Youth Info sept 28, 2011

[ICYOIndia]

ICYO- Youth Information                                      

(E-Newsletter from network of youth organizations in India)
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ICYO - Platform of 411 Youth Organizations in India. 
ICYO - India’s largest network of urban and rural youth.
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Report on 5th UNESCO Asian Youth Forum held at South Korea

Challenges of Asian Youth -

                                                     Identity, Voices, Change and Future

 

Background of UNESCO – Korea

 

Every year Korean National Commission of UNESCO has been organizing Asian Youth Forum in South Korea. They have been inviting one or two participants from each Asian nation to represent the youth of their respective countries. This year Asian Youth Forum was fifth in series and in held in Icheon, Republic of Korea.

 

51 participants from 22 Asian countries participated in the 5^th UNESCO Asian Youth Forum held from 22^nd to 26^th of August 2011 and discussed on Forum’s theme “Challenges of Asian Youth – Identity, Voices, Change, and Future’.

 

 

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is participated in all five ‘Forum’. This year ICYO nominated Mr. Safik Ansari from SMET (Social Movement for Educational Transformation) youth organization from Ahmedabad for the Youth forum.

 

Mr.Safik Ansari

          Mr Safik Ansari joined ‘Development Worker Training’ organized by Janvikas (NGO) to make a beginning to understand different development perspective. Here worked with marginalized community in different parts of the Gujarat.

 

He did one year voluntary work with ‘Action Aid’ where development importance pf working with youth. Started youth group called SMET (Social Movement for Educational Thinking) in 2003. Here promoted youth groups by motivating them and way to solve their personal and community problems. Now youth are very much active have developed leadership capacity to deal with problems. SMET give space to youth for social or religious space, sports, reading and other activities which they are interested.

 

The UNESCO Asian Youth Forum

 

Since the youth forum has started in Seoul, young people from all over Asia come together to share their thoughts and their ways about how they can bring effective and positive change. The Spirits of the youths were high even after crossing the path which had long speeches, hard work and sleepless nights... this didn’t stop them from marching towards the destination to be “The Change...” that they had a vision of. The friendship among the youths erased the Boundaries and borders of Asia, making it One. Seeing the youth coming together from different countries in Asia and hearing their experiences and understanding their aim for a better future made me happy and excited.

         

With a warm welcome by UNESCO officials, began first day with an “ice breaking exercise”, which helped the participants to know each other and then participants were divided into three groups according to the theme that was given (Identify, Voice and Change). The participants worked for the next 4 days focusing on the assigned theme. On the fifth day merged all the points from all the groups and made a resolution. Later this ‘Asian Youth Resolution’ will be presented in 7^th Int. UNESCO Youth Forum to be held in Paris.

        

At the Asian youth forum we came to following understanding:

·         To provide platform for the youth to exchange ideas to learn and share their culture, accepting and respecting each other, To adopt localized solutions towards local problems;

·         To promote social responsibility as factor of sustainable economic development;

·         To encourage non-youths to actively aid and develop avenues for youths to try out possible career interests;

·         To conduct youth camps, tie-up with Government/ NGOs to promote youths awareness;

·         To promote vocational skills training as a platform for youths to come together;

·         To promote civics and moral education lessons in schools;

·         To encourage youth to be active global citizens.

 

Fourth Monkey Presentation: Generates Curiosity

Fourth Monkey Shows the Way –

To Face the Challenges of Asian Youth

 

Safik presented the concept of the 4th Monkey as a case study during the forum- Fourth Monkey Shows the Way -To Face the Challenges of Asian Youth. It was based on the Fourth Monkey Initiative of the youth groups in Ahmedabad on the “Interfaith Peace Pilgrimage: To understand Multiculturalism”   

         

 The concept gives space and opportunity to youth to explore the possibilities and create its identity, give voice to youth, work for bringing change in society and build strong foundation for positive future. (ICYO has a detail note on it. Copy can be requested)

    

      It received wonderful response from other participants. They were eager to know more about the concept because they are facing a problem of non-violence and they are struggling to find out the ways of getting peace in their countries. 

          Safik says that we can reduce some of the issues by getting a chance to raise our voice, identify our identity as a youth and to be ready to change our future. I found that challenges are everywhere; the best way to live is to think good and do well (the concept of 4^th monkey).

 

Response to the Fourth Monkey presentation

 

“I enjoyed especially the way you inspired fellow participants who joined you in Korea from other countries to put aside individual religious differences and use the interfaith path, interfaith group activities and similar to bring people together.  As you know and have demonstrated so well, this will allow participants to realize that people have much in common and are all identical in needs, wants, desires, hopes and aspirations.  By concentrating on our similarities (and the similarities in our religious beliefs) that we find our common heritage and common future….Using the life and acts of Mahatma Gandhi as an example is excellent, as he will always be an inspiration to the world. Thank you for the exciting report on your efforts and those of other young people to use the wonderful Fourth Monkey concept to promote interfaith activities, humanism and good behaviour.  Bravo.  Good work.” Alex Krem,Director, Interfaith Academy.

 

Follow-up

 

ICYO encourage and promote the 4^th Monkey Concept. Also take the agenda of Forum forward, follow-up meeting was organized in Ahmedabad on 4^th September 2011 where Mr Safik gave the detail of Forum agenda, points of discussions and future action including the way-forward resolution adopted by the Forum.

 

Earlier, Mr Safik interact with media, which also shown the interest and had good coverage.

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India. 

ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. It's family consists of
over 411 organizations spread in 124 districts of 26 states from different corners of India.
Our goal:
To improve and extend the youth work and services through Youth Organizations;
To enhance and demonstrate youth work in the society;
To promote effective youth programmme;
To organize network of civil society organizations working towards the development of youth work;
To organize seminars, conferences, workshops, trainings;
To maintain international relation with organizations promoting young people in their programme and activities
Affiliation: 
Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations;
Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development;
Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Member of CRIN;
Member of South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN);
Affiliate with ECPAT International, Thailand;
Member of ATSECE-DELHI;
Indian Partner of AIDS Care Watch Campaign;
Working relation with International Medical Parliamentarians Organizations (IMPO);
Working relation with Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD).