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| UNESCO African Youth Forum |
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| Burkina Faso, 24-28 September 2007 (provisonal date) |
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The Format
The Regional Youth Forum will follow a similar format to the UNESCO General Conference Youth Forum. It will last for four days, and include two plenary sessions, at the beginning and end, and in between workshops. All of these will be youth led, with adult experts acting as facilitators to support the discussion. Observers from youth NGOs and organisations, regional networks and UNESCO Secretariat will also be present to share their opinions and experiences.
Theme
The overall theme of the regional forums is ”Young People and the Dialogue among Civilizations, Cultures and Peoples: Ideas for action in education, the sciences, culture and communication”. Under this theme, the Youth Forum Report has recommended two sub-themes as specific foci of the regional youth forums: ”Education for sustainable development” and ”Intercultural and interfaith dialogue to ensure peace”.
Objectives- To allow youth delegates to elaborate specific themes and related recommendations for action in favour of dialogue by and for young people.
- To consolidate and encourage networks and partnerships between young people, youth organizations, UNESCO and other partners concerned with youth and dialogue in the region.
- To define concrete youth-led follow up projects and initiatives in the region, which shall be supported with seed funding through a Regional Youth Project Fund.
List of countries invited to participate (53 countries):
Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
E-dialogue
the online consultation process leading to the definition of the Forum’s sub-themes / agenda
The starting point: the recommendation of the 4th UNESCO Youth Forum to provide "a specific and permanent UNESCO Youth Forum website and discussion forum, where young people can actively participate in debates and channel their input".
The initiative: UNESCO will launch an online consultation process aiming at involving young people in the preparation of the Forum’s agenda. Young people, aged between 18-30, nominated by National Commissions, national youth councils, UNITWIN Chairs, youth NGOs, organizations and networks in the African region will participate in this 6-week process which will allow for the elaboration of the Forum’s sub-themes.
The means: a UNESCO listserv, moderated by UNESCO. The young people subscribed by UNESCO will be the only ones able to post messages and access the online discussions, archives and background documents. The listserv will serve as a true e-space for youth dialogue and exchange of ideas.
The procedure: Questions and topics devised in consultation with experts in intercultural and interfaith dialogue will serve to kick off the online discussion. A summary of each week’s online discussions will be sent to the National Commissions and national youth councils or similar structures of the participating countries, UNESCO sectors and field offices, youth NGOs, organisations and networks. Following the six-week period, the listserv will remain online as a means of facilitating exchanges and disseminating both background information and participants’ profiles prior to the Forum. The nomination of the Forum’s delegates
Participants will be nominated by both the National Commissions for UNESCO and the national youth councils of the participating countries (or, in the absence of a national youth council, the most appropriate national youth structure). The nomination should be based on the following criteria:- Age: 18-30
- Gender parity (one young woman and one young man from each country)
- Active participation and membership in a youth organization
- Substantial knowledge, competence and experience in intercultural dialogue and youth issues
- Ability to communicate a large range of opinions of his/her country’s youth
- An open mind and an interest in promoting the initiatives and recommendations adopted at the Americas Youth Forum
Participants- Two youth delegates from each of the participating countries
- Representatives of youth NGOs and youth networks to attend as observers, at their own cost
- The president or a rapporteur of the 4th UNESCO Youth Forum
- Representatives of UNESCO National Commissions, Field Offices and national authorities, e.g. Ministries of Youth (at their own cost)
- Eight to ten experts on the theme of the Forum, the African region and youth , who will act as facilitators and presenters (costs covered by organizers)
Expected OutcomesEach regional Youth Forum should adopt a Report outlining salient discussions and recommendations allowing for a wide dissemination and follow-up in the framework of preparations for the UNESCO Youth Forum held at the 34th session of the General Conference.
In addition to this, the African Youth Forum will serve to highlight youth-led best practices in promoting dialogue among cultures and peoples at all levels. For further information, please contact:
Ms. Maria Helena Henriques Mueller
Section for Youth, Sport and Physical Education
Division of Social Sciences, Research and Policy / Social and Human Sciences Sector
SHS/SRP/YSPE, UNESCO
7, Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07SP
Email: mh.henriques-mueller@unesco.org
Phone : +33 (0)1 45 68 17 01
Fax : +33 (0)1 45 68 57 90
More on UNESCO Regional Youth Forums … |
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