Working with and for youth:

Our approach – our action!

Introducing UNESCO Y.S.P.E.

Section for Youth, Sport and Physical Education (Y.S.P.E.) Division for Social Science Research and Policy

Sector for Social and Human SciencesUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Paris, August 2009

6th UNESCO Youth Forum (1-3 October 2009)

Starting with the basics…

What is the purpose of this presentation?

◊ To introduce you to the approach and the work of UNESCO YSPE on youth

◊ To present our strategic orientations and examples of current and past activities

What does SHS YSPE stand for?

SHS YSPE is the acronym for the Section for Youth, Sport and Physical Education (YSPE) which is part of the UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector (SHS) . YSPE is the Section responsible for the UNESCO Youth Programme. It ensures the implementation of the SHS activities on youth and the overall coordination of the other UNESCO Sectors’ interventions in favor of youth.

Create an enabling policy environment in which youth could strive: an environment that fully protects their rights, that is conducive to their development, that adequately prepares them for responsible citizenship and enables their meaningful and effective participation in decision-making

• Goal:

havehave distinctive needs, concerns and expectations

areare an indispensable resource for development

areare partners, not a target group

YOUTH

• Basic assumptions:

YSPE’s work with and for youth: an assets’ based approach

Guiding principles

A rights-based approach and thorough contextual analysis

1

Non-discrimination and gender equality2

Focus on disadvantaged or marginalised youth and youth in emergency and

transition contexts3

Participation of youth in the development of policies and programs that affect them

4

Global partnerships involving the concerned stakeholders at all levels

5

Structuring our action until 2013: the development of the UNESCO SHS Strategy on

Youth

Knowledge building &

management

Policy development & policy dialogue

Youth participation,

civic engagement &

social inclusion

Knowledge building &

management

Youth participation,

civic engagement &

social inclusion

Policy development & policy dialogue

Knowledge building &

management

Youth participation,

civic engagement &

social inclusion

3 Global Objectives

_-

Policy development & policy dialogue

Knowledge building &

management

Youth participation,

civic engagement &

social inclusion

Regional priorities

A participatory process with

feedback from:

YOUTH

Governments, local authorities,

municipalities

International & regional IGOs &

NGOs

Academic institutions, research networks

UNESCO Chairs, clubs,

centres

Private sector, media etc

UN System & Bretton Woods institutions

Addressing UNESCO’s priority for Africa: the finalization of the UNESCO SHS Strategy on African Youth

-Revitalization of the Panafrican Youth Union- Establishment or review of democratic, representative & inclusive National Youth Councils-Fund for young social entrepreneurs-Establishment of youth information centers managed by youth organizations

-Promote an inclusive & democraticrepresentation of youth concerns atcontinental & national level-Support youth-led action to promote civicengagement & social inclusion

Youth participation, civic engagement & social inclusion

-Policy development & review in line with the provisions of the African Youth Charter- “Policy-dialogue workshops”-Advocacy initiatives for the ratification & the implementation of the African Youth Charter

-Assist Member-States in the developmentof National Policies to address youth issueswith the participation of youth -Promote the ratification & implementationof the African Youth Charter

Policy development & policy dialogue

-2 Reports on the state of African Youth ( African Youth Charter; MDGs)-African youth E-observatory & online portal on the African Youth Charter-Policy papers & briefs- Twining of research centers & promotion of academic research & cooperation in the field of youth

-Ensure the compilation & management ofinformation & knowledge on African youth-Encourage policy-oriented research onissues affecting African Youth

Knowledge building & management

Indicative actionRegional Objectives

Global objectives (same as Global

Strategy)

A participatory process involving youth, policy-makers, academia, the UN System, the African Union & key regional partners, IGOs and NGOs, private sector active on youth in the region!

Examples of current and past activities

-The UNESCO Youth Forum (see details below)

- The series of UNESCO Regional Youth Forums (2006-2007) elaborating on the results of the 2005 UNESCO Youth Forum and feeding into the preparations of the 2007 UNESCO Youth Forum

- Youth development and violence prevention project in Central America

- Cooperation with the UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth & Civic Engagement at the University of Galway, Ireland at research and programme levels.

Youth participation, civic engagement & social inclusion

-‘Empowering Youth through National Policies –UNESCO’s contribution’: guidelines for the formulation, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of policies with the participation of youth (2004). Update of the guidelines will be conducted under the new Strategy.

- ‘Breaking the Poverty Cycle of Women’ pilot project in Southern Asia (2002-2007): broad-based capacity-building programme and formulation of policy guidelines to ensure equal development opportunities for girls and young women living in poverty.

-Capacity-building programmes for national authorities and youth organizations: training modules highlighting the requirements of and challenges involved in ‘mainstreaming’ the rights and needs of young people as well as good practice examples of youth-adult partnerships (recent example: Cameroon in cooperation with OIF and the World Bank, 2007)

Policy development & policy dialogue

-‘Best practices in youth policies & programmes in Latin America & the Caribbean’ (ongoing/pilot, see details below)

- Development of an Online UNESCO Euro-med Youth Observatory (ongoing/pilot, in partnership with the government of Andorra)

- Elaboration of policy briefs on ‘youth development and violence prevention in Central America’- Establishment of 5 regional UNESCO Youth listservs (spaces for online dialogue and exchange)

Knowledge building & management

Example 1UNESCO’s commitment to promoting youth participation: the UNESCO Youth Forum

1st 1st

UNESCO UNESCO

Youth Youth

Forum:Forum:

19991999

2009 Youth

Forum:

1-3 October

2009,

Paris

An integral part of theGeneral Conference

UNESCOYouth Forum

Involving young women and men in the development of

youth-related policies

UNESCO action with and for youth

UNESCO’s highestdecision-making bodymeets every two years

and gathers 193 Member States

UNESCO General

Conference

Example 2:Identifying best practices in youth policies and programmes: a pilot for Latin America and the Caribbean!

Key Components of the Project

Communication and exchange through networks, website and

relevant regional events

Overall Goal: To develop comprehensive public youth policies, consolidate youth programmes at institutional level and reinforce youth projects and networks

Main intervention: Identification, dissemination and replication of ‘best practices’ in youth policies and programmes in Latin America and Caribbean

Themes: Integral youth development, Youth participation, Volunteer work, Prevention of youth violence, Education, Employment, Poverty reduction, Sexual and reproductive health

Partners: A large and wide-ranging set of national, regional and international bodies from the public, private and civil-society sectors (partners include 8 UNO agencies, IDB, OIJ, OECD, CYP and OAS)

High-level, regional best practices meeting with young specialists,

experts and policy makersObjectives and Objectives and Results Results

• Avoid duplication of efforts

• Ensure the implementation of successful initiatives

• Make investment in youth initiatives more cost-effective

• Raise-awareness of the importance and utility of working with young people

•Harmonize regional work in the field of youth

•Reinforce inter-sectoral and inter-organizations cooperation

Technical and virtual resources including policy proposals and a

regional online platform

Example 3:Youth development and violence prevention in Central America

El Salvador; Nicaragua; Honduras; Guatemala; Dominican Republic

5 National

Projects

Second Forum of Ministers and High-Ranking

Officials responsible for

Youth in Central America (21 -22 August 2009, San José, Costa

Rica)

SocialSciences

promotion and dissemination ofknowledge, advocacy andstrengthening of linkageswith policy-makers

Education activities for the promotion of bestpractices such as “Open Schools” andtraining courses for teachers

Culture creation of identity benchmarksthrough cultural activities and bestpractices for the prevention of

violence

Communication support of local radios, television andinternet, training workshops forjournalists and meetings with mediaactors, with the aim of promoting abalanced perception of youth

Entrepreneurship capacity-building in micro-enterprisemanagement

Key Components of the project

National observatories for youth development &violence

prevention

Coordinating UNESCO’s efforts on youth in cooperation with the respective Programme Sectors

Education: equitable access; teacher training; non-formal and lifelong learning; learning and training opportunities for vulnerable youth groups;

awareness-raising and learning for youth on sustainability issues; sustainable consumption and attitude change.

Culture:

promotion of cultural diversity & expressions; intercultural & interfaith youth exchanges (cooperation framework with the UN Alliance of Civilisations); promotion & safeguarding of the World Heritage & development of creative industries, through education, awareness raising & employment generation programs.

Natural Sciences:training, fellowships and scholarships for young scientists; youth participation in science policy and programme design and implementation; UNESCO Man & Biosphere Young Scientists award; World Academy of Young Scientists; Network of Youth Excellence; Youth Visioning for Island Living

Communication & Information: youth media; youth information and communication networks and centres; Infoyouth International Information and Data Exchange Network on Youth

HIV & AIDS : advocacy for appropriate learning opportunities for youth; youth participation in HIV and AIDS policy and programming; partnerships with youth organizations; ‘Act, learn and teach – Theatre, HIV and AIDS’, toolkit for youth in Africa

For more information

…

ucj@unesco.org

http://www.unesco.org/youth