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Posted: July 21 2006,02:18 by rpitt from INTERNATIONAL - UNOY - Robin Pitt
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1. Individual and organisational activities
a) If funds were available, what youth activities related to a CoP would you like to do as an individual?
In
Zambia most youth are members of political parties but there is over
45% youth unemployment. Therefore the youth are used in a very negative
way by political parties as stone-throwers etc. Therefore I would like
to empower the youth so that they could be used positively for the
political process, providing links and networks. In order to do this I
would like to run workshops to show them how they can be a positive
political force and equip them with conflict transformation skills.
Secondly I would like to empower them by running survival programmes
such as carpentry or chicken rearing courses.
b) What non-financial support would you need to do these activities?
Other
organisations should run such programmes, and there should be exchange
programmes for youth to see how other youth become empowered.
I would also need manpower in the form of people with skills to run courses on survival and empowerment skills.
Thirdly I would need tools to carry out more training programmes, such as carpentry tools or wood.
c) If funds were available, what youth activities related to a CoP would your organisation like to do?
Training
Implementation of skills after training.
d) What non-financial support would your organisation need to do these activities?
Tools to allow implementation of skills after training.
We also need material contributions; at present we have been working
for 8 years with no means of transportation and no office phone. In
short we need a permanent structure (office, transport etc.) from which
we can carry out our activities.
We also need literature for the
peace education classes we are doing in schools as at present we only
have what we can find on the internet.
2. Support from Government and the UN
a) What changes in youth policies do you think the government/leadership in your country should make to promote a CoP?
The
government should see the youth as partners in development rather than
as people who follow directives after they have been made by the
government. In Zambia there is an expression “Youth are the future
leaders” but this is ignored. Youth are also the people who the
government will eventually fall on but currently they are often
excluded from development initiatives. They should also have specific
programmes to empower and equip youth at all levels, regardless of the
level of education reached.
b) What CoP youth activities do you think the UN should carry out?
They should have a facilitation role, to help youth get involved in advocacy and lobbying.
OPTIONAL QUESTIONS
3.
Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for improving youth
participation in CoP activities on any level (UN, government, civil
society)?
This starts with having an interest and a knowledge of
culture of peace. They youth also need to be told that it is vital that
they get involved at a community level, as if step back from decisions
at the community level they will be ignored at the national political
level and therefore they will not like the decisions that are made.
5. To ensure the best possible benefit of a UN Voluntary Fund for youth on the CoP, how should it be managed/administered?
The overall fund should be managed by UNOY Peacebuilders. Then there
should be a general meeting of youth NGO’s where two representatives
are assigned from each country to work as focal point co-ordinators.
These would work in conjunction with one NGO from that country to
oversee the fund on a national level.
6. How can youth not yet involved in CoP activities be reached and motivated to get involved?
We
need to look at people in local communities and give children in
schools peace skills and set up peace clubs in schools. If we start
educating in schools, this then spreads to workplaces and wider
communities. There should also be culture exchange programmes between
communities and between towns.
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