE head of the Christo Asafo Church, Apostle Dr Kwadwo Sarfo,
on Wednesday, urged the National Youth Council (NYC) to equip the youth with
employable skills and training that would fit into the job market.

Apostle Dr Sarfo, who is also the owner of Great Imperial Transport, said this
when some members of the National Youth Council and some media houses paid a
familiarization tour of his workshop at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Region.

He said the youth could not be left out in the quest for accelerated national
development.

“Ghana was still facing technological problems because the required support
needed to achieve this has not been given to individuals”, he said, and called
on Ghanaians to tap the expertise of people like him.

Apostle Sarfo said he has the development of the nation at heart and urged
Ghanaians to change their mind-set by helping people who are technically endowed
so that they can leave a legacy for posterity.

The Acting National Coordinator of the NYC Mr Archibald Donkor said the Council
has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Great Imperial Transport to
train the youth in the automobile industry at its centre in Agbogbloshie in
Accra.

He appealed to Apostle Sarfo to allow the youth from the NYC currently at his
workshop in Accra to continue their training at his main workshop at Gomoa Mpota
to update their knowledge.

Mr Donkor said the NYC would collaborate with Apostle Dr Sarfo and seek his
advice for the youth training development programme and called for public
support to enable the Council to achieve its aims and objectives.

He said the NYC in collaboration with the Great Imperial Transport would
establish a career counselling and internship programmes to equip the youth with
employable skills.

Early on, the group was taken round the centre to observe some of the works of
Dr Kwadwo Sarfo, where electrical gadgets, generators, welding machines and
automobile equipment were being manufactured.

[GNA]

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BOTSWANA

BNYC offers new initiatives

Jwaneng, Feb. 05 - THE newly appointed Botswana National Youth Council
Executive Director says he is ready to run the organisation.

Mr Anthony Morima said he has come up with new initiatives such as the monana
legal advice scheme, youth employment, the economic empowerment scheme and the
godisa monana bank deposit scheme.

Mr Morima said monana legal advice is aimed at offering legal advice to the
disadvantaged youth.

The godisa monana Bank deposit scheme is modeled along the University of
Botswana Appeal development concept: Motho le Motho Kgomo.

This initiative is meant to raise funds to support youth development efforts.
Mr Morima said there would be district youth local authority leadership forums
where the youth and the local leadership are brought together to deliberate on
youth development issues.

On administration, Mr Morima said the organisation is going to set out and
publish service standards for all services including payments, processing of
claims and the issuing of grants offered by the council.

He said they would again devise a 25 per cent cost saving strategy for the
council, as well as developing a fleet management strategy.

Mr Morima said the organisation would also regularise ownership of all
immovable property owned by the council as well as developing and maintaining an
asset coding system for all the property.

He said the organisation would also explore further studies, both part time and
full time options for the council employees.

Mr Morima said the BNYC would also advocate and lobby for a lot of things,
amongst them, the need to establish a Parliamentary Committee on Youth Affairs,
to establish a National Youth Development Fund (NYDF), to reduce the age for
land ownership from 21 to 18 and to reduce the age for land board membership
from 26 to 1 He said they would also lobby and advocate for the reduction of the
age for the customary court presidency from 35 to 18, to establish Ntlo Ya
Dikgosi Youth Advisory Committee on Culture and Traditions, and the up-grading
of the National Youth Centre during the NDP 10.

On resource mobilization, he said the council would revive Sechaba Youth
Agricultural Enterprises (SYAE), an agricultural entrepreneurship project based
in Mmankgodi village, adding that they would also establish an investment wing
for the council, and also explore short and long term investment options for the
council, e.g. investing in shares and bonds.

[Botswana Press Agency]

Ngami CEDA disburses only P100 000

Maun, Feb. 18 - THE Citizen Enterprise Development Agency (CEDA) Young Farmers
Fund in Ngamiland has approved only two projects since its inception.

The Young Farmers Fund co-ordinator, Mr Thabo Thamane said the initiative has
received 15 proposals in the region, which are valued at P6.8 million and only
P980 000 was disbursed for the two projects.

Mr Thamane said five projects valued at P200 000 were rejected while others are
still at a stage where they are being processed.

He noted that the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the region has
negatively affected the flow of applications which ware dominated by cattle
projects.

"The response was positive before the outbreak of FMD and there was a
sluggish inflow of applications after the outbreak," he said.

To address the problem, Mr Thamane said the branch has conducted workshops
aimed at sensitizing the youth about poultry and horticulture sector based
projects.

Besides the outbreak of FMD, Mr Thamane noted that the youth in the region are
also faced with shortage of land though they have viable business ideas.

CEDA has already met with the Tawana Landboard to address the issue in which
the land board was made aware of an agreement between CEDA Young Farmers Fund
and the Department of Lands, which requires them to assist prospective young
farmers within 14 days.

"The landboard has since implemented the agreement and has submitted a
list of 23 youths who have been allocated land under the agreement, "he
said.

Asked for a comment, an official of the Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC),
Mr Emmanuel Galeboe said the youth in Ngamiland are faced with various
challenges, which disadvantage them inn relation to economic empowerment scheme.

One of such problems, he said, is the unavailability of the register of
companies, which forces some to travel to Gaborone for registering their
businesses or use post offices which can take up to three months.

Though such inconvenience is not peculiar to Ngaminald alone, Mr Galeboe said
it should be effectively addressed in the interest of youth.

Mr Galeboe called on youth to diversify, adding that there are opportunities in
horticulture, piggery and fishing.

[Botswana Press Agency]

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IRELAND

Cavan Comhairle na nÓg call for free cancer vaccine

Dublin, Feb. 25 - CAVAN delegates to the annual Dáil na nÓg, which was held
in Croke Park last Friday, are calling on the government to introduce the free
cervical cancer vaccine for twelve year old girls. Shauna Gillick, Darragh
Boyle, Ashley Farrelly, Paula Kennedy and Amanda Hewitt were among 200 plus
elected delegates from across the country that attended the event.Dáil na nÓg
is a Comhairle na nÓg initiative, where local youth councils give children and
teenagers the chance to be involved in the development of local services and
policies. The delegates aged between 12-17 years discussed and voted on
recommendations for action on various physical and mental health issues relating
to the youth of Ireland.

Speaking to the Anglo-Celt, Shauna Gillick one of the Cavan representatives
said that she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “It was brilliant! the
Minister (Barry Andrews, Minister for Children) listened to all our suggestions.
It feels great to be able to get our opinions across.” When asked whether Jade
Goody’s battle with cervical cancer had anything to do with the teenagers
voting to make the cervical cancer vaccine free of charge, Shauna replied:
“Yes, definitely, because Jade is a celebrity and she is so young. We as
teenagers can identify with her, we feel it’s very important for the vaccine
to be available free of charge to all 12-18 year old girls.”

Shauna said she believed that the Minister would take on board their
suggestions. “The Minister said that he would again put forward the proposal
to make the vaccine available free of charge to 12-18 year old girls, which is
great news.” Shauna encourages young people to participate in Comhairle na
nÓg if they have the chance. “I wasn’t sure what Comhairle na nÓg was
about before I joined it, but I love it now, I’m glad that I am able to get my
opinions across.”

Shauna and the other delegates participated in a questions and answers session
in Dáil na nÓg, which was chaired by Eddie D’Arcy who is the president of
National Youth Council of Ireland. They directed their questions to a number of
panel members, which included Barry Andrews TD, Minister for Children and Youth
Affairs.

Following the session, the top three recommendations on physical health voted
on by the delegates were: To make the cervical cancer vaccine available free of
charge to all 12-18 year old girls; PE should be funded and prioritised both in
and out of schools; and All young people should have access to sex education

The top three recommendations on mental health were: The government needs to
implement a Social Personal Health Education (SPHE) course for senior cycle
students incorporating positive mental health awareness and develop an online
support service; There should be mandatory mental health awareness workshops in
all schools to raise awareness on symptoms, supports and effects of mental
health issues; and Implement a nationwide awareness campaign that would promote
positive mental health and decrease the stigma, which would reduce the numbers
of suicide in young people.

[Anglo Celt]

*****************************************************************

NIGERIA

Ika North LG boss urges youths to shun vices

Asaba, Feb. 09 - CHAIRMAN of Ika North-East local government area of Delta
State, Mr. Festus Iwerebor, has charged youths in the state to shun social vices
that would undermine the progress and peace in the state.

He stated this at Owa-Oyibu when the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN),
Delta North chapter visited him in his office, weekend, where they passed a vote
of confidence on him in appreciation of his (Iwerebor) commitment to good
governance and delivery of democracy dividends.

Some of the projects embarked upon by the council include the multi-million
Naira modern market at Boji-Boji, urban modern primary school at Owa-Eke road
and construction projects spread across the local government.

Iweriebor who urged the youths to always associate fully with other youths in
the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to forge a common goal, advised
them to give support to the three-point agenda of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan,
with a view to reducing restiveness among them.

Earlier,  the chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria, Delta North
Senatorial district, Comrade Kenneth Okorie, assured that the youths within the
group would help in combating youth restiveness, cultism, pipeline
vandalisation, hostage taking, political thuggery, human trafficking, arms
struggle, among other social vices plaguing the society.

He, however, appealed to the council boss to give the body some slots whenever
there were employment opportunities,  to enable qualified members be gainfully
employed and as well involve them in subsequent sub-committees created for youth
empowerment in the local government area.

[Vanguard]

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BAHAMAS

High-Tech solution

Nassau, Feb. 06 - WITH the aid of the latest technology, 11 students from
several schools across Grand Bahama were able to participate in the second
annual Youth Anti-Crime Non-Violence Forum yesterday.

A large screen television, projection screens and laptops were set up at the
Command Centre of the Grand Bahama Police Force from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. yesterday,
and students were able to carry on discussions with panel members in New
Providence as well as CARICOM Youth Ambassadors, National Youth Council
representatives and students from other Family Islands.

The forum was held under the patronage of the Ministry of National Security in
conjunction with The College of The Bahamas' Campus Life Department, and the
Bahamas National Youth Council, under the theme "Peace is Our Weapon Cuz
Violence Ain't Our Swagger."

Its objective was to garner recommendations from the participants relative to
the problem of crime and violence facing the country.

Assistant Director of Education Cecil Thompson explained that the Ministry of
National Security was able to pay for nine students from Grand Bahama to travel
to New Providence to attend last year's conference.

"This year because of the downturn in the economy, I was told that they
were unable to provide transportation and accommodation for the delegation from
Grand Bahama, and so here it was I was so disappointed that the students
couldn't go to Nassau, but we went high tech this year and brought Nassau to
them," he said.

The event could not be more timely, he continued, since the national crime
statistics appear to be consistently increasing.

"These young people represent a significant part of the future of The
Bahamas in terms of what this country is going to be for the remainder of this
century, and their ideas, their suggestions on the way forward is
important," he said. "We as a nation find ourselves currently in a
mess and who is going to get us out of this dilemma are those same young
minds."

The students were first addressed by Bishop Simeon Hall, chairman of the
National Advisory Council on Crime. They also heard testimonies from two inmates
of Her Majesty's Prison, who recounted the journeys that led them to where
they are and advised the youth to stay away from crime and violence.

Tekeisha Robinson, a twelfth grade student of Grand Bahama Academy, said she
thought the conference to be quite helpful since it allowed her to hear the
opinions of her peers and to express her own thoughts with other young people
from around the nation.

"It helps us to understand what the other islands feel about the crime
going on and to hear solutions we could use. It helps us to interact and share
our feelings about how the citizens can help and can come together to fight
crime," she said, adding that she thought the use of technology to link
students from across the archipelago to be "very cool."

When she heard the presentations by the inmates, Robinson said she was moved.

"Their stories were very touching and I feel that they are learning
something, they aren't only there as a punishment, many of them changed
their lives around and they influenced us that we shouldn't be like them,
that we should take the right way and not turn to crime or violence as an easy
way out or a way to fast money," she said.

Another participant, Sunland Baptist Academy twelfth grader Edrico Ambrister
referred to the experience as "empowering."

"I feel that by doing this we're taking an active role in helping our
country to be better," he said.

"Instead of just having people impose their ideas on us, I find it a
privilege that we can actually say what our solutions are and how we can make
our country a better place."

[Freeport News Reporter]

*****************************************************************

CAMEROON

Rational investment

Yaoundé, Feb. 16 - IF the future of a nation and its youth in particular,
depended solely on how much is budgeted yearly for education and the number of
institutions created for vocational training, Cameroonian youths would count
themselves among the most fortunate in Africa.

Government's investment on its youths as concerns education and
professional training exemplifies its focus on the need of the young who in the
future should be useful to themselves, their communities and the nation at
large. Fortunately, Cameroonians have been blessed with an enviable craving for
learning which today makes their country, one of Black Africa's nations with
a very high literacy rate, today boosted by the people's creativity and
bilingualism.

All these coupled with the peace that reigns in the country means much to our
future. But to attain the goals that make great a nation, and enviable, its
image, our material and human resources must be rendered remunerative. For, it
is one thing investing exhaustively in training, and quite another reaping the
expected dividends. Hence, it is expedient to exploit effectively all that is
put in place to face the challenges of man and his needs, in a world perpetually
threatened by socio-economic and geopolitical crises.

President Paul Biya said it all last Wednesday night. Besides a flash - back at
how much his administration has already done, and is doing in the field of
education and professional training, he recounted other, mobilization structures
worth expatiating: The Rural and Urban Youth Programme (RUYP), the National
Action Plan for Employment (NAPE), the Multi - Purpose Youth Promotion Centres,
(MYPC), the National Youth and Mass Education Committee, (NYMEC), the National
Youth Council, (NYC), and the National Civic Service for Participation in
development, (NCSPD), were cited with hope for a positive response in
appreciation.

The good intensions of the mastermind of these structures are obvious. But who
doubts that these mobilization forces could be relegated to "white
elephants" if we are not committed to national objectives?

The National Civic Service for Participation in Development, which is today
being reinstated, could not have petered out had Cameroonian youths as well as
their parents kept to the ideals that led to its creation. While some citizens
for example, considered it another source of getting rich fast, graduates from
the centres instead of embanking on self - reliant agro - industrial
undertakings rushed to the cities to seek white collar jobs. Many of them were
disappointed. Meanwhile, those who were fortunate to have grants either
misappropriated them, or started what they could not manage.

Others were unable to start any project at all, their main complaint being,
lack of funds to implement what they had learnt at the training centres. Yet,
the National Civic Services for Participation in Development was envied by many
countries as one of the sources of Cameroon's success stories. That this
service is to be reinstituted proves clearly that it was indeed a right step in
the right direction, but stalled by a miscarriage of priorities and lack of
commitment.
Relevant Links

Despite this mishap, the creation of more structures to see about the needs of
youths is indeed an example of sustained efforts to explore and adopt more
strategies of bringing up the nation's future leaders. Hence, the challenges
faced in the process must be rationally targeted with a focus to achieve
national objectives. This concerns all ministries, and all citizens who must, as
the President instructed, be competitive, and contributive to what ensures a
better future. For, it is only with such a reflection and action that youths as
well as adults can adopt ways and means of proving that they are committed to
the forging of a better future, for themselves and their country.

[AllAfrica]

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ROMANIA

UN programme for youth, evaluated

Bucharest, Feb. 21 - THE Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations
hosted a working session on the evaluation of the Youth Delegate to the United
Nations Program, reads a Foreign Ministry release on Friday. Under the theme
"Youth in the decision-making processes, developments in the 2008-2009
term', the event was organized by Alexandra Martin and Bogdan Covaliu,
Romania's Youth Delegates to the Commission for Social Development.

The working session was structured as a SWOT analysis with contributions from
each delegation, complemented by perspectives of partners. The participants
concluded that, during the current term, greater progress has been achieved and
the youth delegates have shown a higher level of expertise on youth related
issues, thus being able to offer greater input to the formulation of national
positions. It was also underlined that, in terms of public outreach, the program
enjoyed greater visibility, to which the events organized by various delegations
contributed greatly.

Delegates from Belgium, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland
heard inputs from several institutional partners, such as the European Youth
Forum (EYF), World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) and UN
Youth Unit, as well as a brief presentation on behalf of the Alliance of
Civilizations on the organization's Youth Program.

Discussing the way forward, participants agreed that future steps should lead
towards institutionalizing the youth delegate project in all participating
member states and its further implementation, particularly in African, Asian and
Latin American countries which have insufficient levels of youth participation
in public sector activities, the release reads.

The 'Youth Delegate to the United Nations' Project was firstly
implemented in Romania in 2006. Ever since, following a selection process
organized by the Youth Council of Romania in partnership with the Romanian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, two young people participate each year in the works
of the UN Third Committee and those of the Commission for Social Development, as
members of the national delegation.

[Financiarul]

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LESOTHO

Closing the tap on HIV

Maseru, Feb. 17 - IN another milestone effort to close the tap on HIV and stop
the flood of infections, the Ministry of Gender Youth Sports and Recreation
(MGYSR), Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW), the National AIDS
Commission (NAC), young people, UNICEF and partners met to review the
operational plan for the young people's component of the National Behaviour
Change Communication (BCC) Strategy.

The BCC strategy focuses on changing knowledge, attitude, behaviors and
practices of young people, their families and communities for preventing HIV and
addressing other Sexual and Reproductive Health issues.

The severity of young people's vulnerability to HIV infection is evidenced
by the disconcerting data. Girls, in every age group, are the most infected;
with for example, 8% of females compared to 2% of males aged 15 -19 living with
HIV. Sexual activity starts as early as 12 and 14 years old for males and
females respectively, and only 10% of males and 6% of females use condoms when
they have sex for the first time. Changing fundamental human risk-taking
behaviours that continue to fuel the spread of HIV, is the ultimate goal to
prevent HIV infection.

The urgent call for a persistent commitment to meet the diverse and changing
needs of young people and to address the characteristics of the social, cultural
and physical environments that place them at risk compelled partners to move
forward on implementing the young people's component of the BCC.

"The operational plan for young people, addresses individual behaviours
and recognizes the importance of core social norms [especially gender and
community norms] fueling vulnerability. It pays special attention to structural
elements of the environment such as lack of protection for adolescent girls,
inequity in society, migration etc., and seeks to tackle the social drivers of
the epidemic, including human rights violations, stigma and discrimination and
gender inequality" said Dr. Aberra Bekele, Deputy Representative UNICEF.

An open tap gushing out water was the resonating metaphor used to describe the
effects of HIV. "Imagine a young girl opening a tap to wash dishes; as the
water starts flooding the home, she keeps on mopping frantically [it's all
she knows], without tackling the problem at the source" said Mr.
Motlalepula Khobotlo, from NAC, evidencing the importance of "ensuring that
young people are equipped with skills and knowledge to close the tap, change
their behaviour and save their lives".

Richard Mabala, from TAMASHA, the NGO that spearheaded peer to peer research to
inform the operational plan, added that "we need to find out why the young
girl could not close the overflowing tap of water. Unless we detect and address
the underlying causes that fuel the spread of HIV we will not be able to close
the tap, and make sure it remains closed. Only young people can tell us
how." he said.

Development partners fervently highlighted the role and importance of the
church in influencing young people and their behaviour. "Over 30% of
congregation members are often young people. The church plays a pivotal role in
shaping young people's values and beliefs, and must therefore be a strong
partner" said Dr. Raj, from Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

Young people's voices were at the heart of the discussions. They stressed
that "youth should be consulted from the onset of programmes providing
inputs and participating meaningfully in decision making, not only as
tokens", they agreed that "churches can reinforce positive values by
presenting messages in a more comprehensive, attractive and friendly way.
Abstinence is a very important message, and should be conferred in a way that
young people perceive its benefits and relate to it, not in a punitive way"
said Mr. Matlosa, director of the youth led NGO Cross Roads. Young people also
stressed the importance of being able to communicate to their parents and
finding common grounds to feel valued and supported.

"We can no longer afford to work in silos and expect results in HIV
prevention. We have an intense web of sexual networks that needs to be broken, a
flow that needs to be stopped. Behaviour change is an intricate process, deeply
embedded into how each individual is socialized; only together, [development
partners, young people, families and communities] we can turn off the tap and
stop HIV's course" said Mr. Khobotlo.

The Director of Youth, MGYSR, Mr. Tsoanelo Mathafeng, reported on the National
Youth Council Act being in place and that "preparations for the
establishment of the Lesotho National Youth Council, the body that will serve as
a driving force behind all young people's programmes, have started" he
said.

"The next steps will see the operational plan being finalized and
translated into materials and interventions for social and beahvioural change
among young people" said the Chief Health Education Officer from MOHSW, Mr
Khabiso Ntoampe, "this plan will serve as a guiding tool to ensure
uniformity of action and better sharing of available resources for programming
for and with young people".

[ReliefWeb]

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NAMIBIA

NYC submission supports splitting of roles

Windhoek, Feb. 05 - THE National Youth Council’s submission to the Standing
Committee on Gender, Youth and Information on the National Council has come out
in support of the inclusion of an executive chairperson and director in a
revamped NYC.

Debate on the NYC Bill introduced last year to both houses of Parliament came
to the ground temporarily in December, as the National Council Committee sought
to look for input from youths across the country, as well as clarifications from
the authors of the Bill.

Key to this fact-finding mission was for the NYC technocrats, as well as bill
drafters to explain the necessity of the position of executive chairperson and
that of the director. It was felt by some youths linked to the youth body that
the two positions might create an overlap of functions.

Acting secretary general of the NYC, Mandela Kapere, in his submission
motivates that the position of executive chairperson is important for the youth
because “member organisations will get to elect the political head of the
council directly and further this move allows relatively secure political
oversight over the secretariat”.

Kapere said ever since the birth of the NYC, the functions of political
leadership and administrative head were vested in the hands of the secretary
general, who is elected directly by the youths during a general assembly every
five years.

“Through experience the council has realised that there is a need to have
separate political and administrative heads, as this removes undue
administration burdens from the office of the political head of the council,”
Kapere told the committee.

Some sources had argued in the past that it was unnecessary for the NYC to have
both an executive chairperson and director working full time at the institution.
They say it is like having a “minister and a permanent secretary at the same
time for a small institution such as the NYC”.

Also set to go is the almost certain MP status of the secretary general, seeing
that the last two SGs of the NYC have become members of the National Assembly
because of their influence in youth politics.

It was claimed by sources conversant with the Bill that the two positions are
meant to favour cadres of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) for political
reasons, with the position of executive chairperson specifically set up for such
a goal.

Both Kapere and the Youth League have denied the link.
The committee is expected to present its outcomes to the National Council on
February 9.
If the Bill passes, the NYC will be dissolved and re-established as a youth
entity established by an Act of Parliament.

At that stage, the NYC will have direct access to Parliament and in all
possibility will have the luxury of their own budget vote as opposed to
currently being a unit receiving funding from the Directorate of Youth under the
Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture.

It will also seek to establish a youth development fund and apolitical youth
forums.

[New Era]

NYC wants freeze on Tertiary Colleges

Windhoek, Feb. 23 – THE National Youth Council (NYC) has called for a
moratorium on the increase of tertiary institutions, until such a time that
economic growth is adequate enough to justify reasonable increase.

The NYC also said tuition fees be regulated by the National Council on Higher
Education and that no fee increment be effected without the approval of the
council.

The NYC Acting Secretary General, Mandela Kapere, made these remarks in view of
the current global financial crisis that has had an adverse impact on each and
every sector of the economic groups and sectors of the country.

Kapere also stated that tax on meals, books and other student services on
tertiary institution campuses be zero-rated.

During a consultative stakeholders meeting held by the Ministry of Trade and
Industry, last week, the NYC expressed these views and identified five areas
that it said had an adverse impact on the lives of young Namibians.

The consultative meeting had to look at possible mitigation strategies that the
country had to consider during the current economic crisis.

Kapere highlighted the impact of tuition fees at tertiary institutions, the
lack of property ownership among youth, support for micro-finance for
entrepreneurship, expansion of access to State services and the impact on the
nutrition of Namibians as some of the problem areas for youth during the current
financial crisis.

Kapere said since the formation of the University of Namibia (Unam) and the
Polytechnic, there had been serious confrontations between students and
institutional bureaucrats on the question of unpaid fees.

“On average, costs related to tuition rise between seven and 11 percent per
year and the cost of accommodation at these institutions rivals that of private
accommodation, which, is in my view, unreasonable to the degree of being
absurd,” Kapere told the meeting.

The youth leader also called on the Government, local authorities and the
private sector to assist young people to become property owners.

“It is my view that addressing the general late attainment of property of
Namibian youth requires State and market intervention, and if done will
ultimately make our economy more solid,” he added.

He is of the opinion that youth property ownership could be accelerated if
local and national government employ measures to encourage home ownership by
young people through favourable access to land, loans and subsidies on rates and
services.

“A mass national housing scheme for young people should be put in the
pipeline as part of the national housing and habitat strategy,” he advised.

Kapere appealed to the ministries of trade and youth to expand micro-finance
for youth development initiatives.

Another appeal was that State services be expanded to rural areas, as well as
the expansion of infrastructure and services to the regions.

Kapere said the financial crisis also had a negative impact on the country’s
nutritional status, as cost in basic foodstuffs such as milk, maize and wheat
products had drastically increased.

He said despite the timely intervention by the Government by zero-rating tax on
basic foodstuffs, more could still be done in this regard, especially for the
poor and rural communities.

“It is unfortunately the case that the more remote an area, the higher the
cost and goods and services. This applies to basic foodstuffs especially,” the
youth leader said.

He highlighted child-headed households, the poor in general, single mothers and
the elderly as mostly affected and proposes a national nutritional aid scheme,
beyond drought relief that will alleviate a possible backlash.

[New Era]

*****************************************************************

UNITED KINGDOM

NYA heads young people's leadership consortium

London, Feb. 18 - THE National Youth Agency is leading a consortium appointed
to deliver the government's plan to help disadvantaged young people develop
leadership skills.

The Princes Trust, the UK Youth Parliament, Changemakers, The Young Foundation;
The Citizenship Foundation and the British Youth Council make up the rest of the
consortium, which will deliver the National Body for Youth Leadership (NBYL).

The Department for Children, Schools and Families announced in March 2008 that
it would fund the body, which will aim to increase opportunities for young
people to act as community leaders. Activities on offer will include shadowing
ministers; internships with local leaders and a fellowship programme offering
young people the chance to develop their leadership skills in a range of
settings.

Children's minister Beverley Hughes said:  "Inspiring young people to
take on a leadership role is not as simple as telling them that they should
become a leader. We have to provide support and real opportunities - this is
what the National Body of Youth Leadership will do."

Fiona Blacke, chief executive of the National Youth Agency, said: "This is
an inspiring programme that will reach out to thousands of young people and
strengthen their contribution as active and influential citizens."

Adam Nichols, chief executive of Changemakers, said: "The NBYL is
ambitious in its aim and will provide world class leadership opportunities for
young people. We want to create a culture where young people are welcomed as
leaders of change and recognised for the skills and insights that they
have."

[CYPNow]

*****************************************************************

PAKISTAN

WPF hails approval of National Youth Policy

Islamabad, Feb. 07 - WORLD Population Foundation (WPF) hailed efforts of
Minister for Youth Affairs, Shahid Hussain Bhutto for approval of National Youth
Policy.

It is a welcome achievement that the Ministry of Youth Affairs has been
successful in getting approved the National Youth Policy last month, which has
for long been a pending priority.

Since the inception of Ministry of Youth Affairs, World Population Foundation
(WPF), Pakistan and youth networks had been advocating for the implementation of
National Youth Policy for the well-being and meaningful participation of youth
in the development of the country.

WPF, Pakistan sees this as an appreciating step and it is worth mentioning here
that the Federal Minister had pledged the formulation of National Youth Policy,
on November 30, 2008 in Islamabad at the occasion of National Youth Summit 2008
organized by WPF and UNFPA. It is then most appreciable that he fulfilled his
promise and accomplished this landmark.

The formulation of the Youth Policy is merely the beginning of a journey,
embarking upon which the young people can be facilitated to play a more
proactive role in dealing with contemporary challenges and policy formulation
processes.

It is imperative to appreciate the commitment of the Ministry for accomplishing
this milestone.

It is now the collective responsibility of both Government and the civil
society to join forces to ensure a holistic youth policy action plan that would
effectively address the prevalent condition of pervasive social apathy, which
has undermined youth's confidence in terms of improving their social and
political environment through organized civic engagements and initiatives.

Accordingly, WPF, Pakistan suggests a consultative approach to the Ministry of
Youth Affairs in which the civil society organizations working on Youth and
youth networks would also be engaged.

Youth friendly policies and enhanced resource allocation are needed to harness
the potential of youth ensuring their effective and meaningful participation in
the development of the country.

[Pakistan Daily Mail]

*****************************************************************

YEMEN

Powers of democratic change in youth development

San‘a, Feb. 15 - YOUTH are of a special importance to society due to their
role in the process of change and modernization. Therefore, preventing or
hindering youth development leads to the sustainability of human poverty instead
of the sustainability of human development.

Since the government didn’t manage policies to modernize social construction
in rural areas or work to undermine the dominance of the traditional elite in
the government in general, decentralization increased the power of the
traditional group instead of empowering the people. Most members of local
councils are from the traditional group, generally composed of tribal sheiks,
and the new traditional group, or sons of tribal sheiks who received modern
education.

Moreover, the government didn’t take any actual procedures to save the
country’s system of law. A number of cases that were determined by local
authorities were unlawfully breached. Some cases’ outcomes were subjected to
pressure by some traditional elites. Consequently, local councils provided an
additional mechanism to enhance the control wielded by these traditional elites.
This accelerated their benefits received from development projects. It also
increased the potential of future development projects on their behalf and
perpetrated forms of inequality and social discrimination.

On the grounds of such conditions, youth in general and those who hail from
poor groups in particular cannot participate in decision-making. On the
contrary, existing conditions marginalized and exiled them. This is why managers
of rural development projects in the fields of education, health, electricity,
and roads are close to the traditional groups.

The ability of youth to play a role in democratic change depends on the process
of social and political upbringing that they are exposed to. It also depends on
the quality of the cast culture and its ability to direct youth towards
participating in efforts of reform and democratic change. Cultural frameworks
that target youth in Yemen are often steeped in tradition. They foster values of
negativity and submission. Traditional social organizations are the most
effective in terms of shaping initiatives of society and Yemeni youth. They
highlight traditional identities more than national identities and encourage
discrimination and inequality, particularly since the sons of tribal sheiks and
government officials receive material and educational privileges provided by the
current political system.

Government apparatuses lack a proper institutional framework as government
administrations depend on individual judgment and personal loyalties instead of
depending on laws. Educational institutions, which are considered to be the
source of the development of youth and culture, are based on non-institutional
criteria regarding their management and leadership. The curricula offered in
public schools are traditional and are offered in traditional ways. That is,
they don’t aim to develop the capacities, skills, or intellect of youth that
would contribute to developing a spirit of change and initiative. In addition,
they don’t give youth the opportunity to carry out student activities,
research, or anything innovative.

Consequently, values of responsible citizenship are almost non-existent among
youth. Instead, via the current system, the values of withdrawing from the
political field and non-participation in democratic reform are fostered in youth
today. Interviews carried out by the team who created a report on youth
development revealed that the concept of democracy among youth is vague and
confused. This is attributed to the dominance of the traditional political
culture in university education and a lack of civil and intellectual activities
which raise awareness among youth. The most effective cultural source available
in forming youth cultural initiatives and political upbringing is found in
movements and religious parties. These groups offer them Islamic culture in
accordance with traditional concepts which then contributes to developing
close-mindedness, fanaticism, and violent culture. It also contributes to the
repulsion of modernization out of the perspective that this concept came from
the western culture.

As a result of these findings, it is clear that there is a shortage in the
performance of modern institutions towards the political upbringing of youth.
There is also a shortage in enhancing the youth’s values of responsible
citizenship. These institutions don’t play their proper role in developing
youth awareness and enhancing their role in democracy both in content and in
form. Media concerning these issues are controlled by a traditional political
group. Its programs are still poor.

Concerning civil society organizations, they are still restricted to elites
from among the activists and the educated. Political parties suffer from
dominance by the old elites of leaders. These elites highlight the role of youth
only in their political speeches – not in their plans and political programs.
With regard to foreign and international media, satellite channels don’t offer
any kind of education and democratic culture to youth who even use the internet
only for entertainment programs or to enjoy other interests.

Yemen declared itself to be a democratic multi-party system in 1990. However,
no parties – including leftist, traditional, and religious parties –
witnessed any democratic change except in political speech. The political
systems are still non-institutional and are unable to get rid of the effects of
the past; effects we are still experiencing through the dominance of traditional
leadership on political parties.

In addition, participation in decision-making within the internal framework of
parties is still limited. Not only does this undermine youth participation but
it also undermines the participation of women as well. Therefore, these parties
– with all their trends and nature – didn’t properly play their
illuminated roles in society. Shortfalls appear in the way parties deal with
democratic change and the limitations of practicing democracy in the internal
affairs of parties.

Practically speaking, programs related to political parties are limited. This
is regardless of the fact that such programs are included in parties’
political speeches, plans, and political programs. Youth programs orchestrated
by political parties are conducted under the auspices of the party itself, and
not through independent programs concerned with youth. Several parties have
divisions concerned with youth, but they cannot make any final decisions without
the consent of the parties’ leaders. Even when plans are approved by such
leaders, the youth don’t participate in these programs. This means that
parties’ management of youth issues is conducted in accordance with the
parties’ own needs. This is from a partisan perspective based on the party’s
needs from youth, not through programs that are constructed according to a
democratic system.

Civil society represents a medium in which people can both learn and teach
democratic practices as well as the culture of human rights. Since civil society
is like a mediator that fosters both the role of the society and state
institutions, it plays a pioneering role in raising the awareness of political
and civil rights and practices and also encourages reforms in different fields.
Furthermore, it organizes the relationship between the state and the society and
promotes democratic change.

Civil society in Yemen is considered to be one of the manifestations of
democracy and modernization in the country. When today’s Yemeni government was
first formed in 1990, it started with 289 organizations and associations. In
2006, the number mounted to 5335 associations and foundations. This reflects the
will of individuals and societies to organize their issues regarding public
affairs through private civil society.

There are no specific statistics about the number of youth organizations in
Yemen. However, it is clear that they are only a few, and that the few that do
exist are ineffective in the youth and democratic field.

When asked questions about the role that civil society organizations play with
regard to youth issues and whether these organizations encourage them to
participate, youth said that organizations exert efforts and endeavors as parts
of their activities concerning youth. However, these activities are confined to
raising awareness and education and never tackle any youth problems or issues.
The youth themselves said that organizations are based in the main cities, far
from rural areas. Although civil society organizations have a number of youth
who work for them, they don’t give them a chance to actively participate. They
also don’t allow the youth to join them in decision-making, similar to parties
and governments, which is a sign of weak institutional management.

Regarding the youth’s general knowledge about the existence of activities,
organizations, or youth initiatives and their participation, the report revealed
that youth know about the Yemen Youth Union but they don’t know what it does,
nor do they participate in its activities. This is because its aims to serve the
ruling party, which indicates that there is a lack of confidence between the
government and the Yemen Youth Union, leading them to be pessimistic towards
achieving any goal.

The majority of youth said that they also know about the program of youth
leadership concerned with human rights and democracy in the Center of Youth
Economic Development; some of the youth interviewed were involved in the
program. With regard to youth evaluation of the experience of organizations and
partisan initiatives toward youth, they mentioned only the Center of Youth
Leaderships Development, which undertakes educational training in the fields of
economy and basic human rights. It also teaches concepts of democracy.

Connecting the previous point about the role of civil society organizations
concerned with youth, we find that there is a weakness in the role of the civil
society that targets youth. There is also a shortage in the role of youth
initiatives that are offered by political parties and a scarcity of activities
in general that are meant to spread knowledge to encourage youth.

Although mass media should play a major role in the issues related to youth and
their activities, there is a current lack of effort to target this group through
the media. And even though the press plays an illuminating role in democratic
change, a large number of youth in media institutions practice only their
professions and do their jobs without trying to institute any changes.

To summarize, what we know about youth and youth initiatives is that there are
organizations concerned with youth but they are very few and scattered in
different governorates. Among these organizations is the Yemen Youth Union,
which is the most outstanding youth institution as it receives support from the
government and media. Concerning non-governmental organizations concerned with
youth, there are only 20 organizations according to sources from activist youth
in these organizations. They have very little effect due to their small number
and weak capabilities.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, there are 300
youth clubs in Yemen. The ministry allocated YR 10 million in 2007 to purchase
cultural and scientific books so that these books can be distributed among
libraries of these youth clubs. Although the Ministry is mainly concerned with
supporting and encouraging youth, its work was restricted to clubs and sports
activities.

There has been an initiative by President Ali Abdullah Saleh since 1999 to
provide annual awards for innovative youth in the fields of art, drawing, and
cultural innovation.

International organizations and regional programs concerned with youth exert
good efforts to support youth civil activities. They also support youth
political and social participation and the development of a spirit of volunteer
work among youth. Among these programs are the “Naseej Program” which began
in mid 2006, and the role of the German Organization Fredrich Ebert which works
in the field of democracy and human rights. There is also the Democratic School,
a local organization concerned with supervising the Children’s Parliament and
the Youth Shura Council whose members come from different parts of Yemen. This
council aims to give youth experience in the fields of official institutions,
human rights, and democracy.

[Yemen Times]

*****************************************************************

SERBIA

Memorandum on youth office signed

Loznica, Feb. 23 - REPRESENTATIVES from the Ministry of Youth and Sport,
American Embassy to Serbia, the US Agency for International Development (USAID)
and the municipality of Loznica signed last Friday a memorandum on cooperation
concerning the development of the government’s Office for Youth in Loznica.

Minister of Youth and Sport Snezana Samardzic-Markovic said that there are
approximately 250,000 young unemployed people in Serbia.

She voiced her hope that the 60 government Offices for Youth, set up all over
Serbia, will enable Serbian youth to participate in the creation of new social
values.

American Ambassador to Serbia Cameron Munter said that the memorandum implies
further development of the Serbian youth.

He noted that reforms will enable young people to employ themselves through
entrepreneurship.

[Emportal]

*****************************************************************

AZERBAIJAN

Public Council for Youth holds meeting

Baku, Feb. 02 - PUBLIC Council for Youth under the Ministry of Youth and Sport
held its meeting on Monday.

Minister of Youth and Sport Azad Rahimov said there were more that 150 youth
organizations in Azerbaijan and much attention was paid to those organizations,
which gave its results, APA reports. Deputy Minister Intigam Babayev made a
report on the youth policy provided in 2008 and said the main activity was
directed toward the patriotism and citizenship.

“The TV programs were produced and the events and agitation trains were
organized in the regions. The second exhibition of the youth organizations was
organized in the country last year and 80 organizations were represented
there”. Babayev said the ministry organized 519 republican events over the
past five years and 65 of them had international importance.

Leaders of the youth organizations also delivered speeches at the meeting and
spoke about the existing problems. At the end, Minister Rahimov expressed his
opinion over the problems touched upon at the meeting. He said the ministry kept
the construction of Azerbaijan Youth Palace on agenda. “We have even kept a
building in view. The building was under the construction, but our plans failed
because other company purchased that building”.

Then the youth organizations showed activeness in 2008 were awarded with
diplomas.

[APA]

*****************************************************************

SOUTH AFRICA

Need to create more jobs for the youth

Johannesburg, Feb. 05- EFFORTS to tackle joblessness among young people in
South Africa, which has one of the world's highest youth unemployment rates,
need to be scaled up, particularly as the economy slows down, according to
policy analysts.

The government and the private sector have made several
"well-meaning" interventions to address the problem, according to a
report called `South Africa's Door Knockers', by the Johannesburg-based
Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), a policy think-tank, but these need
to be reviewed to make them more effective.

South Africa's growth rate slowed from an average of around 5 percent for
several years to 3.8 percent in 2008, making the creation of jobs, particularly
for the youth, a major challenge - 65 percent of young people were unemployed in
2005. Analysts have put the unofficial overall unemployment rate in the country
as high as 40 percent.

The report warned that the problem of youth unemployment extended far beyond
the immediate crisis of individuals lacking a wage: longer-term national threats
include political stability, the viability of the country's fiscal and
social security systems, and the social integration of a non-productive
generation.

Tertiary education is regarded as the "silver bullet" that vastly
improves young people's employment prospects: 94 percent of those with
tertiary degrees had either found jobs or were continuing their studies, the CDE
report noted.

But tertiary education in South Africa is expensive; moreover, inadequate
education at the secondary level often prevents young people from pursuing a
university education.

A unique university is attempting to address both problems. The privately
funded Community and Individual Development Association (CIDA), founded in 1999
in Johannesburg, is run by students to keep costs down while providing free
business-oriented tertiary education to poor students.

CIDA provides a preparatory "Foundation Year" to bridge the gap
between township education levels and university readiness by upgrading
mathematics, English, and basic accounting skills. It also focuses on improving
students' confidence, life skills and creativity.

But, successful as CIDA's model is - 838 graduates to date - Rukudzo
Murapa, the dean, calls its contribution to solving the problem of youth
unemployment "modest".

The university, run entirely on corporate and private donations, can only
accept a limited number of students: this year it will take 350, with 300 of
them studying the foundation year curriculum.

The need for the foundation year raises questions about the quality of
education in the country's poorer schools, and how those deficits affect
students who do not make it into programmes like CIDA's.

With or without financial aid and a foundation year, most of the population is
not qualified for, nor necessarily interested in, acquiring a tertiary degree.
"The majority will be down there [without a degree] for years to
come," Murapa noted. "The question is: how to make that level
productive?"

"Our economy is just not generating jobs at the skills level at which the
majority of the population is sitting. We've got a massive skills mismatch,
and the youth are being affected by it the most," said Lance Greyling, a
member of parliament for the Independent Democrats (ID), an opposition party.

A national drive to develop high-skill industries such as technology and
banking, and a simultaneous loss of jobs in the agriculture and manufacturing
sectors over the last 15 years, have resulted in the growth of high-skill jobs
for which there is a lack of qualified applicants.

"After apartheid, one of the top priorities was changing the complexion at
the top; to quickly train people to managerial and high-tech positions, but that
did not really create jobs. We ended up recruiting people from our schools and
hospitals, and creating a deficit in our education system," Murapa pointed
out.

Greyling and the CDE both cited the importance of investing in government
programmes, such as Further Education and Training (FET), which provides
vocational and technical skills from Grades 10-12, and equivalent levels in FET
colleges.

Most poor South Africans live in rural areas and analysts argue that more
investment and employment interventions should flow into small towns and
villages.

The migration of young people from rural to urban centres often results in
their being jobless in an unfamiliar place, where they may lack family networks
and the cost of living is higher. "We are very concerned about the
migration of productive young people from rural to urban areas, where they
don't find jobs, yet deprive the rural areas of critical skills," said
Murapa.

CIDA is trying to bring about change in rural areas with an urban initiative
that requires students to participate in its community-based
"Extranet" programme, which trains and mentors people in their home
communities in social issues, including leadership skills, health and HIV/AIDS,
money management, and entrepreneurship. The university estimated that by 2003,
more than 500,000 youths across the country had benefited from this training.

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is the only government effort to
create jobs that is widely regarded as a clear, large-scale success. Under the
Department of Public Works and the Department of Trade and Industry, the EPWP
aimed to create one million short-term work opportunities between 2005 and 2009.
By the end of the third quarter of 2007, it had created 845,506.

The programme covers sectors such as infrastructure, services, and has
enterprise development elements, as well as initiatives in agriculture,
co-operative income generation, and micro-enterprises.

One of the EPWP's poster-child programmes, "Working for Water",
clears alien vegetation using labour-intensive methods, and has won numerous
awards in conservation and public works. It employed nearly 30,000 people in the
2005/06 financial year, providing them with income and skills training. Young
people filled at least 6,000 of the 30,000 short-term jobs.

Working for Water spawned Working for Wetlands, Working on Fire, and the recent
Working for Energy programmes, all using labour-intensive methods to solve
existing natural-resource related problems in a cost-effective manner, such as
restoring wetlands, extinguishing wild fires, and creating renewable energy
sources.

"Working for Water has an extraordinary return on investment," said
Guy Preston, co-initiator of the model and the national programme leader.
"The value of the water alone – particularly if you factor in what would
happen if we don't do it – makes it come out ahead. It's already a
cost-effective exercise, before you look at what it means for flooding, fire,
the productive use of land, biodiversity, and tourism."

Preston reasoned that programmes dealing with environmental problems that would
never disappear would also make them sustainable sources of employment.

The ID's Greyling agreed that new models for matching unemployment with
serving the needs of the country were required. He cited the use of locally
produced goods and labour to meet the needs of the numerous South Africans
living without housing, good roads, and affordable electricity and water.

The CDE report found that many young people believed the government should
create jobs for them, and noted that this important misconception needed to be
addressed swiftly.

Several initiatives to promote a culture of entrepreneurship and
self-empowerment have been developed, including the government's Umsobomvu
Youth Fund (UYF), and corporate-based collaborative initiatives like The
Business Place, among others. However, none of these programmes have been
assessed or reviewed to find out whether or how well they work.

The Business Place (TBP), which has walk-in advice centres around the country,
provides a physical location where aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs can use
free facilities such as the internet, computers and meeting rooms, and can
network. Regardless of the client's level of preparedness, the philosophy is
one of empowerment.

Clients can also take courses at a negligible cost in basic life skills,
financial management, and how to start, run and grow a business. Most of the
clients who come to TBP are between the ages of 18 and 35, some of whom have had
business experience.

"Our thinking is to empower you as a business person to make decisions,
and to break that cycle of dependency on an institution or person," said
Lavendra Naidoo, head of the Cape Town branch. "A lot of people have not
set very clear goals and objectives in timelines that they can measure; they
talk in very abstract terms - 'I want a big factory' - so we ask
questions to get them to come to their own conclusions about how to
proceed."

TBP's model appears to be both sound and progressive, but is limited by
capacity: until the end of 2008, the Cape Town branch's staff of seven was
receiving between 1,200 and 1,400 clients every month.

The Umsobomvu Youth Fund was set up in 2001 with the mandate of promoting
entrepreneurship, job creation, skills development, and skills transfer among
South Africans between the ages of 18 and 35. The South African definition of
youth extends to 35 so as to include more of those disadvantaged by apartheid.

The fund is now in the process of being merged with the National Youth
Commission, and the two groups will be part of the newly created National Youth
Development Agency, scheduled to begin operating in June 2009. Great hope rides
on this new effort.

[IRIN]

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TAIWAN

Environmental knowledge is power for civic group

Taipei, Feb. 06 - SINCE beginning operations in 2000, the Taiwan Environmental
Information Association has spared no effort in chronicling events, sharing
information and promoting awareness of the country's environment--efforts
that sometimes make the government pale in comparison.

"What we are doing is very simple," TEIA Secretary-General Chen
Juei-ping explained. "Citizen participation in environmental issues is key
to building awareness and understanding of the events taking place around us. By
staying informed, we can make the correct decisions for future
generations."

The rational expectation that adequate information and access is conducive to
ethical decision-making, inspired five young people to create a Web site for the
Taiwan Environmental Information Center in April 2000. According to TEIA, the
site is probably the most active and largest environment-related one in the
Chinese-speaking world, with more than 4,000 visits made for the purpose of
reading domestic and international news. It posts timely releases from various
outlets, as well as investigations and discussions on issues such as
Taiwan's ecology, climate change, new energy, gene technologies and food
safety.

In explaining the group's decision to put Taiwan's environmental issues
online, Chen stated that environmental protection is basically about the
conflict between development and preservation, yet new scientific findings
render such issues more complicated and difficult to grasp. This situation
threatens to hamper the average person's rights to know about issues that
may have great bearing on their lives and properties. "In running the Web
site, we don't instruct," Chen said. "We offer information and
help people make judgments for themselves."

To broaden its engagement in the public sphere, the center transformed itself
into an association in 2004, with staff numbers increasing to 25. The group
promotes the initiative of environmental trust and raises funds to help preserve
ecologies and historic sites for the benefit of the community. Having conducted
active exchanges with similar organizations abroad--such as the U.K.-based
National Trust--TEIA used this experience to draft its application for the right
to administer and protect an unused orchid of around six hectares in Chenggong
Township, Taitung County. After being approved, TEIA designed working-holiday
programs and education programs to build public awareness of the area's
environmental value.

As the first of its kind in Taiwan, the project was awarded several
conservation and environmental grants in 2006. "We hold that environmental
trust is a way for the democratization of environmental preservation
efforts," Chen said. The necessity of this process is justified by the
general distrust of political decision-makers who have vested interests in
seeing the environment sacrificed for development, he added. "We have to
depend on ourselves when considering the value of preserving a site. Its social
and physical heritage is meaningful to us."

For the purpose of pressuring the government to improve its environmental
record, while boosting public awareness of pressing issues, TEIA has compiled a
top 10 environmental news report each year since 2001. Starting in 2003, such
news pieces were selected through online voting. But unlike previous years, 2008
has been a bad one for the environment, TEIA said.

"Sadly, this time around, all of the top 10 news selections are
negative," TEIA's Shia Dao-yuan said. "Although they do not go
beyond the scope of individual issues, such as development projects, pollution
and preservation, the results indicate a failing on the part of the government
to map out and implement an environmentally and economically sustainable
plan," she added.

Shia explained that several of these issues have repeatedly appeared on
TEIA's reports over the years, such as the Suao-Hualien expressway. The
government's controversial plan to build a national highway along
Taiwan's east coast has provoked heated debate in society for close to 20
years. Shortly after the Kuomintang replaced the Democratic Progressive Party as
the nation's ruling party, the government proposed building a less
controversial section of the highway. This angered the country's
environmental groups and also sparked protests from Taiwan's east coast
residents who believe the road will help develop the area's economy.

"We must ask if a transportation development plan centering around roads
is viable in the long run, or if it is in accordance with the government's
energy polices and promises to reduce carbon dioxide emissions," Shia said.
The activist noted that neither of Taiwan's political parties paid proper
attention to this question while in power, and similar controversies continued
to emerge in 2008--notably with two expressway building projects that threaten
the riverside ecologies of Taipei County's Nanzih River and Danshui River.
"The government seriously needs to review its thinking and consistency in
terms of environmental policy goals," Shia said. "Members of the
public must play the role of a watchdog to safeguard Taiwan's fragile
ecosystems," she said.

Chen echoed this sentiment and offered another perspective. "I believe
that the government we elect and the way officials and civil servants handle
public affairs is in large part a reflection of our own attitude," he said.
"The tangled network of business and politics at all levels is deeply
embedded in our society." Chen added that it is hard for the majority of
the people to rise above this morass and throw their support behind the cause of
environment, which is almost impossible to evaluate in terms of the financial
bottom line.

As a way of engaging government agencies, Chen said TEIA is striving to work
closely with these organs to promote its cause. By submitting proposals to
complete environmental programs for the government, the group receives funding
and secures opportunities to incorporate environmentally friendly ideas into
these projects. Chen said until now, TEIA has conducted various plans for the
Council of Agriculture, Council for Economic Planning and Development, Mainland
Affairs Council, National Science Council, National Youth Commission and the
Public Construction Commission, among others.

In justifying the group's goal of pinning its hope for the country's
civic society on environmental issues, Chen stressed that robust grassroots
power is the nation's advantage. "Once the movement is geared up and
equipped with knowledge, Taiwan's environment can be changed for the
better."

[Taiwan Journal]

*****************************************************************

NEW ZEALAND

Tough is not enough

Wellington, Feb. 17 - PEOPLE who work with youth say the youth crime bill
introduced to parliament yesterday is based on a misconception that the current
law isn¹t working.

New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development (NZAAHD) executive
officer Sarah Helm said that she empathised with the new government¹s desire to
address public concern about youth crime, and to prevent young people from
spiralling into lives of crime.

"All information tells us that a boot camp approach alone is a waste of
taxpayer money - the old corrective training sentence had a massive recidivism
rate of over 90%." she said.

"The government have announced a bigger Fresh Start package which puts in
some other supports for young offenders such as education.

"There definitely needs to be focused and sustained investment into other
types of support services that focus on a educational, health, drug and alcohol
and welfare needs."

"Young people engaged in crime usually have a range of problems
contributing to their poor behaviour ­ a lifetime in state care or family
abuse, learning disabilities, poverty, mental health problems, and a lack of
adult support," she said.

YouthLaw Senior Solicitor John Hancock said the current law already provided
for young people who commit serious crime to be tried in the adult court.

"We are also concerned that the Bill proposes reducing the age of criminal
prosecution to include 12 and 13 year olds."

"Such an amendment would be difficult to reconcile within the current
youth justice framework under the Act and would be contrary to New Zealand¹s
international obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
the Child (UNCROC) and associated juvenile justice"

In addition, the Family Court currently possesses a wide range of powers in
respect of child offenders, including reparation, services and custody
orders."

YMCA New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Ric Odom notes that while there is a
widely held perception that we are in the midst of a youth crime wave, overall
youth crime has remained fairly constant over recent years.

"But we do have a problem with young people becoming more involved in
violent crime and we do need to address it."

Every Child Counts project manager Deborah Morris-Travers said she hoped the
legal process would not be rushed, as it had entered the House under urgency

"There is a great deal of knowledge and expertise that could contribute to
the improvement of this bill, but we need time for the democratic process to
unfold."

[SCOOP]

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SIERRA LEONE

National youth dialogue commences

Freetown, Feb. 27 - ENCISS and its partners on Wednesday commenced a two day
national youth dialogue session themed: Youth participation for Development, at
the Presidential Lounge of the National Stadium.

Addressing the forum, ENCISS Policy and Programme Director Andrew Lavalie said
that the aim of the forum is to shift the static nature of participation of
youth to take part in the structures of the government and the setting up of the
Youth Commission.

National Coordinator, Youth Alliance for Peace and Development (YAPAD) Bockarie
Enssah maintained that young people need to be empowered, and given adequate
share in politics as equal stakeholders in the electoral process.

He added that the ruling government in its manifesto prioritized the review of
the out dated National Youth Policy, noting that  to date  “we don’t have a
current policy that guides all and sundry as to addressing and responding to
youth issues, let alone talk about a specific act.”
Enssah called on all to recognize that a youth perspective should permeate all
policies, programmes and activities at national as well as at local government
levels.

He stated that all young Sierra Leoneans should equitably benefit from the
resources and support initiatives mobilized through national development
irrespective of their region, tribe, and religion whether they are male or
female.

In his keynote address, Director of Youth, Anthony Koroma said his ministry has
been working with ENCISS in supporting youth development in the country.

Government, he said is serious and committed in promoting youth development,
adding that the setting up of the youth commission and youth livelihood are the
key priorities to this government.
Koroma said that the issue of youth participation is key and as such government
will not relent in its efforts.

Anita Kanneh from Young Female Leaders also stressed on the importance of
information dissemination to youth in other parts of the country.

[Awoko]

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RUSSIA

PM urges improving youth policies

Moscow, Feb. 19 - PRIME Minister Vladimir Putin has commissioned the relevant
agencies to submit proposals for improving youth policy legislation, as he said
during a meeting of the organizing committee for holding the Year of Youth in
Russia in 2009.

He noted that the implementation of youth policies required well-planned
mechanisms, such as a more flexible procedure for providing financial aid to
children's and young people's public organizations. Putin also urged the
removal of barriers preventing young people from making a career in business,
state governance, and science.

The PM pointed out the problem of growing aggression, crime, and extremism
among young people, stressing that it was necessary to constantly address these
problems.

[RBCNews]

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FRANCE

UNESCO awards recognize young scientists’ contributions to biodiversity

Paris, Feb. 18 - YOUNG scientists from around the world working on projects
ranging from working to conserve mangrove forests in Iran to conserving orchids
in Cuba have been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for their work on biodiversity.

Eleven people have been selected as winners of UNESCO’s 2009 Man and the
Biosphere (MAB) Young Scientist Awards, and they will each receive a cash price
of up to $5,000 for their research on ecosystems and biodiversity focusing on
sustainable interaction between people and their environment.

One of this year’s award recipients, Khalid Osman Hiwytala of Sudan, was
recognized for his work on the impact of the Umbararow tribe’s border
migration on Dinder Biosphere Reserve, a biosphere reserve situated along the
border to Ethiopia.

Two other winners, Paula Irrazabal and Soledad Contreras of Chile, are being
honoured for their research on the effect of habitat disturbances on mammal
species in Torres del Paine National Park and Biosphere Reserve.

Two scientists – Boshra Salem of Egypt and Gorshkov Yu of Russia – will
also share the Michel Batisse grant, awarded every two years for biosphere
reserve management case studies.

Biosphere reserves are sites taking innovative approaches to conservation,
ecological sciences and sustainable development which are recognized under
UNESCO’s MAB Programme. Currently, there are 531 such sites in over 100
countries.

[UN News]

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KENYA

African youth to climb Kilimanjaro, joining UN campaign for climate change

Nairobi, Feb. 25 - A Group of young people from impoverished urban areas in
Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana, will set off on a gruelling trek to the top of Mount
Kilimanjaro under the United Nations banner to draw attention to the effects of
climate change.

Ten underprivileged youth will join 25 other people from the private and public
sectors in the fourth annual ascent to the “rooftop of Africa” organized by
the Kilimanjaro Initiative, a Nairobi-based non-governmental organization (NGO),
in partnership with the “UNite to Combat Climate Change” global campaign.

“This year’s climb will highlight – with the melting ice of Mount
Kilimanjaro as a backdrop – how global warming has a direct impact on the
living conditions of individuals and communities throughout the world,” said
Wilfred Lemke, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for
Development and Peace.

“By raising awareness about the impact of global warming, including in
populated urban areas, the Kilimanjaro Initiative will assist in the achievement
of MDG [Millennium Development Goal] 7 of ‘ensuring environmental
sustainability,’” he added.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warned that rising temperatures, increased
rainfall and extreme weather conditions will dramatically change where and how
people live in cities.

The change in climate does untold damage to economic and public infrastructure
and stretches the ability of urban centres to accommodate displaced populations,
leading to unemployment, deteriorating educational facilities, inadequate health
care systems and a possible rise in crime in urban centres, according to the
agency.

At the top of Kilimanjaro, the group will use a satellite telephone to call
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who is currently on the South African leg of a
tour that will take him to Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),
Rwanda and Egypt.

Mr. Ban is also due to fly over the receding ice cap of Mount Kilimanjaro,
Africa’s highest peak, on his way to the city of Arusha to visit the
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

[UN News]

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WAY

Youth Issues Awareness Competition (YIAC)

Melaka, Feb. 20 - WAY is organizing a competition for all its members and non
members, who have a keen interest in Youth issues. The competition is based on
the 15 priority youth issues that the UN set out to be achieved by 2015 so as to
develop the youth. The issues are presented in a report entitled the World
Programme of Action for Youth.

To this end the World Assembly of Youth (WAY) will be having a competition
based on these issues. The idea is to have the competitors come up with
presentations, reports, essays, discussions, poems or forms of arts that would
portray how they would tackle the issues. Creativity in your ideas is the key.
You can also find these issues on our website-http://www.way.org.my/issues.html.
This competition will run on a monthly base, with new topics suggested monthly.

Our first issue, which we would like to hear from you all, is on "Youth
Poverty and Hunger Eradication". The rules are simple, anyone youthful can
enter, preferable between the ages of 18 to 35 years. Copies of Entries should
be received by 27th March 2009 .They can be sent by Email, Fax or Snail mail
{post}. For reports and discussion please limit your words to 3000 words,
preferable typed, Font size 12, Times New Roman.

Finally the big question what's the prize? Well as a grand gesture and this
being the first competition, the winner of the competition will have the honor
of presenting their entry to our event, the International Youth Forum-
"Role of Youth Towards Poverty Eradication", to be held in Tripoli,
Libya from 13th to 15th April 2009. The winner will also be issued with a
certificate and
appreciation trophy as well as being fully sponsored for this trip.

Not to forget the others, consolation prizes {certificate} will be awarded to
the 2nd and 3rd best entry So put on your thinking cap and get the pen and paper
or whatever makes you happy and start writing or drawing. Also do stay in touch
and visit our website  (http://www.way.org.my) and join our yahoo group
( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for more details.

[WAY HQ]

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WORLD ASSEMBLY OF YOUTH

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