A Snapshot of the Global Youth Movement
1. Introduction
2. Non-Religious, Well Established, Mainstream Youth Movements and Institutions
2.1 The Big 7
2.2 Other Mainstream Movements
2.3 Mainstream Collaborative Initiatives
2.4 Mainstream Development and Education Institutions
3. Annual Camps and/or Events
4. Employment, Economy, and Youth
5. Corporations and International Sports Federations with Global Youth Support
Programs
6. Inter-Governmental Bodies
6.1 UN and UN Agencies
6.2 English, French, Spanish and Arabic Speaking Networks
6.3 Other Intergovernmental Agencies
7. Internet Portals
7.1 Youth-Led Sites
7.2 UN Sites
7.3 Other Sites
8. Global Political Youth Networks
8.1 Socialist and Communist Youth Networks
8.2 Other Spectrums of the Politics
9. Research and Policy Focused
10. Service Programs
11. Student Focused Groups and Exchange Programs
11.1 Groups with an Online Focus
11.2 Teenager Focused Groups
11.3 University Groups
12. Travel
13. Theme, Kinship, Advocacy and Issue Focused Groups
13.1 HIV/AIDS
13.2 Sexual Rights and Reproductive Health
13.3 Defending Children and Youth Rights
13.4 Youth with Disabilities
13.5 Peace Education, Disarmament, Violence Prevention and Anti-Racism Work
13.6 Environment, Sustainable Development and Resource Conservation
13.7 Indigenous Youth
13.8 Cultural Youth Movements
13.9 Youth, Communication and Media Networks and Training Groups
13.10 Other Theme and Issue Focused Youth Groups
14. General Networking and Facilitation
15. Youth Groups and Networks focused on Youth Participation in Decision-Making
and Activism
15.1 Supporting Youth Activism
15.2 Youth-Led Groups with Focus on Youth Participation in the United Nations
and its World Conferences
15.3 Youth Participation in Global Decision-Making and/or Events Outside the
UN System
16. Religious and Spiritual Groups
16.1 Christianity
16.1.1 Catholics
16.1.2 Other Christian Groups
16.2 Islam
16.3 Judaism
16.4 Others
17. Other Movements That Do Not Have Youth Projects, But That Are Often Youth-Led
18. Other Links
19. Major Global Youth Email Communication Networks
20. Regional Youth Platforms Before the United Nations
21. Regional Student Unions
Copyright (C) 2002 Jonah Wittkamper
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1. Introduction
This report links is perhaps the most comprehensive listing of International
Youth Movements and International Youth Organizations (with websites) in the
world. It was pieced together in collaboration with many people and many
networks. It is restricted to movements and organizations that have activities
(or relationships) on three or more continents, with very few exceptions. Much
of the content was written from our first hand experience within the
organizations and movements. Much of it was also provided by the organizations
and movements themselves.
Motivation to create this guide came from the challenges experienced by the
Global Youth ACTION Network and TakingITGlobal in organizing local youth
networks in diverse cities around the world.
This document should be used in collaboration with other resources to educate
young people and facilitate collaboration among movements.
The Global Youth ACTION Network is taking steps to organize World Youth
Forums in partnership with all the organizations and movements listed here. The
forums will take place virtually, locally, regionally, and internationally.
For more information contact Jonah Wittkamper at jonah@youthlink.org or subscribe to the
follow Yahoo Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/youthmovements
2. Non-Religious, Well Established, Mainstream Youth Movements and
Institutions
2.1 The Big 7
* There is a need to recognize the universal validity of the non-formal
education of young people, particularly through the work of world youth
education organizations. Thus the Chief Executive Officers of seven of the
largest worldwide, non-formal education organizations who today actively involve
more than 100 million young people, have shared their vision of the non-formal
education of young people into the next century. The Alliance of Youth CEOs
comprises the Chief Executive Officers of the: World Alliance of Young Men's
Christian Associations (YMCA), World Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA),
World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), World Association of Girl
Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies (IFRC), International Youth Foundation (IYF), International
Award Association (IAA)
http://www.intaward.org/partnership/big7.asp
* The Guide Movement was formally established in 1910, starting in the United
Kingdom and then spreading world-wide. The first official international
co-operation started in 1919, and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl
Scouts in its present form was established in 1928. Due to the size of the
organization (136 member countries, and around 10 million members) it is divided
into five regions where national associations can work together on common
problems and opportunities. The World Association is a British-based charity,
and the Europe Region a Belgium-based international non-profit organization. The
movement is non-formal and educational, and focuses on encouraging the
development of the intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional, social and
moral aspects of its members, based on the movements' values. Its mission is to
enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible
citizens of the world.
http://www.wagggsworld.org
* The World Organization of the Scout Movement is an international
organization composed of its national Scout organizations. The purpose is to
contribute to the development of young people and help them develop their full
physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as
responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international
communities. Scouting began with 20 boys and an experimental camp in 1907
organized by Robert Baden-Powell. The first world Jamboree took place in 1920
with 8,000 participants. Today the organization reaches 25 million young people
in 216 countries (and territories).
http://world.scout.org
* The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the
world's largest humanitarian organization, with 178 member National Societies.
It aims to assist the world's most vulnerable people and focuses on health,
disaster response and disaster preparedness. Young people represent a
substantial part of the membership worldwide. A youth program was developed to
involve young people as much as possible in the movement. It aims to promote
healthy living, international friendship, and community service. A youth unit
within the Federation's Secretariat in Geneva assists National Societies to
increase the involvement of young volunteers in their work. Technical support in
the development of youth programs, fund-raising, identification of material and
human resources, the youth unit aims to have young people recognized by National
Societies leadership as equal partners who address the needs of the most
vulnerable.
http://www.ifrc.org/youth
* The International Award is a self-development program open to all young
people worldwide. It aims to equip them with life skills to make a difference to
themselves, their communities and their world. To date over 5 million young
people from over 100 countries have participated. It challenges and rewards
young people for setting and reaching goals in for areas: Volunteer Public
Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration.
http://www.intaward.org
* The World Young Women's Christian Association unites 25 million women and
girls in over 100 countries through 94 autonomous national YWCAs which links
thousands of local YWCAs whose programs meet community needs identified by
women. WYCMA bases its work on Christian ecumenical principles and welcomes
women of all faiths. It promotes women's equal participation, works for social
and economic justice, and mobilizes women for action.
http://www.worldywca.org
* The YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) is a world-wide Christian,
ecumenical, voluntary movement for women and men with special emphasis on the
involvement of young people. It seeks to build a human community of justice with
love, peace and reconciliation. Founded in 1844, it now works through 14'000
local associations and 45 million members in 122 countries. The National
Movements form the World Alliance of YMCAs, an international organization based
in Geneva, Switzerland, which has consultative status with the Economic and
Social Council of the United Nations.
http://www.ymca.int
* The International Youth Foundation is an association of 22 different grant
making agencies in 22 different countries. It facilitates knowledge sharing
between these foundations and makes various publications on the international
situations of youth. In 1999 Nokia Corporation provided the IYF with a grant to
design an internet youth portal. After hiring a team and consulting with Nokia
and a number of young leaders the YouthActionNet project was started. It
presents various tools and resources that are valuable for youth organizing.
http://www.youthactionnet.org and
http://www.ifynet.org
2.2 Other Mainstream Movements
* Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united
worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in
all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. In more than 160
countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than
30,000 Rotary clubs. There are two global youth programs. Rotary Youth
Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a training program for young leaders that emphasizes
leadership, citizenship, and personal growth. Rotary Youth Exchange (ROTEX) is a
program that facilitates the exchange of 8000 young people every year to stay
for extended periods of time, involving youth from 82 countries.
RLYA: http://www.rotary.org/programs/ryla/index.html
and ROTEX: http://www.rotary.org/programs/youth_ex/index.html
* Founded in 1915 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kiwanis
International is an organization of service-and-community-minded individuals who
support children and young adults around the world. More than 500,000
Kiwanis-family members in more than 80 countries respond to the needs of their
communities and pool their resources to address worldwide issues. There are
several community service and leadership programs for youth. Key Clubs work in
high schools age youth and Circle K clubs work with college age youth. Hugh
O'Brian Youth (HOBY) programs work with youth leadership. Globally, Kiwanis is
also dedicated to halting iodine deficiency disorders, the world's leading
preventable cause of mental retardation. Key Club International website: http://www.keyclub.org Circle K International
website: http://www.circlek.org HOBY
(mostly North America): http://www.hoby.org
Kiwanis International Website: http://www.kiwanis.org
* Lions Clubs International runs a number of other international youth
programs including peace poster contests, youth camps, exchange programs, and
clubs. The mission is to provide the young people of the world with
opportunities for achievement, learning, contribution and service, individually
and collectively, through sponsorship of activities identified as best practices
in the field of youth development. Lions-Quest is also a youth program of Lions
Clubs International and the Lions Clubs International Foundation. It is a
life-skills training program for young people that is active in 33 countries and
has helped more than 6 million students, ages 5 to 18, reach their full
potential. The goal is to help youth build responsibility and resiliency — the
ability to face and overcome life's difficulties — and avoid self-destructive
behaviors. The program was started in 1975 by an 18-year-old who was trying to
solve his own life problems.
http://www.lionsclubs.org and http://www.lions-quest.org
2.3 Mainstream Collaborative Initiatives
* The Global Youth ACTION Network (GYAN) is an incubator of global
partnerships among youth organizations. It encourages collaboration and seeks to
facilitate intergenerational partnership in global decision-making. It is
partnered with TakingITGlobal which runs the highest traffic website on the net
for young leaders.
http://www.takingitglobal.org
* As part of its objective to enhance youth participation in civil society,
CIVICUS convened in 1999 a meeting of global youth stakeholders such as the
Commonwealth Youth Program, Development Education for Youth, AIESEC
International, World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), and
International Youth Foundation. From that meeting has arisen an informal
alliance of these global stakeholders, known as Partners for Youth
Participation. The Partners are currently discussing areas in which an alliance
may add value to what is already underway through their own and other
organizations' activities. Complementing and informing this joint activity are
the ongoing youth participation programs of each of the Partners.
http://www.civicus.org
* Convened by the International Youth Foundation, the Global Partnership for
Youth Development (GPYD) is a unique initiative through which global companies,
development banks, bilateral aid agencies, private foundations, and NGOs are
working in an unprecedented global partnership to improve the conditions and
prospects of children and youth worldwide.
http://www.iyfnet.org/document.cfm/82
2.4 Mainstream Develop and Education Institutions
* The Development Education Association (DEA) was formed in 1993 to support
and promote the work of all those engaged in raising awareness and understanding
of global and development issues in the UK. It is a national umbrella body
working with over 240 member and partner organizations in the UK and overseas.
Development education aims to raise awareness and understanding of how global
issues affect the lives of individuals, communities and societies and how all of
us can and do influence the global society we live in. It aims to bring global
perspectives into all aspects of learning - from the school classroom to
universities to local community activities to the media. The youth portion of
their website contains some interesting documents that are helpful to organizers
who want to help youth think globally.
http://www.dea.org.uk/youth/index.html
* The Global Information Networks in Education (GINIE) serve as a 'virtual
learning community' for education innovation in nations in crisis and
transition. They use Internet-based technology to build a capacity for rapid
access to information and expertise for education professionals working
internationally in nations in crisis and at risk to disruption. The GINIE
networks help education policymakers, donor/investors, researchers and
practitioners to work collaboratively, to learn from each other, and to inform
the public. They place particular emphasis on the development of long term
professional networks within and across regions. These networks are intended to
share locally created materials and expertise with counterparts for policy
dialogue, professional development and classroom exchange.
http://www.ginie.org
* Founded in 1932 World Learning (WL) is the only international organization
with both academic and project capabilities dedicated to promoting international
education, social justice, and world peace. Through distinctive educational
methods based on experiential learning and the integration of theory and
practice, the programs build knowledge, develop leaders in education and
management, contribute to global development, and effect change. The three chief
programs of (WL) are 1) Projects in International Development and Training which
manages projects in international education, institutional capacity building,
democracy and more, 2) the School for International Training (SIT) is accredited
college that offers master's degrees, study abroad, extension courses, and
educational system reform initiatives, as well as training in conflict
transformation and international management, 3) World Learning for Business
offers global enterprises a single source for customized, competency-based
language and intercultural training, and 4) the Experiment in International
Living is a summer exchange program that immerses high school students in
another culture in one of over 20 countries.
http://www.worldlearning.org
* Save the Children (STC) was started in 1932. It works in 45 countries all
over the world. Their model is simple, they work with families to define and
solve the problems that their children and their communities face. They use a
broad array of strategies to ensure self-sufficiency and today have become a
leading international relief and development organization. STC has some programs
that work directly with youth including their "Strong Beginnings" program and
their new online youth community: YouthNoise
http://www.savethechildren.org/edu/sb_youth_dev.shtml
and http://www.youthnoise.org
3. Annual Camps and/or Events
* Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is an annual global event organized by
Youth Service America and the Global Youth Action Network, together with a
consortium of 32 International Organizations and well over 100 National
Coordinating Committees that Celebrates, Recognizes, and Mobilizes the
year-round contributions of young people to build their communities and their
world through voluntary service, and the contributions made by the community
(public, private, and nonprofit sectors) for empowering young people.
http://www.gysd.net
* Legacy International (LI) works with diverse groups of young people on
programs that provide experiences, skills, and strategies to help them improve
their own lives and the lives of others around them. Program themes have
included cross-cultural and global competency, professional retraining,
environmental consideration, entrepreneurial skills, conflict transformation,
and youth development. The flagship program of LI is the Global Youth Village, a
three week camp that evokes creativity, dialogue, cross-cultural competency
through a dynamic blend of workshops and recreational activities change vary
daily. Since 1979 the program has benefited young people from over 100
countries.
http://www.legacyintl.org
* Youth Jams are week long, annual gatherings (national and global) of 30
young dynamic activists and leaders who are currently at the forefront of
working for a sane, just and peaceful world. The Jams provide participant with
the opportunity to build community, network, share cultures, renew themselves
and envision the world they want.
http://www.youthjams.org
* The Mongolian Youth Development Centre (MYDC) was established in 1997 and
is a non-governmental organization that works to provide opportunities for
youths to develop themselves through social, educational, cultural and physical
activities. One of the cornerstones of the organization is its youth exchange
programme, drawing both local and international youths. The youth exchange
program is an enrichment program that allows youths from different countries to
interact with each other and be more socially aware of the richness and
diversity of each of their respective cultures. Each year, the MYDC hold an
International youth camp for youths aged 14-20. This has been going on since
1999 and the camps have become progressively bigger and more exciting. Each
year, more and more countries are represented and each year, more and more
activities are added. The camps are a wonderful opportunity for international
participants to interact with not only each other but also with the volunteers
who help organize camps and the Mongolian youths who participate.
http://www.mydc.org.mn
* Camp Rising Sun is an international scholarship camp for young leaders.
Each summer it gathers dozens of young men and woman from 35 countries of the
world for a 8 week leadership training program. The program is 70 years old and
supports a global network of alumni.
http://www.risingsun.org
* Seeds of Peace is a non-profit, non-political organization that helps
teenagers from regions of conflict learn the skills of making peace. The program
helps young people air their views and learn listening, communication and other
conflict resolution techniques. The goal is to help them develop empathy for one
another. Since the program began in 1993 it has served young people from 22
countries including young people from the conflicts of the balkans, the middle
east, cyprus, and Kashmir (India and Pakistan). It is considered to be an
international model for working with you.
http://www.seedsofpeace.org
* The Ship for World Youth (SWY) is a unique international cultural exchange
program organised by the Government of Japan. The most prestigious program of
its kind, SWY brings together over 250 youth from around the world to learn
about international cooperation and understanding. Over a two-month period,
participants are involved in a wide range of activities aimed at fostering
cultural sensitivity, understanding and friendship. Most of the program is
conducted onboard the cruise liner Nippon Maru, with some activities scheduled
in Japan, and others in a number of seaports that are visited in the course of
the voyage. Commencing in 1989, the program is run on an annual basis. Each year
a different mix of nations is invited to participate and a different ports of
call are incorporated into the itinerary.
http://www.swyaa.org
* The Students Forum 2000 is a project of the Czech government. It provides
training to young leaders and brings them together face to face with world
leaders to address globalization and other global issues. It is one of the few
forums that provides young people with direct access to world's most powerful
decision-makers.
http://www.sforum.net
* Run annually from the Czech republic, the Global Leadership Program is a
for-youth-by youth training program for students that teaches how to be a global
citizen
http://www.visionresource.org
* The Asian UNESCO headquarters in Asia organizes an International Youth Camp
every year.
http://youth.unesco.or.kr/iyc/
4. Employment, Economy, and Youth
* The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions is the global nexus of
unions and union organizers. The objectives of the ICFTU's Global Youth Program
are to organize young people in unions, to create more and better jobs for young
people, and to achieve quality education for all.
http://www.icftu.org/focus.asp?Issue=youth&Language=En
* The World Bank, ILO, and UN partnership on youth employment is called the
Youth Employment Network. The network draws on the most creative leaders in
private industry, economic policy and civil society (including youth leaders) to
explore imaginative approaches to the youth employment challenge. The network
will develop recommendations on possible sources of solutions, including the
contribution that information technology and the informal sector can make to
employment generation. For unknown reasons the YEN isn't closely involved in the
Youth Employment Summit.
http://www.ilo.org/yen/
* Junior Chamber International (JCI), Inc., is a worldwide federation of
young professionals and entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 40. National
level member organizations are active in more than 5,700 chapters in 110 nations
around the world. The mission of JCO is to contribute to the advancement of the
global community by providing the opportunity for young people to develop the
leadership skills, social responsibility, fellowship, and entrepreneurship
necessary to create positive change. Junior Chamber International was founded in
Mexico City in 1944, when representatives from eight nations met to create an
organization that would address global concerns.
http://www.jci.cc
* The World Youth Bank project was started by the National Youth Council of
Croatia. It was highlighted by the World Assembly of Youth European Youth
Dialogue as well as the Youth Employment Summit and is now poised for
institutional development. The idea is simple. One limiting factor of youth
employment is access to low-cost funds and investment capital. Investments from
global funds such as the ILO and the World Bank seldom reach youth; instead they
get absorbed by national budgets. For these reasons the need for establishing
the World Youth Bank Network is being recognized by youth all over the world.
The launch date is targeted for Spring of 2002, at the World Assembly of Youth's
Global Youth Summit on Brijuni Islands, 23-28. March, 2002. The mission is to
rebuild the world in the new climate of intergenerational tolerance and
understanding. It will be based on a new method of transparent accounting that
uses a "life production capability" evaluation method as a quality standard.
http://www.w-yb.org
* Founded in 1987, the Young Entrepreneurs' Organization (YEO) is a global,
non-profit educational organization for business owners under age 40. It strives
to help its members build upon their successes through an array of learning and
networking opportunities. With 4,700 members in 102 chapters and 34 countries
around the world, YEO provides its members access to a dynamic network of peers
on an international level. YEO is the junior partner of WEO, the World
Entrepreneur's Organization.
http://www.yeo.org
* The Youth Employment Summit is a series of events and a decade long
campaign to create 500 million new jobs for young people who will be entering
the work force during the next ten years. The summit's inaugural event took
place in Alexandria, Egypt in September 2002 and was attended by 2000 people,
young leaders and Ministries of Youth from dozens of countries. For unknown
reasons the YES isn't closely involved in the Youth Employment Network (of the
ILO, World Bank, and UN).
http://www.youthemploymentsummit.org
* The Young Presidents' Organization is a membership group of individual
leading officers of the large corporations and institutions under the age of 50.
The is to create "Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange." Founded
in 1950 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA, the organization has near 8,500
members from 75 countries worldwide. The program develops "Better Leaders
Through Education and Idea Exchange" by providing a challenging environment that
promotes the exchange of ideas and shared experiences. By inspiring the
continual improvement of each individual leader, YPO facilitates the acquisition
of knowledge -- and, more importantly -- the development of wisdom. It is a
partner of the Young Entrepreneur's Organization.
http://www.ypo.org
5. Corporations and International Sports Federations with Global Youth
Support Programs
* The General Association of International Sports Federations links near 80
international networks. Some of these networks have "World Youth Championships"
such as the International Sailing Federation and the World Chess Federation.
Others do not. Many of these groups are supported by corporations that sell
sports equipment or that sell products to consumers who watch the games in
action. Many still have yet to develop and link their international youth
development programs. One federation has made a start: the International
Federation of Soccer Associations (FIFA).
http://www.agfisonline.org
* In the early 1980s, a group of young street performers, dreamers and
self-taught entrepreneurs had the vision and drive to create Cirque du Soleil.
Long before they became successful Cirque du Soleil Artists performed their
shows in the street. They succeeded partly because older people believed in
them, regardless of their age or status as street performers. CdS now supports
youth in difficulty, especially street kids. It has a number of programs that
have supported youth in 24 communities on 6 continents. The programs include
training of instructors, circus workshops with youth at risk, community
involvement, and arts education.
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/company/socialaction/
* Goal is a project of the International Federation of Soccer Associations
(FIFA). It was started in 1999 in order to support national soccer associations
with infrastructure development, education programs, administration, and youth
soccer initiatives such as training of youth coaches, talent promotion, and
soccer camps.
http://www.fifa.com/goal/index_E.html
6. Inter-Governmental Bodies
6.1 UN and UN Agencies
We researched youth participation all UN agencies and have listed here the
youth focused pages among them. Many do not have a framework for youth
participation. A comprehensive listing of UN agencies and other international
institutions can be founded at http://www.unsystem.org
* The United Nations Youth Unit has been responsible for organizing the World
Youth Forum of the United Nations System. In November of 2002 the Unit was
merged with a new UN body that also works with aging and family and is called
the Intergenerational Issues Section. The UN has organized four World Youth
Forums and produced various documents detailing agreements of international
youth organizers.
http://www.un.org/youth/
* The UNEP Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a group of 12 youth leaders (2 per
region) elected biennially at UNEP's Global Youth Retreat. The Council works
closely with UNEP on environmental issues, UNEP decision making processes, and
UNEP program development. The Council members support UNEP in enhancing
environmental awareness and act as ambassadors for the environmental conscience
of young people world wide.
http://www.unep.org/children_youth/homepage_files/youth/yac.htm
* The UNESCO Youth Coordination Unit is a small unit within UNESCO's
Headquarters (Paris, France) which is part of the Bureau for Strategic Planning
(BSP). BSP's principal task is to prepare the Organization's Medium-Term
Strategy. Furthermore, BSP has responsibility for the development, mainstreaming
and coordination of UNESCO's strategies and programs pertaining to women, youth
and least developed countries and to build appropriate partnerships. The unit
organizes UNESCO's Action WITH and FOR Youth and we communicate directly with
young people through a wide network of youth associations and NGO's. The unit
also organizes a UNESCO youth forum every few years.
http://www.unesco.org/youth/index.htm
* UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund has two projects for youth, both
of which are mentioned elsewhere in this document. One is the UN Special Session
and Children and the other is the UN Voices of Youth Website.
http://www.unicef.org/specialsession
and http://www.unicef.org/voy
* UNAIDS is the UN initiative to combat aids. Linked here are guidelines for
youth participation in this inter-governmental program.
http://www.unaids.org/UNGASS/youth.html
* UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNDCP) views the
involvement of young people in the development of drug-abuse prevention
activities as crucial. The goal of the Global Youth Network is to allow young
people to influence decision-making processes, to use their unique ability to
formulate novel approaches to common problems and to build bridges connecting
youth around the world. The project aims to create a self-sustaining network of
youth groups. Participants will be trained and equipped to identify and
disseminate innovative approaches to drug-abuse prevention among young people
within their own region or constituency. The Network will also collect
information on new patterns and trends in drug abuse among young people. This
early warning system will help UNDCP identify emerging drug-abuse problems among
youth. The Global Youth Network grew out of the Banff Youth Vision Jeunesse Drug
Abuse Prevention Forum in 1998 in Canada and now has member groups in almost 30
countries. Several youth groups participating in the Forum shared ideas about
how to prevent drug abuse. Their ideas and proposals were brought to the
attention of government leaders during the Special Session of the General
Assembly devoted to countering the world drug problem in June 1998. The Global
Youth Network allows the original groups from Banff and many others to stay in
contact, to continue to learn from each other and to have access to educational
materials and information.
http://www.undcp.org/youthnet
* The UNFPA is committed to helping young people protect their rights to
reproductive and sexual health and provides some resources for this purpose.
http://www.unfpa.org/adolescents/
* UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) World Disaster
Reduction Campaign Disaster Reduction, Education and Youth
http://www.unisdr.org/unisdr/campintro.htm
* The mission of FAO's rural youth development work is to strengthen and
expand existing government and non-government rural youth programmes and help
establish new ones that enable girls and boys and young women and men to become
productive and contributing citizens of their local communities. While working
with each member country's and/or individual organization's definition of youth
(which varies considerably from 10 to 35 years of age), the priority target age
range for FAO are young people of both sexes between the ages of 12 and 25.
Milestones of FAO's work over recent years includes two expert consultations;
one in 1985 as part of the UN System's International Youth Year and the other in
1995. This last expert consultation laid the foundation for the current rural
youth programme. FAO's YouthWorks, a newsletter first published in 1986, reaches
thousands of professional youth workers around the world in French, Spanish and
English. In 1997, the FAO Rural Youth Network for Food Security and Sustainable
Development in Anglophone Sub-Sahara Africa was established. FAO's focal point
for rural youth work is the Rural Youth Officer (rural-youth@fao.org) located in the
Extension, Education and Communication Service of the Sustainable Development
Department. Rural youth development draws on resources and technical support
from many division within FAO including nutrition, agriculture, forestry and
fisheries.
http://www.fao.org/ruralyouth/
6.2 English, French, Spanish and Arabic Speaking Networks
* The Commonwealth Youth Program is an intergovernmental project aimed at
strengthening national youth ministries and helping young people reach their
full potential. It was founded in 1974 and works with young people all
throughout the commonwealth on leadership, gender equality, youth employment,
youth policies and training for youth workers. The program has regional offices
in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. It organizes
regional youth forums and is structures around a Youth Caucus that involves
young people in decision-making at the pan-Commonwealth level. 54 countries
participate in the program.
http://www.cypyouth.org
* The Mobilization Program of Francophone Youth (PMJ) was founded in
September of 1999 by the leaders of francophone countries. It was set up to
facilitate the creation of youth networks and exchanges. The program organizes
training seminars for youth and facilitates the sharing of knowledge and
resources. The website as well contains much content for the program
constituency. 51 countries participate in the program.
http://www.jeunesse.francophonie.org/
* The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has relationships with
international bodies for Muslim youth. The Sports Federation of Islamic
solidarity Games seeks to strengthen Islamic solidarity among youth in member
states and promote Islamic identity in the fields of sports and to inculcate the
principles of non-discrimination as to religion, race or class, in conformity
with the precepts of Islam. The World Federation of International Arab-Islamic
Schools works for the dissemination of Islamic culture and the teaching of
Arabic, the language of the Holy Qur'an, by extending support to the schools and
cultural centres, and by training personnel and developing cooperation among the
institutions endeavoring to spread Arabic language and Islamic culture all over
the world as well as by creating sponsoring supervisory Arab-Islamic Schools.
http://www.oic-oci.org/
* OIJ is an intergovernmental youth organization that links youth ministries
and national youth organizations in Spain and Latin American countries. It
organizes seminars, makes various publications, and promotes dialogue and
cooperation among youth in these countries. It is composed of groups from 21
countries.
http://www.oij.org
6.3 Other Intergovernmental Agencies
We researched youth participation in many non-UN intergovernmental agencies
such as the World Trade Organization, the OECD, the G77, and the Non-Aligned
Movement. Most had not framework for youth participation. Those with such
frameworks are listed below.
* The International Telecommunication Union manages the development of
international communications technologies. For the first time in 2003 it will
involve young people in its annual conference. It will provide education and
seek youth input on several including the basics of telecom technologies and
their possible uses, the relationships between policy/regulation and market
structure in the world, the fundamentals of building a dynamic communications
environment, the relationships between policy, regulation and the business world
and finally how business is related to the world of communications. This is the
first step to strengthen youth participation in decision-making related to
international communications development.
http://www.itu.int/WORLD2003/forum/youth/index.html
and site on youth education: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/hrd/yes/
* This page of the World Health Organization (WHO) provides links to
descriptions of activities, reports, news and events, as well as contacts and
cooperating partners in the various WHO programs and offices working on this
topic. Also shown are links to related web sites and topics.
http://www.who.int/health_topics/youth/en/
* The World Bank, recognizing the importance of youth to development, has a
Development Education Program (DEP) which produces tools and resources to help
teachers and young people to explore social, economic, and environmental issues
of sustainable development in their classrooms, communities, and around the
world. Their web sites offer a wide range of materials--from classroom ready
learning modules to "edu-tainment" to primary source World Bank documents and
data--all designed to help young people find information for making informed,
well-considered decisions for a sustainable future.
http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/developmenteducation
7. Internet Portals
7.1 Youth-Led Sites
* TakingITGlobal is an international youth organization that inspires,
informs, involves and connects young people through a global online community,
supporting youth action globally and locally. It is partnered with the Global
Youth ACTION Network which is an incubator of global partnerships among youth
organizations and seeks to facilitate intergenerational partnership in global
decision-making.
http://www.takingitglobal.org
* Cooperation.net is an internet portal for young social entrepreneurs. The
purpose of the network is to offer young people better opportunities to identify
themselves and play a role in their communities. The second purpose is share
information about participatory and decentralized movements, organizations, and
lifestyles. The site is available in French, German, and English and is
organized in partnership with Ynternet.org
http://www.cooperation.net
* EarthYouth.net is created by young people for young people. The idea was
conceived at the UNEP Global Youth Forum on Sustainable Development in Denmark
in March 2002. Since then, development of the project has been led by a small
but enthusiastic team at the Toronto, Canada, office of TakingITGlobal, and
international organization led and run entirely by young people. It was the key
youth portal for the 2002 UN World Summit on Sustainable Development in South
Africa. It provides an online forum for young people who care for the planet to
connect, network, and gain access to resources and advance the youth movement
for sustainability. Key partners in the project include the European Youth
Forum, the Global Youth Action Network, Peace Child International, Mandate The
Future, Global Youth Reporters Program, the International Young Professionals
Foundation, and hundreds of grassroots youth partners from around the world. The
project is endorsed by UNEP and the Earth Charter and partially funded by the
UNICEF the UNDP.
http://www.earthyouth.net
* IYOCO is a platform on the Internet that offers information and resources
to promote international youth cooperation.
http://www.iyoco.org
* Madate the Future is an Internet youth forum that focuses on Sustainable
Development and discuss issues based on current events. The goal is to submit
results from this youth forum to decision-makers in order to strengthen youth
impact on the global agenda.
http://www.mandatethefuture.org
7.2 UN Sites
* The INFOYOUTH Network was initiated in 1991 by UNESCO in order to meet two
main challenges: on the one hand, the necessity to counteract the splintering of
various and scattered information sources and networks on youth, and on the
other, the urgent need to implement appropriate and coherent youth policies from
local to global levels.
http://www.infoyouth.org
* The UN Cyber School Bus provides students with a forum for learning about
the world in which they live. It was created in 1996 as the online education
component of the Global Teaching and Learning Project, whose mission is to
promote education about international issues and the United Nations. The
specific aims of the Cyberschoolbus are 1) To create an on-line global education
community; 2) To create educational action projects to show students that they
have a role in finding solutions to global problems; 3) To give students a voice
in global issues; 4) To provide high-quality teaching resources to a wide range
of educators in a cost-effective manner.
http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus
* Voices of Youth is the UNICEF online forum for youth participation in
global issues.
http://www.unicef.org/voy
7.3 Other Sites
* The Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) is a global network that
disseminates information about the Convention on the Rights of the Child and
child rights amongst non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations
agencies, inter-governmental organization (IGOs), educational institutions, and
other child rights experts. The Coordinating Unit is based in London, UK. The
network is supported, and receives funding from, UNICEF, Rädda Barnen, Save the
Children UK and the International Save the Children Alliance. It has a
membership of more than 1,100 organizations in over 100 countries. About 84
percent of the members are NGOs while 55 percent are in the South (including 22
percent in Africa and 18 percent in Asia). In addition to working with member
organizations, CRIN serves the information needs of 1,600 organizations and 60
individuals who have joined their mailing list.
http://www.crin.org
* A World Bank project, the Development Gateway is an interactive portal for
information and knowledge sharing on sustainable development and poverty
reduction. It offers a comprehensive database of development projects, an
international procurement marketplace, knowledge sharing on key development
topics and more. It also has a section devoted to youth.
http://www.developmentgateway.org/youth
* Action Without Borders is better known by its website idealist.org It is
one of the chief sites on the internet for listing non-profit jobs and
resources. They have organized a series of links to many different resources of
interest to youth, targeting children and adolescents.
http://www.idealist.org/kt/
* United Youth International is a USA based initiative making a fresh attempt
to get youth around the world to work together using the Internet as a starting
point.
http://www.unitedyouth.org
* YouthNOISE that is an initiative of Save the Children Federation, Inc. It
is a group of young people and adults working together to provide info and
resources--via the Internet--that will spark youth action and voice.
http://www.youthnoise.org
8. Global Political Youth Networks
8.1 Socialist and Communist Youth Networks
* The World Federation of Democratic Youth is global assembly of national
level youth organizations that are opposed to imperialism. Communist and
socialist youth bodies make up most of its members.
http://www.wfdy.org
* The International Union of Socialist Youth is the global platform of
national level socialist youth organizations. It is oriented to "social
democrat" youth bodies.
http://www.iusy.org
* International Young Nature Friends seeks to develop socialist culture and
offer education opportunities to working class people.
http://www.iynf.org
* The International Falcon Movement - Socialist Educational International
strives to educate children and young people according to the basic principles
of tolerance, equality and friendship.
http://www.ifm-sei.org
8.2 Other Spectrums of Politics
* Global Young Greens Network gathers young members of Green Parties from
many different countries around the world. It is dedicated to sharing
information, examining different ways of protesting, and exploring different
models used around the world to make change.
http://web.greens.org/gyg/
* Anarchist International has a separate federation of anarchist youth
networks – the International Federation of Anarchist Youth. The website has
little content of direct interest to youth, not even local networks.
http://www.anarchy.no/ifay.html
* The International Federation of Liberal Youth is the international umbrella
organization of liberal and radical youth organizations. It is the platform for
co-operation among liberal and radical youth and student organizations in the
world.
http://www.iflry.org
* International Young Democrat Union (IYDU) is an organization for young
conservatives worldwide. It has member-organizations in more than 60 countries
all over the world. It lobbies for conservative values of democracy, political
freedom, freedom of speech, individual liberty, and the right to private
property.
http://www.iydu.org
* The World Federalist Association has a youth program dedicated to
democratizing international decision-making. It provides training to lobby
national governments and international decision-making institutions offering
teaching one of the most comprehensive approaches to addressing human rights,
environmental degradation and lack of democratic representation at the global
level. Youth are best organized in Europe and work together under the regional
body called the Young Federalists of Europe.
http://www.wfa.org/youth and http://www.jef-europe.net
9. Research and Policy Focused
* The Global Program on Youth, based at the University of Michigan School of
Social Work in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, creates broad-based groups of scholars,
policy makers, and service providers who work together to address critical and
timely issues related to children and youth. GPY addresses the translation from
research to practice in an effort to make research more accessible and
applicable to policy makers and practitioners. The project involves local and
international, and inter-institutional and inter-professional collaborations.
http://gpy.ssw.umich.edu
* The International Child and Youth Care Network gathers experts and young
leaders who support at-risk youth. It organizes international conferences and
fosters debate and discussion on national and international models which aim to
safeguard the rights and advance the well-being of children and youth. Some of
the conferences it organizes include the International Conference on Adolescent
Health, Victimization of Children & Youth: An International Conference,
Healthy Justice for Children and Young People, etc.
http://www.cyc-net.org
* The European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA) was
established on 17 April 1986 in Madrid, in accordance with a recommendation
adopted by the first European Colloquium of Youth Information Centers. It is
composed of national bodies, non-governmental or governmental, which seek to
guarantee the right of young people to full and reliable information which
promotes their autonomy and their active participation in a democratic
society.
http://www.eryica.org
* International Council on National Youth Policy - The first objective of the
ICNYP is to encourage and enable all stakeholders, and most particularly youth,
to participate in all aspects of formulating, implementing and evaluating
national youth policy.
http://www.icnyp.net
* The Journal of Youth Studies is an international scholarly journal
devoted to a theoretical and empirical understanding of young people's
experiences and life contexts. Over the last decade, changing
socio-economic circumstances have had important implications for young
people: new opportunities have been created, but the risks of
marginalisation and exclusion have also become significant. This is the
background against which Journal of Youth Studies has been launched,
with the aim of becoming the key multidisciplinary journal for
academics with interests relating to youth and adolescence.
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/carfax/13676261.html
* The International Sociological Association (ISA) was founded 1948 in
close cooperation with UNESCO's Research Department. As peace education
and youth issues were in the forefront of the postwar, many of the
first officers of ISA were also youth sociologists. In 1975 the
Research Committee on Sociology of Youth, RC 34, was established as a
specialized branch of the ISA. The RC 34 was from the beginning not
only a network for pure academic youth research, but also committed to
the original heritage of social and political responsibility. This
implies standing partnership with multilateral organisations aiming at
conflict resolution, peace and the development of civic society. It is
also the policy of RC 34 to invite, for membership and participation,
colleagues from other disciplines as well as practitioners in the youth
fields. In turn, they serve as a global, interdisciplinary network and
meeting place for youth issues in general.
http://www.ucm.es/info/isa/rc34.htm
10. Service Programs
* Good Neighbors is an international NGO with Christian roots that organizes
overseas trips for volunteers to help provide service for those in need. It
mostly works with young people and has projects in 10 countries in Asia and
Africa. It is headquartered in Korea.
http://www.goodneighbors.org
* Habitat for Humanity International is building around the world, dedicated
to the ideal that all people deserve a simple, decent place to live on terms
they can afford to pay. Working in partnership with volunteers, churches and
synagogues, organizations and the new homeowner families, Habitat for Humanity
is building houses and building lives. It works in 80 countries around the world
and has many programs that support young people.
http://www.habitat.org
* Service Civil International (SCI) is a voluntary service organization with
37 branches and groups worldwide. It promotes peace, international understanding
and solidarity, social justice, sustainable development, and respect for the
environment. It also believes that all the people are capable of living together
with mutual respect and without recourse to any form of violence to solve
conflicts. Towards these ends SCI organizes work camps, long term voluntary
service exchange programs with other countries, and peace building projects in
specific conflict regions of the world (eg the Balkans and the Middle East).
http://www.sciint.org
* The Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) was
created as an international non-governmental organization responsible for the
coordination of voluntary service. It is today one of the main international
structures which acts as a coordinating link between voluntary organizations
which run workcamps and medium and long term activities. CCIVS has currently
over 140 member organizations all across the world, among which some of them are
international organizations having their own national branches in over 100
countries. The activities and programs of these organizations are carried out by
groups of national and international volunteers over a period ranging from a few
weeks (e.g. international workcamps) to more than a year.
http://www.unesco.org/ccivs
* Volunteers for Peace is a
voluntary membership organization that has been coordinating International
Workcamps since 1982. In 2001, they exchanged over 1200 volunteers. Their
services include providing consultation and a placement service for workcamp
hosts and volunteers, linking people with programs.
http://www.vfp.org
* World Corps is an
international non-governmental organization (NGO) with headquarters in Seattle,
Washington, USA, and training sites in India, Kenya, Mexico, and the
Philippines. World Corps: Collaborating with public, private and NGO partners in
developing countries, World Corps identifies promising young leaders from rural
areas. It gives these men and women, known as World Corps Professionals (WCPs),
a long-term, intensive training program designed to teach skills in business
development, community development, and global citizenship. The goal is to give
them skills that they will need to establish their own small businesses that
will have both commercial and community missions. The first 15 Indian WCPs in
the pilot program, after three months of classroom and field training, have
started Community Information Center's (CICs) in the five major towns of Kuppam
Constituency, in southern Andhra Pradesh State. Other young leaders are
developing projects in Brazil, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, and the Philippines.
http://www.worldcorps.org
* Youth Action for Peace is
a youth led, international voluntary youth movement working for a society of
justice, peace and human solidarity. It organizes international work camps to
build community among youth from diverse backgrounds and to do voluntary
service. In particular, the movement focuses upon the issue of social exclusion
and supports people in their struggle for freedom and self-determination. YAP is
a member of the UNESCO's Coordinating Committee on International Voluntary
service and in that capacity has consultative status with the UN. It works with
groups from a 15 countries and four continents.
http://www.yap.org
* The Youth Millennium
Project aims to give children of all ages a voice in shaping their societies and
motivate them to act. It challenges young people to organize local community
projects to make a difference. It connects each youth action project with four
others in different countries and provides translation to help youth share their
ideas, their cultures, and their communities. The project fosters confidence by
helping participants created a local solution to a global problem in
collaboration with thousands of other children who are taking on their own piece
of the world. The project was launched in partnership between a UNICEF and a
Canadian University.
http://www.ympworld.org
* World University Service (WUS) is an association of
members from the academic community, who are committed to the human right to
education on the basis of academic freedom and university autonomy, with the aim
to support higher education institutions under political oppression and in
material need. WUS is organised as a loose federation of more than forty
independent country committees with an International Management Board, presently
chaired by WUS Canada. It has consultative status within the United Nations and
UNESCO. The directory of national committees is listed here: http://www.wusgermany.de/wusinf/wus-adr/adrliste.htm
The address of the federation website, http://antenna.nl/wus-i
, seems to have expired.
* The International Association for National Youth Service was
established in 1996 to stimulate and facilitate the exchange of
information about National Youth Service, and to help realise the
promise of National Youth Service (NYS). The Secretariat of IANYS is
based in the country which is hosting the next global conference on
national youth service. http://www.acys.utas.edu.au/ianys/index.html
* The HOPE Youth Corps (HYC) was established in 1994 to develop
spiritual leadership skills in high-school and college-aged HOPE
worldwide volunteers. The program is presented in collaboration with
the International Churches of Christ and is primarily funded through
scholarships provided by the churches. Selected students from around
the world spend two weeks working with HOPE worldwide programs in
developing countries. Leadership qualities are developed as
participants serve the poor, face challenges that take them to new
levels of commitment and build life-long relationships with strong
peers. Volunteers travel to such international cities as Bucharest
(Romania), Cape Town (South Africa), Kingston (Jamaica), Mexico City
(Mexico), New Delhi (India), Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Zhangjiajie
(China). http://hyc.hopeworldwide.org
11. Student Focused Groups and Exchange Programs
11.1 Groups with an Online
Focus
* IEARN is a global network of more than 5000
schools in more than 90 countries. It helps students collaborate through the
internet on projects to show them that they can make a difference.
http://www.iearn.org
* Life-Link Friendship-Schools is an independent Non Governmental
Organisation which aims to promote contact and cooperation between
young people around the world and their schools, through active
participation in shared projects, vital for our time (e.g. Environment,
Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and Constructive Collaboration).
Life-Link projects centre around three main areas of attention: Care
for ourselves - Care for each other - Care for the environment.
Realisation of these three interdependent areas will lead to increased
common security. The philosophy is based on natural and social sciences
and is neither politically nor religiously aligned. It has
international contacts in more than 60 countries worldwide.
http://www.life-link.org
* ThinkQuest Programs is a national and international
competition. It provide a motivating opportunity for students and educators to
work collaboratively in teams and to learn as they create web based learning
materials and teach others. It has motivated independent national level
competitions in 22 countries around the world.
http://www.thinkquest.org
* Since 1996, ePALS Classroom Exchange has been helping teachers,
parents and students around the world take advantage of new
technologies that enhance and enrich learning experiences. Today it
links over 4.5 million students and teachers that seek to build their
skills and enhance their learning. It has near 75,000 classroom
profiles that bring people together from 191 countries for
cross-cultural learning as partners and friends.
http://www.epals.net
* A project of the World
Bank, WorldLinks connects and trains teachers and kids in developing countries
to improve education and employment opportunities. eLearning and the Internet
are the tools to make this happen. World Links combines three key components to
realize its goals, designed to have the greatest demonstration8 and multiplier
effect: connectivity solutions; training and professional development; and
monitoring and evaluation tools. For each of these solutions World Links has
developed leading-edge solutions adapted to the needs of developing countries-no
other organization has focused exclusively on the specific needs of developing
countries.
http://www.world-links.org/english
11.2 Teenager Focused Groups
* Youth for Understanding
(YFU), American Field Service (AFS), International Cultural Youth Exchange
(ICYE), and Youth for Exchange and Understanding (YEU) are international
exchange programs. Each year they help match thousands of young people with
families in foreign countries for one month to one year "exchanges" and
"volunteerships." They are unique compared to other exchange programs because
they promote youth involvement in decision-making politically and culturally.
AFS and YFU helped create the Council for Standards on International Education
Travel (http://www.csiet.org ). ICYE organizes an three week
International Youth Convention each year in Europe that is well attended.
http://www.yfu.org , http://www.afs.org , http://www.icye.org , and http://www.yeu.de
* The International Federation for Educational Exchanges of
Children and Adolescents (FIEEA) was created in Paris in 1983. Its founding
members have been organizing international educational exchanges for children
and adolescents with a large number of movements and associations.
http://www.francas.asso.fr/rubriques/actions/europe/fieea.htm
* Children's
International Summer Villages (CISV) is a unique youth exchange organization
CISV evolved from a firm conviction that lasting peace is possible if
individuals and groups can learn to live together as friends. For CISV, the key
to making this vision a reality, was to start working with children and youth.
Programs were developed which offered young people opportunities to meet their
peers from other countries and to form intercultural friendships. Locally,
programs give people the chance to learn about the cultures in their own
communities and explore important themes related to peace and understanding.
http://www.cisv.org
* The United World Colleges are a group of ten related
International Schools, with locations throughout the world, and dedicated to
promoting international understanding through education. Students from 16-19
years of age come from all corners of the globe to live and study together, and
to learn about each other in an environment that fosters peace, cooperation, and
personal challenge. UWC students are chosen on merit, regardless of race, creed,
color, background or financial ability and the majority are awarded
scholarships.
http://www.uwc.net
11.3 University
Groups
* AIESEC is the
world's largest student organization. It is a network of 50,000 members across
more than 83 countries and including more than 800 universities world-wide.
AIESEC facilitates international exchange of thousands of students and recent
graduates each year to do both paid and volunteer traineeships in corporations
and more recently in non-profit organizations as well.
http://www.aiesec.org
* SIFE Teams establish a variety of community outreach programs that
teach free enterprise. For example, they teach concepts such as
budgeting, accounting and supply and demand. They help budding
entrepreneurs get their plans off the ground and mentor at-risk
students, inspiring them to reach for their dreams.
http://www.sife.org
* The International Association of Agricultural
Students (IAAS) was founded in 1957 in Tunisia and is an international network
of agricultural student associations. It gathers students interested in
agriculture and other sciences such as forestry, conservation, food sciences,
landscape architecture etc. It reaches to universities in over 40 countries
worldwide. The aim is to promote the exchange of knowledge and to improve the
mutual understanding between countries and cultures. It is done by organizing
seminars, work camps, international conferences, small-scale development
projects, and international exchanges.
http://www.iaasworld.org
* The International
Federation of Medical Student Associations links national student groups in 77
countries. It organizes a bilateral exchange program, where one student
completes a clerkship at a medical school in foreign country from his own – and
in return, a medical student from that country completes term at the original
student's medical school. The association defends the rights of medical students
and raises awareness about international health issues.
http://www.ifmsa.org
* The Postgraduates International Network (PI-Net) was
founded on October 25th, 1997 by a group of postgraduate student representatives
meeting in Budapest, Hungary. The organization aims to encourage international
co-operation between postgraduate student associations, and to facilitate
communication between the members of the international postgraduate community.
http://www.postgrad.org/
* The International Union
of Students links 152 national unions of students in 114 countries. The IUS is
therefore the largest representation of students in the world. It defends the
right to education.
http://www.ius-uie.org
* The International
Association of Universities, founded in 1950, is the UNESCO-based world-wide
association of universities. It brings together institutions and organizations
from some 150 countries for reflection and action on common concerns and
collaborates with various international, regional and national bodies active in
higher education. Its services are available to organizations, institutions and
authorities concerned with higher education, as well as to individual policy and
decision-makers, specialists, administrators, teachers, researchers and
students.
http://www.unesco.org/iau/
* The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical
Experience (IAESTE) was established in the UK in 1948 with 10 member countries.
Today it exchanges youth in 80 countries. The mission of the organization has
three priorities: 1) To provide students at institutions of higher education
with technical experience abroad relative to their studies in the broadest
sense, 2) To promote international understanding and goodwill amongst the
students of all nations irrespective of race, color, sex or creed, and 3) To
operate an exchange programme for the benefits of students, academic
institutions and other organizations offering traineeships.
http://www.iaeste.org
Other University Links and Networks, Mostly Without
Global Reach
International
Veterinary Student Association - http://www.ivsa.org
International Law Student Association - http://www.ilsa.org
International Student Tourism Association - http://futurista.org
International Forestry Students Association - http://www.ifsa.net
International African Students Association - http://www.iasaonline.org
International Association of Political Science Students -
http://www.iapss.org
International Students of History Association - http://www.isha-international.org
International Association of Civil Engineering Students -
http://www.iaces.org
International Association of Physics Students - http://druid.if.uj.edu.pl/~iaps/
International Pharmaceutical Students' Federation - http://www.ipsf.org
International Federation of Mining, Metallurgy, petroleum
and geology Students - http://www.ifmms.org
International Association of Dental Students - http://www.iadsweb.org
International Association of Student and TV Radio - http://www.iastar.org
Links from the World Conference on Higher Education - http://www.unesco.org/education/wche/links.shtml
12. Travel
* The Federation of
International Youth Travel Organizations (FIYTO) is a membership association and
trade forum for youth travel organizations and professionals. It has become the largest and most influential
organization in the youth and student travel industry. It is the meeting point
and advocate for a rapidly growing segment of a travel industry: youth tourism.
It has 450 members in 70 countries accounting for an estimated turnover of four
billion US dollars. Together, each year they serve more than 20
million travelers, provide 7 million air/ground transport tickets, and employ
100 thousand staff. FIYTO holds the world´s largest annual trade fair for
buyers, sellers and suppliers in the youth and student travel industry: The
Annual FIYTO Conference, an integral part of the World Youth and Student Travel
Conference (WYSTC). FIYTO offers the GO25 Card, our International Youth Travel
Card, a discount card which facilitates access to travel, accommodation, culture
and leisure for young travelers. FIYTO also publishes the magazine Youth Travel
International, which reaches more than two thousand decision-makers in the
travel industry worldwide.
* The International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC)
was established in 1949 by university student unions to make travel affordable
for students. Today more than 70 more than 70 specialist travel companies work
through the member organizations of ISTC to further this goal. They specialize
in securing student benefits in the areas of flights, insurance, ground
transport, work exchange programs, and international identity cards. The ISTC
network includes more than 5000 offices in over 100 countries. Members
collective serve 10 million students each year.
http://www.istc.org
* Hostelling International
is the brand name of the International Youth Hostel Federation, the organization
representing Youth Hostel Associations worldwide. It is a non-governmental,
non-profit making organization recognized by UNESCO. The global headquarters is
based in the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's biggest membership
organizations for youth. Every year more than 4 million people explore the world
these hostels and contribute almost US $1.4 billion to tourist revenues
worldwide.
http://www.iyhf.org
13. Theme, Kinship,
Advocacy and Issue Focused Groups
13.1 HIV/AIDS
* The TakingITGlobal HIV
and AIDS network has three goals: 1.Connect youth-run AIDS advocacy and service
groups around the world. 2. Link young people attending the International AIDS
Conference in Barcelona. And 3. Convene electronically to plan youth
representation for global events and processes relating to AIDS, such as United
Nations conferences, treatment access and international funding issues, and the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.
http://aids.takingitglobal.org
* Youth Against Aids is a
network of young leaders, mostly in Africa, dedicated to preventing AIDS. It is
partnered with the Student Global Aids Campaign (http://www.fightglobalaids.org ) and the African Youth
Alliance (http://www.ayaonline.org ).
http://www.yaids.org
13.2 Sexual Rights and Reproductive Health
* Global Action Network is
an Internet portal and network of young reproductive healthcare activists. It
provides mentoring and support to young leaders in dozens of countries all over
the world.
http://www.globalactionnetwork.org
*
The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) links national
autonomous Family Planning Associations (FPAs) in over 180 countries
worldwide. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and is
the largest voluntary organization in the world to be concerned with
family planning and sexual and reproductive health. IPPF and its member
associations are committed to promoting the right of women and men to
decide freely the number and spacing of their children and the right to
the highest possible level of sexual and reproductive health. They
believe that the balance between the world's population and its natural
resources and productivity is a necessary condition for improving the
quality of life on the planet. The IPPF has a number of international
youth programs.
http://www.ippf.org/youth
* ECPAT is a network of
organizations and individuals working together for the elimination of child
prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes.
http://www.ecpat.net
* Established in 1980 as the Center for Population
Options, Advocates for Youth (AFY) champions efforts to help young people make
informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.
Advocates believes it can best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more
positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health. Advocates for Youth
envisions a society that views sexuality as normal and healthy and treats young
people as a valuable resource. AFY offers programs like the following: www.youthresource.com — support for gay, lesbian,
bisexual & transgender (GLBT) youth, www.themediaproject.com - information for the
entertainment industry, www.youthshakers.org — support for international youth
activists, www.ambientejoven.org — information and community for
Latino GLBT youth, www.youthHIV.org — HIV prevention and support for
HIV-positive youth, www.mysistahs.org — holistic sexual health resources by
and for young women of color.
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org
* Global March Against
Child Labor is a movement borne out of hope and the need felt by people across
the globe - the desire to set children free from servitude. The Global March
movement began with a worldwide march which started on January 17, 1998, and
touched every corner of the globe. It culminated at an ILO conference in Geneva
with a declaration which was adopted a year later. The partners of the movement
form an effective network around the world who lobby governments in their
regions. The Global March International Secretariat is located in New Delhi,
India and has now begun a crusade to make education available for all.
http://www.globalmarch.org
* The IAAH is a
multidisciplinary, non-government organization with a broad focus on youth
health. It evolved out of the 4th International Symposium on Adolescent Health
held in Sydney, Australia in 1987 with formal Articles approved in July, 1991
during the 5th Congress in Montreux, Switzerland. Official Non-Government
Organization (NGO) status with the World Health Organization was granted in
1991. IAAH supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
(1989) and is committed to the principles of youth empowerment in all aspects of
its affairs. Youth are defined as being young persons, including adolescents,
between 10-24 years of age. Events or activities co-sponsored by IAAH must
address the health issues of that age group; be multidisciplinary; include
meaningful youth participation; and be conducted in a youth friendly manner.
http://www.iaah.org
* The International Organization for Adolescents is
committed to advancing the health and well-being of adolescents throughout the
world. By entering into partnerships with individuals, groups and
community-based organizations, IOFA strives to improve the lives of young people
through programming, advocacy and progressive social/organizational change at
the local, regional and international levels.
http://www.iofa.org
* The World Youth Alliance
is a lobby group that promotes the dignity of the person at the international
level and seeks to promote anti-abortion legislation. It has trained more than
500 young people to participate in conferences at the United Nations and the
European Union.
http://www.wya.net
13.3 Defending
Children and Youth Rights
* Covenant House, known as Casa Alianza in Central America
and Europe, is an independent, non profit organization dedicated to the
rehabilitation and defense of runaway and street children in Central America. In
North America it is dedicated to providing shelter and service to homeless and
runaway youth. In Europe it is dedicated to fundraising for Central America and
lobbying for children and youth rights.
http://www.casa-allianza.org and http://www.covenanthouse.org
* Kids Can Free the
Children is a unique international youth organization that empowers young people
through representation, leadership and action. Over the past six years, Kids Can
Free the Children has become the largest network of children helping children in
the world with over 100,000 youth involved in more than 35 countries. It was
started by a 12-year-old boy named Craig Kielburger and has helped create dozens
of schools in developing countries through the volunteer energy of young people
in developed countries.
http://www.freethechildren.org
* The Child Labor Coalition
(CLC) is a coalition of nongovernmental organizations, associations,
federations, state labor departments, clubs and community groups, labor unions,
and individual activists. More than 50 national and international organizations
are members. The mission of the Child Labor Coalition is to create a network for
the exchange of information about child labor, provide a forum and a unified
voice on protecting working minors and ending child labor exploitation. The CLC
also works to develop informational and educational outreach to the public and
private sectors to combat child labor abuses and promote progressive initiatives
and legislation.
http://www.stopchildlabor.org
* Youth Advocate Program
International works with and for young people worldwide, giving voice and
visibility to new ways of improving the lives of children in the 21st century.
Our program priorities include advocacy, education and youth participation. We
serve as an information clearinghouse, targeting urgent and emerging issues such
as the use of child soldiers, child slavery and the execution of youthful
offenders. Located in Washington, DC, YAP International educates decision makers
and coordinates activities with other advocacy groups and youth-serving
organizations.
http://www.yapi.org
13.4 Youth with
Disabilities
* Mobility
International was founded in 1982 to defend the rights of disabled people. Since
that date it has organized over 500 international projects aimed at all people
with a disability, regardless of their nationality, age or type of disability as
well as training courses for those working for or living with them. Mobility
International works with people of all ages but primarily focuses on young
people.
http://www.mobility-international.org
* Blind people of the world
are well organized from local to global levels, culminating in the World Blind
Union. The Union gathers as a global assembly every four years. In 2000 there
was a youth committee. Below is a link to the report of the youth committee and
a link to the WBU web site.
World Youth Committee
report: http://www.wbuga.org/pages/reports/78979-01.htm and the
WBU web site: http://www.wbuga.org
* The International Federation of Hard of Hearing Young
People (IFHOHYP) (deaf youth) has existed since 1967 and works mainly to arrange
Summer Camps for young hard of hearing, Conferences dealing with different
aspect of being hard of hearing in the modern world, training of youth leaders
and language-courses especial tailored for hard of hearing young people. The
Goal is to help hard of hearing young people to live a better life and enable
hard of hearing to participate fully in society.
http://www.ifhohyp.dk ,
and additional information site: http://www.youth.hear-it.org
13.5 Peace Education, Disarmament, Violence Prevention
and Anti-Racism Work
*
The Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution (IIMCR) is a
Washington, DC based, non-profit, 501(c)(3) institution whose mission is to
promote the use of peaceful conflict resolution techniques among a generation of
future leaders through the design and implementation of unique programs and
services. Since 1996, IIMCR has successfully conducted seven International
Symposia in The Netherlands and one Latin American Symposium in Mexico, training
over 700 dedicated students and young professionals from over 50 countries.
http://www.iimcr.org
* Established as a Treaty Organization with its own
Charter in an International Agreement adopted by the General Assembly in
resolution 35/55 of 5 December 1980, the University for Peace has the mission:
"to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for
peace and with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of
understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, to stimulate cooperation
among peoples and to help lessen obstacles and threats to world peace and
progress, in keeping with the noble aspirations proclaimed in the Charter of the
United Nations".
http://www.upeace.org
* The Hague Appeal for Peace Youth Network is dedicated
to facilitating collaboration and information sharing among young peace
organizers. It also organizes the Global Campaign for Peace Education which
demands that every country in the world reform its education system to teach the
principles of non-violence, community building, solidarity and other concepts
that prevent violence.
http://youth.haguepeace.org
* The United Network Of
Young Peace Builders (UNOY – formerly United Nations of Youth) is a global
network of young leaders dedicated to conflict prevention and peace education.
http://www.unoy.org
* The Pax Christi International Youth Forum was established
in 1990 to integrate the work of young people in the International Pax Christi
Movement. Pax Christi International is a catholic peace and justice movement
which was founded in the aftermath of the second World War when a number of
French and German citizens decided to take concrete steps to promote
reconciliation. Beginning with prayer walks and exchanges between the two
countries, it soon became clear that any work for peace needed to be rooted in
social and economic justice. In this way, the branches of Pax Christi quickly
grew to encompass all issues its members felt were pertinent to them in their
quest for a better world. There are now members and affiliated groups all over
the world, and the movement works actively in the fields of demilitarization and
security, human rights, North-South relations, peace education, peace
spirituality, non-violence, integrity of creation and faith, dialogue and
reconciliation.
http://www.paxchristi.net/youth
* The Youth Outreach
Initiative of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation initiates and supports
opportunities for youth to contribute toward a world at peace, free from the
threat of nuclear weapons. Guiding principles of the Initiative include a
confidence in youth as community leaders, active citizens; a respect for
cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity; a belief in nonviolence and a
dialogue as a means to resolve conflict.
http://www.wagingpeace.org/new/youtharea/index.htm
* The Youth for Peace
Network connects youth peace groups and activities from across the globe. It
also collects and shares project ideas to motivate youth to take action. It is
supported by the World Peace Prayer Society, a non-sectarian, member-supported
organization dedicated to spreading the message and prayer "May Peace Prevail on
Earth" all over the world.
http://www.worldpeace.org/youth/
* International Youth
Network Against Racism (IYNAR) is an Internet discussion list of young leaders
dedicated to ending racism. It was launched as a result of the United Nations
World Conference Against Racism.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iynar/ & http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wcar-youthsummit
13.6 Environment, Sustainable Development and Resource
Conservation
* Youth
for Intergenerational Justice and Sustainability is an international network of
youth forming projects and study groups on the subjects of economy, ecology,
culture, and politics. It identifies itself as a non-political lobby group and
believes that sustainability will be achieved as soon as no generation lives at
the expenses of the following ones.
http://www.yois.org
* A SEED (Action for
Solidarity, Equality, Environment, and Development) is a global organization
linking youth groups and individuals on all continents. A SEED was established
by young people in 1991 in response to the UNCED Earth Summit proceedings in Rio
and aimed to forge alliances among young people committed to social and
environmental justice. Since 1992, the A SEED decentralized network has been
growing continuously and consists of regional "hubs" located in Europe, Asia,
North America, Africa, Latin America and Japan, with various levels of activity.
http://www.aseed.net
* The Global Ecovillage Network is a global
confederation of people and communities that meet and share their ideas,
exchange technologies, develop cultural and educational exchanges, directories,
and newsletters and are dedicated to restoring the land and living "sustainable
plus" lives by putting more back into the environment than we take out. The
network links 15 thousand villages on 6 continents and has a program to
facilitate youth exchange and participation.
http://www.gaia.org/activities/gen_youth/index.asp
* The Vegetarian Youth
Network is an informal, grassroots, non-professional organization run entirely
by, and for, teenagers who support compassionate, healthy, globally-aware,
vegetarian/vegan living. The Network is committed to providing support and
encouragement to vegetarian youth through programs that emphasize communication.
It has links with youth in 25 countries.
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/4482/
* The World Youth
Parliament for Water is an initiative of the International Secretariat for Water
and its network members. It takes place within the framework of the
International Freshwater Year 2003. This Parliament is part of the preparatory
phase of activities that will take place in The House of the Citizen and of the
Water, where the World Assembly of Water Wisdom will be held during the Third
World Water Forum in Kyoto in March 2003. The forum proposes the participation
of "future generations" in activities related to the conservation, protection
and prudent use of one of our most precious common assets on earth: WATER.
Moreover, it is in keeping with an educational process on solidarity and
sustainable development.
http://www.i-s-w.org/activites_jeunesse_en.htm
* The World Water Forum
hosts discussions with people from various fields and regions, including water
experts, decision makers and NGOs, with the objective of finding new solutions
to the urgent water problems of the world. The Youth World Water Forum (YWWF) is
a daughter and aims to mobilize a new generation of activism and partnership
around this growing global issue.
http://www.ywwf.org and http://www.worldwaterforum.org
* The Earth Restoration Corps was founded in 1988 with the
mission to restore the Earth and to offer an answer to the severe
environmental challenges impacting the Earth and humanity by empowering
the environmental conscience of all people and focusing on the world's
youth. It has run several international environmental training programs
today has projects in three continents.
http://www.restoreearth.org
* Roots and Shoots is the
Jane Goodall Institute's international environmental and humanitarian program
for young people. Its mission is to foster respect and compassion for all living
things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs and to inspire each
individual to take action to make the world a better place for the environment,
animals and the human community. All Roots & Shoots members, from pre-K to
university, demonstrate their care and concern for living things through service
projects in their communities. Roots & Shoots members participate as
individuals, in local groups and as part of a global network.
http://www.rootsandshoots.org
* Global Response empowers
people of all ages, cultures, and nationalities to protect the environment by
creating partnerships for effective citizen action. At the request of indigenous
peoples and grassroots organizations the organization develops urgent
international letter campaigns to help communities prevent many kinds of
environmental destruction. It involves young people as well as adults in these
campaigns to develop in them the values and skills for global citizen
cooperation and earth stewardship. The project for teenagers is called Eco-Club
Action. In total the network links 5500 activists from 92 countries.
http://www.globalresponse.org
* The World Youth
Organization on Climate Change (WYOCC) aims to raise youth and student awareness
of and participation in the climate change issue through its network of members
around the world. It was created in November 2000 by the 118 Youth Delegates
from 61 countries attending, for the first time ever, the World Conference on
Climate Change and its official Youth Meeting held in The Hague, Netherlands.
http://www.wyocc.org
13.6 Indigenous
Youth
Indigenous youth are not
organized at the global level. Several attempts have been made but their work
has not been weaved together.
* The Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Youth Alliance is a
partnership of young people from the Americas. It organizers projects and
seminars to help defend the rights of indigenous people and bring the wisdom of
both cultures in partnership with each other to serve youth, healing, and
decolonization.
http://www.iniya.org
* The International Indian Treaty Council was founded
in 1974 at a gathering by the American Indian Movement in Standing Rock, South
Dakota attended by more than 5000 representatives of 98 Indigenous Nations. The
IITC supports grassroots Indigenous struggles through information dissemination,
networking, coalition building, technical assistance, organizing and
facilitating the effective participation of traditional Peoples in local,
regional, national and international forums, events and gatherings. In 1977, the
IITC became the first organization of Indigenous Peoples to be reorganized as a
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with Consultative Status to the United
Nations Economic and Social Council. The youth program of the council aims to
strengthen international indigenous youth networks, to organize conferences and
training programs, and to incorporate youth voice into council campaigns. The
council does directly support a global indigenous youth network but helps create
the relationships that are necessary for such a network to develop.
http://www.treatycouncil.org/section_2118.htm
An educational site on
indigenous youth:
http://www0.un.org/cyberschoolbus/indigenous/index.asp
A partial listing of
international indigenous youth resources:
http://www.nzaahd.org.nz/indigyouth.htm
An international discussion
list of young indigenous leaders
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indigenousyouth/
Four independent international
conferences on international indigenous youth organizing:
1) The Oxfam International Youth Parliament convened
Indigenous youth leaders from all over the world in Ausralia in 2000.
http://www.iyp.oxfam.org/issues/indigenous_caucus.asp
2) The International
Indigenous Youth Conference of 2002 in the Philippines convened indigenous youth
from near 25 countries.
The Conference Invitation
http://www.idrc.ca/mpri/documents/souvenir.doc
The Conference program:
http://www.firstpeoples.org/indconference.htm
The Conference Declaration:
http://www.tebtebba.org/tebtebba_files/ipr/iiyc.html
A Detailed Article about the Conference:
http://www.pwrdf.org/news/news.php?news=2002-05-09.news
3) 4th and 5th World
Indigenous Youth Conferences
Event: http://www.itv.se/boreale/wiyceng.htm
Discussion of an World Indigenous Youth Network: http://www.itv.se/boreale/valkea.htm 2
Manual for an Indigenous Youth Network: http://www.itv.se/boreale/network.htm
4) 1st Circumpolar Youth
Conference
http://www.dkik.gl/komp/kompmenu.html
2nd Circumpolar Youth Conferenice
http://www.suri.ee/doc/saami/lujavr.html
13.8 Cultural Youth
Movements
* Youth and
Music International was founded more than 50 years ago. It is a worldwide
network for youth and music that provides young people with greater access to
the art, both as performers and listeners, enabling them to develop through
music across borders. It links youth national youth and music networks in more
than 80 countries and is one of the largest cultural youth organizations in the
world.
http://www.jmi.net
* IDRIART stands for Initiative for the Development of
Intercultural/Transdisciplinary Relations through the Arts. It was born out of
recognition that healing forces, inherent in art, must take on a more social
role in answer to increasing isolation among people and cultures. For 20 years
the movement has been trying to build a creative environment where people from
different walks of life and from different countries, of different age,
nationality and culture can meet in the atmosphere of arts.
“Meeting through the art enables one to learn the art of meeting.” It was
founded in 1981 by Miha Pogacnik, a violinist and cultural ambassador of
Slovenia. It organizes international programs such as painting workshops for
young people and an annual Art and Business conference in Slovenia at Castle Borl. It
has also run workshops all over the world from Tibet to the Amazon.
http://www.idriart.org
* The World Organization of Young Esperantists (TEJO)
is an international non-governmental youth organization founded in 1938, that
works to foster peace and intercultural understanding among young people around
the world through Esperanto (an invented language). It is active in working on
the present-day problems and issues of youth, particularly regarding linguistic
and cultural matters. From its headquarters in the Netherlands, it coordinates
the efforts of its 40 national affiliates and members in more than 80 countries.
TEJO also works in collaboration with regional and international institutions
such as the European Youth Forum, UNESCO and the United Nations.
http://www.tejo.org
13.9 Youth,
Communication and Media Networks and Training Groups
* Focusing on young people and their communities, the mission of the
International Debate Education Association is to promote mutual
understanding and democracy globally by supporting discussion and
active citizenship locally. IDEA offers students and teachers the
opportunity to examine issues affecting their lives and their
communities. Participants come to recognize that free and open
discussion is essential to the establishment and preservation of open
and democratic societies. IDEA is an independent membership
organization of national debate programs and associations and other
organizations and individuals that support debate. IDEA provides
assistance to national debate associations and organizes an annual
international summer camp. Since 1994 IDEA has introduced debate to
secondary schools and universities throughout Central and Eastern
Europe, the Former Soviet Union, Central Asia, the United States,
Venezuela, Australia and Haiti and continues to grow throughout the
world. IDEA also coordinates curriculum development, maintains
international educational contacts, fundraisers and organizes other
international events.
http://www.idebate.org
* Young Media Partners
(YMP) is an international membership association of young journalists (ages 15
to 25) in broadcast, print and electronic media, who are committed to using
their skills to build a world of peace, social justice and equality. YMP was
established as a Swiss-based not-for-profit association in the spring of 1997
with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. YMP's mission is threefold: 1) to
provide young journalists the information, knowledge, training, resources and
communication networks necessary for developing their media competence and
professionalism; 2) to assist them in developing media products that encourage
greater cooperation, tolerance, and a sense of global citizenship among young
audiences; 3) to promote greater acceptance of young journalists' contributions
in the mainstream media, as well as ensuring an outlet through YMP's own
newswire service and audiovisual productions. It has 10 bureaus around the world
in 10 different countries.
http://www.comminit.com/pds7-2001/sld-2438.html and youngmedia@youthlink.org
* Global Action Project,
Inc. is a media arts organization that provides training in video production and
new media technologies for youth both locally and internationally. In
collaboration with regional organizations it works in diverse areas of the world
to produce videos. The producers are peer educators. They benefit from their
interactions with international cultures and learn from screening and workshops
that highlight connections between local and global issues. The programs have
taken place in Croatia, Northern Ireland, Ghana, Guatemala and the Middle East.
http://www.global-action.org
* Global Nomads Group (GNG)
is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting global education through
videoconferencing and interactive broadcasting. We partner with educators to
conduct collaborative learning projects that encourage cross-cultural dialogue
and reflections on the global issues that affect our lives.
http://www.gng.org
* Young PRESS is a collaboration among more than 20
youth-run and youth-focused organizations in media, technology and education. It
was designed to provide a collaborative model to strengthen youth media and
reach across the digital divide using both new and old technologies. The network
encompasses audio, text, video and TV, including satellite and internet-based
conferencing. The project was prepared to be launched as a Pilot Project at the
United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children and Children's Forum
to be held in New York, September 16th-21st. Due the terrorist attacks on the
United States, the Special Session was postponed for six month and the Young
PRESS project slowed down. Today is run over the Internet to cover global issues
from the reporting perspective of children and youth. Young PRESS is a project
"in progress."
http://www.youngpress.org
* In 2000 the World
Conservation Union (IUCN) and several partners launched a program to train
youths to become young journalists at the service of biodiversity. The program
aimed to train an international corps of young reporters to be dispatched to
cover major events ranging from conferences on climate change and forest
conservation to the Olympics and environmental trade fairs. They only
participated in two events during that year, both organized by the IUCN. In 2002
they reported about the WSSD in South Africa.
http://www.iucn.org/info_and_news/gyrp , WSSD
Coordinator: Mirza Delibegovic, mirzadelibe@hotmail.com
13.10 Other Theme and Issue Focused Youth Groups
* The International
Movement ATD Fourth World is an intergenerational movement dedicated to
overcoming extreme poverty through training of youth. Its goal is to foster
partnership with families in persistent poverty and other citizens. It was
founded in France in 1957 by Father Joseph Wresinski who grew up in poverty
himself. Today, the International Movement ATD Fourth World has a full-time
Volunteer Corps with teams in 20 countries and correspondents in 90, actively
involving some 100,000 people worldwide. Many weekend and week-long workshops,
workcamps and other gatherings are organized. At these, young people can get
training, share their ideas and give each other more strength to able to
continue the fight against poverty in their daily lives.
http://www.jeunesse-quartmonde.org
* Global Youth Connect was
born in 1997 when young people and leaders in the fields of human rights and
genocide prevention gathered together, intent on finding new ways to prevent the
crimes against humanity then ravaging the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and other
zones of conflict around the world. As a result, a group of international young
activists bonded together to build an organization whose goal would be to
prevent such atrocities from occurring in the first place. GYC has developed an
international young activist learning community and organized an overseas trip
for young activists. It also produces occasional email newsletters about
resources for youth activism.
http://www.globalyouthconnect.org
* Youth Ending Hunger (YEH)
is a youth organization within Hunger Free World, a Japanese NGO that aims to
create a world free from hunger. Its network is active in 11 countries. Youth
who take the leadership positions in YEH must be between 15 to 24. From 1991 to
2001 YEH organized 10 Global Youth Conferences in which members from various
parts of the world met and discussed global strategies to end hunger. The group
runs projects on the ground in developing countries and does lobbying on
HIV/AIDS in every member country. YEH-Japan funds the projects on the ground
pays for the administration costs of the YEH movements in developing countries.
http://www.hungerfree.net/yeh/
* The International Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth Organization (IGLYO) was created in 1984
as a reaction to the need for better co-operation among regional, local or
national lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) youth and student
organizations. It is an important meeting point and LGBT youth rights stronghold
in the European region.
http://www.iglyo.org or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iglyo_members
* The TakingITGlobal ICT
Network believes that young people can and are harnessing the power of
information and communications technologies (ICTs) to assure opportunity,
empowerment, and inclusion for all. The network provides an opportunity for
young people to meet each other, collaborate, and share advice to improve their
ICT-related activities. It also serves as a conduit through which young people
can be recognized by and become involved with national and international
initiatives that pursue any of the following four goals: 1. Create and provide
access to ICT infrastructure. 2. Develop content for various media. Provide ICT
training to marginalized groups. And 4. Provide ICT policy advice to governments
and funding agencies.
http://ict.takingitglobal.org
* The Space Generation
Summit was a two and a half day meeting of approximately 200 international young
delegates for the purpose of refining and articulating the vision of young
people on the future utilization and exploration of space by humanity. It was
held in conjunction with the World Space Congress - the largest gathering of
space scientists for a decade - and builds on the work of the Space Generation
Forum of the Third UN Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer
Space. The SGS took full advantage of the unique opportunities that WSC offers
to present a unified global youth vision on space issues to world leaders.
http://www.unsgac.org/sgs/index.php
14. General Networking and Facilitation
* The Youth Workshop of the
Alliance for a Responsible and United World is a loose network of young
facilitators dedicated to organizing events, sharing information, and preparing
for challenges that youth face in the world. The Alliance is global network of
citizens groups dedicated to strengthening civil society participation in global
decision-making.
http://www.alliance21.org/en/colleges/youth/contacts.htm
* Emerging
Practitioners in Philanthropy is a newly established national network of young
professionals and people involved in the work of organized philanthropy.
Membership includes staff, trustees, donors, students and others who are
involved in philanthropy and interested in connecting with a peer group to
promote a social justice agenda and provide youth leadership within the
philanthropic sector. The network membership is largely from the United States
but it is developing international relationships.
http://www.epip.info and http://www.foundationsforchange.org/epip.htm
* 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 utilizes 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.
http://www.iypf.org
* Leadership for
Environment and Development (LEAD) is an international network of professionals
committed to sustainable development. Its 1200 members from nearly 70 countries
are drawn from business, media, public sectors, academia and non-government
organizations. The LEAD network was set up in 1991 by The Rockefeller
Foundation. LEAD's aim is to create and sustain a global network of emerging and
working leaders ready and willing to address environment and development
challenges in different countries.
http://www.lead.org
* Pioneers of Change is an
emerging, self-organizing, global learning community of committed, young people,
in their mid-20's to early 30's, from diverse cultural, social, and professional
backgrounds. Pioneers of Change numbers over 1000 individual pioneers in over 70
countries, who have made a personal commitment to continuous learning and
contribution. Pioneers organize in learning teams, project groups, and local
networks as part of the flexible structure of the organization. A series of
learning programs form the core of our activities.
http://www.pioneersofchange.net
* Re-evaluation Counseling
(also known as Co-Counseling) is an international movement where people of all
ages and of all backgrounds learn how to exchange "effective help" with each
other in order to free themselves from the effects of past distress experiences.
They are well organized internationally, even with their youth.
International Reference Person for youth: http://www.rc.org/lists/young.html , International
Reference Person for young adults: http://www.rc.org/lists/young-adults.html , Page on
youth: http://www.rc.org/present_tense/liberation/young/ ,
Internet portal for the movement: http://www.rc.org
15. Youth Groups and Networks focused on Youth
Participation in Decision-Making and Activism
15.1 Supporting
Youth Activism
*
Oxfam's International Youth Parliament is a network of young leaders in 150
countries with a vision of "youth building an equitable, sustainable and
peaceful world." It organized an inaugural conference in October of 2000 and
continues to provide the participants with support to implement individual
action plans that they developed. The website provides training materials
ranging from time management to fundraising. The IYP secretariat is currently
examining the impact of globalization on youth.
http://www.iyp.oxfam.org
* JustAct is a national,
nonprofit organization promoting youth leadership and action for global justice.
Founded by students in 1983 as the Overseas Development Network, the
organization has been a forum for thousands of young people to address global
issues such as social inequity, human rights, and environmental sustainability.
JustAct's mission is to develop in young people a life-long commitment to social
and economic justice around the world, by providing a network linking students
and youth to learning opportunities and to grassroots movements working for
equitable, sustainable, and self-reliant communities. JustAct encourages more
young people to examine the forces at work that truly contribute to injustice
and inequality in the world. While providing relief and addressing the immediate
needs of families and communities in distress are essential, we know that it is
only by dealing with the root causes of social and economic inequality at home
and abroad that the need for charity will one day diminish.
http://www.justact.org
* Youth Leaders International is a two year youth
leadership training program. It works in near a dozen countries on four
continents. The program was started in 1996. It works with young people from 13
to 15-years-old, brings them to a international leadership conference,
challenges them to develop a service project, live in another country, make a
plan for their future, mentor a younger student, and ultimately participate in a
life skills training program.
http://www.leaders.org
* Leaders Today is
dedicated to helping young people realize their fullest potential through
leadership education and development using innovative, youth inspired
curriculum. Marc and Craig Kielburger founded Leaders Today with a common vision
to empower youth to become socially involved and their inspirational work has
been profiled on Oprah, 60 Minutes and Much Music as well as in The New York
Times, YM, Time for Kids and Seventeen, among many others. Leaders Today
administers one, two and five day workshops around the world, holds annual
leadership training academies, and facilitator training programs. It also
organizes overseas volunteer trips to Latin America, Africa, and Asia. It helps
young people reach their fullest potential through leadership education and
development using an innovative, youth inspired curriculum. Marc and Craig
Kielburger founded Leaders Today with a common vision to empower youth to become
socially involved.
http://www.leaderstoday.com
* Peace Child is an
international organization which empowers young people to inform themselves and
take action on major world issues. Since its founding in 1982 it has grown to
include over 500 youth groups in 120 countries. Registered in the UK as an
educational charity, Peace Child has consultative status at the UN for which
they have done many projects.
http://www.peacechild.org
* NASYM is an umbrella
organization formed by 98 national youth and students organizations from
different parts of the world that support the concept of the Non-Aligned
Movement. NASYM's objectives are: to work with students and young people towards
the aims and ideals of universality; to strive for national liberation, for
economic, social and cultural justice, for equality among nations, for
cooperation among nations and peoples, and against all sorts of oppression and
repression.
http://www.uruklink.net/nasyo (The site seems to have
expired, though it can be retrieved via Google's cache http://www.google.com.br/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=+site:www.uruklink.net+nasyo
) , nasyo@uruklink.net
* YDC is an international
youth organization whose aims are to strengthen youth structures working on
North-South cooperation in order to promote development, the protection of the
environment, international justice and cooperation. In its efforts to bridge the
gap between North and South, YDC sets up programs for the purpose of development
education and political campaigning on North-South issues. The activities are
wide ranging and include seminars, workshops, training courses, campaigns,
publications, simulation games and research on development questions. The
network has 66 member youth organizations including local grassroots
organizations, national NGOs and international institutions. It also works with
an additional 40 institutions as organizational partners.
http://www.ydc.nl
* World Youth Service and Enterprise (WYSE) is an
international training program. It gathers young people for two week intensive
leadership programs, that are conducted by a team of international educators.
Participants learn that to effectively lead others, they must first know
themselves. The curriculum includes many individual and group experiences to
help participants explore their leadership qualities. WYSE has consultative
status with the United Nations.
http://www.wyse-ngo.org
* The Common Futures
Forum (CFF) was a unique initiative set up to promote and support new forms of
social leadership and activism by linking young social entrepreneurs from around
the world who were innovators at community, national and international levels.
It was run by the Global Meeting of Generations project of the International
Development Conference (IDC) in Washington, DC. After a number of global
gatherings and network building, over the course of a few years, the IDC
developed internal problems and no longer exists today. A web archive of the CFF
still exists, providing information about the institution that no longer has
root.
http://cff.ynternet.org
* The Emerging Leaders Program was initiated in 1995 to
expand youth participation throughout the Forum's activities and to facilitate
youth-adult partnerships. Since 1995, over 1000 young people from more than 80
nations have participated in Forum events and initiatives. In January 1999 the
Monterrey Institute of Technology hosted the first State of the World Forum for
Emerging Leaders. Strategic partnerships were developed with leading youth
organizations such as AIESEC, Pioneers of Change, Common Futures Forum, Peace
Child, Youth for Environmental Sanity, Emerging Leaders Network, and others, and
in 2000, was constituted as its own network of the same name. The proposed
Internet site and structure of this independent youth network was never came
into reality and today only lose relationships exist between those who
participated in the network. The online network of the State of the World Forum
can be accessed through the password protected site of http://www.favors.org but
the only remaining site on the internet for this network is that on the SoWF
website, below:
http://www.worldforum.org/spinoff/emergingleaders.htm
15.2 Youth-Led Groups with Focus on Youth Participation
in the United Nations and its World Conferences
* The Conference of NGOs (CONGO) is an international,
not-for-profit membership association that facilitates the participation of NGOs
in United Nations debates and decisions. Founded in 1948, CONGO's major
objective is to ensure the presence of NGOs in exchanges among the world's
governments and United Nations agencies on issues of global concern. CONGO is
most active in the major UN centers of New York, Geneva, and Vienna, but extends
its work to all regions of the world. The Youth Advisory Committee to the
Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGO YAC) is a new programme
currently under development that aims to increase the involvement of young
people in the United Nations. The new Youth Advisory Committee aims to 1)
consider the problems facing young people, particularly relating to youth
involvement at the UN; 2) recruit youth representatives for CONGO Committees; 3)
provide perspectives on youth issues and a youth perspective on other issues;
and, 4) make recommendations to CONGO on how to provide meaningful access,
participation and a voice to young people at the UN.
http://www.ngocongo.org/ngosubs/youth.htm
* The International Student
Movement for the United Nations (ISMUN) used to be a strong youth presence at
the United Nations. In the face of years of decreasing activities the United
Nations Youth and Student Organization of Austria gathered ISMUN constituents.
Together they decided to dissolve ISMUN and created a new organization, in
partnership with World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), to be
called the World Federation of United Nations Youth and Student Associations.
The project is still in development.
http://www.wfunysa.org
* Peaceways - Young
General Assembly is an international non-profit organization which presents
conferences and activities worldwide through which young people can activate
their human potential and direct their energies globally and locally in a
peaceful and responsible way.
http://www.young-ga.org
* THIMUN Youth Assembly
is a project that brings the wisdom and contributions of young people in the
Model United Nation's movements to the United Nations world forums and other
international conferences. It is one of the only channels that provides
individual young people with direct access to these forums.
http://www.youthassembly.org
* The World Assembly of
Youth gathers the National Youth Councils of more than 100 countries. It
organizes regional seminars, facilitates information sharing, and is one of the
largest representative bodies of youth before the United Nations.
http://www.worldassemblyofyouth.org
* Youth for Habitat
International Network is an umbrella organization operating at the international
level through a Secretariat with focal points and resource persons in every
region. It was created with the aim of coordinating youth participation in the
United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) held in Istanbul,
from 3-14 June 1996, which was the last UN Summit of the millennium. Youth
Association for Habitat and Agenda 21 (YFHIN-Turkey) is serving as the
secretariat of the network and implementing projects for Habitat Agenda and
Agenda 21 at the national level. The Network continues its endeavor of involving
the youth in the follow-up process through international projects and
networking. Draft program of the youth program of the Special session of the UN
General Assembly on the Implementation of the Habitat Agenda: http://www.unhabitat.org/istanbul+5/pe26.htm
http://www.youthforhab.org.tr
* The United Nations
Special Session on Children was held 8-10 May, 2002. It was a meeting of the UN
General Assembly dedicated to the children and adolescents of the world. It
brought together government leaders and Heads of State, NGOs, children's
advocates and young people themselves at the United Nations secretariat in New
York in 2002. It enjoyed the participation of more than 1,400 delegates,
representing approximately 800 NGOs as well as government and private sector
representatives. More than 100 countries brought youth delegates who were under
20-years-old.
The official website for the event was:
http://www.unicef.org/specialsession/ A separate
ongoing emailing list links some of the young delegates: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ungassyouth/
15.3 Youth Participation in Global Decision-Making
and/or Events Outside the UN System
* In 1992 the World Economic Forum developed a special
community called "Global Leaders for Tomorrow" (GLTs). The community, through
its programs, aims to create and engage a global network of young business and
non-business leaders, dedicated to working together in areas of social and
environmental development and entrepreneurship. It is one of the few forums that
provides young people with direct access to world's most powerful
decision-makers.
http://www.weforum.orr/glt/
* The Intercontinental Youth Camp of the World Social Forum is the
world's largest gathering of young people and social movements
dedicated to creating global alternatives to the extant form of global
decision-making and neo-liberal economics. In 2003 near 30,000
participants gathered from more than 100 countries in Brazil.
Hyderabad, India, will host the January 2004 World Social Forum Youth
Camp.
In Brazil: http://www.juventudefsm.org, and in India: http://www.youth4wsf.org
* The Global Youth Alliance
is a global network of individuals from around the world and a spectrum of
disciplines engaging in a far-ranging, non-partisan and comprehensive assessment
of the major developments shaping our future and, in a unique multi-disciplinary
approach, seeking solutions to the fundamental challenges facing humanity in the
21st Century. According to its website it has one national chapter, Ghana.
http://www.globalyouth.org
* Global Metro City - The
Glocal Forum is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of
inter-city relations in pursuance of a new balance between global and local
forces in today's world. With the belief that youth have a pivotal role to play
in building the future, the Glocal Forum has initiated a Glocal Youth Parliament
(GYP) as an inter-city vehicle for youth empowerment. The GYP brings together
youth from cities around the world to develop tomorrow's urban agenda.
http://www.glocalforum.org/en/projects/youth_parliament/index.asp
* Group 21 is a
non-governmental project whose main aim is to educate and empower young people
for the coming century. The men and women of the group are volunteers of varying
ages and nationalities, most of whom are associated with universities and
educational institutions. In 1997, Group 21 organized a project that brought
together young people from twenty-one countries of the world to express the
concerns of youth regarding their future at the COP3 Conference on Global
Warming in Kyoto. Group 21 continues to organize workshops, community meetings
and public forums on issues of critical concern to the world's future. Group 21
has no religious or political affiliations.
http://www.jca.apc.org/g21/
* The World Movement for
Democracy organized its second global assembly in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2000 and
recommended the creation of a Global Network of Young Democracy Activists. The
next assembly will be in South Africa in April 2003.
http://www.wmd.org/second_assembly/functional/w-f6.html
* The World Congress of
Youth is a Canadian based initiative making a fresh attempt to improve
representation of youth at the global level.
http://www.wcyunited.org
16. Religious and Spiritual Groups
Many religions and spiritual movements are listed here. Many are not. Only those movements
that have websites and programs for youth are listed.
* The Interfaith Youth Core
is an international network of young people from different religions who come
together for service projects and interfaith sharing. IFYC programs integrate
intercultural encounter, social action and interfaith reflection. They include
local service projects, international exchanges, conference organizing and
facilitation, and a sacred stories project. They were created in 1999 the help
of various other global interfaith organizations.
http://www.ifyc.org
16.1 Christianity
16.1.1 Catholics
* World Youth Day is an
international event for young people from every continent and nation to gather
with Pope John Paul II every second year in a different location around the
world. The celebration brings together Catholic young adults from over 150
countries to learn about their faith and celebrate it.
http://www.worldyouthday.org
* More than 50 years ago
the Catholic Church supported the creation of three movements to cover all
categories of youth, namely students, young workers, and rural youth. The
International Movement of Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth. MIJARC gathers
youth from the rural world in four continents. It uses a participatory approach,
working with youth, considering their realities, and taking action to build the
future they want. Gender issues and rural issues present challenges. According
to the principle of "see, judge, act", organizers determine their priorities,
participate in the development of society, and fulfill our responsibilities as
citizens by promoting sustainable development for the future. They advocate
staying in villages and developing of the rural world in economic, social,
cultural and religious domains.
http://www.mijarc.org
* The International
Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) and the International Young Catholic
Students (IYCS) collaborate to a common aim of organizing Catholic youth
throughout the world. The ICMS aims to gather and represent a6ll legitimate
forms of catholic organizations in the universities around the world. The IYCS
aims to be a movement of Catholic Action, education, evangelization of students
and emphasizes the importance of grass-roots teams as the basic cell of student
communities.
http://users.skynet.be/jecimiec
* FIMCAP is an
International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements. The abbreviation
FIMCAP comes from the original title : "Fédération International des Mouvements
Catholiques d'Action Paroissale". Today, 36 organizations of 27 countries in 4
continents make up whole of FIMCAP. It is a federation gathering Catholic
children's and youth organizations not relating to a specific professional
group, but having all children and young people - being in parishes or not - as
target group. The organizations affiliated to FIMCAP aim to bring children and
young people together in groups during their leisure time. Every few years
FIMCAP helps organize World Youth Day, the world's largest youth event –
organized by the Catholic church.
http://www.fimcap.org
16.1.2 Other Christian Groups
* The Young Christian
Workers began in Laeken, Belgium, in 1912, when astounding economic advances
co-existed with desperate misery. Today this movement organized into national
groups covering 50 countries on all continents. The first objective is to allow
young workers, including those who are unemployed or studying, to discover their
dignity as men and women. This is done through training, where young people
assume the responsibility for finding solutions to their own situations at
local, national and international levels. The second objective is to promote
inter-religious dialogue, and create an intercultural society of solidarity.
http://www.jociycw.net
* Global Fellowship unites Christian youth
organizations in over 60 countries around the world. The member organizations,
in their own countries, provide a framework for fellowship and informal learning
for thousands of children and young people. The object of Global Fellowship is
the advancement of "Christ's Kingdom," the promotion of education and the relief
of poverty amongst the youth of the world, by serving and supporting member
organizations.
http://www.globalfellowship.net
* The World Council of
Churches youth web site seeks to strengthen the ecumenical youth movement and
young people's solidarity networks, promote ecumenism and the search for
Christian unity among young Christians. This is a place where young people
across cultures and across confessions can meet, discuss, share and learn from
each other, as well as from the information provided on the site.
http://www.ecumenicalyouth.org
* The Church of Latter Day
Saints, or Mormons, do not have an international independent youth network.
Instead the following site links all of the Mormon missions around the world.
http://www.mission.net and a discussion group of young
Mormons http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yw-ym/
* Mennonite World
Conference (MWC) is an international fellowship of Christian churches who trace
their beginning to the 16th-century Radical Reformation in Europe, particularly
to the Anabaptist movement. Today, more than 1,200,000 believers belong to this
faith family; at least 55 percent are African, Asian, or Latin American. MWC
represents 87 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ national churches from 48
countries on five continents. They will organize their first global youth summit
in 2003.
http://www.mwc-cmm.org/MWC/Registration/GlobalYouthSummit.pdf
* Quaker.org (an
Internet portal for Quakers) keeps a listing of Quaker youth groups from all
over the world.
http://www.quaker.org/yfna/network.html
* SYNDESMOS, the World
Fellowship of Orthodox Youth, is a federation of Orthodox youth movements and
theological schools around the world, working under the blessing of all the
local canonical Churches, to serve the Church. The aim of SYNDESMOS is to
develop cooperation and communication among Orthodox youth movements and
theological schools around the world, and to promote within them a deeper
understanding and vision of their common faith.
http://www.syndesmos.org
* The World Student
Christian Federation calls students to live out the "Good News of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ," providing a meeting place for students across boundaries of
culture, race, and denomination. It is a space for leadership development,
empowerment of women, a critique of higher education in the context of
globalization, the development of alternatives to globalization, as well as the
exploration of a theology and spirituality rooted in the hopes and struggles of
students worldwide. Over a century ago, the World Student Christian Federation
began providing a meeting place for young Christians from all churches and
nations. Students from ten North American and European countries established the
WSCF in 1895 at Vadstena Castle, Sweden. Key founders include John R. Mott (USA)
and Karl Fries (Sweden). Historically, WSCF is the first international student
organization and, together with YMCA and YWCA, it is among the oldest youth
movements. Throughout it's rich and active history, the Federation played a
fundamental role in both the modern missionary and ecumenical movements. In the
late 19th and early 20th centuries, WSCF encouraged students to engage actively
in the work of spreading the gospel, emphasizing the importance of mutual
communication, cooperation, and challenge with the mainline institutional
churches. The Federation has and continues to work for unity in the church and
in the world.
http://www.wscf.org
*
The First Church of Christ, Scientist (the global organization of
Christian Scientists) is a religion that believes people should not be
attended by doctors. The portal site for the religion includes a
listing of Christian Science Organizations at Universities. The
universities are the chief organizing centers and networking hubs of
Christian Scientist youth.
http://www.tfccs.com/cso/locate.html
16.2 Islam
* World Assembly of Muslim Youth is an international
Islamic organization dealing especially with youth affairs and embracing over
450 Islamic youth students organizations in five continents.
http://www.wamy.org/islam/Wamy.html
* The Ismaili youth
homepage seeks to facilitate unity between the world wide Shia Imami Ismaili
community, to share information, to develop a support system for Ismaili Youth
in different cultural environments. It links youth from five continents as
individuals as well as student associations.
http://www.alysia.com/ismaili/home.htm
* Sufi Youth International,
as a department of the International Association of Sufism, was created to
develop and expand an international support network for youth that encourage
youth to explore the spiritual and value questions of life. SYI serves as a
forum designed to support youth who seek to incorporate spirituality into their
everyday lives and are dedicated to creating an ethical society for humanity.
http://sufiyouth.org
16.3 Judaism
* The World Union of Jewish
Students (WUJS) was founded in 1924 and works closely with the World Jewish
Congress, the representative body of Jewish communities around the world. WUJS
links 200 groups in several dozen countries around the world. It organizes
various campaigns, leadership training programs, seminars, and major
international events.
http://www.wujs.org
* The BBYO is the largest Jewish movement in the world,
with chapters in the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Holland, and
South Africa. It provides opportunities for leadership development among Jewish
youth and promotes a positive sense of Jewish identity. The BBYO uses adult
supervisors and professional staff, but youth often play important roles within
the organization.
http://www.bbyo.org
16.4 Others
* The Baha'i International
Community links people of the Baha'i faith from all over the world. Young people
are supported to be community organizers. The following section of their website
documents and maps the story of the Baha'i youth movement. http://www.bahai.org/article-1-9-2-8.html This
following site links Bahai youth communities and youth workshops.
http://www.bahai-youth.org
* The Brahma Kumaris faith
have a global program to support youth participation in the UN. Here is a link
to the program and to BK centers around the world.
http://www.bkwsu.com/bkun/youth and http://db.bkwsu.com/index.cfm
* Freemason youth
organization on an international level through DeMolay. DeMolay is an
organization dedicated to preparing young men to lead successful, happy, and
productive lives. Basing its approach on timeless principles and practical,
hands-on experience, DeMolay opens doors for young men aged 12 to 21 by develop
the civic awareness, personal responsibility, and leadership skills so vitally
needed in society today. DeMolay combines this serious mission with a fun
approach that builds important bonds of friendship among members in more than
1,000 chapters worldwide.
http://www.demolay.org
* Eckankar (ECK) youth
are organized only on local levels. Most regions have an ECK youth
representative and an ECK youth adviser who can help youth find out about
relevant study classes, workshops, seminar programs, or other activities to take
part in. Here are links to the regional centers and to the youth page of their
website.
http://www.eckankar.org/Youth and http://www.eckankar.org/ekcenters.html
* Moral Re-Armament is a
global network of people from all cultural, political, religious and economic
backgrounds. They work together to build peace by helping people take personal
responsibility, have honest conversations, examine the role of history in world
affairs, and engage in personal reflection. The movement began in the UK in
1938. In 1998 and independent group of young people in the movement created the
Moral Re-Armament global network to facilitate communication and collaboration.
They organize exchange programs and various seminars in different countries
through the world, mostly in North America, Europe, and Asia.
http://www.globalyouthnetwork.org
* The Hindu Students
Council (HSC) is an international forum that provides opportunities to learn
about Hindu heritage through various activities, events and projects. HSC
presents ample opportunities for self-development at the spiritual and
professional level. It organizes activities such as campus study groups, classes
and symposia, seminars, lectures and workshops. It also organizes a Global Hindu
Youth Activities Network.
http://www.hscnet.org/ghyan.shtml
* Yuva Shakti, is the youth
organization dedicated to Sahaja Yoga consisting of enlightened youth. They
participate in the collective meditation and other Sahajayoga activities in
addition to the academic programs. Developing and promoting youth activities is
an important part of Sahaja Yoga. The movement does not have a global youth
secretariat but below are links to groups all over the world.
http://www.sahajayoga.org/WorldwideContacts
* Young people of the Sikh
religion used to be well organized on the international level through the
International Youth Sikh Federation. It has since been de-organized and now
needs re-articulation. The following sites provide some links to local and
national Sikh youth communities around the world. 1) The International Institute
of Gurmat Studies has organized gurmat camps for young Sikhs around the world
for the past thirty years. http://www.iigs.org 2) This Sikh portal gives a
comprehensive listing of youth Sikh organizations around the world. http://www.sikhseek.com/Youth 3) And finally, this
organization, the Sikh Network is a network of Sikh young adults organized as
local chapters across North America, Europe and India. Its mission is to promote
the spiritual and political growth of the Sikh Nation through personal and
collective development. The focus of the Sikh Network is to educate both the
Sikh community as well as the community at large.
http://www.sikhnetwork.org
* The objectives of the
youth wing, Subud Youth Association International, (SYAI), are to help young
people develop their talents, identify direction for their life work, and assist
them with planning and taking steps toward their field of studies and careers.
It organizes activities and programs run by, with, and for young people to meet
their needs and interests. It aims to facilitate international communication
between youth of all nations and cultures.
http://www.subudyouth.org (Also see http://www.subud.org )
* The World Fellowship of
Buddhist Youth aims to unite all Buddhist youth in the world. It organizes
conferences and provides a content rich site on the Internet for its
constituency. It was founded in 1972 and enjoys representation of nearly every
school of Buddhism in the Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana traditions.
http://www.wfby.org
* WitchVox is a global internet portal for Pagan and Neo
Pagan believers as well as followers of indigenous Celtic religions. The site
provides a listing of local groups of young people who are interested in
Paganism all over the world.
http://www.witchvox.com/wotw/xgroups_y.html
* The World Zoroastrian
Organization is the world body of the Zoroastrian (Zarthushti) community from
many countries on more than three continents. Well respected Zarthushtis from
round the world together helped to establish WZO in 1980. They responded to
repeated mandates of the World Zoroastrian Congresses for a world body to
protect, unite and sustain this small community in the changing world of
tomorrow. A worldwide Youth Wing is being sponsored to build networks, dialogue,
social and community bonding and leadership for the community of tomorrow.
http://www.w-z-o.org/Youth_Wing.htm
* Young Jains of America
(YJA) has a mission is to be recognized nationally and internationally as an
umbrella Jain youth organization for establishing a network to share Jain
heritage and religion through youth.
http://www.yja.org
* The Section for the
Spiritual Striving of Youth (Youth Section) exists to connect young people with
each other, to support and deepen an understanding of one's self and the world,
to encourage initiative, and to help actualize ideas and impulses gained from
these activities. The Youth Section is one of eleven sections of the School of
Spiritual Science which was founded in Dornach, Switzerland in 1924 by Dr.
Rudolf Steiner. The purpose of the school is to perform spiritual scientific
research into all the fields represented by the sections and bring the results
into practical initiatives that help heal the present world conditions. Towards
this purpose, the Youth Section organizes seminars, small study groups and
international conferences throughout the world; supports initiatives,
facilitates internships, and conducts research on world youth issues. It is
connected with the movement of Anthroposophy.
http://www.youthsection.org
* The Hare Krishna religion
has a youth ministry for linking and coordinating youth activities
internationally. Their internet site has little content, however.
http://youth.iskcon.net/ and Hare Krishna's around the
world http://www.iskcon.org/address
* International Sri Satya
Sai Organization: The young adult programs are being established to encourage
young adults to lead purposeful lives by learning and practicing spiritual
values as defined and established by the life, message, and works of Sathya Sai
Baba. Young Adult programs are intended to enhance, not interfere with, harmony
and understanding in family relationships and within the Sai Organization. The
programs provide forums for Young Adults of like mind to meet and to discuss
issues in leading spiritual lives in today's world. In 1999 they organized a
World Youth Conference with over 900 participants from dozens of countries (Sahoffer@iupui.edu). This site has
contacts for the movement all around the world. http://www.sathyasai.org/organize/content.htm The
following two sites below have information about the youth programs of this
religion.
Official page: http://www.sathyasai.org/organize/ya/content.htm and
the declaration page describing the organizations investment in youth: http://www.osssbi.org/youth.html
* On a local level
Unitarian Universalists organize youth leadership training programs. There is no
international network linking such local initiatives. A directory of national
level groups is linked from this page:
http://icuu.org.uk/members/members.php
* The Unification Church of
Reverend Sun Myung Moon (Moonies) has three programs to support youth. The first
is "Religious Youth Service" which provides a forum for youth to put aside
doctrinal differences and unite in activities of service. Second is the Youth
Seminar on World Religions (YSWR), each summer international and interreligious
groups of 150 students and professors travel around the world together, visiting
important religious cities and studying at those locations the traditions of
Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and
Unificationism. Third is the Youth Federation for World Peace founded Reverend
Sun Myung Moon in 1994. The federation is dedicated to the belief that peaceful
families are the foundation for peaceful societies, peaceful nations, and a
peaceful world. Through its initiatives to inspire youth, the group promotes the
values of filial piety, premarital celibacy, marital fidelity, and public
service to humanity. Members engage in community service projects around the
world. Projects must be appropriate to the needs and diverse perspectives of
that culture. To encourage environmental responsibility the federation educates
youth to actively protect and reclaim the natural world as both our refuge and
our inspiration. Every few years the organization convenes world conferences and
enjoys the participation of people from up to 164 countries.
The Unification Church global website: http://www.unification.net and contacts http://www.unification.net/misc/uc_directory.html ,
Youth Federation for World Peace http://www.yfwp.org
17. Other Movements
That Do Not Have Youth Projects, But That Are Often Youth-Led
* RiseUp.net is a radical
activist collective that provides online resources for activists. It has
recently begun to organize an international network of young techie activists.
http://home.riseup.net/tech-activism.html
* Squat.Net is an
international internet magazine that focuses on squatted houses and other free
spaces (a squatted house is one that has been invaded by non-native habitatants,
often poor people who have no other place to live). Different people, with
different backgrounds such as squatters, punks, hackers, etc. work together to
collect news and information about the international movement.
http://squat.net
* 50 Years Is Enough is a coalition of over 200 U.S.
grassroots, women's, solidarity, faith-based, policy, social - and economic-
justice, youth, labor and development organizations dedicated to the profound
transformation of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The
Network works in solidarity with over 185 international partner organizations in
more than 65 countries. Through education and action, the Network is committed
to transforming the international financial institutions' policies and
practices, to ending the outside imposition of neo-liberal economic programs,
and to making the development process democratic and accountable. We were
founded in 1994, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the
World Bank and IMF. We focus on action-oriented economic literacy training,
public mobilization, and policy advocacy.
http://www.50years.org
* Peace Brigades International (PBI) is a non-governmental organization
(NGO) which protects human rights and promotes nonviolent
transformation of conflicts. When invited, it sends teams of volunteers
into areas of repression and conflict. The volunteers accompany human
rights defenders, their organizations and others threatened by
political violence. Perpetrators of human rights abuses usually do not
want the world to witness their actions. The presence of volunteers
backed by a support network helps to deter violence. In this way, we
create space for local activists to work for social justice and human
rights.
http://www.peacebrigades.org
* People's Global
Action (PGA) is a network for spreading information and coordinating actions
between grassroots movements around the world. These diverse groups share the
same opposition to capitalism, and commitment to direct action and civil
disobedience as the most effective form of struggle. PGA grew out of the
international Zapatista gatherings in 1996 and 1997, and was formed as a space
for direct and un mediated contact between autonomous groups. The first
conference took place in 1998, when movements from all continents met in Geneva
and launched a worldwide coordination of resistance against the global market
economy and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
http://www.agp.org
* The Anarchist Black Cross
is an international network of activists who want to eliminate prisons. It
receives the participation of many young people.
http://www.anarchistblackcross.org
* ATTAC is an international
movement lobbying for the democratic control of world financial markets.
http://www.attac.org
* Food Not Bombs is one of the fastest growing
revolutionary movements active in North America today and is gaining momentum
all over the world. There are over 175 autonomous chapters sharing vegetarian
food with hungry people and protesting war and poverty throughout the Americas,
Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The first group was formed in Cambridge,
Massachusetts in 1980 by anti-nuclear activists. Food Not Bombs is an all
volunteer organization dedicated to nonviolence.
http://www.foodsnotbombs.net
* The Independent Media
Center was established by various independent and alternative media
organizations and activists in 1999 for the purpose of providing grassroots
coverage of the World Trade Organization (WTO) protests in Seattle. The center
acted as a clearinghouse of information for journalists, and provided
up-to-the-minute reports, photos, audio and video footage through its website.
Today it is a global network of collectively run media outlets dedicated to the
creation of "radical, accurate, and passionate telling of the truth." It works
in solidarity with people who struggle to improve the world despite the
distortions of reality presented by corporate media. It links nearly 80 local
independent local networks in six continents.
http://www.indymedia.org
* Jubilee is a global
network of movements campaigning for third world debt relief. An international
directory of these groups is visible here:
http://www.jubileeusa.org/jubilee.cgi?path=/international_partners/international_campaigns
* Via Campesina is an
international movement which coordinates peasant organizations of small and
middle-scale producers, agricultural workers, rural women, and indigenous
communities from Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. It is an autonomous,
pluralistic movement, independent from all political, economic, or other
denomination. It is integrated by national and regional organizations whose
autonomy is respected. Its origins go back to April 1992, when several peasant
leaders from Central America, North America, and Europe got together in Managua,
Nicaragua, at the Congress of the National Union of Farmers and Livestock Owners
(UNAG). The principal objective of Via Campesina is to develop solidarity and
unity in the diversity among small farmer organizations, in order to promote
economic relations of equality and social justice; the preservation of land;
food sovereignty; sustainable agricultural production; and an equality based on
small and medium-scale producers.
http://www.viacampesina.org
* The Rainbow Family is an
international movement of people of all ages dedicated to intentional community
building, non-violence, and alternative lifestyles. It has no leaders and no
organizations. Interested people gather in national forests in countries all
over the globe to pray for peace, celebrate nature, and make ritual.
http://www.welcomehome.org
* The International
World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) Association is dedicated to
helping those who would like to volunteer on organic farms internationally.
WWOOF organisations compile a list of organic Host farms that (from time to
time) welcome volunteer help.
http://www.wwoof.org
* Infoshop is an online
directory of Anarchist resources. Anarchists believe that governmental rule is
oppression. The website has also created a separate youth portal.
http://youth.infoshop.org
18. Other Links
There are many schools, universities, and programs around
the world that work internationally. There are 1) programs that study
international issues, 2) programs that gather international students, 3)
programs that exchange students between countries (universities and
highschools), 4) programs that help people find volunteer opportunities in other
countries, 5) and programs that help people find jobs in foreign countries. Some
organizations fitting these categories are listed in this report. Those that are
not listed either lack focus on younger youth (under 25) or not fully global
because they serve youth of only one nation or because they cover fewer than
three continents.
Many links to such organizations are
provided here: http://www.iesabroad.org/info/internationaljobs.htm
University Students
http://www.southampton.liu.edu/fw
http://www.ihp.edu
http://www.sit.edu
http://www.miis.edu
http://www.fiu.edu
http://www.intercultural.org
http://www.iesaboard.org
Jobs
http://www.iie.org
http://www.globalcareers.com
http://www.hobsons.com
http://www.transabroad.com
http://www.expatexpert.com
19. Major Global Youth Email Communication Networks
* The Young Internationalist is
the oldest, most general, and best known email list for global youth
discussions.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/y-int
* The Millennium Forum gathered
1200 organizations in 2000 to discuss civil society participation in the UN
system. About 200 youth participated in the event. The following mailing list was dedicated to follow-up conversation of
this group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/millenniumyouthforum
* The World Summit on Sustainable
Development, Rio +10, conference in Johannesburg had a youth caucus that enjoyed
the participation of hundreds of youth organizations from all corners of the
world. This mailing list is dedicated to the conversation of those
organizations.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wssd-youthcaucus
* The World Conference against
Racism of the UN system was organized in the August of 2001. The following two
mailing lists are dedicated to youth networking and communication around the
event and the issue.
Youth Forum discussion list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wcar-youthsummit
International Youth Network Against Racism discussion list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iynar
* The World Assembly of Youth
manages one of the largest networks of international communication in the global
youth movement.
http://groups.yahoo.com/worldyouth
* International Youth Cooperation (IYOCO) manages a global mailing list of young leaders that are
dedicated to peace issues.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/peacefocus
* An informal international discussion list of young indigenous leaders can be found at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indigenousyouth/
20. Regional Youth Platforms Before the United Nations
Asian Youth Council (AYC)
The
Asian Youth Council, established in 1972, is a regional co-ordinating
body for youth in the Asia-Pacific region. It is a non-governmental,
voluntary organisation seeking to promote peace, goodwill and
solidarity among member organisations in order to foster a greater
international understanding and respect for the wide variety of rich
cultural values within the region. The Secretariat of the organisation
is situated at the International Youth Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The main objectives of the AYC are: to recognise the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights as the basis for its actions; to implement
development programmes on the basis of universal, economic, social and
political justice; to promote peace, goodwill and solidarity amongst
member organisations and Asian nations in order to foster greater
international understanding and finally, to assist young people in Asia
to focus greater attention on their needs and responsibilities as
citizens of democratic societies.
The main feature of the Asian Youth Council structure is the General
Assembly, which is convened every three years. The assembly is
comprised of representatives from all National Committees affiliated to
the AYC. Then last but not least, there is the AYC Secretariat, headed
by the Secretariat General. The Secretariat acts as the communications
and information centre for the AYC as well as co-ordinating the
implementation of programmes and activities.
The Asian Youth Council, S2, International Youth Centre, Jalan Tenteram
Bandar Tun Rzak, Cheras, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel. +603-971 73 73 Fax. +603-971 67 00 E-mail:sallehayc@pd.jaring.my
http://www.asianyouthcouncil.org
Arab Youth Union (AYU)
The Arab Youth Union was founded in
1974 and has the following aims and objectives: to seek, defend and
protect youth issues represented in political, socio-economic and
cultural rights; to defend the fundamental political freedom of Arab
youth and promote their democratic rights of organisation, expression
and representation on the basis of the AYU’s objectives and to defend
Arab youth rights for equal access to education, training, employment,
health, housing and proper development. The AYU also encourages youth
initiatives aimed at developing the youth movement within the Arab
world and supports activities in the fields of technology, science,
sports, voluntary service, literature and issues related to the spirit
of initiative and creativity among young people.
The Arab Youth Union has 33 member organisations and its General
Congress meets every 4 years, complemented by a Central Council that
meets once a year. The General Secretariat runs the organisation’s
daily operations.
The Arab Youth Union, PO Box 12033, Damascus, Syria Tel. +963-11
33 38 012 or + 963-11 33 36 241 Fax. +963-11 33 39 787 E-mail:
arabyouthunion@email.com and hmohameddz@hotmail.com
African Youth Network (AYN/RAJ)
The African Youth Network
(AYN) was established following the second General Assembly of 'Africa,
Caribbean and Pacific - European Union Youth' in December 1995, where
it was decided that there was a vital need to establish this type of
platform in Africa. AYN brings African young people together to discuss
youth policy in areas such as the environment, trade and poverty,
through seminars, workshops and regular publications.
The organs of the Network are: the General Assembly, the Executive
Council, the Permanent Secretariat and the Specialised Committees.
Members of the Co-ordination Committee are chosen for a 3 year
renewable term of office and consist of senior representatives of the
organisation including representatives from the Northern, Southern,
Central, Western and Eastern and Indian Ocean Regions of Africa.
The African Youth Network, Permanent Secretariat, B.P. 4522 Lomé, Togo.
Tel. +228-21 78 58 Fax. +228-22 62 62 e-mail: raj_ayn@cafe.tg
Caribbean Federation of Youth (CFY)
Established in 1986,
the Caribbean Federation of Youth (CFY) seeks to develop a greater
sense of identity amongst youth and to promote the active participation
of youth in the social, educational, economic, cultural and political
life of the Caribbean. Advocacy, education and training, cultural and
dramatic art forms, social integration and entrepreneurial and
enterprise development are CFY's key programming areas. CFY's main
activities are: an annual regional work-study camp; leadership training
projects; regional conferences for youth and representation at regional
and international level.
The highest decision-making body is the Regional Congress, which meets
annually and elects the Executive. The Executive is made up of the
President, 2 Vice-Presidents, Secretary/ Treasurer and 2 special
Executive assistants. The Executive co-ordinates the organisation's
programme and appoints a member of staff to manage the day-to-day
running of the Federation’s programme. Membership is comprised of
national youth councils of the Caribbean and international NGOs and
IGOs and other government organisations.
Caribbean Federation of Youth (CFY), PO Box 1815, Egmont St, Kingstown,
St Vincent, West Indies
Tel. +784-485 63 78 Fax. +784-485 66 12/ 4562243 E-mail: cfy@caribsurf.com
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/1667/
European Youth Forum
The European Youth Forum aims to
empower young people to actively participate in the shaping of Europe
and the society in which they live. Through member organisations and
our representative role, it wants to improve the living conditions of
young people as European citizens in today's world. The European Youth
Forum works for the interests of all young people in Europe. As a
platform organisation, it is the representative body for its members
towards the institutions and partners active in the youth field.
The 89 member organisations of the European Youth Forum represent a
wide range of interests: student organisations, political
organisations, organisations concerned with environmental protection,
minorities, young rural organisations, conscripts organisations and
many more. The European Youth Forum has member organisations including
both national youth organisations and international youth
organisations, drawn from throughout the European continent. The
highest decision-making body is the General Assembly, which elects a
Bureau made up of volunteers every two years. The Bureau meets monthly
to assess political priorities, implement its work plan and advisess
the Secretariat in its work.
European Youth Forum 120 Rue Joseph II Straat, B-1000, Bruxelles -Brussel, Belgique - België
Tel. (central) +32-2 2306490 Fax. (central) +32-2 2302123
E-mail: youthforum@youthforum.org
http://www.youthforum.org
Latin American Youth Forum (FLAJ)
FLAJ was established in
1993 and is the co-ordination body for 8 national youth platforms and
12 international youth organisations from this continent. FLAJ's
purpose is to become a vehicle of representation, co-ordination and
co-operation between the youth organisations of Latin America. FLAJ
exists to empower youth and defend values such as democracy, justice,
freedom, respect for self-determination of nations, dignified living
conditions, defence of human rights, social equity, life and the
environment, as well as the promotion of the Latin American identity.
FLAJ members come from both national youth councils and international
youth organisations. The highest decision-making body is the General
Assembly which meets every two years. The GA chooses the executive
committee, composed of four national youth councils and four
international youth organisations, and one observer, namely, the
organisation's technical Secretariat. The Executive Committee nominates
one of its members to carry out the duty of being the executive
Secretariat, responsible for day-to-day matters within the
organisation.
Foro Latinoamericano de Juventud (FLAJ), Technical Secretariat,
c/o Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Foro Juvenil de Uruguay, Calle Maldonado
1260 CP - 11.200, MONTEVIDEO URUGUAY
Tel. +598-290 30 029 Fax. +598-290 27 300 E-mail: canario@forojuvenil.org.uy
Pacific Youth Council (PYC)
The Pacific Youth Council was
established in July 1996 and is based within the Pacific Community in
Noumea, New Caledonia. PYC is composed of 19 national youth councils.
The principle objectives of the organisation are: to bring together the
different territorial and national youth organisations that exist in
the region in one common organisation and to promote, at all levels, a
regional youth identity that takes into account the different cultural,
social, economic and political particularities of the states and
territories that are members of the PYC. Another key role for the PYC
is to encourage co-operation between NGOs, youth NGOs, and governmental
organisations- both regional and international- and to promote the
participation of youth.
The PYC has a Directors Committee made up of eight people. Its next
General Assembly is to be supported by a Japanese foundation for peace,
known as "Sasakawa".
Pacific Youth Council, B.P. 2684 Noumea, New Caledonia
Tel. +687-28 1505 Fax +687-27 7089 E-mail: acafmepea@hotmail.com
http://www.spc.org.nc/youth/PYC/pacific_youth_council.htm
Pan-African Youth Movement (MPJ)
The Pan-African Youth
Movement (MPJ) was born on the 26 April 1962 in Conakry, the Republic
of Guinea, in the midst of the euphoria of sovereignty being gained in
some countries and the radicalisation of the armed struggle in other
countries wishing to liberate themselves from the colonial yoke. At its
first conference, the MPJ opted to pursue the following objectives:
unity of thought and action; sensitisation; informing and mobilising
young people to totally free the continent from all forms of foreign
domination; the struggle for economic and social independence and
cultural rehabilitation of Africa as well as the unity of all peoples -
real African unity.
The MPJ has, as its decision-making bodies, its Membership Congress
which meets once every five years; a Supreme Council of Youth that
meets every two years to evaluate the organisation’s work; the
Secretariat, the permanent executive body, that has seven members- one
Secretariat and six Assistant General Secretaries who are all elected
by the Congress. There are also decentralised structures that operate
at a regional level thus allowing efficient work to be achieved
throughout the continent.
Pan-African Youth Movement - Mouvement Panafricain de la Jeunesse
8 Bis, Rue 11 Décembre-ELBIAR, Alger, Algérie
Tel. +213-91 25 43 or 91 33 88 Fax. +213-91 25 43 or 37 17 92 and maybe makhasiy@nyc.pwv.gov.za
21. Regional Student Unions
National Unions of Students in Europe
ESIB - The National Unions of Students in Europe is the umbrella organisation of 50 national
unions of students from 37 countries. The NUSes are open to all students in the country
regardless of their political conviction, religion, ethnic or cultural origin, sexual
orientation, social standing, run and controlled by students, which hold democratic
elections and are run on democratic lines, they are autonomous and independent in
their decision-making and which are representative. The aim of ESIB is to represent and
promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at a European
level towards all relevant bodies and in particular the European Union, Council of Europe
and UNESCO. Through its members, the 50 National Unions of Students from 37 European countries,
ESIB represents 10 million of students in Europe.
http://www.esib.org
All Africa Student Union
In July, 1972, African Students met at the University of Science and Technology UST Kumasi in
Ghana to discuss the issue of bringing together all the students on the continent in order
to co-ordinate their efforts towards the socio-economic and political advancement of
their continent. That historic meeting laid the foundation of the All Africa Students
Union (AASU), a non-Governmental International Students Union.
It aims to promote unity among students organisations in and of Africa, based on common objectives
and has many programs to support this aim. AASU has 52 member organizatoins from 52 African
Countries. Membership is open to any students, organisation that accepts its constitution.
There are full members, associate members, and those with consultative status.
http://www.aasu.org.gh
Asian Students Association
ASA is an independent and
non-aligned regional body of 46 national student organizations from 26
countries in the Asia Pacific region. ASA is working for change on the
basis of such concepts as human rights, democracy, development, Third
World, and solidarity.
asa@peg.apc.org and asasec@netvigator.com plus other details http://www.takingitglobal.org/opps/orgdir.html?vieworg=1100
Continental Organization of Latin American and Carribean Students (OCLAE)
OCLAE was created in 1966 to act as a mobilizing body for anti-imperialist student movements.
It has made significant steps towards strengthening student solidarity in the region, democratizing
education, erradicating illiteracy, and defending human rights.
http://www.jrebelde.cubaweb.cu/secciones/oclae/oclae.htm
General Union of Arab Students (GUAS)
There is very little content on the Internet regarding the GUAS, in English. It is the gathering point
of national student unions of Arab countries in the Middle East.
GUAS, P.O.Box 11812, Syria - Damascus, Tel.: 00963-11-41 73 92, Fax: 00963-11-417392 and bulahi@ajeeb.com