DEVELOPMENTAL PARTNERS

 

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH PARLIAMENT

International Youth Parliament
The International Youth Parliament (IYP), an Oxfam International initiative, managed by Oxfam Community Aid Abroad (Oxfam Australia), is a global network of young activists and social change leaders who work at a global, national and local level to effect positive social change.

IYP promotes youth participation in the development process, supports skills and capacity building programs, advocates for the rights and freedoms of young people and their communities, and supports young people's on-the-ground initiatives to achieve human rights, sustainable development and a culture of peace. IYP's vision is 'youth building an equitable, sustainable and peaceful world'.

The first sitting of the International Youth Parliament (IYP) was convened in Sydney in October 2000. IYP2000 presented an opportunity for young people throughout the world to put forward their ideas for building a diverse and sustainable human society, and to seek youthful solutions to both local and global challenges.

What began as an event has evolved into a vibrant global network of young activists and development workers, working under the banner of equity, sustainability and peace.
Some of the successes of the IYP network include:

72% of delegate's Action Plans generated at IYP2000 are ongoing or have been completed;


IYP has granted two rounds of its Small Grants scheme in 25 countries;


IYP has developed submissions and presented at numerous international forums including the United Nations Commission into Social Development and World Youth Forum;


The African Youth Parliament, Rwandan Youth Parliament and St Kitts & Nevis Youth Parliament, among others have been established;


IYP's Youth Commission into Globalisation has been founded, and after receiving over 400 submissions, is releasing its report in May/June 2003;


IYP's Youth Commission into Globalisation has been founded, and after receiving over 400 submissions, is releasing its report in May/June 2003;


The Youth Guide to Globalisation has been published and sent to youth organisations in over 100 countries;


www.iyp.oxfam.org is a global home for young activists with 26,000 visits per month;


50 editions of the IYP e-newsletter have been distributed to IYP's growing network of more than 1000 organisations and individuals.


IYP - an ongoing process

IYP is a cyclical process whereby each Parliament sitting launches the next round of activities. Namely:


IYP Action plan support - strategic and financial support for the activities of IYP's young activists, development workers and their organisations


IYP Skills development - on and offline capacity and skills building for social change


IYP Advocacy and lobbying - IYP's Globalisation Campaign, and connecting with Oxfam's Make Trade Fair, to put youth voices and issues at the centre of decision making


IYP Network and communications - a linking, information and learning network including tri-weekly themed newsletters, communication lists and IYP's website www.iyp.oxfam.org

Oxfam International liaison - facilitating and enhancing Oxfam International's work with young people around the globe

INTERNATIONAL YOUNG PROFESSIONAL FOUNDATION

The International Young Professionals Foundation (IYPF) is a not-for-profit public company working in the fields of human rights, poverty eradication, environment and social capital, within the broad context of sustainability. It utilises and promotes the resources, skills and knowledge that Young Professionals can bring to this arena in order to create a better world for current and future generations. The Foundation's vision is "A global community of Young Professionals creating a better world for current and future generations through local and global action". The IYPF works with young professionals to generate solutions to the challenges faced in creating a better and brighter future for all and to support and facilitate projects emanating from this process.

Specifically, the objects of the Foundation outlined in its constitution are:
+ To promote and encourage the work done by young professionals in effecting positive global change.
+ To facilitate the implementation of projects developed by members to address the issues of concern in the global community, which are consistent with the objects of the company, including the raising of funds where necessary.
+ To further the networks formed during the International Young Professionals Summit 2001 and provide an ongoing platform for organisation and convening of future events and Summits and projects.
+ To promote recognition of, mobilise and enhance the capacity of Young Professionals internationally to provide leadership and take action on global issues
+ To undertake research and advocacy in regards to issues identified by members as vital to the creation of a preferred global future.

AFRICAN YOUTH INITIATIVE

WSIS YOUTH CAUCUS IN AFRICA

UNITED NETWORK OF YOUNG PEACEBUILDERS

A youthful vision to build peace in Africa

The African Network of Young Peace-builders brings together African young persons and youth organisations working in fields relevant to building Peace in the African continent. The network was launched during the UNOY African Youth for a Culture of Peace training-conference (South Africa, 31 June  7 July 2001). The elements of the vision presented below have been taken from an analysis of essays presented by all the members, as well as from the discussions in the training-conference and their e-group.

The members of the African Network of Young Peace-builders understand peace as a dynamic and holistic concept beyond mere absence of war, which includes self-awareness and a personal commitment.[1]


Acknowledging that Africa today is facing:
many internal, inter-ethnic, inter-religious and tribal violent conflicts;
abuse of power and lack of responsible leadership;
extremely unequal distribution of resources, and lack of basic human rights;
an increase of violence within the family and society.


Considering that African youth are:
the most active, dynamic, creative, innovative and flexible social sector;
major stakeholders in the search for the abolition of violent conflicts and the creation of a culture of peace and non-violence;
the most numerous section of society;
important actors in the construction of a participatory civil society in their continent.

Being aware, as African youth of:

the unity of mankind and the oneness of the world;

the cultural and material richness (natural and mineral resources) of Africa;

the impressive potential of African civil society to build peace;

the fact that the African mind has an extraordinary vitality and creativity to recapture its own history and character.

We have agreed that the time has come for African Youth to unite in coordinated action to build peace in Africa. A way forward is through this active network. Therefore the African youth who participated in the African Youth for a Culture of Peace training-conference have committed to organise themselves to contribute towards building peace in Africa and to join their efforts leading to a culture of peace.

KABISSA

Introducing Kabissa - Space for change in Africa
Kabissa uses technology to strengthen non profit organizations working to improve the lives of people in Africa. When it comes to technology, there are three basic challenges that we have identified where Kabissa can make a contribution: (1) access to Internet services, (2) access to training opportunities, and (3) access to channels for networking and getting (and sharing) essential information on a timely basis.

Kabissa has begun to address these challenges by setting up an Internet server dedicated to the needs of African non profits which they can gain access to through an unbureaucratic application process. Besides providing standard Internet services (domain hosting, web space, mailboxes, etc) the server is also being improved on a continual basis using open source applications to enable Kabissa to serve as an information resource and to make Kabissa (and the Internet as a whole) more accessable to African non profits.

In the short time since Kabissa turned on its Internet server in November of 1998, the great demand for Kabissa services has demonstrated the hunger amongst African organizations to overcome the challenges to technology adoption. There are currently over 320 Kabissa members from 32 African countries, the Kabissa site receives over 100,000 hits per month (not including member websites), and there are over 40 mailing lists dedicated to social change in Africa which members are hosting on the Kabissa server. Kabissa's successful experiment represents an opportunity to extend the benefits to the rest of the African non profit sector. Kabissa has further technological innovations planned, and has from the beginning been nurturing key partnerships with organizations on the continent. We are keen to collaborate with these organizations to survey the ICT needs of African non profits, provide technology training to organizations and provide them with access to essential Internet services and information through the Kabissa server.

The benefits are clearly visible in the work of Kabissa member organizations. Their effective use of technology greatly improves their operational efficiency, thereby freeing scarce resources to make a deeper impact on their communities. Thanks to Kabissa, African organizations are now able to use the Internet to identify and solicit resources to support their work and their community, bring international attention to local development issues and concerns, and to exchange information and ideas with like-minded people and organizations.

TACKLE AFRICA

HIV/AIDS Campaign group based in United Kingdom
OUR MISSION
There is no doubt that the AIDS situation in Africa is a catastrophe. The disease is the most devastating of all the disasters that the continent has had to face, killing countless millions each year and leaving millions more in its wake, including a growing mass or orphans, unable to fend for themselves.

In the face of this growing pandemic, what is perhaps most frightening is the level of ignorance surrounding the disease in Africa. Despite its increasing incidence across the continent there remains a basic lack of understanding about the nature of HIV/AIDS, how it can be passed and its ultimate effects. Whilst such ignorance prevails there is little hope that the spread of AIDS in Africa can be checked and the pandemic brought under control.

It is therefore the principle aim of TackleAfrica to carry out activities that will help to raise the awareness and understanding of the disease in Africa, particularly amongst the key youth audience that has traditionally proved particularly hard to reach. From our own experience working in Africa we have realised that the immense popularity of football can be channelled to work as an extremely effective communication tool.

A football match between a team Europeans and a local school or club side can draw a surprising amount of interest from the local community and this presents a superb opportunity to convey key messages and information about AIDS/HIV. The nature of the occasion also enables us to project these messages in a manner that avoids being patronising or authoritarian. We are also able to give these messages added credence by conveying them with the support and endorsement of some of the best known African football stars, who are household names and huge role models in such communities.

TackleAfrica has therefore been established in order to operate tours made up of such football matches in remote African communities that would otherwise not be reached by these key messages. In order to ensure the maximum possible benefit is drawn from our activities, TackleAfrica hopes to work hand in hand with selected local AIDS/HIV organisations and charities who have crucial experience and understanding of the specific needs and situation in each community. In this way we believe that we can increase the understanding and knowledge of the disease in these communities, hopefully making an important contribution to the fight against AIDS/HIV in Africa.

NEPAD

1. WHAT IS NEPAD?

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is a VISION and STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR AFRICA’s RENEWAL

2. WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF NEPAD?

The NEPAD strategic framework document arises from a mandate given to the five initiating Heads of State (Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa) by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to develop an integrated socio-economic development framework for Africa. The 37th Summit of the OAU in July 2001 formally adopted the strategic framework document.

3. WHAT IS THE NEED FOR NEPAD?

NEPAD is designed to address the current challenges facing the African continent. Issues such as the escalating poverty levels, underdevelopment and the continued marginalisation of Africa needed a new radical intervention, spearheaded by African leaders, to develop a new Vision that would guarantee Africa’s Renewal.

4. WHAT ARE THE NEPAD PRIMARY OBJECTIVES?

a) To eradicate poverty;
b) To place African countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development;
c) To halt the marginalisation of Africa in the globalisation process and enhance its full and beneficial integration into the global economy;
d) To accelerate the empowerment of women

5. WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF NEPAD?

• Good governance as a basic requirement for peace, security and sustainable political and socio-economic development
• African ownership and leadership, as well as broad and deep participation by all sectors of society;
• Anchoring the development of Africa on its resources and resourcefulness of its people;
• Partnership between and amongst African peoples;
• Acceleration of regional and continental integration;
• Building the competitiveness of African countries and the continent;
• Forging a new international partnership that changes the unequal relationship between Africa and the developed world; and
• Ensuring that all Partnerships with NEPAD are linked to the Millenium Development Goals and other agreed development goals and targets.

6. WHAT IS THE NEPAD PROGRAMME OF ACTION?

The NEPAD Programme of Action is a holistic, comprehensive and integrated sustainable development initiative for the revival of Africa, guided by the aforementioned objectives, principles and strategic focus.

7. WHAT ARE THE NEPAD PRIORITIES?

a. Establishing the Conditions for Sustainable Development by ensuring

• Peace and security;
• Democracy and good, political, economic and corporate governance;
• Regional co-operation and integration;
• Capacity building.

b. Policy reforms and increased investment in the following priority sectors-

• Agriculture;
• Human development with a focus on health, education, science and technology and skills development;
• Building and improving infrastructure, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Energy, Transport, Water and Sanitation;
• Promoting diversification of production and exports, particularly with respect to agro-industries, manufacturing, mining, mineral beneficiation and tourism;
• Accelerating intra-African trade and improving access to markets of developed countries;
• The environment.

c. Mobilising Resources by -

• Increasing domestic savings and investments;
• Improving management of public revenue and expenditure;
• Improving Africa’s share in global trade;
• Attracting foreign direct investment; and
• Increasing capital flows through further debt reduction and increase ODA flows.

8. WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE DESIRED OUTCOMES OF NEPAD?

• Africa becomes more effective in conflict prevention and the establishment of enduring peace on the continent;
• Africa adopts and implements principles of democracy and good political economic and corporate governance, and the protection of human rights becomes further entrenched in every African country;
• Africa develops and implements effective poverty eradication programmes and accelerates the pace of achieving set African development goals, particularly human development;
• Africa achieves increased levels of domestic savings, as well as investments, both domestic and foreign;
• Increased levels of ODA to the continent are achieved and its effective utilisation maximised;
• Africa achieves desired capacity for policy development, coordination and negotiation in the international arena, to ensure its beneficial engagement in the global economy, especially on trade and market access issues
• Regional integration is further accelerated and higher levels of sustainable economic growth in Africa is achieved;
• Genuine partnerships are established between Africa and the developed countries based on mutual respect and accountability.

9. WHAT ARE THE KEY PRIORITY ACTION AREAS?

• Operationalising the African Peer Review Mechanism
• Facilitating and supporting implementation of the short-term regional infrastructure programmes covering Transport Energy, ICT, Water and Sanitation.
• Facilitating implementation of the food security and agricultural development program in all sub-regions
• Facilitating the preparation of a coordinated African position on Market Access, debt relief and ODA reforms
• Monitoring and intervening as appropriate to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals in the areas of health and education are met.

10. WHAT DOES THE STRUCTURE FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPAD LOOK LIKE

NEPAD is a programme of the African Union designed to meet its development objectives. The highest authority of the NEPAD implementation process is the Heads of State and Government Summit of the African Union, formerly known as the OAU.

The Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSIC) comprises 3 states per AU region as mandated by the OAU Summit of July 2001 and ratified by the AU Summit of July 2002. The HSIC reports to the AU Summit on an annual basis.

The Steering Committee of NEPAD comprises the Personal Representatives of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government. This Committee oversees projects and programme development.

The NEPAD Secretariat coordinates implementation of projects and programmes approved by the HSIC.

 

 

 

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT