Key messages and commitments on the International Youth Day 2012

Some days ago, we celebrated the International Youth Day (12th August 2012), and various organisations and institutions had organised activities and some launched communiques or took commitments to support the youths in their activities.

First of all, I would like to quote the message of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on this occasion: 

“Today’s generation of youth — the largest the world has ever known, and the vast majority of whom live in developing countries — has unprecedented potential to advance the well-being of the entire human family.  Yet too many young people, including those who are highly educated, suffer from low-wage, dead-end work and record levels of unemployment.

The global economic crisis has hit youth the hardest and many are understandably discouraged by rising inequalities.  A large number have no immediate prospects and are disenfranchised from the political, social and development processes in their countries.  Without urgent measures, we risk creating a “lost generation” of squandered talent and dreams.

Working with and for young people is one of my top priorities.  Youth are a transformative force; they are creative, resourceful and enthusiastic agents of change, be it in public squares or cyberspace.  From their pivotal role in efforts to achieve freedom, democracy and equality, to their global mobilization in support of the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, youth have energetically demonstrated yet again their capacity and desire to turn the tide of history and tackle global challenges.

Young men and women are not passive beneficiaries, but equal and effective partners.  Their aspirations extend far beyond jobs; youth also want a seat at the table — a real voice in shaping the policies that shape their lives.  We need to listen to and engage with young people.  We need to establish more and stronger mechanisms for youth participation.  The time has come to integrate youth voices more meaningfully into decision-making processes at all levels.

Around the world there is growing recognition of the need to strengthen policies and investments involving young people.  On International Youth Day, I call on Governments, the private sector, civil society and academia to open doors for young people and strengthen partnerships with youth-led organizations.  Youth can determine whether this era moves toward greater peril or more positive change.

Let us support the young people of our world so they grow into adults who raise yet more generations of productive and powerful leaders.”


For the past 2 years, since the International Year of the Youth (August 2010 – August 2011), the UN, through its different Agencies, has been supporting the youths by recognising their potential in shaping our future through positive change. In this context, many other International, Regional and National organisations had some activities and projects focusing on youths, giving them opportunities (whether in terms of participation in policy processes/debates to voice out their opinions, providing training or creating job and other opportunities for them). These initiatives have impacted the lives of may youths, including mine. For me, the project that has had a lot of impact on my personal and professional life is the ARDYIS Project by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA). It was the first International project for youth and agriculture in which I was involved, and following the very enriching experience, I joined other youth platforms and networks where I got other opportunities to participate in policy debates and make positive impact on the society.

Google+ Hangouts

To mark the International Youth Day, The UN held a series of 6 Google+ Hangouts on 8th, 9th and 10th August 2012 on themes related to the priority areas of the Secretary General’s 5-year Action Agenda and the development of a UN System Wide Action Plan on youth, namely Employment, Entrepreneurship, Education (including sexual and reproductive health), Political Inclusion, Citizenship, and Protection of Rights).

Please find below the videos of the 6 Google+ Hangouts:

Employment 



Entrepreneurship



Education (including sexual and reproductive health)


Political Inclusion



Citizenship and Protection of Rights



Communique launched by Agriculture organisations and platforms

On the occasion of the International Youth Day 2012, some Agriculture and Youth organizations (YPARD, ARDYIS, e-Agriculture, GYIN, YPLD, “This is my story”) made a joint statement to assert their will to strengthen partnership among youth for Agricultural Development. 

The statement can be read on this Link: Asserting our will to strengthen partnership among youth  for Agricultural Development

Being a member/contributor of all the above organisations/projects/platforms, I have been contributing to Agriculture and Youth Development in every way I can for the past 2 years and will continue to do so in the future as well.

FANRPAN Youth Case Studies

Another initiative to support the youth in Agriculture is the one from the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN). Since 2011, the organization has been advocating for the active engagement of youth in the Agriculture Value chains. This year, FANRPAN and CTA commissioned case Studies in 6 Countries (Malawi, Mauritius, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zimbabwe) on Current and Emerging Youth Policies with a special focus on links to Agriculture. These case studies will be presented at the FANRPAN 2012 Annual High Level Regional Food Security Policy Dialogue in September 2012 in Tanzania.

Please find the Country case studies on this Link: FANRPAN Youth Country Case Studies

Concluding remarks

At the International front, these initiatives are definitely beneficial, but the impact is always greatest when the work is being done at National Level. Youths over the world are facing several challenges and are not getting the opportunity to develop their potential and contribute to the society. The UN Google+ Hangouts, communique by Agriculture organisations and the FANRPAN Youth Case Studies have all some points in common: To recognise the potential of youth, support their initiatives, include them in policy processes and give them opportunities for a better future!

About Nawsheen Hosenally

Nawsheen Hosenally, a national of the Republic of Mauritius, has over 6 years of experience in the agricultural sector, specifically focusing on the engagement of youth in agriculture through the use of ICTs. Currently, Nawsheen is the co-Founder of Agribusiness TV, a web TV that features success stories of young agricultural entrepreneurs in Africa. Nawsheen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Extension from the University of Mauritius, and a Master’s degree in Management and Information Systems from the University of Manchester.

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