Summary: Youth Forum Preparatory Session on Peace

Final Statement: Civil Society and the United Nations

The challenges of the 21^st century are complex. Globalization, or international integration, is not only economic, but also social, political, cultural and environmental. These new challenges need new solutions. They need more people and more diversity to participate in international decision-making processes. They need democracy.

The present system for international decision-making is not working. It does not serve the needs of all people in the world. To overcome this challenge, we call for all existing efforts to realize a world parliament of all people. We ask the World Civil Society Forum to invite other global civil society initiatives to organize a global constitutional convention during its next annual event. To facilitate the participation of traditionally excluded people, we recommend that this event be held in the global South.

Nearly 20% of the world’s population is between the ages of 15 and 25. Young people are increasingly aware and involved today. They bring new energy and fresh perspective. They are more flexible, open to new ideas, and constantly seeking new solutions. They are an untapped resource and they want to participate in the future they stand to inherit.

International communication and understanding is necessary to achieve a new form of global, intergenerational partnership. Young people are leaders of the information and communication technology revolution. They understand international diversity and organize global networks but their work is under-recognized and fragmented. We need to link their efforts and bring all the stakeholders together to develop new strategies for global problem solving.

We propose to create a World Youth Parliament based on participatory democracy and to help facilitate the creation of an intergenerational World Parliament of global civil society.

To achieve this goal we recommend the following actions:

1. Peace education should become part of the school curriculum in all countries
2. Inclusive youth councils should be organized for all decision-making bodies
3. Permanent intergenerational forums should be created for youth and leaders at local, national and global levels
4. Youth rapporteurs should be granted access to decision making forums at all levels
5. Inter-faith youth community building should be supported to strengthen the social fabric of our society
6. Indigenous and non-indigenous youth alliances should be created to help us reconcile our history and better understand sustainable development
7. Networking and dialogue between privileged and under-privileged youth should be considered to help us address the economic divide
8. Civil society organizations should collaborate to create diverse online and offline youth networks for all local, national, and international contexts

As members of the civil society, we have children and youth rights. Young people deserve to participate in decision-making processes at all levels and deserve equal access to legal, financial and political support.

These ideas are aligned with the millennium development goals through our focus and promotion of peace education, including diversity training as an essential right. This will improve maternal health, reduce infant mortality, promote gender equality, and limit the spread of HIV/AIDS as well as other virulent contagions. In addition, through a World Parliament and new global networking we will form new global partnerships for development that fight poverty and enable environmental stability.

Young people are ready and able to meet these challenges.

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