Major Group: Children & Youth
Thank you chair and delegates for listening to the children and youth of the world represented here.
Young people are not useless, they are just used less!!
Indeed, policymakers often seem to under-estimate the positive impact that youth can have. However, our presence at CSD is proof that this forum has begun to actively involve the future generation. We are here and we are able to speak.
The children and youth major group would like to encourage the official representatives to use this CSD-process as an example for local and national problem solving. Youth are able to contribute in a significant and constructive manner by advising local and national governments on youth matters and engaging in dialogue with current administrations. The young generation can provide a fresh outlook, infuse vitality into the decision-making process and ensure the viability of agreed policies. Along these lines, we are proactively contributing to concrete solutions to the questions raised by CSD 16. We are giving specific suggestions in the different sessions. If you would like to review the case-studies that we collected, please visit the youth commitment desk.
We already have a success story:
I, Fatoumata, for example, am a representative of the youth parliament of the Ghambia, a youth assembly that organizes educational programs for young people and advises the government on youth matters. To be able to have more youth input, we urge all countries present in this room to develop the necessary infrastructure and funding for the young to have their voice heard.
Some countries went a step further and integrated representatives from youth councils or organizations into their official delegations. We would like to thank the countries of Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden for recognizing the importance of youth representation.
Of course, not all countries have the means to give young people the opportunity to participate in international meetings. This fact makes the German initiative to sponsor two African youth delegates all the more pertinent. In addition to the two youth delegates from their own country, the German government sponsored Fatoumata from the Ghambia and Eyob from Ethiopia through the organization Inwent.
We encourage that every OECD country provide funding for at least one youth delegate from a country that would experience more difficulties in sponsoring youth delegates. In the current cycle, it is of critical importance that more African youth be present at CSD
for the policy session. Moreover, we suggest a creation of a cooperative network between participating countries and United Nations Headquarters to avoid visa problems for youth delegates.
As we are one of the future generations that has been continuously referred to, the fact that we are engaged in a dialogue on sustainable development is of the utmost importance. We applaud that within the CSD-process, youth from all over the world discuss this crucial theme and engage in a dialogue on best practices, effective approaches and obstacles in sustainable development. Through involvement in this forum, the future producers, consumers and leaders are already immersed in the mindset of a sustainable lifestyle. In fact, the young people sitting in these seats might be sitting in your chairs, in as little as 10 years? time.
Questions
How do you want youth to be involved in ?
Sustainability in School
When promoting sustainable development, how to involve youth?.
Food
Role of farmers?
1. Education and Access to Employment
Community based adaptation programs through local educational initiatives.
Education
- Primary school, starting from a young age in order to make sustainable living a habit.
- Water
- Sanitation issues
- Maintaining indigenous knowledge and passing it on
Access to Employment.
- Young people can contribute also.
- How can youth be more involved to make a positive impact in making our world more sustainable.
Where to make attractive jobs?green economy.
Need to support their own livelihoods, and to create jobs ? so that the world can become more sustainable
Individual governments have to economically (infuse capital, national policies that push for new jobs and socially and politically transition to include youth in jobs to provide for their livelihoods and transition current economies so that the overall world becomes more sustainable
and then work towards the common goal of sustainability.
-
Vocational training as response; Rural educational systems. Not enough students and forced to close?
A global response
Brain Drain
-
using resources of those who have sought employment outside of their native country in order to mobilize resources and training mechanisms that are brought to the institutional level in order to
look at issue of migration not as an issue of brain drain but drain bank.
Institutionalize (Case study) with Dutch Gov. with those who no longer live in their native homes.
2. Agriculture
Increasing youth involvement in agriculture processes through education and attracting youth to agriculture through building awareness of prosperous job opportunities and transitioning agriculture into the future, especially in developing countries and the use of
Taking farming to a new level by combining youth and activism. For ex in US and Canada
-
Canada case study
Ties into the call for funding dedicated to agricultural research and infrastructure.
Topic: How youth are not currently engaged in agriculture and how that can be changed.
Intro from Daniel..
Current because it relates to food crisis.
3.
Gender Equality and Mainstreaming
Case study from Gambia ? free education for girls starting from primary school through high school, and university scholarships. This is an example of how to combat the marginalization of girls and empower women.
General Claims �� 3 minute statement
NB: insert case study(ies) where possible or allude to them?
1.
Youth Empowerment/ Capacity Building
♦
Youth should be involved in problem solving
o
As future consumers here today, we are collaborating with each other to develop plans and ideas for future sustainability policy. /Youth and children are the current and future producers, consumers, and leaders of this world
o
Offer moral compass and vitality
o
We ARE capable
o
Large % of population
♦
EDUCATION!!!! (both experiential and formal)
o
Possible in and related to everything, informal & peer-to-peer education, private partnership ? experiential training, financing ? system infrastruction, will help to transition from ?business as usual? to the next era of sustainable development (?)
o
Experiential AND formal education
♦
Capacity Building from infrastructure and support ? from private partnerships and governments (any others?)
o
Enable youth to lead now and in the future
o
NB: applications at every level
o
Not only day-to-day skills, but more complicated ones to (re: what Tom talked about)
o
Improves technical abilities
o
Improves collaboration
o
mentors
♦
Conclusion: Young people are successful and have made progress: we have the capability/capacity to contribute
o
Capitalize on what we have already achieved!
��
Use lessons learned
��
Encourage it
o
?Youth and children are not useless, we are simple used less? to ____ (contribute..?)?
2.
Youth delegations
♦
Thank you to those countries who have sent youth delegations
o
Belgium, Germany Netherlands, Sweden?
o
Through Inwent, a German government-funded organizations sponsored two youth delegate from another country that would not have otherwise been represented here today. (Fatoumata _____ (The Gambia) and Eyob ____ (Ethiopia) wouldn?t be here if it weren?t for sponsorship).
o
The German government sponsored two youth delegates from Africa through Inwent, ?, in addition to youth delegates from their own country [combine this and previous sentence and streamline]
♦
Suggestion: - Every OECD country should provide funding for at least one youth delegate from a country that would have fewer funds at their disposal. All youth delegates should be free to speak independently on behalf of their representative youth organization.
Question: (The Netherlands)
1) What are the main obstacles and challenges for increasing good governance practices and mutual accountability of the different stakeholders involved?
Question: (The Netherlands)
2) What are your experiences and suggestions for improving the involvement and accountability of young generations in sustainable issues?
�� Add what other things you want to answer the question but try to include these things also
Education
Access to Employment.
- Young people can contribute also.
- How can youth be more involved to make a positive impact in making our world more sustainable.
Where to make attractive jobs?green economy.
Need to support their own livelihoods, and to create jobs ? so that the world can become more sustainable
Individual governments have to economically (infuse capital, national policies that push for new jobs and socially and politically transition to include youth in jobs to provide for their livelihoods and transition current economies so that the overall world becomes more sustainable
and then work towards the common goal of sustainability.
-
Vocational training as response; Rural educational systems. Not enough students and forced to close?
A global response
Brain Drain
-
using resources of those who have sought employment outside of their native country in order to mobilize resources and training mechanisms that are brought to the institutional level in order to
look at issue of migration not as an issue of brain drain but drain bank.
Institutionalize (Case study) with Dutch Gov. with those who no longer live in their native homes.
3.
Gender Equality and Mainstreaming
Case study from Gambia ? free education for girls starting from primary school through high school. Also university scholarships/government stipends available. This is an example of how to combat the marginalization of girls and empower women.
Potential Partnerships: women (gender mainstreaming), trade unions (access to employment), scientific community (brain bank, access to employment)
Question: (Belgium)
educations and sustainability issues/ sustainable development
Community based adaptation programs through local educational initiatives.
Education
-involved in sustainability issues in school (curriculum and other programs) from a young age to establish habits
- Primary school, starting from a young age in order to make sustainable living a habit.
- Water
Case study: youth run/lead program related to water (water pumps?) [NB: see what we have, doesn?t have to be water-related, see below]
-Sanitation issues
-Successful youth groups/ youth-operated program related to sustainable development
Case study: youth run/lead program related to sustainable development [NB: What do we have available?]
- Maintaining indigenous knowledge and passing it on ? combine with newer technologies (?)
Potential partnerships: indigenous (indigenous knowledge), NGOs (education, watsan)
Question: (Germany)
re: agriculture and rural development
Agriculture
Increasing youth involvement in agriculture processes through education and attracting youth to agriculture through building awareness of prosperous job opportunities and transitioning agriculture into the future, especially in developing countries and the use of
Taking farming to a new level by combining youth and activism. For ex in US and Canada
-
Canada case study
Ties into the call for funding dedicated to agricultural research and infrastructure.
Topic: How youth are not currently engaged in agriculture and how that can be changed.
Intro from Daniel..
Current because it relates to food crisis.
Other notes in discussion: (insert case studies where possible)
♦
Access to technology and the information it provides (info dissemination)
o
i.e. $100 MIT laptops (some initiatives in India re: computer through the TV)
o
Especially important for rural development (a lot of youth don?t have computer literacy nor access to reliable internet)
Young people are not useless, they are just used less!!
Indeed, policymakers often seem to under-estimate the positive impact that youth can have. However, our presence at CSD is proof that this forum has begun to actively involve the future generation. We are here and we are able to speak.
The children and youth major group would like to encourage the official representatives to use this CSD-process as an example for local and national problem solving. Youth are able to contribute in a significant and constructive manner by advising local and national governments on youth matters and engaging in dialogue with current administrations. The young generation can provide a fresh outlook, infuse vitality into the decision-making process and ensure the viability of agreed policies. Along these lines, we are proactively contributing to concrete solutions to the questions raised by CSD 16. We are giving specific suggestions in the different sessions. If you would like to review the case-studies that we collected, please visit the youth commitment desk.
We already have a success story:
I, Fatoumata, for example, am a representative of the youth parliament of the Ghambia, a youth assembly that organizes educational programs for young people and advises the government on youth matters. To be able to have more youth input, we urge all countries present in this room to develop the necessary infrastructure and funding for the young to have their voice heard.
Some countries went a step further and integrated representatives from youth councils or organizations into their official delegations. We would like to thank the countries of Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden for recognizing the importance of youth representation.
Of course, not all countries have the means to give young people the opportunity to participate in international meetings. This fact makes the German initiative to sponsor two African youth delegates all the more pertinent. In addition to the two youth delegates from their own country, the German government sponsored Fatoumata from the Ghambia and Eyob from Ethiopia through the organization Inwent.
We encourage that every OECD country provide funding for at least one youth delegate from a country that would experience more difficulties in sponsoring youth delegates. In the current cycle, it is of critical importance that more African youth be present at CSD
for the policy session. Moreover, we suggest a creation of a cooperative network between participating countries and United Nations Headquarters to avoid visa problems for youth delegates.
As we are one of the future generations that has been continuously referred to, the fact that we are engaged in a dialogue on sustainable development is of the utmost importance. We applaud that within the CSD-process, youth from all over the world discuss this crucial theme and engage in a dialogue on best practices, effective approaches and obstacles in sustainable development. Through involvement in this forum, the future producers, consumers and leaders are already immersed in the mindset of a sustainable lifestyle. In fact, the young people sitting in these seats might be sitting in your chairs, in as little as 10 years? time.
Questions
How do you want youth to be involved in ?
Sustainability in School
When promoting sustainable development, how to involve youth?.
Food
Role of farmers?
1. Education and Access to Employment
Community based adaptation programs through local educational initiatives.
Education
- Primary school, starting from a young age in order to make sustainable living a habit.
- Water
- Sanitation issues
- Maintaining indigenous knowledge and passing it on
Access to Employment.
- Young people can contribute also.
- How can youth be more involved to make a positive impact in making our world more sustainable.
Where to make attractive jobs?green economy.
Need to support their own livelihoods, and to create jobs ? so that the world can become more sustainable
Individual governments have to economically (infuse capital, national policies that push for new jobs and socially and politically transition to include youth in jobs to provide for their livelihoods and transition current economies so that the overall world becomes more sustainable
and then work towards the common goal of sustainability.
-
Vocational training as response; Rural educational systems. Not enough students and forced to close?
A global response
Brain Drain
-
using resources of those who have sought employment outside of their native country in order to mobilize resources and training mechanisms that are brought to the institutional level in order to
look at issue of migration not as an issue of brain drain but drain bank.
Institutionalize (Case study) with Dutch Gov. with those who no longer live in their native homes.
2. Agriculture
Increasing youth involvement in agriculture processes through education and attracting youth to agriculture through building awareness of prosperous job opportunities and transitioning agriculture into the future, especially in developing countries and the use of
Taking farming to a new level by combining youth and activism. For ex in US and Canada
-
Canada case study
Ties into the call for funding dedicated to agricultural research and infrastructure.
Topic: How youth are not currently engaged in agriculture and how that can be changed.
Intro from Daniel..
Current because it relates to food crisis.
3.
Gender Equality and Mainstreaming
Case study from Gambia ? free education for girls starting from primary school through high school, and university scholarships. This is an example of how to combat the marginalization of girls and empower women.
General Claims �� 3 minute statement
NB: insert case study(ies) where possible or allude to them?
1.
Youth Empowerment/ Capacity Building
♦
Youth should be involved in problem solving
o
As future consumers here today, we are collaborating with each other to develop plans and ideas for future sustainability policy. /Youth and children are the current and future producers, consumers, and leaders of this world
o
Offer moral compass and vitality
o
We ARE capable
o
Large % of population
♦
EDUCATION!!!! (both experiential and formal)
o
Possible in and related to everything, informal & peer-to-peer education, private partnership ? experiential training, financing ? system infrastruction, will help to transition from ?business as usual? to the next era of sustainable development (?)
o
Experiential AND formal education
♦
Capacity Building from infrastructure and support ? from private partnerships and governments (any others?)
o
Enable youth to lead now and in the future
o
NB: applications at every level
o
Not only day-to-day skills, but more complicated ones to (re: what Tom talked about)
o
Improves technical abilities
o
Improves collaboration
o
mentors
♦
Conclusion: Young people are successful and have made progress: we have the capability/capacity to contribute
o
Capitalize on what we have already achieved!
��
Use lessons learned
��
Encourage it
o
?Youth and children are not useless, we are simple used less? to ____ (contribute..?)?
2.
Youth delegations
♦
Thank you to those countries who have sent youth delegations
o
Belgium, Germany Netherlands, Sweden?
o
Through Inwent, a German government-funded organizations sponsored two youth delegate from another country that would not have otherwise been represented here today. (Fatoumata _____ (The Gambia) and Eyob ____ (Ethiopia) wouldn?t be here if it weren?t for sponsorship).
o
The German government sponsored two youth delegates from Africa through Inwent, ?, in addition to youth delegates from their own country [combine this and previous sentence and streamline]
♦
Suggestion: - Every OECD country should provide funding for at least one youth delegate from a country that would have fewer funds at their disposal. All youth delegates should be free to speak independently on behalf of their representative youth organization.
Question: (The Netherlands)
1) What are the main obstacles and challenges for increasing good governance practices and mutual accountability of the different stakeholders involved?
Question: (The Netherlands)
2) What are your experiences and suggestions for improving the involvement and accountability of young generations in sustainable issues?
�� Add what other things you want to answer the question but try to include these things also
Education
Access to Employment.
- Young people can contribute also.
- How can youth be more involved to make a positive impact in making our world more sustainable.
Where to make attractive jobs?green economy.
Need to support their own livelihoods, and to create jobs ? so that the world can become more sustainable
Individual governments have to economically (infuse capital, national policies that push for new jobs and socially and politically transition to include youth in jobs to provide for their livelihoods and transition current economies so that the overall world becomes more sustainable
and then work towards the common goal of sustainability.
-
Vocational training as response; Rural educational systems. Not enough students and forced to close?
A global response
Brain Drain
-
using resources of those who have sought employment outside of their native country in order to mobilize resources and training mechanisms that are brought to the institutional level in order to
look at issue of migration not as an issue of brain drain but drain bank.
Institutionalize (Case study) with Dutch Gov. with those who no longer live in their native homes.
3.
Gender Equality and Mainstreaming
Case study from Gambia ? free education for girls starting from primary school through high school. Also university scholarships/government stipends available. This is an example of how to combat the marginalization of girls and empower women.
Potential Partnerships: women (gender mainstreaming), trade unions (access to employment), scientific community (brain bank, access to employment)
Question: (Belgium)
Community based adaptation programs through local educational initiatives.
Education
-involved in sustainability issues in school (curriculum and other programs) from a young age to establish habits
- Primary school, starting from a young age in order to make sustainable living a habit.
- Water
Case study: youth run/lead program related to water (water pumps?) [NB: see what we have, doesn?t have to be water-related, see below]
-Sanitation issues
-Successful youth groups/ youth-operated program related to sustainable development
Case study: youth run/lead program related to sustainable development [NB: What do we have available?]
- Maintaining indigenous knowledge and passing it on ? combine with newer technologies (?)
Potential partnerships: indigenous (indigenous knowledge), NGOs (education, watsan)
Question: (Germany)
Agriculture
Increasing youth involvement in agriculture processes through education and attracting youth to agriculture through building awareness of prosperous job opportunities and transitioning agriculture into the future, especially in developing countries and the use of
Taking farming to a new level by combining youth and activism. For ex in US and Canada
-
Canada case study
Ties into the call for funding dedicated to agricultural research and infrastructure.
Topic: How youth are not currently engaged in agriculture and how that can be changed.
Intro from Daniel..
Current because it relates to food crisis.
Other notes in discussion: (insert case studies where possible)
♦
Access to technology and the information it provides (info dissemination)
o
i.e. $100 MIT laptops (some initiatives in India re: computer through the TV)
o
Especially important for rural development (a lot of youth don?t have computer literacy nor access to reliable internet)