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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, Philippine, Malaysia, Mozambique, Angola, Sri Lanka, USA, England, India, Jamaica, Ethiopia, France, Liberia, Botswana, UAE, Belarus, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Sierra Leone.
GHANA : Youth asked to desist from fraudulent activities; Draft Youth Bill
to be reviewed PHILIPPINE : Baguio City lass is ambassadress of 17th National Youth
Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention Education MALAYSIA : Revamp and more funds for Youth and Sports Ministry MOZAMBIQUE : New president for National Youth Council ANGOLA : New CNJ's officials sworn in SRI LANKA : Murukandi temple station to be rebuilt with youth participation USA : Stimulus cash helps youths ENGLAND : Youth unemployment in Brighton up by 66% INDIA : Challenges faced by today’s youth discussed at seminar JAMAICA : Making significant progress in most MDG targets ETHIOPIA : Youth association urged to actively take part in establishment
of federation FRANCE : Diabetes among youth set to double by 2020 LIBERIA : FPAL dedicates youth clinic in Buchanan BOTSWANA : Disabled youth demand inclusion in fight against HIV/AIDS UAE : Policy reform needed to pep up job opportunities in Mideast BELARUS : Boris Batura urges parliamentarians to develop agreed youth
policy in CIS EGYPT : Better days ahead AZERBAIJAN : Youth must be more active in strengthening country's economy SIERRA LEONE : TVET draft policy caters for youth empowerment to promote
economic growth ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** GHANA Youth asked to desist from fraudulent activities Kasoa, May 27 - THE Effutu Municipal and Awutu-Senya District Coordinator
of the National Youth Council, Mr Emmanuel S. Martey, has advised the
youth to desist from fraudulent (Sakawa) activities, which is on the
ascendancy in some parts of the country. According to Mr Martey, the practice sends bad signals about the country
to the outside world and also encourages the youth to be lazy to the
disadvantage of the socio-economic development of the country. Mr Martey gave the advice when he addressed Muslim youth groups at Kasoa. He expressed concern that some of the youth, instead of using their
youthful exuberance on productive ventures for their own benefit and the
nation rather wasted such energies on negative activities. He urged the youth not to be involved in conflicts or allow themselves to
be used by some people to cause troubles in their localities. The Youth Coordinator suggested to the youth groups to undertake
sanitation related activities in their localities to prevent the outbreak
of epidemics. He also asked them to join in the crusade to sensitize people on the
effects of HIV/AIDS on the society. The coordinator said that the National Youth Council is determined to see
the youth engaged in agriculture, adding that, “We need to take advantage
of the Youth in Agriculture Programme to reduce the rate of youth
unemployment. He appealed to parents to invest more in the education and skill training
of their children to reduce their vulnerability to crime. [GNA] Draft Youth Bill to be reviewed Accra, May 29 - GOVERNMENT has set up a five-member committee to review
the Draft Youth Bill to make it satisfy the current needs of the youth,
Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, Minister for Youth and Sports, said on
Thursday. He said the review was also to make for the creation of a Commission on
Youth to give the National Youth Council the autonomy to perform its
functions effectively. The Minister disclosed this at a Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and You-net
Youth forum in Accra to assess the status of the National Youth Policy and
to chart the way forward. Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak said the move was to place the National Youth
Council appropriately within the matrix of youth development agenda and to
make it the fulcrum of energizing the youth to participate fully in the
country’s development efforts. He said government had begun a process aimed at redefining the National
Youth Employment Programme to make it focus on delivering the best
results. Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak said in view of this, government was undertaking
reforms within the institutions spearheading the youth development agenda
and also reviewing the legal and policy framework to ensure that the
development objectives set the youth were achieved and sustained. He said the government recognized the potential of the youth and the need
to harness it for national development adding that, the National Youth
Employment Programme (NYEP) was an element in engaging the youth toward
achieving that aim. He said government had embarked on efforts to address the challenges
confronting the effective implementation of the NYEP to ensure more
personnel were roped into it to achieve a qualitative outcome. Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak challenged the youth to be serious with their
various endeavours to enable them to achieve the best results in life. Mr Prosper Hoetu, Executive Director of You-net, a youth development
oriented organization, called on the government to invest more in the
youth. He said the destiny of the country was dependent on its youth policy and
pledged the commitment of the youth towards the implementation of the
policy. [GNA] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** PHILIPPINE Baguio City lass is ambassadress of 17th National Youth Congress on Drug
Abuse Prevention Education Baguio City, May 30 - TWO youth, who are active in the Life-PRIDE or "Life
Planning as a Resource Intervention for Drug Education," program of the
Baguio Center for Young Adults (BCYA), in partnership with City Anti-Drug
Abuse Council (CADAC), represented the city in the 17th National Youth
Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention Education recently held at the Marikina
Hotel in Marikina City last May 19-22. John Amado Sanidad of Pines City National High School and Dora Faye Delim
of Baguio City National High School, were sponsored by the city government
through the CADAC under the chairmanship of Vice Mayor Daniel Fariñas.
They were joined by 106 other participants from different parts of the
country. Delim, 15, and an only child of a single OFW parent (mother), was also
chosen as the Congress' Ambassadress. The Congress' ambassador was a youth
from Candon, Ilocos Sur. In a radio interview, Delim said she was proud to be chosen as the
Congress Ambassadress, as she promised to be continuously active in drug
abuse prevention and education campaigns. In the same interview, BCYA Executive Director Marlene De Castro said, she
is very proud of Delim, who aside from being a brain and a beauty, is also
a model of a clean and a drug free youth, with a very bright future in
life. "Dora will be helping the BCYA's anti-drug abuse advocacy as a peer
educator in the center's youth advocacy programs," De Castro added. De Castro also emphasized that BCYA is focusing on youth empowerment, life
skills development and sexuality development, as youths or young adults
are at high risk to be victims of circumstances, such as lack of parental
guidance, peer pressure, negative effect of the proliferation of porno
materials, poor adult modeling and negative effect of other environmental
factors. The 17th National Youth Congress was organized by the Dangerous Drugs
Board, in collaboration with the National Youth Commission, Marikina
Anti-Drug Abuse Council, National Youth Coordinating Council and the
International Youth Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention Education Council. Meanwhile, the BCYA, in partnership with the Overseas Workers Welfare
Administration, OWWA-CAR, recently held a Peer Education
Counseling/Seminar to OFW dependents. According to De Castro, children of
OFWs can be considered as special children because they are prone to
develop "characters" due to the physical absence of their parents. The seminar aims to help OFW dependents in building confidence, how to
properly manage the resources given to them by their parents and to help
them in clarifying their values, De Castro added. [PIA] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** MALAYSIA Revamp and more funds for Youth and Sports Ministry Melaka, May 16 - THE Youth and Sports Ministry is likely to undergo
restructuring and given an additional allocation to implement its 1Youth
1Malaysia concept. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin said these were
crucial to ensure the successful implementation of the myriad youth
programmes aimed at supporting the 1Malaysia concept. “We want to emphasise the importance of the relationship between the
youths and the country’s leadership and Government, “There is also the importance of forging close unity among the youths
through the 1Youth 1Malaysia concept where they will work together with
the leadership to help develop the country,” he told reporters after
opening the national-level Youth Day celebrations at the MITC in Ayer
Keroh yesterday. He said that youths, who made up some 40% of the population, should be
given due recognition for their contributions towards nation-building. He said discussions would be held with representatives from the respective
state youth councils on how best to implement the concept. “It is important that the Youth and Sports Ministry is given both manpower
and financial support to carry out its programmes,” he said, adding that
he had brought up the matter with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun
Razak recently. Earlier, in his speech, Muhyiddin reminded youths that it was their duty
to uphold national unity. He also said that they should put the interests of the nation first,
including acting rationally and avoiding offending the sensitivities of
other communities. He later presented Malacca Joint Youth Council president Mohd Nizam Omar
the 2009 National Youth Award for his leadership qualities. Some 15,000 youth leaders from around the country gathered here for the
celebrations. Also present were Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek,
Chief Minister cum the president of the World Assembly of Youth, Datuk
Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Malaysian Youth Council president Datuk Shamsul
Anuar Nasarah. [The Star] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** MOZAMBIQUE New president for National Youth Council Gondola, May 11 - THE fourth general assembly of Mozambican youth
associations, held in the central town of Gondola, on Sunday elected
Osvaldo Pitersburgo, candidate of the Mozambique Youth Organisation (OJM),
which is affiliated to the ruling Frelimo Party, as the new President of
the National Youth Council (CNJ). Pitersburgo was unopposed, because at the last minute two other candidates
pulled out. They were Sonia Mboa, of the Patriotic Action Front (FAP), one
of the minor parties in the opposition Renamo-Electoral Union coalition,
and Ludjero Gemo, whose supporters called themselves "the group of civil
society youth associations" . 105 of the 108 delegates present during the secret ballot election voted
for Pitersburgo, while the other three cast blank ballots. But 25 other
delegates - presumably supporters of Mboa and Gemo - absented themselves
from the room during the vote. Before the election, attempts had been made to put together a unity slate,
in which Pitersburgo would be the candidate for president and Mboa and
Gemo would be his deputy presidents. These tentative talks broke down, and
Mboa and Gemo decided to abandon the contest altogether. Mboa told AIM that she withdrew because he did not want to "legitimize" an
OJM victory. Her decision had the opposite effect, for all it showed was
the scale of support for Pitersburgo. Even if the 25 who boycotted the
vote are included in the figures, Pitersburgo had the support of 79 per
cent of the delegates. In his victory speech, Pitersburgo said the new CNJ leadership intended to
be inclusive. "We are aware that there are many challenges to face", he
said. "Expectations are very high. Our commitment is to put young people
on the national agenda". During his election campaign, Pitersburgo promised to fight for public
policies that benefit young people, improve the capacity of the country's
youth associations so that they can respond to challenges, and ensure,
with impartiality, the participation of young Mozambicans in national
decision making forums. Pitersburgo is committed to "professionalising" the CNJ, making it an
effective institution, and holding annual youth conferences to keep in
touch with what young people are thinking. The 25 year old Pitersburgo was born in Milange district, in the central
province of Zambezia on 22 April 1984, and is a social science graduate
from one of the country's private universities, the Mozambican Higher
Institute of Science and Technology (ISCTEM). While at university he founded the Nucleus of Social Science Students, and
was a member of the Youth Observatory, indicated by the CNJ as a
supplementary focal point for youth in Mozambique's self-assessment under
the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). He is currently a consultant for
the US-based Global Survey Corporation. [AllAfrica] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** ANGOLA New CNJ's officials sworn in Luanda, May 21 – THE new members of the social organs of the National
Youth Council (CNJ), elected in April this year during the organ’s 5th
ordinary assembly, for a four year term, were invested on Wednesday in
Luanda. This was during a ceremony chaired by the deputy minister of Youth and
Sports, Yaba Pedro Alberto. The inaugurated members are the CNJ chairman and the deputy chairperson,
Raúl Augusto Lima and Osvaldo Júlio, respectively. The secretary of the CNJ national assembly, Pereira Alfredo and members of
the Fiscal Council, as well as members of the management commission, were
also sworn in. On the occasion, Yaba Pedro Alberto emphasised the need for a teamwork
spirit among the members of the CNJ social organs, so that the interests
and rights of the youths may be gradually addressed by Angolan Government. He also advised the youths to take the potential that each juvenile
organisation offers, so as to defend and secure their socio-professional
conditions. CNJ, which was established in 1990s, is a platform of national youth
organisations and the Provincial Youth Council. Currently, it comprises 38
juvenile organisations and aims at promoting the active participation of
the youths in the society, through member organisations. [AngolaPress] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** SRI LANKA Murukandi temple station to be rebuilt with youth participation Colombo, May 28 - THE destroyed Murukandi Temple Station on the Yal Devi
Train route due to the thirty-year prolonged attacks of the LTTE, will be
constructed with the participation of youth, Youth Affairs Minister,
Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. This project will coincide with the Uthuru Vasantha program for which the
fund raising had already been allocated by the National Youth Services
Council, she said. Thus, there would be four canvasing projects to raise
funds with the assistance of youth Clubs from Maharagama to Saman Devalaya
in Ratnapura, Seenigama devalaya on the Galle Road, Munneshwaram Kovil in
Chillaw, Ethkanda Viharaya of Kurunegala for eight days. It is expected to
raise Rs. five million through these campaigns, she told to the Daily
News. Meanwhile, funds will also be raised by selling flags on the National
Youth Day celebration for which 32 youth centres and 9,000 youth clubs
throughout Sri Lanka will provide assistance. Youth Sarasaviya program
will also assist in the program while they will also assist with the
construction of the station. [Daily News] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** USA Stimulus cash helps youths Seattle, May 30 - A $3 million slice of federal stimulus money will go
toward youth-employment programs in Seattle and King County, helping put
850 low-income and at-risk youths to work this summer. For the past several summers, the programs — which include Youth Care and
Youth Source — could afford to place only about 200 youths. The programs address a growing national trend in which youth are unable to
find jobs, partly because they do not have the skills of more experienced
workers. The recession has made the problem worse, said Margret Graham, a planner
at the Workforce Development Council of Seattle/King County, a nonprofit
that received the $3 million in funding. Nationally, Congress approved
$1.2 billion in funds for youth-employment projects. "This is something that was a crisis anyway, and in a bad economic times
it makes it tougher for young people," she said. "Low-income, at-risk
people who don't have the connections that others do are the ones that
suffer the most." Between 2003 and 2006, the number of people ages 16 to 24 increased by
14,539 in King County, but employment in that group fell by 9,303 people,
Graham said. The new infusion of cash will pay the wages of youth ages 14 to 24 who are
disadvantaged, which can mean a variety of things, including that they
dropped out of school, were involved in gangs or have a disability. "We realize those kind of labels might be kind of scary to employers, but
these are young people who we work with really intensively and get trained
and prepared before they get to the job site," Graham said. Michael Grabham, owner of The Finish Co. in Seattle, recently hired two
people full time who began as interns through such youth programs. He
hopes to have two or three more such interns this summer. "We want to be involved in the community, and we get an employee who we
can help train to do things The Finish Co. way, not some other method that
may or may not be correct," Grabham said. The internships last six to eight weeks and pay the minimum wage. The labor is free to employers, which is "always a benefit, especially in
this environment, " Grabham said. And it "takes the risk out of finding
someone who isn't a good fit." A few months ago, he hired Juan Romero after the 17-year-old finished a
Youth Source internship with the company. "He's really energetic and enthusiastic and wants to learn the trade,
which is something we can do," Grabham said. Romero said Youth Source teaches the importance of showing up on time and
working hard. Without the program, he said, "I'd probably be struggling looking for a
different job that I wouldn't like as much." [The Seattle Times] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** ENGLAND Youth unemployment in Brighton up by 66% Brighton, May 26 - THE number of unemployed young people in Brighton and
Hove has rocketed by 66% in the last year. The worrying figure emerged in data compiled by the Office for National
Statistics. It also revealed that the number of under-25s in the city claiming
Jobseekers’ Allowance costs more than £94,000 per week. Youth charity The Prince’s Trust warned that the figure was still rising. A report published today by the Trust and the Cass Business School
predicts that the number of young unemployed people across the country is
set to rise with young people from deprived areas hit hardest. The report also warns that as unemployment soars and local youth services
become vulnerable to cuts, youth charities will struggle to keep up with
an increase in demand. Simon Fulford, regional director for the Trust in the south east: “Our
region’s most vulnerable youngsters will be permanently damaged by the
downturn, unless they receive the support they need now.” A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "The council is
working very hard to boost job opportunities in the city by working with
both public and private sector organisations. “As the city’s biggest employer, we want to do everything we can to
increase job opportunities. "We’re currently working with the Learning and Skills Council to develop
opportunities for young people in a range of areas to help them get on the
careers’ ladder. "We’re also developing a new scheme that aims to encourage businesses to
play a proactive role in the lives of young people. “The purpose is to give young people the opportunity to see what career
prospects are available to them and get a taste of what is possible. “We will also provide a support network to encourage young people to
pursue these opportunities. “It’s ambitious and challenging, but we’re confident that it will be very
successful.” [The Agrus] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** INDIA Challenges faced by today’s youth discussed at seminar Punjab, May 25 - DIFFERENT aspects of the challenges being faced by the
youth with particular emphasis on youth from rural Punjab were highlighted
by various speakers at a state-level seminar on “Youth power in nation
building” organised by the Sadbhawna College of Education on the college
campus. The seminar was sponsored by the Council for Teacher Education (CTE)
(Punjab and Haryana chapter). Dr DR Vij, president, CTE, presided over the
seminar. Addressing the seminar, Dr Satinder Kaur Dhillon, National Vice-President,
CTE, spoke about various challenges faced by the youth of the state,
especially the youth from the rural areas. She said drug abuse,
under-employment, lack of relevant education opportunities, glorification
of sex and violence in media as were the stumbling blocks for youths. Dr Amandeep Kaur, senior lecturer, GHG College of Education, Sidhwan,
stressed on the need of health conscious youth. Rupinderjeet Kaur,
Coordinator, Academics, Sadbhawna College, deliberated on the prevalence
of drug abuse in the rural areas and said that about 75 per cent of the
rural population had fallen prey to drugs. The need and means to develop
an ethical culture for youth was stressed by Dr Madhu Meeta of Sadbhawna
College. [India Express] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** JAMAICA Making significant progress in most MDG targets Kingston, May 30 - JAMAICA has made significant progress in eight of the
14 United Nations' Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets for 2015,
according to the national MDG report, jointly undertaken by the Planning
Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Foreign Trade. The report, which was officially launched at the PIOJ on Thursday (May
28), highlights significant progress by Jamaica in the areas of poverty
and hunger reduction; the attainment of universal primary education;
combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; improved mental health;
and environmental sustainability. Completed earlier this month, it discusses key relevant issues within
national and regional contexts, and is expected to be presented by Health
and Environment Minister, Rudyard Spencer, during the United Nations'
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Annual Ministerial Review (AMR)
meeting in Geneva, Switzerland in July. This meeting will focus on the theme: "Implementing the Internationally
agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health." The ECOSOC was established under the United Nations Charter, as the
principal organization to coordinate economic, social, and other related
work. ECOC serves as the central forum for discussing international
economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations
addressed to member states, and the United Nations. It is responsible for promoting higher standards of living, full
employment, and economic and social progress. Additionally, it aims to
identify solutions to international economic, social and health problems;
facilitate international cultural and educational cooperation; and
encourage universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In 2005, ECOSOC was mandated to hold AMRs to facilitate efforts towards
implementation of the United Nations Development Agenda (UNDA). AMRs
provide an opportunity for countries to make national voluntary
presentations, which will enable them to present an assessment of their
progress towards the achievement of the UNDA. Last year, the Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Foreign Trade, agreed to participate in this year's AMR, with
the PIOJ coordinating preparation of the report. This undertaking has been managed by a PIOJ-led steering committee
comprising public and private sector professionals, drawn from the areas
of education, health, agriculture, environment, social protection and
external cooperation. In presenting the document at the launch, Project Consultant, Jenny Jones,
reported significant achievements in the MDG targets for the eradication
of poverty and hunger, and the achievement of universal primary education
since 1990. She said these are halving the proportion of persons living below the
poverty line, as well as suffering from hunger. Up to 2007, Jamaica was
able to reduce poverty and hunger by two-thirds, with a three-quarters
reduction in the proportion of under-weight children below five years, and
an overall two-thirds fall in the number of persons suffering from hunger. Regarding the attainment of universal primary education, Ms. Jones noted
achievements in the thrust to ensure that children at the primary level
will be able to complete a full course of schooling by 2015. She disclosed
that, as at December 2007, net enrolment exceeded 90 percent, with gross
enrolments reaching nearly 100 percent. In the area of improved maternal health, the Project Consultant contended
that Jamaica is on track to achieve universal access to reproductive
health and ante-natal care, pointing out that thus far, there is only a 10
percent "unmet need for family planning." With regards to the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases,
Ms. Jones said that Jamaica is on track to halt and reverse the spread of
HIV/AIDS by 2015, as well as facilitate universal access to treatment by
2010 - access has increased from five percent in 2000 to 60 percent in
2008- and halt and reverse the incidence of malaria. Additionally, she informed that the country is also on track to halve, by
2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to potable water
and basic sanitation. She said that as at December 2007, 92 percent of the
population had access to safe drinking water, while 98.9 percent had
access to basic sanitary facilities. Targets and goals in which Ms. Jones said the country is either lagging
far behind, or slipping in, include; the promotion of gender equality and
the empowerment of women; halving of the child mortality rate for the
under five age group; reduction of the maternal mortality line; and
significant improvement in the living condition of persons residing in
less than desirable environments. The report identifies global recession, violence, and unattached youth, as
areas which could affect Jamaica's ability to achieve the overall MDGs. To
this end, it recommends improvements in global partnerships for pursuit
with international development partners, and international financial
institutions, as well as targets and indicators for MDGs that would be
more suited for countries classified middle income, such as Jamaica, and
others in CARICOM. [JIS] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** ETHIOPIA Youth association urged to actively take part in establishment of federation Addis Ababa, May 17 - THE Ethiopian youth federation organizing committee
urged youth associations in the country to actively participate in the
establishment of the federation. Participants of the panel discussion held yesterday said that the
establishment of the federation is vital to address the problem the youth
are facing. The participants drawn from various political parties also deliberated on
the vision, objective and issues of membership and participation and
reached an agreement to discuss the draft bylaw of the federation and
other issues in the future. The participants stressed that despite there differences in various
matters they would work jointly to resolve the challenges of the youth. They further said that the youth federation should be independent and
non-partisan so as to involve all youth in the country. [WIC] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** FRANCE Diabetes among youth set to double by 2020 Paris, May 30 - INCIDENCE of Type 1 diabetes in children aged under five
in Europe is set to double by 2020 over 2005 levels while cases among the
under-15s will rise by 70%, according to a study published on Thursday. The trend, based on diagnosed cases between 1989-2003, will be highest in
the former Communist countries of eastern Europe, it warns. The paper, published online by the British journal The Lancet, says the
increase is so dramatic that it cannot be attributed to genes alone. Instead, “modern lifestyle habits” are the likely culprits, it says. Diabetes, a potentially lethal condition, affects 246mn people worldwide
and is expected to affect some 380mn by 2025, according to the
International Diabetes Federation (IDF) website. Type 1 diabetes generally occurs in childhood and early adolescence. The immune system destroys cells in the pancreas that make insulin, the
hormone that breaks down glucose into other forms of energy, and this
causes sugar levels in the blood to rise dangerously. Experts say the disorder seems to be caused by a mix of genetic
vulnerability and environmental factors. These include increases in weight and height, less exposure to early
infections in childhood and delivery by caesarean section. Type 2 diabetes, which affects far more people than Type 1, occurs when
there is insufficient insulin or cells become insensitive to the insulin
that is produced. It is closely associated with chronic obesity, which has become an
epidemic in the industrialised world as a result of sedentary lifestyles
and the switch to sugary and fatty foods. [AFP] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** LIBERIA FPAL dedicates youth clinic in Buchanan Buchanan, May 29 - THE Family Planning Association of Liberia (FPAL), a
leading non-Government organization in the area of sexual and reproductive
health & rights (SRH&R) opened and dedicated its youth clinic in Buchanan,
Grand Bassa County. According to a release, the Clinic is expected to address the sexual and
reproductive health needs of the youthful population of Buchanan city and
its surroundings. The clinic will also be a great help to the entire
county. The release notes that the renovation of the clinic was done by the Family
Planning Association of Liberia in collaboration with the United Nations
for Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Planned Parenthood
Federation (IPPF).The youth clinic is valued at over nine thousand United
States dollars. The release further states, that the United Nations for Population Fund
(UNFPA) is one of the major donors for the Family Planning Association of
Liberia. It is currently providing funds for the implementation of sexual
and reproductive health, HIV /AIDS and other services in seven counties, In a related development, the parent body of the Family Planning
Association of Liberia, the International Planned Parenthood Federation
(IPPF) has donated a new Nissan Pick- up valued at thirty eight thousand
seventy -five united states dollars ($38.075USD) to the association to
enhance the provision of quality sexual and reproductive health and
rights, HIV/AIDS prevention, information and services through out the
country, the release signed by its Executive Director Miatta K. Kiawu
said. [AllAfrica] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** BOTSWANA Disabled youth demand inclusion in fight against HIV/AIDS Gaborone, May 10 - THE disabled youth community has decided to join the
ongoing struggle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic by fighting the spread of
the disease amongst their communities. The community is calling for equal dissemination of information to those
who have disabilities just as much as that has been given to the abled
society so that they are informed of how best to save themselves from
getting infected. The Botswana Federation of the disabled (BOFOD) recently held a seminar in
commemoration of the Month of Youth Against HIV/AIDS at Kagisong Center. The theme of the seminar summed up the angle from which BOFOD planned to
tackle the commemoration, ‘Youth with disabilities leading by keeping the
promise to stop AIDS’.
BOFOD had planned to bring about 60 youths with disabilities across the
country so they could come and discuss intensively the issues surrounding
them in terms of HIV/AIDS vulnerability. According to Shirley Keoagile, vice chairperson of BOFOD, the chief
concerns amongst the disabled youth are those concerning lack of knowledge
and reasonable accommodation on issues that affect the youth with
disabilities, how to prevent HIV/AIDS, how to commit to zero lifestyle and
take personal responsibility so as to avoid taking risks that could lead
them to contracting the disease. Youth with disabilities have a higher chance of contracting HIV/AIDS more
than their abled counterparts. According to claims made by some in the disabled community, youth with
disabilities are not taken into consideration when government introduces
the various HIV/AIDS projects currently running in the country today. The vice chairperson continued to imply that communication strategies
currently put in place to disseminate information and educate on HIV/AIDS
and its prevention have, of late, excluded the needs of young people with
disabilities. “Realization to keep the promise and the human rights of people with
disabilities in relation to HIV/AIDS is critical as much as is the theme
for this year,” said Keoagile. Shirley said the main objectives of the seminar were to reflect on the
‘Abstain Be faithful and Condomise (ABC)’ method of intervention
challenges in regards to people with disabilities. Also to advocate for the securing of resources necessary for youth with
disabilities in the fight against the pandemic, these would include
information distribution, and the likes.
It would also serve to provide and share experience, knowledge and
solutions about problems facing youth with disabilities in the context of
HIV/AIDS. [Sunday Standard] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** UAE Policy reform needed to pep up job opportunities in Mideast Dubai, May 28 - POLICY reform and greater regional cooperation are needed
to improve job opportunities for youth in the Middle East, according to
the recent report Missed by the boom, hurt by the bust – Making markets
work for young people in the Middle East. The Middle East Youth Initiative, a joint project of the Wolfensohn Center
for Development at Brookings and the Dubai School of Government (DSG),
cautioned that a new job crisis may damage future prospects for the
region’s youth. It also analyses the short and long term impact the UAE
Ministry of Labour’s protectionist moves on firing locals could have on
Emirati job seekers in the UAE. “While this policy is designed to protect
the jobs of workers during tough economic times, the policy could actually
have the opposite effect in the long run by providing strong disincentives
for worker productivity and for firms to hire Emirati nationals in the
first place,” says the report. “In future, firms will be more hesitant to hire young nationals because of
new restrictions on dismissing Emirati workers. Instead, they will hire
foreign nationals (whom they can dismiss) or older Emiratis with a proven
record of experience rather than take a risk on hiring a young Emirati
with unknown skills or qualifications,” it says. “Thus, imposing a permanent solution to a temporary problem might actually
do more harm, proving to be counterproductive to the country’s overall
goal of increasing employment of Emirati nationals in the private sector,”
the report observes. Concurring with the view, Paul Dyer, Research Associate at the DSG, told
Khaleej Times, “The new regulations mean that firms are realising that
once they have made the decision to hire a young Emirati, they will not be
able to easily dismiss him or her if he or she proves to not have the
skills they thought, to be unproductive or to otherwise not be a good fit
for the position.” “So, these firms will be more careful about hiring locals. This means that
they will face more rigorous interview procedures,” observes Dyer. [Khaleej Times] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** BELARUS Boris Batura urges parliamentarians to develop agreed youth policy in CIS Minsk, May 18 - SPEAKER of the Council of the Republic of the Belarus
National Assembly Boris Batura has urged the parliamentarians to develop
the agreed youth policy in the CIS. He stated about this during a session
of the Presidium of the Upper House of the Belarusian Parliament on May
18. According to Boris Batura, it is necessary to intensify the work dealing
with the approximation of the legislations of the CIS member countries. It
is necessary to conduct the agreed policy for research and pedagogical
personnel training, support the talented youth, the official underscored. BelTA has informed earlier, the Belarusian parliamentary delegation led by
Boris Batura took part in the events of the CIS Interparliamentary
Assembly (CIS IPA) in May this year. The youth policy in the CIS member
countries has become the main subject of the discussion of a plenary
session of the CIS IPA. The sides have approved the CIS IPA Declaration on
formation of the youth policy which supports an idea of the CIS common
strategy of the international youth cooperation. The strategy notes the
importance of rendering the state assistance in employment and education
during the global financial and economic crisis. [BelTA] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** EGYPT Better days ahead Cairo, May 29 - EGYPT'S efforts to reduce youth unemployment may reach its
goal if the People's Assembly approves the National Action Plan on Youth
Employment (NAP). The most recent comprehensive plan on employment that
Egypt has ever adopted, the NAP was received with great enthusiasm by the
audience that attended its launch last week. "The preparation of the action plan took more than two years," said
Minister of Manpower and Migration Aisha Abdel-Hadi. "The plan aims to
reduce unemployment among the youth, which has been further increased by
the global financial crisis." Youssef Qaryouti, director of the Sub-Region Office for North Africa in
Cairo of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), added that the NAP
creates a framework for future youth employment and enhances the
atmosphere of cooperation existing between institutions that are concerned
with youth employment. The Egyptian NAP was created by Soad Rizk, dean of the Faculty of
Administration and Information Systems at the French University in Egypt,
and Nihal El-Megharbel, economic advisor at the Ministry of Local
Development. According to Rizk, the process of formulating the NAP started in February
2006. Two bodies responsible for the development of the NAP were
established then. The first was the NAP Steering Committee (NAP-SC),
composed of some 25 decision-makers from different ministerial, employer
and worker organisations, among other key stakeholders. The NAP-SC is
responsible for strategic and political oversight of the NAP. The second
body is the NAP Technical Commission (NAP-TC) that is composed of 15
technical experts from selected institutions, including social partners
and youth groups, and was responsible for drafting and finalising the NAP
and submitting it to the NAP-SC. The NAP was a result of Egypt's becoming one of the "Lead Countries" of
the Youth Employment Network (YEN) in 2003. YEN is a partnership between
the United Nations, the World Bank and the ILO. As part of its commitment
as a YEN Lead Country, the government of Egypt embarked on the preparation
of the NAP with the support of the Cairo ILO Sub- Region Office, the
Employment Sector at the ILO's headquarters, and in partnership with the
YEN Secretariat. According to YEN manager Markus Pilgrim, the YEN provides
technical assistance in the development of youth employment initiatives,
helps governments with capacity building in the field of engaging youth in
national youth employment initiatives, explores funding opportunities to
support the development and implementation of youth employment programmes
in Lead Countries and gives chosen countries access to know-how and good
practice experience from other countries. Lead Countries are committed to report on youth labour market indicators
on an annual basis. "Most of the countries do not fulfil the commitment,
although most of them are under pressure to do something about youth
employment because it is a main issue in developing countries," Pilgrim
told Al-Ahram Weekly. According to the 2006 Population Census, unemployment in Egypt is a
problem even for highly educated university graduates. The NAP- TC agreed
to define youth as those in the age group 18-30 years. In 2006, almost
91.5 per cent of the total unemployed were in the age group 15-30 years.
The share of middle and highly educated unemployed represents 79.5 per
cent of total unemployed, 93 per cent of which are first time job seekers. In terms of gender, unemployment hits females more than males, with the
unemployment rate reaching 40 per cent for females and only 19 per cent
for males. According to El-Megharbel, the goal is to reduce unemployment from 23 per
cent to 15 per cent and provide "decent and productive" jobs for young
people. As mentioned in the final draft of the NAP, efficient labour
market policies and programmes are essential to reaching this goal as such
programmes can play a major role in softening the impact of the global
financial crisis on young people. The plan underlines the need for labour
market information to be available. The total cost of the NAP (2010-2015) is estimated at LE17 billion over
five years. In particular, the NAP aims at improving technical education
and vocational training to help reduce unemployment among young people
holding technical and vocational training certificates by 25 per cent, in
addition to improving basic skills and knowledge by providing training
courses for one million technical school graduates. The NAP also aims at helping to create more job opportunities, which it
says can be done by encouraging entrepreneurship and promoting micro,
small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) and establishing five technology
centres and five business incubators, mainly in Upper Egypt, and launching
one portal for MSMEs owned and run by young entrepreneurs. For Pilgrim, the main risk regarding implementing the NAP is that, "we
stay at the level of political plans, declarations and forget all about
implementation. " Ihab El-Gabbas, business development manager for the NAP,
agrees, adding that the unemployment issue can be easily solved if the
employer and the worker agree on the concept of decent work, and the
improvement of skills and wages. El-Gabbas states that the government has
earmarked LE500 million for training and raising the efficiency of the
Egyptian worker. For Azita Awad, director of the Employment Policy Department at ILO
headquarters in Geneva, the NAP shows that Egypt is one of the first
countries in YEN to show commitment to good practice in promoting
opportunities for youth. "This means that youth integration in the labour
market equals good integration in society," Awad told the Weekly. According to Mariangles Fortuny, employment policy specialist at the ILO,
the NAP is just a starting point and not an end in itself. "Basically it
is a mechanism on how Egypt can move forward on the issue of youth
employment. The will and the political ideas to implement the NAP are the
main issues," she told the Weekly. "If Egypt successfully moves forward, it can act as a role model of how
different communities can achieve concrete results by working together." [Al-Ahram Weekly] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** AZERBAIJAN Youth must be more active in strengthening country's economy Baku, May 29 - AZERBAIJANI' S Minister of Youth and Sport Azad Rahimov
called on youth to participate more actively in strengthening the
country's economy. "One of the main directions of the state youth policy is to support the
youth and provide them employment," Rahimov said at the opening of an
international student program "Students in free enterpreneurship" . The minister said roughly 20,000 youth applied to the employment agency in
2008, of whom 14,000 were provided with jobs. "Since early 2009, 4,000 young people have applied to the employment
agency, half of them have been provided with jobs," Rahimov said. Young people at 14-29 years comprises 60 percent of the Azerbaijani
population. [Trend News] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** SIERRA LEONE TVET draft policy caters for youth empowerment to promote economic growth Freetown, May 23 - THE Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of
Education Science and Technology and the United Nations Education
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), BREDA and NCTVA will today
complete a week long workshop to draft a national policy that caters for
youth empowerment and economic growth at the NCTVA Hall Tower Hill in
Freetown. The drafting of the national policy brought together resources persons
from all sectors on the political, academic, commercial, human resource in
the world of Technical Vocational Education. The University, Polytechnics,
Teachers Training Colleges, Chamber of Commerce, Tech-Voc Institutions,
national and International NGO's, Council of Heads of Tech-Voc
Institutions and a host of others are to lead us in the discussion to
produce this document. Although governments carry the primary responsibility for technical and
vocational education, in a modern market economy technical and vocational
education policy design and delivery should be achieved through a new
partnership between government, employers, professional associations,
industry, employees and their representatives. The local community and
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can also create a coherent
legislative framework to enable the launching of a national strategy for
change. Within this strategy the government, apart from actually providing
technical and vocational education, can also provide leadership and
vision, facilitate, coordinate, establish quality assurance and ensure
that technical and vocational education is for all by identifying and
addressing community service obligations. Several sessions were presented by Godwin Samba of the Ministry of
education youth and sports on issues relating to the draft policy
institutional frame work and situation analysis while A. Koroma and Ahmed
Sheku of the Milton Margai College of Education on youth employment and
poverty reduction chaired by Mrs. Grace A Fullah of YWCA. The Director for Technical Education at the Education Ministry presented
the Road Map to Reforms in Technical and vocational education which he
said is best served by a diversity of public and private providers. The
appropriate mix can be found in many ways, with the responsibility of
governments being to facilitate choice while ensuring quality. He also said that it is desirable that governments streamline their own
public institutional framework to the maximum extent possible to
coordinate the national technical and vocational education effort, create
an effective partnership with the private sector, and promote technical
and vocational education for the benefit of all stakeholders. Ing. M A Jalloh of NCTVA spoke about the concept of facilitators,
providers and regulator, training authority concept, Qualification and
human resource development council which was chaired by Prof. JD Thompson. A group discussion on the chapterization and approach to the policy
document and development was chaired by Dr. Sandy Bockarie Eastern
Polytechnic in Kenema who made meaningful contributions. Drafting of bills establishing new institutions and agencies such as the
Skills Development Agency or strengthening existing ones such as NCTVA
climaxed the presentation yesterday of group works while the formation of
an implementation plan and a monitoring committee is expected. [Awoko] ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** THIS news bulletin is a service of the World Assembly of Youth (WAY).
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