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Title: Global Youth Development Network
Location:
Global
Categories: Human Rights
Status:
In Planning
Timeline:
Ongoing
Description:
The Global Youth Development Network: What’s it for?
Essentially, GYDN aims to foster a network between young leaders and entirely youth-run organisations worldwide that are working in the area of development, and more specifically the MDGs.
An example of such a network that is already in operation is the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS. GYCA is an alliance of 700 youth leaders and ‘adult allies’ in HIV/AIDS. GYCA see four priorities in their work. They are:
i) Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
ii) Increasing Political Will and Commitment through Advocacy Training
iii) Sharing Information, Opportunities and Best Practices
iv) Preparing Youth for International Conferences
So, does this apply to GYDN? Not directly, but it shows that networking between young people is possible, and that it has been successfully done before.
GYDNs priority, along with other issues, is to hold a ‘summit’ of potentially 300 young leaders, from different parts of both the developing and developed world, which aims to achieve a number of objectives. They could include:
i) The implementation of delegate “Action Plans” that are related to the MDGs, the various targets, and the implementation of the MDGs in local, national and global contexts.
ii) The launch/implementation of a long term global campaign, exclusively involving young people (with adult ‘mentors’), in the context of international development and poverty alleviation.
iii) Facilitate discussion between young leaders, ideas, projects etc.
iv) Ultimately have the aim of ‘shifting governments’ on their position regarding the MDGs and international aid and development.
Background:
Every 3 seconds, a child will die from preventable causes. Millions of children will not reach their fifth birthday, purely because their mother does not have the knowledge of basic hygiene and nutrition, and does not have access to health care, clean water and sanitation. When a mother knows the importance of basic hygiene and sanitation, child mortality levels drastically fall.
In 2005, the global youth population is 1.153 billion. Currently, young people (those aged between 15 and 24) make up 18% of the world’s population. Of all youth worldwide, 85% live in developing countries. Currently, it is estimated that 209 million young people live on less than US$1 a day, and a further 515 million young people live on less that US$2 a day. South Asia has the most living below these two poverty lines, while sub-Saharan Africa follows closely. These two regions also have the highest levels of undernourished young people within the world.
In a world so concerned with justice, the greatest injustice that this world has ever known goes unnoticed. Poverty kills. Yet developed nations constantly turn a blind eye to the problems that developing countries face. While 3 billion of the world’s citizens cry out for help, the countries that are most capable of bringing and end to poverty refuse to help.
This year, the world’s governments have seen the power of a collective call to action. The makepovertyhistory campaign has united millions of people worldwide, and the world has seen that poverty can no longer be accepted.
But, after 2005, the momentum cannot stop there. When 2005 rolls over, and 2006 wakes up, 30,000 children will still be dying each day, from the same preventable causes that kill these children today. This year, young people have shown the world that they to wish to make poverty history. There have been campaigns launched all around the world that address the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and youth development. Young leaders have risen to the call to ‘be the change.’
So where does the Global Youth Development Network (GYDN) fit into all of this? Well, we start by people all under the age of 26.
Objectives:
• Better youth participation and involvement of youth in international aid and development
• Calling for a ‘shift’ in world governments position on the MDGs (0.7% GNI)
• Highlighting the injustice of poverty, and how young people are affected by it.
Milestones:
September 05: Have begun talking with the Oaktree Foundation within NSW (Australia) and they are interested in getting this project up off the ground. More info soon!
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