WAY BULLETIN - SEPTEMBER 2013

8/14/2019 WAY BULLETIN - SEPTEMBER 2013

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MYANMAR:Chin Youth Wins PrestigiousLeadership Award

AZERBAIJAN:International Youth ProjectWraps Up In Baku

BELARUS:CIS Intellectuals Urged To CreatePlatform For Uniting Younger Generation

BULGARIA:Bulgaria Reshuffles Funds ToMake A Small Dent In Youth Unemployment

FINLAND:YFCU Vice President Trevor Co-Leads Rural Youth Project To Finland

IRELAND:Limerick Youth Service HeadsEast For Major Event

AUSTRALIA:Employment For Disadvan-taged Youth On The Table

FIJI:Youth Activity Plans

GUAM: Strides For The Cure And Guam Can-cer Care Team Up To Fight Cancer In October

NEW ZEALAND:Annah Mac At Youth Fo-rum

SAMOA:Empowering Samoan Youth OnClimate Change

KENYA:Thank You Obama For The Sh10Million, Busia Youth Say

LIBERIA:Liberia Gets U.S.$360 Million ForEnergy, Education

NIGERIA:ITF Trains Youths In VocationalSkills

SOUTH AFRICA:DA Will Strengthen YouthWage Subsidy And Will Not Allow Cosatu ToBlock It

TUNISIA:Tunisia School Dropout Rate Rises

ZIMBABWE:Book Cafe Introduces NewYouth Event

CANADA:Governor General To AddressYouth Forum In Penticton

JAMAICA:Inner-City Youth Get Training InAnimation

PANAMA:Casco Viejo Program For YouthAt Risk

USA:Youth Policy Institute's 'Promise Neigh-borhoods' Aims To Break Cycle Of Poverty InSan Fernando Valley

VENEZUELA:Poverty Seen Behind Venezue-la's Rising Youth Crime

BAHRAIN:International Youth ConferenceUrges To Community To Create Young Leaders

INDIA:1stIndian Himalayan Youth SummitBegins

INDONESIA:Bali 2013 Global Youth Confer-ence

MALAYSIA:Open Doors Wide To SkilledYouths, Countries Urged

DATE EVENT LOCATION

02 October 2013 International Day of Non-Violence Melaka, Malaysia

13 October 2013 International Day for Disaster Reduction Melaka, Malaysia16 October 2013 World Food Day Melaka, Malaysia17 October 2013 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty Melaka, Malaysia24 October 2013

United Nations Day

Melaka, Malaysia

27 October 2

November 2013 Africa Youth Development Summit Addis Ababa,Ethiopia

In Todays Bulletin

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR OCTOBER 2013

SEPTEMBER 2 13

AFRICA

AMERICA

ASIA

EUROPE

PACIFIC

INFO


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Busia, 20thSeptember 2013-YOUTH in Busia county

benefitted from the Sh10

million Obama Fund in thefinancial year ended March31, an official has said.

Busia County YouthNetwork chairman DavidEmeje said US PresidentBarack Obama channelled

the funds through USAid toempower African youth.Speaking during a Yes

Youth Can forum atUplands Resort in Malaba,Emeje thanked Obama forhelping young people

become self reliant.

Emeje said 10,000 youthshave been trained to raise

poultry and fish. "We havealso embarked on fundingvillage youth groups to

improve their livelihoods,"he said.

The forum urged the youthto shun corruption andtribalism. "Corruption needsto be tackled from thegrassroots to ensure

improved service delivery atcounty level," said Rev Mo-ses Idewa of the ACK

Katakwa diocese.

Emeje said they haveinitiated peace campaigns.

[The Star]

SEPTEMBER 2 13KENYA: THANK YOU OBAMA FOR THE SH10 MILLION, BUSIA YOUTH SAY

LIBERIA: LIBERIA GETS U.S.$360 MILLION FOR ENERGY, EDUCATION

Monrovia, 19thSeptember2013-LIBERIA will access

about US$360 million fromthe European Union underthe Cotonou Agreement tofinance Education, energyand state-building projects,Finance Minister AmaraKonneh revealed Tuesdaywhen he address the a newsconference on the statenational economy.

He said under the energysegment of the program, the

money will tentativelyfinance a reservoir for MtCoffee, extending the

period of peak energyproduction from 6 to 12months thus allowingelectricity production fromcheap hydropower tocontinue all year to the ben-efit of businesses andhouseholds.

The education component,

he explained will supporttechnical and vocationaleducation, training, whichwill provide youths with

practical skills to get jobs orstart their own businesses,while the State-buildingcomponent will boostcapacity in the securitysector as UNMIL drawsdown. "This will help keepthe country stable andsecure," he said noting that

this investment was key foreconomic growth.

The Liberian economy

continue to register highgrowth and significant

improvement in severalsectors thus indicating asolid fundamental for theeconomic transformation ofthe country following yearsof stagnation, FinanceMinister Amara Konnah hasdeclared.

Speaking on the state of thedomestic economy Tuesdayin Monrovia, MinisterKonneh said the

administration of PresidentEllen Johnson Sirleaf hasinstituted an expansionaryfiscal policy to stipulate theeconomy via massivecapital investment ininfrastructure. Theimplementation of capitalinvestment projects will nodoubt lead to the creation ofneeded jobs to address thelingering issue ofunemployment, he said.

Minister Konneh: "On theeconomy as a whole, thefundamentals of theeconomy still remain solid.We have grown at an annualaverage of 7 percent since2003 reflecting the peacedividends following the endof a protracted civil war.

"Despite the rapid growth,the Agenda for

Transformation (AfT)recognizes that the maindrawback from this growthis the limited number of

jobs created as theexpansion of the economy

has been driven mainly bythe so-called enclave sectors-the extractive sector.These are the same drivers

before the civil war withvery narrow spillovers overthe rest of the economy.

"Real economic growthremains on a solid footing.Our revised projections for2013 imply a real GDPgrowth of 8.1 percent,

compared to 7.5 percent in2012. The higher-than-anticipated growth at thetime of the first review isassociated mainly to strong-er mining activity. At thesame time, non-resourcereal GDP growth(construction in particular),has accelerated in the firsthalf of the year reflectingthe pick-up in publicinvestment compared to

2012, as well as robustprivate investment".

The Minister alsoconsidered the merger ofthe Ministry of Planningand Economic Affairs andthe Ministry of Financecoupled with the creation ofthe Liberia RevenueAuthority as a milestone forthe public sectormanagement that will

enhance efficiency.

"Another significantmilestone is the passage of

the legislation creating theMFDP and the LRA. The

passage of these laws willgo a long way to bringthemuch needed collaborationsto the operations ofgovernmentby eliminatingcurrent duplications andgaps in the functions of

both the Ministries ofFinance and the Ministry ofPlanning and EconomicAffairs, thereby resulting in

better allocation of humanand financial resources and

better service delivery," hesaid lauding legislators foreffecting the reform.

The Minister furtherExplained that theestablishment of the newMinistry of Finance andDevelopment Planning willstreamline the national

planning and financefunctions and fosterincreased aid coordination

within the government andbetween our developmentpartners, as all of our aidcoordination functions willnow be undertaken in acentralized unit. Better aidmanagement will increasedonor confidence whichshould contribute to greater,more sustainable support.


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SEPTEMBER 2 13

NIGERIA: ITF TRAINS YOUTHS IN VOCATIONAL SKILLS

Lokoja, 20thSeptember2013-THE IndustrialTraining Fund (ITF) hastrained 999 youths invarious vocational skillsacross Kogi State.

Director General of ITFProf. Longmas SamboWapmuk disclosed thisWednesday during the grad-

uation of trainees of thesecond phase of the

National Industrial SkillDevelopment Programme(NISDP) of the ITF inLokoja. Wapmuk, who wasrepresented by the Head ofITF, Lokoja Area Office,Ibrahim Umar, said theyouths drawn from the threesenatorial districts of the

state were trained incarpentry, furniture makingas well as welding andfabrication. "If we mustaddress some of the socialeconomic vices plaguing thenation, the issue of wealthcreation and povertyreduction must be properlyaddressed through technicaland vocational skills

acquisition," he said.

[Daily Trust]

Regarding the 2013/14National Budget theMinister said "Obviously,the most important

instrument passed by theNational Legislature is TheNational Budget Law FY2013/2014. The passage ofthe National Budget by theSenate on Thursday,September 12, following anextended period ofstakeholder consultations,dialogue and debatedemonstrates the progress

we have made in the lastfew years in building ourdemocratic institutions. Wesalute both houses of the

Legislature for the qualityof their engagement duringthese debates and theselflessness with which theydrove the national agenda,making necessaryconcessions andcompromises in the interestof our people."

He said the approximately

US$582 million details thepolicy priorities anddirection of the Governmentinvesting in key

infrastructure and socialprograms intended toexpand the economy forgrowth, development and

job creation."Given the size of our budg-et and the fiscal space withwhich we mustnavigate our developmentagenda, the passage comesat a very critical point in our

drive to stimulate growththrough increased consumerspending and execution ofPublic Investment

Projects,". He said

[The Inquirer]

SOUTH AFRICA: DA WILL STRENGTHEN YOUTH WAGE SUBSIDY AND WILL NOT ALLOW

COSATU TO BLOCK IT

Cape Town, 22ndSeptember2013-THE DA welcomes

National Treasury's tablingof a Employment TaxIncentive Bill to introduce aYouth Wage Subsidy. Wewill work in the StandingCommittee on Finance inParliament to make sure areal, strong Youth WageSubsidy is introduced as

soon as possible to helpyoung unemployed people.

It is not clear, however, thatCosatu will allow this bill to

be passed given thatMinister Patel's YouthEmployment Accordrequires that any incentiveneeds to be "approved by all(Nedlac) constituencies".

Reports in today's papers

quoting the Cosatupresident and spokespersondo not bode well in thisregard, especially

considering that theirorganisation hassuccessfully blocked theYouth Wage Subsidy forthree and a half years. Thiscannot continue.

Furthermore, we aredisappointed that this newversion waters down the

benefits of the Youth Wage

Subsidy proposed threeyears ago:

It would exclude benefitsfor many young peoplehired in entry-level jobs insectors without minimumwages. This would leaveyoung people who mostneed the help without

benefits;The subsidy for existingyoung workers has been

removed;

This version negativelyaffects smaller labour

intensive businesses withfewer managers who willnot be able to claim the full

benefit; and

There is confusion aboutwhether the scheme willapply for 2 or 3 years, withTreasury talking about anew "sunset clause".

There are also numerousmistakes in the explanatorymemorandum and the

presentation to Parliamentthat suggest the bill wasreleased in haste, before along weekend, to catchCosatu off guard.These changes raisequestions about whether thetabling of a watered down

bill seven months before anelection -with talk of a

"sunset clause"-might be a

cynical election ploy by theANC to win votes, notcreate jobs.

We will not allow this tohappen and will work inParliament to introduce areal, strong Youth WageSubsidy.

[Democratic Alliance]


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SEPTEMBER 2 13Tunis, 19thSeptember 2013-THE new academic yearkicked off Monday

(September 16th) inTunisia. Thousands ofstudents watched this scenefrom afar, however, afterdropping out prematurelyfrom school.

The head of the GeneralUnion of Secondary SchoolTeachers, Lassaad Yacoubi,warned last month of aserious crisis about to hitthe education sector.

Yacoubi cited alarmingfigures published by theeducation ministry. About100,000 pupils dropped outof school in 2012, a 30 percent increase compared tothe average of previousyears.

"We need to accelerate thereform of the educationalsystem and supervise

Tunisian youth, whobecause of deterioratingstandards of living and lackof a horizon, drop out ofschool and engage in manyunsafe experiments such as

parallel trade, illegalimmigration, or evenengagement in extremist

movements," Yacoubi saidon August 26th.

Such extremists are evenable to connect with young

people on their schools'campuses, he noted.

"There are activities andadvocacy tents organised byassociations belonging toreligious militantmovements in front of

educational institutions.These activities took placethe entire last school yearright in front of everyone,"Yacoubi said.

"Speeches calling forextremism and hatred senttens of young people to

jihad in Syria," he added.There were also "statementscondemning mixing in theschools between boys and

girls", the union chief said.

The student attrition rate isgetting attention from all

parties. According toeducation ministry official

Hadi al-Saidi, thegovernment "is in the

process of conducting

studies to determine theprimary causes of thisphenomenon and todetermine ways to eliminateit altogether".

But for long-time teacherMonia Ferjani, the dropoutspike was no surprise.

"Personally, I expected it, asthe two years after therevolution were difficult for

the educational system as awhole," she toldMagharebia. "Students nat-urally were the firstaffected, due to their youngage and lack of experiencein dealing with change," shesaid.

"Young men no longerconsider teachers as rolemodels, but rather football

players who are bought and

sold for millions," he added.

Sixteen-year-old MouradYahyaoui is among theyoung people who decidedto leave school.

"I now collect and sellplastic items," he said.

"They provide me with adaily income. I am notinterested anymore instudies. In addition, myfather refuses the burden ofschool expenses."

The cost of materials, evenat state-run schools, is a

persistent problem.

Earlier this month, theGeneral Union of

Secondary School Teachersprotested the government'smethod of determining pric-es for school supplies andtextbooks.

Tunisian families this yearfaced "a new price increasethat even reached subsidisedschool supplies", the Union

pointed out in its September4th statement.

"We reject any act affectingthe access of people toscience and knowledge," theteachers' union said.

[Magharebia]

TUNISIA: TUNISIA SCHOOL DROPOUT RATE RISES

ZIMBABWE: BOOK CAFE INTRODUCES NEW YOUTH EVENT

Harare, 20thSeptember2013-THE Book Caf hasintroduced a new youthevent "World Music

Shortlisted" in its OctoberWorld Music Festival. Theevent, which takes placefrom October 11 to 19, willwitness an audition showfor emerging artistes whohave been shortlisted frommany nominations andapplications to perform indedicated slots during thefestival.

The music fiesta will

coincide with Mbira andDisabilities Discussionforum in the "SeptemberMbira Month".

Seven hot young groupswill feature on the musicalfestival and will be judged

by a panel from the

festival's programmingcommittee representing theItalian Embassy, PamberiTrust, Culture Fund ofZimbabwe and several

prominent artists.

The selected artistes will beelevated to a new level intheir careers -the festivalstage. Pamberi Trust

programme officer PennyYoung said some of the

groups to audition on theday will include Gwenga,Jam Signal, Gary Tight,African Pride, Soul Bone,

Leo Bescotti Trio and Were.

Meanwhile, on the mbiraside, the audition show is

preceded by a free publicdiscussion organised bymbira player and youth

project officer Hector Mu-gani of Pamberi Trust, andthe "Mbiravolution" artistesinitiative.

The panel includes TerenceNazare a disabled student atDanhiko who is advocatingfor music to be included intheir curriculum. Ticha Mu-

zavazi, the young poet andmbira player who workswith disabledchildren and is involved in

the annual Special SchoolsArts Festival, will also take

part.

The discussion will bechaired by MasimbaKuchera, director of theCentre for Disability andDevelopment. The OctoberWorld Music Festival 2013follows the success of the2012 October Jazz andWorld Music Festival, in

partnership with the ItalianEmbassy and otherstakeholders.


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SEPTEMBER 2 13It has been rebranded tocapture a broader range ofworld music (including

jazz) built on cutting-edge

and innovative styles andthe artistes who dare tobreak barriers and createfresh artistic products.

The festival will compriseworld-class concerts atBook Caf, the Italian Cluband venues across Harare,as well a film screening,workshops and publicdiscussions.

"Audience support counts,and artists' friends, fans andfamilies are invited to comeout to support theirfavourites while entry isfree," said Young.

[The Herald]


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SEPTEMBER 2 13CANADA: GOVERNOR GENERAL TO ADDRESS YOUTH FORUM IN PENTICTON

Penticton, 26thSeptember2013-PENTICTONITESwill have a rare chance tointeract with CanadasGovernor General Monday,when he visits the city tosupport a new youthinitiative.

Gov. Gen. David Johnstonis addressing a forum withthe Community Foundationof the South Okanagan andthe United Way, where theyare presenting the results ofa collaboration with youthin the community and a new

program.

Its absolutely amazingthat the Right HonourableDavid Johnston will be

joining us for this importantcommunity discussion,said Aaron McRann,executive director of theCFSO, adding that there aretwo reasons the GovernorGeneral has chosen toattend.

One is that he reallybelieves in collaborationbetween organizations thatwe are demonstrating, saidMcRann, adding that youthand families, and trying tofind better ways to supportthem, is also one of theGovernor Generals goals,one of the three pillars ofJohnstons vision for asmart and caring nation.

So the whole conceptappealed to him verydirectly. He will bespeaking, giving closingcomments at the forum,said McRann. We are veryexcited to launch thisunique youth program.

The forum is a milestone ona path that started about ayear ago, when the UnitedWay and the CFSO bothreceived bequests from theestate of Rohan Crompton-Bell.

Crompton-Bell wanted tosupport youth, especiallyregarding self-esteemissues, explained McRann.Since the two organizationsalready had ties, McRannsaid they decided to gettogether and plan how tomaximize the gift.Our partnership betweenthe Community Foundationand the United Way is awonderful example of howdonors can make immediateimpact and leave asustainable legacy forPenticton, explained MarlaOBrien, executive directorof the United Way. Wehave consistently heard thatyouth are an underservedgroup in this region and welook forward to addressingthe issue with proceedsfrom the bequest.

Between discussionsbetween ourselves and theexecutrix of the estate wedecided to focus on definingfirst the needs of the youthin our community,recognizing that a lot of theservices provided in ourcommunity events andhealth services arefocused on older

populations, said McRann.

The first step was to hire aresearcher who spent timewith youth in thecommunity as well asservice providers, trying toidentify what the real needsare.

That report has beencompleted and we will be

presenting the findings ofthe report on Monday.There is going to be morethat needs to be done afterthat, said McRann. Wherewe go from there starts onMonday at this publicforum. We will be engagingin a conversation with thoseat the forum about whatcomes next.

After the forum, accordingto McRann, the first step isto establish a communitycommittee.

That committee will sinktheir teeth into what shouldhappen first, he said. The

research report clearlyindicates what direction weneed to go, with threespecific goals for outcomes.But how we get there andwhich one comes firstrequires more discussion.

[Penticton Western News]

JAMAICA: INNER-CITY YOUTH GET TRAINING IN ANIMATION

Kingston, 27thSeptember2013-THE gate has beenopened for 15 inner-cityyouth to unleash their

potential in the globalanimation industry, which iscurrently valued at morethan US$200 billion.

These youth are taking partin the Girls' TownProfessional DevelopmentInstitute Animation

Programme, which waslaunched yesterday inKingston.

Reginald Henclewood, oneof the participants expressedhis gratitude for being giventhe opportunity to take partin the programme.

"I do computer graphics asa profession. After creatingflyers and logos, I wanted to

do something more, andanimation was, basically,the next step. In terms ofexpanding my creativeskills and what I can do, Ihave learned how tomanipulate the software,create certain images,implement pace, motion,

and to do a completeanimation, so far," he toldThe Gleaner.

"After this course, I intendon pursuing a career inanimation," Henclewoodadded.


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SEPTEMBER 2 13

Panama City, 8thSeptember2013-A PILOT programto help San Felipe youth atrisk is off to a promisingstart and could become a

model for othercommunities in Panama.

Sixteen young people arethe initial participants in theventure named EsperanzaSan Felipe

It began with a retreat at ahotel in the mountains ofPenonom with the primary

purpose of a team ofpsychologists the

opportunity to interact oneon one in a neutralenvironment where anddevelop a psychological

profile.

Participants vary widely inage, education, history andother factors, says a report

on the venture so havingaccurate profiles allows theteam to create a

personalized developmentplan for each participant,

and have a power base fromwhich to measure progress.Besides diagnosis, thegroup held workshops anddiscussions to create therules of the next 10 weeksof the program.

Classes are initiallyfocusing on what is calledThe Foundation ,

punctuality , personalhygiene , interpersonal

relationships , group work ,self-discipline andcommunication.

It also includes motivationalactivities such as tours tohotels to begin to see careeropportunities while

performing daily exercisesand self-defense classes . In

the weeks following theprogram will revolvearound values , tools fordaily life and eventuallyvocational tools including

finding work.

A proposal to beimplemented later is to forma community volunteercorps named COMPAHs( body management andmaintenance of heritage ) ,which would allow them toact in the community andcontribute to the solution ofeveryday life issues thataffect them and the houses

in which they live. Thereport says: We thinkCOMPAHs can become aforce in the neighborhood

because it would facilitatethe link between thegraduates of the programand maintain active

participation inneighborhood activities.

( You can imagine a crossbetween Guardian Angelsand the local RotaryClub ).

It calls on the localcommunity to provideencouragement to the

participants to continue inthe program when theyseem them walking in thestreets. The opportunity to

be accepted socially is a bigmotivator for them.

The report concludes with acall for volunteers willing togive a helping hand. There

are actually a very smallnumber of youth at riskeven in San Felipe , and wemay give most of them atleast a fair chance to makesomething of their lives.

[Newsroom Panama]

PANAMA: CASCO VIEJO PROGRAM FOR YOUTH AT RISK

The project involves theestablishment of ananimation studio with 15computers, office furniture,

and broadband Internetservice. It is a partnershipamong the Jamaica SocialInvestment Fund (JSIF), theReel Rock GSW AnimationLimited, and the

Professional DevelopmentTraining Institute.

EXCITING AREA

"Animation is an innovativeand exciting area for JSIF,

but we support skill setsthat are in demand and willgive young persons a

chance to improve theirlives. JSIF is impressedwith the fact that thetraining will equip these

students with skills, in ashort time, that will makethem immediatelyemployable in the animationindustry," said Andrew

Neita, general manager of

infrastructure/civil works atJSIF.

The project is a six-month

initiative, financed at a costof approximately $9million.

[The Gleaner]

USA: YOUTH POLICY INSTITUTE'S 'PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS' AIMS TO BREAK CYCLE

OF POVERTY IN SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Los Angeles, 1stSeptember2013-IN a gritty corner ofthe northeast San FernandoValley, where poverty andviolence have been a way oflife for generations, tens ofthousands of families are

being offered the promise ofa brighter future.

There are similar signs ofhope in east Hollywood,where high unemployment

and dropout rates havecreated desperate conditionsfor adults and childrenalike.

Thanks to a $30 millionfederal grant that could bematched with privatedonations, the nonprofitYouth Policy Institute haslaunched an ambitiousinitiative to bring hope tothe so-called Promise

Neighborhoods. Over thenext five years, the 30-year-old organization will investin education, job trainingand technology programs in

an effort to break the cycleof poverty in thosecommunities once and forall.

"This is not just a singleprogram, and it's not just aspecific departmentaddressing the issue," saidIris Zuniga, YPI's chiefoperating officer. "Thisinvolves the whole systemand all its institutions."

As envisioned by YPI andcoordinated by Zuniga, thecity and county of LosAngeles will partner with

Los Angeles Unified andphilanthropic groups increating a network of 65

programs to support youths

and their families inPacoima, San Fernando andthe Little Armenia area ofHollywood.

There will be health-careand preschool for theyoungest kids, for instance,and tutoring and enrichment

programs for their olderbrothers and sisters. Highschool students will haveaccess to academic and

college counselors, with afocus on keeping them inschool and on track forcollege or the workforce.


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SEPTEMBER 2 13

VENEZUELA: POVERTY SEEN BEHIND VENEZUELA'S RISING YOUTH CRIME

Caracas, 19thSeptember2013-VENEZUELANPresident Nicolas Madurosays imports of U.S. comics

and television cartoons areto blame for a continuingupsurge in youth crime, butanalysts say evidencesuggests otherwise.

Venezuelan youth grew upon a diet of revolutionaryrhetoric under PresidentHugo Chavez, who died ofcancer in March. His hand-

picked successor Maduro isunder pressure from Chavist

power centers in thepolitical establishment andthe military to keep up the

populism of Chavez's

Bolivarian revolution,analysts said.

The government's

revolutionary preoccupationwon't matter so much if atthe same time oil-rich Ven-ezuela's economy could beticking over. But that isn'thappening. Venezuela is ina third year ofrecession that the flow of oilearnings hasn't managed toend.

Shortages of consumergoods, power outages and

unemployment havecombined with everydayurban violence to create a

potent mix in which

millions of unemployedyouth are drawn intoanti-social and criminalactivities, official data

analyzed by advocacygroups indicates.

Maduro said imported pop-ular culture from NorthAmerica, in particular theUnited States, created falseidols for youth. And hesingled out Spider-Man as amajor culprit in thecorruption of the nation'syouth.

Pursuit of imaginedsuperhero figures fromtelevision programs fosteredviolent tendencies among

youth who appear to havelittle problem obtainingfirearms, Maduro aides say.

The government has yet toannounce a credible policyfor controlling proliferationof weapons. Settling ofminor scores routinelyresults in homicide. Policedata indicate Venezuela'shomicide rate of more than71 per 100,000 is threetimes the rate in Mexico.

At least 21,692 people diedin murders last year, the

Venezuelan Observatory ofViolence advocacy groupsaid.

Parents and families will beable to take English classes,earn their high-schooldiploma, get job training

and help in managinghousehold finances.

And for everyone, there willbe a focus on wellness --from vaccines to a healthydiet and exercise.

The wide-ranging programswere developedstrategically during an 18-month planning process thatincluded a poll of 1,200

residents in the low-

incomecommunities. Theorganization found thatmore than half of the adultsin Pacoima lack ahigh-school diploma, andtwo-thirds of K-12 students

perform below grade level.Nearly everyone surveyedin the Northeast Valleycommunity said public safe-ty and gang activity weretheir top concerns.

YPI found out in Decemberthat it had received thegrant, and the first $6million installment becameavailable in July.

"There is a sense of urgencyin what we're doing," saidZuniga, an Arleta native."These are families in crisis,

I want to open up thepolicies that are in place andsee where we can createchange."

With the goal of helping18,000 kids a year, the

programs will be offered at19 Los Angeles Unified andcharter schools, includingthe San Fernando Institutefor Applied Media, atechnology-focused pilot

school that YPI opened in2010 on the grounds of SanFernando Middle School.

"This will be a laboratory ofeducation reform, with high-quality options for all ofour families," said YPIExecutive Director DixonSlingerland. "We will serveor try to serve every youthwho lives in theneighborhood."

Services will also be offeredat city YouthSource andneighborhood centers anddozens of satellite facilities,like the storefront computerlabs YPI operates in

Pacoima and San Fernandofor anyone who wants touse them.

"Our kids too often facegaps in the support theyneed because of a lack ofcoordination amongservices," said Mayor EricGarcetti, who worked on thePromise Neighborhoodgrant while representingHollywood on the CityCouncil.

"The Los Angeles PromiseNeighborhood is a holistic

approach that provides afull range of services --from cradle to college andcareer --to help our kidsand make our city moreeconomically competitive inthe future."

The Valley programs willbe administered out of anoffice building YPI isrenovating on Van NuysBoulevard in Pacoima, not

far from San FernandoGardens, a public housingproject for low-incomeresidents. The office willalso house classrooms, anart studio, computer lab,college-counseling center

and a "baby university,"where moms can bring theirkids for playtime.

Much of the renovationwork is being done byresidents of "The Gardens,"giving the young men andwomen a glimpse of the

possibilities awaiting them.For 19-year-old Juan Reyes,it was the chance to pursuehis dream to of being a"positive muralist," with acolorful project he designedentitled "Believe Yourself."

Putting the finishing touch-es on his mural, Reyestalked about his desire toget away from The Gardens,where he said that most ofhis friends are "either in jailor dead.

"I love doing art, painting. Ibelieve that with art, youcan change people's

perspective on what theylook at, and that's what I'm

trying to do. I'm trying togive back to my communi-ty."

[Los Angeles

Daily News]


9/18

SEPTEMBER 2 13Unlike Mexico, though,Venezuela doesn't have aserious drug war on, butgrinding poverty among the

vast majority ofVenezuelans is seen behindthe spiral of crime, U.N.data show.

The VenezuelanObservatory on Violencecited figures that showedVenezuela trailed behind ElSalvador and Honduras inviolent crime, most of itresulting from youthdiscontent.

Maduro told Boliviannewspaper La Opinion hesaw a distinct correlation

between youth violence andsuperhero idolization thatnegates cherished values.

He arrived at theconclusion, he said, afterwatching "Spider-Man 3," a2007 movie directed bySam Raimi and starring

Tobey Maguire, KirstenDunst, Topher Grace andThomas Haden Church.

"From the beginning untilthe end there are more andmore dead," Maduro said."And that's one of the seriessmall children love most ...

because it's attractive, it'sfrom comics that areattractive, the figure, thecolors and movements ... so

much so that we finishedwatching it at four in themorning."

Criminal violence has comedramatically to the forefrontin contemporary LatinAmerica, to the extent it iswidely considered thecritical social concern of the

present day, a 2009 studyby Gareth Jones and DennisRodgers says.

"Youth are among theprincipal victims but alsothe primary perpetrators of

this new panorama ofbrutality," says the study.

"At the same time, the

youth violence phenomenonremains profoundlymisunderstood, assensationalist myths andstereotypes abound."

Venezuelans have beenvoicing frequent protests,including street marches,over youth violence thatexacerbates suffering undershortages of consumergoods.

The government this weekcountered criticism overshortages, saying it wasfighting an "economic war"

being waged by thebusiness community, ElUniversal reported.

[United Press

International]


10/18

SEPTEMBER 2 13BAHRAIN: INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE URGES TO COMMUNITY TO CREATE

YOUNG LEADERS

Manama, 25thSeptember2013-PARTICIPANTS inthe International YouthConference urged theinternational community tocreate young leaders whoare able to serve as peaceambassadors. This was oneof several recommendationsannounced yesterday on thefinal day of the conference,which was hosted inBahrain over the past fourdays.

Young participants from allaround the world also calledon to encourage small

businesses and support it inorder to boost the nationeconomy.They also urged toeducate youngsters on the

principles of peace nomatter how different theirreligions and cultures are,for its great importance inthe continuity of the peace

process without having badinfluence on this younggeneration in the future.

Other recommendationswere to adopt a positivedialogues based onaccepting all opinions,convergence of views to

promote the concepts ofpeace among the youth,while stressing theimportance of moving awayfrom conflicts and disputesin order to bringdevelopment to where itshould be.

This first-of-its-kind eventin Bahrain was organised bythe General Organisationfor Youth and Sports underthe patronage of SupremeCouncil for Youth andSports chairman andBahrain OlympicCommittee president Shaikh

Nasser bin Hamad Al Kha-lifa.

High-ranking officials fromBahrain and abroad have

been involved indiscussions about differentissues related to peace andits role in the developmentof nations.

The concluding dayprogram started the finalsession of the conference, inwhich ICHPER-SDHonourary president DrDong Ja Yang stressed theimportance of instilling the

qualities of goodsportsmanship in the youth.

He focused on the youth ofpeace and sportsmanship,which represents a powerfultool to strengthen ties and

promote the ideals of peace.

His speech was followed bya panel discussion, whichincluded Orlando PredatorsHead Coach Doug Plank,Bahrain Marshals Club

president Fayez Ramzy andDubai Sports Councilgeneral secretary Dr AhmedAl Sharif.

Further discussionsinvolved member of theAdvisory Committee of theMinistry of Justice ShaikhAli Mattar, Psychologicalconsultant to the Ministry ofJustice and Islamic Affairsand Endowment Dr AbdullaAl Maqabi, AnglicanChurch priest Hani Aziz,Shura Council Member

Nancy Khedouri and UnitedNations advisor Ibrahim AlDabal.

The conference concludedwith the Goys president

Hisham Mohammed AlJowder honoured the media

parties which havecontributed in covering theconference, in addition tothe working committee inappreciation to their effortsin making this internationalgathering an all-roundsuccess.

More than 500 participants,coming from 36 nationsfrom all over the globeattended the conference.

Delegations attending theconference were from SaudiArabia, the United ArabEmirates, Qatar , Kuwait,Oman, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan,Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt,Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia,Libya and Morocco.

Other participants andspeakers have come fromIndia, Pakistan, Thailand,Bangladesh , thePhilippines , Malaysia ,China , Japan , Indonesia,Sri Lanka, Korea, the UK,France, Italy, Russia,Turkey and the US.

[Bahrain News Agency]

INDIA: 1ST INDIAN HIMALAYAN YOUTH SUMMIT BEGINS

Dimapur, 23rdSeptember2013-TO address issues of

environment andsustainable development ofmountain States, youthsfrom 11 Indian HimalayanStates, including Nagaland,Himachal Pradesh,Uttarakhand, Sikkim,Assam, Manipur, Mizoram,Meghalaya, Arunachal Pra-desh, Tripura and WestBengals hill districtDarjeeling, have gatheredhere for the 1st Indian

Himalayan Youth Summit.The two-day Summit gotunderway at Naga HeritageVillage, Kisama on Sunday.

Nagaland Sports & YouthResources Minister

Merentoshi R Jamir,addressing the inaugural

programme, termed theoccasion as a path breakingevent where the youth aregiven a platform to have ahand in the efforts of theelder generation towards

building a sustainabledevelopment of themountain region.

He said the great Himalayas

contribute largely towardsthe cooling down of the

planet, creating a conduciveatmosphere for life forms to

exist. The Himalayas arethe biggest source of fresh

water as also the custodiansof the biodiversity that weall need so much tosurvive, Jamir added.He said the IndianMountain Initiatives (IMI)Sustainable MountainDevelopment Summits(SMDS) are the need of thehour not only for discussionand understanding of whatthe mountains are all about

but also to spread the

message of how to take careof them and make themsustainable for the benefitof all mankind. MLA and

chairman, MARCOFEDNagaland, Mmhonlumo

Kikon delivered the keynoteaddress of the Summit

based on striving towardsone ecological citizenship.

Climate disasters over thepast few years in themountain and hill States ofIndia have only served toreinforce the notion that weshare one ecological spaceand hence we must sharethe duties and

responsibilities of oneecological citizenship, hesaid.


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Canggu, 9thSeptember2013-WHILE APECdelegates from more than20 countries arrive on theIsland of Bali, schoolstudents from Bali and theregion will be spendingthree days participating inmotivational andeducational experiencescreated to foster deeper

understandings ofcommunity action on behalfof environmental andhumanitarian concerns,

The Bali 2013 GlobalYouth Conference (GlobalInitiatives NetworkingConference) will be heldOctober 5-6, 2013 at theCanggu CommunitySchool. Students from Baliand the region will meetwith each other and

international leaders tomutually inspire andmotivate.

Students will be given thechance to learn, create, and

join together in groupactivities that seek toachieve sharedunderstandings on thechallenges faced in the

modern world. In the end,they will acquire practicalapproaches to majorchallenges to be shared withtheir home communities.

Among the diverseactivities planned during thetwo days are skateboarding,surfing, farming,environment studies,literacy, health and humanrights issues. Students signup for the groups in which

they have an interest where,through skill enhancement,they will discover ways tohelp others in theircommunity.

Solutions explored mightinclude creating afundraising sportstournament or setting up areading group with local

school children using theirlove of ocean to raiseenvironmental awareness.

The Bali 2013 GlobalYouth Conference seeks tomotivate and educate, buildnetworks and prepare thecoming generations for thechallenges ahead.

Speaking the conferencewill be: Canadian champion

skateboarder Rob DyerfromSkate for Cancer(SC4).

Scott Hammell aprofessional stunt manwho shares the powerof personal belief andconviction.

Indonesia's Nila Tanzilwho runs Taman

Bacaan Pelangi - an

Indonesia-wide literacy

program. Martyn Denis a young

intern working with theUnited Nationsin EastTimor.

Robi Navicula anenvironmental activistand front man of theindie BalineseRock

Band Navicula.

[Bali Discovery Tours]

SEPTEMBER 2 13

INDONESIA: BALI 2013 GLOBAL YOUTH CONFERENCE

The Summit is beingorganised jointly bySustainable DevelopmentForum of Nagaland

(SDFN), YouthNet,International Centre forIntegrated MountainDevelopment (ICIMOD)

and Leadership forEnvironment AndDevelopment (LEAD)India. The event is a part of

IMIs SMDS-III (KohimaSummit 2013).

[The Assam Tribune]

MALAYSIA: OPEN DOORS WIDE TO SKILLED YOUTHS, COUNTRIES URGED

Malacca, 15thSeptember2013-ALL the governmentin the world must open theirdoors widely for high-skilled youths to migrateinto or out of a country insearch of better living, saidWorld Assembly of Youth(WAY) secretary-generalEdiola Pashollari.

She said the migration willbenefit both the governmentand the youths by providinghighly-skilled workers forthe country and betterstandard of living for theyouths.

The government mustmake it easier for high-skilled youths to migrate byimplementing simple butefficient immigration

procedure and removing theinternational discrimination

barriers such as skin colour.

I truly appeal to all peopleof the world not to look atyouth-migration as anegative thing. Please dontkeep your youth in thecountry if you cant givethem the opportunity to live

better, she told Bernamaon the sideline of the 13thMelaka International YouthDialogue themed, YouthMigration: A Step FromHeaven.

The three-day dialogue,which ended yesterday, wasorganised by WAY andattended by about 100

participants from 10countries including SouthAfrica, the United States,Singapore, and Brunei.

When asked about thecountrys loss if high-skilled youths were tomigrate elsewhere,

Pashollari said the countrymust give betteropportunities and betterstandard of living if theywanted to retain their high-skilled youths in thecountry.

Malaysia is a very goodrole model where thegovernment had given a lotof opportunities to its highskilled youths to grow anddevelop a better living forthemselves. From what wesee, more and more youthschoose to stay in the county

because of this.

I also praise Malaysiaseffort to lure back its highskilled youths. So, people ofthe world must see howMalaysia do this and notkeep their high-skilledyouths in the country byforce, she said.

She also reminded theyouths to migrate legallyand choose the migrationopportunity wisely so thatthey would not becomevictims of crime such ashuman trafficking.

It looks easier to migrateillegally then to go throughthe time

-consuming

migration procedures. Buttrust me, it is not worth adime to migrate illegally

because they are easierexposed to crime and the

better living they searchedfor, wouldnt last, she said.

[Bernama]


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SEPTEMBER 2 13MYANMAR: CHIN YOUTH WINS PRESTIGIOUS LEADERSHIP AWARD

Chin, 25thSeptember 2013-A CHIN activist from My-anmar has been

recognized as one of 30most inspiring youngleaders in the worldworking to promotedemocracy by theWashington-based NationalEndowment for Democracy(NED).

Salai Ceu Bik Thawng, 29,was honoured alongside 30other young leaders frommore than 20 different

countries around the world.All of the recipients areunder 30. Salai Ceu BikThawng who is also thegeneral secretary for theChin National Party (CNP)was thrilled when found outhis work in Chin state was

being recognized by theworlds leading democracyendowment group. Thisyear marks the 30thanniversary of the

organization that wascreated by the United StatesCongress in 1983 andoperates out of 100 differentcountries.

In a country faced withnumerous challenges to itsdemocratic progress,Thawng is a dynamic youngethnic leader and a modelfor all of Burma, said the

NEDs website.

Thawng explained his viewson the reform process inBurma to Khonumthung

News.

Transforming the countryfrom military dictatorship todemocracy is but onechallenge. We need to thinkabout the broader and moresubstantive issue of how wecan achieve harmony and

realize peaceful coexistencein a country that is sodiverse in terms of religionand ethnicity...Im very

happy to promote thepeople who are facing manychallenges in religious,

ethnicity and otherreformatory areas. It showsthat the world has alreadyrecognized Chin people andethnics in Myanmar.Although our work is not

big enough, the world hasacknowledged what wehave done and ourfeelings, he said.

Some of the otherrecognized young leaders

came from some of theworlds most troubledregions: Zimbabwe,Belarus, Afghanistan, NorthKorea, Liberia andKyrgyzstan.

Concerned about humantrafficking the Chin stategovernment held a specialmeeting in the Hakha TownHall on Sept. 12 to findways to prevent and protect

people from trafficking inMyanmar.

During the meeting, ChiefMinister Pu Hung Ngaidiscussed about the dangersof human trafficking. Itsestimated that 26 million

people are being traffickedglobally. Many women are

being forced into sex trade,or as house maids. Othercases involve hard labour.

The government hasprojects to eliminate illegalhuman trafficking. Theyalso made agreements withneighboring countries likeChina and Thailand to pre-vent human trafficking.

The Human TraffickingProtection Chairman forChin state U Myint AungChin spoke about a recentagreement with the US to

monitor human traffickingin Myanmar.

The Chin state human

trafficking protection groupthat runs from 2012-16 ismade up of 12 state-level

committee members and 12from district and townshiplevels.

[Burma NewsInternational]


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SEPTEMBER 2 13AZERBAIJAN: INTERNATIONAL YOUTH PROJECT WRAPS UP IN BAKU

Baku, 25thSeptember 2013-AN international "Start-Change-Develop" project,

implemented within theEuropean Union's Youth inAction programme, hasended in Baku onSeptember 23.

"Start-Change-Develop" isan international youth

project for rising youthparticipation in creatinghealthy society in the future.The project puts creativeapproaches in the field of

entrepreneurship to promote

leadership among youthwith different backgrounds.

The project was organizedby the Ireli Public Union.

Several meetings were heldwith the project

participants, including at theCenter for Strategic Studiesunder the President ofAzerbaijan, as well as at theAzerbaijan DiplomaticAcademy.

The project participants also

held meetings with

representatives of Ireli PUand Azerbaijani Studentsand Alumni International

Forum (ASAIF).

During the meetings, theywere informed aboutAzerbaijani achievements inthe last years, successfulyouth policies pursued inthe country, "Azerbaijan2020: A Look into theFuture" DevelopmentConcept, as well asArmenia-Azerbaijan

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

About 30 youngsters fromAzerbaijan, Lithuania,Hungary, Moldova,

Ukraine, Malta, Turkey,Georgia, Belarus, and theCzech Republic cametogether in Baku to usevarious tools as workshops,group and peer works,outdoor activities, media,challenge games thatincrease creativity andentrepreneur skills.

[AZERNEWS]

BELARUS: CIS INTELLECTUALS URGED TO CREATE PLATFORM FOR UNITING YOUNGER

GENERATION

Minsk, 25thSeptember 2013-THE older generation ofthe CIS intellectuals shouldcreate a platform to unitethe youth, Chairman of theBoard of the CIS InterstateHumanitarian CooperationFund Polad Bulbuloglu told

reporters on 24 September,BelTA has learnt.

The older generation of thecreative and academicintellectuals knows eachother well. Therefore weshould create a platform toenable the youngergeneration to communicateclosely with each other,Polad Bulbuloglu said priorto the joint session of the

Humanitarian CooperationCouncil and the Board ofthe CIS InterstateHumanitarian Cooperation

Fund.

The joint session is amongthe numerous events thatwill be held in Belarusduring the 8th Forum ofCreative and AcademicIntellectuals of the

Commonwealth ofIndependent States. Theparticipants of the sessiontook stock of the activitiesin 2013. They discussed theelaboration of the CIShumanitarian cooperationstrategy and plans for 2014.In this connection Chairmanof the HumanitarianCooperation Council,Belarus InformationMinister Oleg Proleskovsky

emphasized that one of themajor goals facing thecreative and academicintellectuals is to engage the

youth to take part in theforum.

The participants of the jointsession approved theinitiative of Rector of theLomonosov Moscow StateUniversity Viktor

Sadovnichy to establish aCIS think tank that will dealwith relevant issues facingthe CIS member states.

The 8th Forum of Creativeand Academic Intellectualsof the Commonwealth ofIndependent States is heldunder the motto 2013 is theYear of Ecological Cultureand EnvironmentalProtection in the CIS.

Partaking in the event aredelegations from ten CISmember states:representatives of creative

and academic intellectualsin education, culture,healthcare, ecology andenvironmental protection,mass media, andhumanitarian field.

The forum will run through

26 September. Theorganizers of the forum arethe CIS InterstateHumanitarian CooperationFund, the Government ofBelarus under the auspicesof the President of Belarus,the CIS ExecutiveCommittee, the NationalAcademy of Sciences ofBelarus, the Minsk CityHall.

[Belarusian TelegraphAgency]

BULGARIA: BULGARIA RESHUFFLES FUNDS TO MAKE A SMALL DENT IN YOUTH

UNEMPLOYMENT

Sofia, 11thSeptember 2013-THE Bulgariangovernment said onSeptember 11 that it wasgranting a further 104,000leva (about 52 000 euro) to

counter youthunemployment by assistingemployers who hire peopleyounger than 29 a step

that it claims will create 300jobs for young people bythe end of 2013.

But the deal is not withoutits strings, because those

hired, while having theappropriate qualificationsand secondary or higher

education, must not havebeen employed previously.The period that the subsidywill be paid is from six to18 months.

The decision was approvedby the cabinet on September11, amending the 2013

National Action Plan for

Employment.

According to thegovernment, the changeswould mean jobs for 300young people by the end of

the year.


14/18

SEPTEMBER 2 13Labour bureau figures saythat this year, of people upto the age of 24 who wereunemployed, just less than

eight per cent wereuniversity graduates.

As at the end of July 2013,a total of 34 412 young

people were registered asunemployed, according toofficial figures. Of these,63.6 per cent had noqualifications, official

figures said.

Bulgaria earlier this yearamended the Employment

Promotion Act, introducingnew incentives to supportyouth employment, inresponse to an EU Councilrecommendation oncreation of a YouthGuarantee.

The funding for theamendments approved by

the cabinet on September 11is the result of reallocatingreserves in the NationalPlan for Employment.

In mid-August, the NationalStatistical Institute (NSI)said that unemploymentamong Bulgarians aged 15to 29 was 21.4 per cent inthe second quarter of 2013,up 0.7 percentage pointsfrom Q2 2012.

Unemployment among menin this age bracket was 21.7

per cent and among women21 per cent. Unemployment

among women from 15 to29 was three percentage

points higher in Q2 2013than in Q2 2012, whileamong men, it had dropped

by one percentage point,according to the NSI.

[Independent Balkan

News Agency]

IRELAND: LIMERICK YOUTH SERVICE HEADS EAST FOR MAJOR EVENT

Limerick, 17thSeptember2013-MEMBERS of theLimerick Youth Service

joined more than 700youngsters from 62

countries at a youth summitin the Ukraine.

They were invited to attend

the International YouthSummit at the ArtekInternational ChildrensCentre in the Crimea regionof the Eastern European

state.

Limerick youth workerClaire Donaldson, Askeaton

girl Chloe Gallagher, andSouth Circular Road ladJacob Woulfe were part ofIrelands first delegation atthe summit, now in its 12th

year.

The aim of the event was totackle the issue of racism

and discrimination bygetting young people toexperience and understanddifferent nations andcultures at an early age.

FINLAND: YFCU VICE PRESIDENT TREVOR CO-LEADS RURAL YOUTH PROJECT TO FIN-

LAND

Pori, 13thSeptember 2013-

WORKING in partnershipwith Antrim DistrictCouncil and GROW(Generating RuralOpportunities Within SouthAntrim) the YFCU wererecently involved in asecond Rural Youth Project.YFCU Vice President Tre-vor Wilson, (LisbellawYFC), was team leader inthe youth trip to Pori in Fin-land. This is his report:

The first week in Augustsaw 10 teenagers and threeleaders from GROW SouthAntrim and Young FarmersClubs of Ulster travel toKullaa School of Forestrynear Pori in Western Fin-land for a Rural YouthWorkshop with participantsalso from Estonia, Franceand Finland. The workshopwas delivered by Satkunta4H and the theme wasNature and Photography.

While at Kullaa, the

participants got to make lotsof friends from each of thecountries by taking part ingroup activities whichencouraged them tocommunicate with eachother and find out abouteach others way of lives.

One day we welcomedmembers from Porinkameraseura (Pori cameraclub) who shared theirwealth of knowledge about

photography, giving us tipson how changing simplesettings on a camera canmake flattering changes to a

photograph. We were alsoshown how we can usedifferent objects to enhanceour photographs; howeverfor some of us it may take afew more lessons.

We also had the opportunityto visit an open farm wherewe were able to experiencethe day to day life of livingon a farm in Finland, likemilking cows and feeding

pigs. After visiting the farmwe travelled to YyertiBeach to go swimming inthe Baltic Sea, then we wentshopping in Pori and haddinner in Hesburger whichis Finlands own version ofMcDonalds.To experience nature wewent for a hike through theforest which ran from theschool at Kullaa up to acampsite beside a lakewhere members of PoriScouts helped us erect thetents for the nights camping.However the leadersdecided that the participantswould prefer not to haveleaders in the tents withthem, so the leaders slept inthe comfortable beds in thelog cabins!

After the workshop wasover, the group from

Northern Ireland had anafternoon in Helsinki wherewe could sightsee in someof the historic parts of thecity before having dinner in

the Hard Rock Caf.

During the week it wasgreat to see all the youth

participants developfriendships and as a leader Ican now see how importanttrips like these are, as by theend of the week the

participants had become alot less shy and a lot morecomfortable in a strangeenvironment.

The participants and leaderswould like to thank GROWSouth Antrim and YFCUfor the opportunity to beinvolved in such aworkshop. I really hope thatthe friendships made at thisworkshop will last for yearsto come and I encourageanyone that gets theopportunity to be a

participant in such an event,to embrace the opportunity.

[Farming Life]


15/18

Claire said despite thevarious language barriers,they struck up friendshipswith people from across the

world.

It was an amazingexperience both for theyoung people and myself.We spent time a lot withyoung people and leadersfrom Andorra, India,Turkey and Kyrgyzstan;where else would you getthat? she asked.

Away from the workshops

each country had a nationaldays where they displayedaspects of their own culturethrough cuisine, music,dance and dress.

Claire, Chloe and Jacobperformed a live Irishgig -which aired live onUkranian television.The young people alsoexplored internet safety andthe relationships between

youngsters and the police indifferent countries.

[Limerick Leader]

SEPTEMBER 2 13


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SEPTEMBER 2 13AUSTRALIA: EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED YOUTH ON THE TABLE

Sydney, 16thSeptember2013-NOT for Profits,

business leaders,government decision

-

makers and educationproviders will meet inSydney to discuss solutionsand strategies to increaseyouth employment -especially for disadvantagedyouth.

Investing in YouthEmployment Conferencewill run from September 19-20 and will include guestspeakers and two youth

panels who will give theiropinions and advice onemployment issues.

Michael Coffey, the CEO ofthe peak body for youthhomelessness sector in

NSW -Yfoundations, saidyouth unemployment is acomplex and stubborn

problem, which cannot besolved by simplisticinterventions.

If young people dont getthe experiences andexposure they need earlyon, they are statisticallymore likely to remain in

unstable, low paidemployment for the rest oftheir lives, he said.

Thats not good for theyoung people, and its notgood for our economy.

One speaker will beBusiness Council ofAustralia (BCA) ChiefExecutive JenniferWestacott who will talkabout the BCAs work to

bring together economicand social policy so thatgroups of Australians dontget left behind.

In developing our ActionPlan for EnduringProsperity the BCA felt thatwe needed to re-prosecutethe case that withouteconomic growth Australiawill not be able to solvemany of the social problemsthat our society faces, in

particular unemployment,Westacott said.

One of the aspirations wespell out in the plan is forAustralia to have the mostskilled and educatedworkers in the world.

Weve set out actions toequip all Australians withthe right skills andeducation to boost

participation, create moreproductive and innovativeworkplaces and foster betterrelationships betweenemployers and employees.

Another speaker at theconference is Employmentand Social PolicyConsultant Toni Wren who

believes its important tounderstand one of the maincauses of rising youthunemployment is the loss offull-time jobs for young

people due to structuralchanges in the labourmarket over the past 20years.

In 1990, two-thirds ofteenagers who had left full-time education held a full-time job. Now, less thanhalf do, Wren said.

We cant bring those jobsback but we need to betterequip our young people forthe jobs that are availablenow and in the future. Thatmeans more effective

education and trainingopportunities and supportfor those who are at risk ofdropping out.

Solutions are needed. Oneof them might be found in a

better understanding of thecorporate sectors needs andthe implementation of thecorresponding training towork transitions for young

people.

Smart strategies are neededto keep young people inschool but also to re

-engage

in education those who haveleft prematurely so they cangain the skills they need forthe jobs that are available.

I believe that system needsto be more demand-led.That means starting withemployers and working

backwards to develop apipeline of qualified jobseekers.

[Pro Bono Australia News]

FIJI: YOUTH ACTIVITY PLANS

Suva, 27thSeptember 2013-ONE of the government'sstrategic directions for 2014

is to strengthen thepartnership between theYouth and Sports andSocial Welfare ministries tocreate new platforms foryouth empowerment.

This was the proposition byYouth and Sports Ministry

permanent secretary JosevaSania at the closing of astrategic planning exerciseto scrutinise the annual

corporate plan meeting for2014.

"A key strategy is to

inculcate the positivechange in the mind-sets ofyouths today, to empower

them to become self-

reliantand gender-sensitive," hesaid.

"The Ministry of Youth andSports further anticipates onaddressing reproductivehealth services at thecommunity level throughmaximum utilisation of theexisting women's networksand mechanisms of theMinistry of Women as well

as the established youthnetwork at divisional anddistrict levels.

"The youths of this nationare our investment for thefuture and it is equally

important to equip theyouths towards ensuringsocioeconomic developmentsustainability."

In addition, Mr Sania saidin the quest to achieveexcellence in its servicedelivery, the meetingenabled executive staff to

put together a consolidatedeffort to refine and projectthe strategic direction for

2014.

"The mainstreaming ofexcellence within the

ministry, irrespective oflevels of operation, willensure we truly embrace

and practise what wepreach.

"The Ministry of Youth andSports, together with theMinistry of Social Welfareand Women, are bothclassified undergovernment's social sectorand connect in manydefined and informal ways;these include genderequality and empowerment,

poverty alleviation andsocial justice."

[The Fiji Times Online]


17/18

Hagatna, 20thSeptember2013-OCTOBER is

National Breast CancerAwareness Month and it'sgoing to start with a lot of

pink this year for Guam!

Strides for the Cure andGuam Cancer Care areteaming up this year withevents underway such as the12th Annual 2K and 5KRun/Walk, 2nd Annual GetYour Pink On & Join theFight Wave, and ending itwith a health fair.

"We're joined together. Thatwas the big announcementthis year. Strides for theCure has always been

independent and focusingon educating the youth ofGuam. This year, we'reteaming up with CancerCare and we're becomingone unit to focus oneducating the youth to

prevent the rise of cancer onGuam," stated Founder ofStrides for the Cure DonnaBaker.

So far reaching 1500students, the twoorganizations have beentargeting the public schools'3rd and 4th graders withtheir "Koko Challenge",which promotes exerciseamong the students. Bakerexplained, "It challenges the

children to compete againsteach other in races, relays,games and differentactivities while educatingthem that a healthy lifestylewill deter their chances ofgetting cancer, diabetes andheart diseases which are thetop three killers of peopleon Guam."

Terry Cuabo, ExecutiveDirector of Guam CancerCare, stated, "Teaming upwith Donna from Strides forthe Cure was a response tothe fact that majority of ourclients are coming in laterstages of cancer and that'swhy we think Guam has totake a more proactive

approach in the fight againstcancer."

They both say that the goalis to take a more proactiveapproach by changing themindset of the youth andraising awareness to knockout cancer right before itstarts.

[Pacific News Center]

SEPTEMBER 2 13GUAM: STRIDES FOR THE CURE AND GUAM CANCER CARE TEAM UP TO FIGHT CANCER

IN OCTOBER

NEW ZEALAND: ANNAH MAC AT YOUTH FORUM

Winton, 27thSeptember2013-SOUTHLAND sing-er Annah Mac and actorTim Foley worked with

youth in Winton today at aSouthland District YouthCouncil forum.

The forum,'Follow YourDreams' gives senior highschool students theopportunity to talk withsuccessful actors, musicians

from rural backgrounds.

Today Waiau Area School,Northern Southland

College, Aparima Collegeand Central SouthlandCollege students were treat-ed to a morning of work-shops with Annah Mac,Tim Foley and James Beck.

Annah Mac is a localSouthland singer/songwriter

who has singles in the top40 charts.

New Zealand actor Tim

Foley is known for his roleon Shorthand Street and hasrecently landed a gig inHollywood produced film -Jack and The Beanstalk.

James Beck is aspokesperson from Attitudefor Schools which explores

social issues with secondaryschool students.

[stuff.co.nz]

SAMOA: EMPOWERING SAMOAN YOUTH ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Apia, 2ndSeptember 2013-

SAMOAN youth in Apiaare getting ready to speakout about climate change.

30 students from threeschools are taking part in atraining workshop for theAction Against ClimateChange initiative.

For the next three monthsthey will work on creatingTV-documentaries, radio

programs or newspaperstories about climate changeand its impacts on thecountry.

Joelle Auffray is the

co-founder of ApidaeDevelopment Innovations,

the organisation leading theinitiative.

She says it will give theyouth an opportunity fortheir voices to be heard bythe community and keydecision makers.

[ABC Radio Australia]


18/18

PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENTS

SECRETARY GENERAL

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MR. ALHAJ M. FAZLULHAQUE (Bangladesh)

(Europe) (Latin America)

MR. SESUN JEE(Korea)

MR. MARVIN NATHANYOBANA (Nigeria)

MR. BHUBAN PATHAK(Nepal)

MR. ISMAIL MOHAMMEDNUR MOHAMED ISMAIL

JAMIL (Sudan)

MISS EDIOLA PASHOLLARI (Albania)

HON. DATUK WIRA IR. IDRIS HARON (Malaysia)

HON. POHAMBASHIFETA (Namibia)

MR. HUSSEINAL-AHMED (Yemen)

MR.ERNESTO KESAR(Trinidad and Tobago)

MR.AHMAD DOLIKURNIA (Indonesia)

MR.MOHAMEDALWANE (Libya)

Documents

WAY BULLETIN - SEPTEMBER 2013