Summary: Youth Forum Preparatory Session on Peace

UN Organizations and NGOs Sessions

As part of this year’s efforts by the World Civil Society Forum to foster international cooperation and communication, four days of Youth Forum were held, providing a platform to youth and focusing on the role of younger generations in impacting positive change at both the international and grassroots level. The first Civil Society Youth Forum opened with a Preparatory Session on Sustainable Development that examined the space for dialogue and interaction between youth and both UN and non-governmental organizations.

The welcome reception of the Youth Forum was hosted by Prince Aga Khan of the Bellerive Foundation, here with Youth Forum Chair Hubert Schneebeli.

General Summary
On the heels of examining the link between youth and the United Nations, three representatives of youth-run and youth-centered organizations shared information about both their specific NGO programs and ways for youth to increase their involvement in pursuing positive change at the non-governmental level. Jonah Whittkamper of the Youth Employment Summit described his group’s efforts to put youth on the global agenda, as well as provide resources for people to set up a framework for community action and youth employment. Mirland Demers shared examples of programs implemented by Solidarity North-South of Bois Francs, including projects addressing gender specific labor abuses in Haiti and desertification and deforestation in Senegal. The group also provides documentary education aimed at children in Canada, so that awareness and sensitivity among youth of industrialized countries might facilitate a decrease in practices that exploit less-industrialized states. Finally, Martin G. Viehover informed the audience about the goals of sustainable policies of "Youth for Intergenerational Justice and Sustainability" that take into account all generations, and David Woolcombe spoke on behalf of "Peace Child International", a movement founded on the faith in the youth’s potential to “save the world.”

Surprising issues
Mr. Woolcombe further affirmed that it is youth who hold this power, because although the UN often knows of solutions to global problems, they lack the political will to implement and enforce them. Youth, he said, have that political will.

Another dimension of the NGO presentation that livened up the room was the way in which messages were imparted. Mirland Demos ended her presentation with a Haitian song and also garnered audience participation. In a similar act of broadening the level of communication and group interaction, Jonah Wittkamper invited the audience to stand up, stretch, and shake off the drowsiness that can often accompany long lectures. He also acknowledged the significance of the group and asked each audience member to introduce him or herself to those around him or her, thus immediately beginning the process of forging links between fellow activists.

Interesting questions
In response to one question, Demers emphasized the capacity of youth to empower systems like the UN by working to influence the political stances taken by their own governments, thus becoming more than simply a voice.

Conclusions
As the speakers presented their own experiences with youth movements and youth action, the very real power of youth in initiating dialogue between themselves and with governments and non-governmental organizations was the underlying, but resounding message.

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