Youth Visioning for Island Living

What is Youth Visioning? A process whereby young people articulate how they want their islands to develop in the future and then take action to make their vision become reality. Background: Involve youth in preparation for the review of SIDS Programme of Action in the run up to MIM, January Proposed by Ministry of Education & Scientific Research in Mauritius; facilitated and supported by UNESCO through SIV, Bureau of Strategic Planning Youth Section and other partners.

Key Partners Pacific Regional Office – UNESCO Apia Caribbean Regional Office – UNESCO Kingston Indian Ocean Regional Office – UNESCO Dar es Salaam United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Pacific Office, Fiji United Nations Development Programme, Mauritius UN Headquarters Department of Public Relations Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States – Environment and Sustainable Development Unit Indian Ocean Commission Secretariat for the Pacific Community Pacific Concerns Resource Centre Lighthouse Foundation Taking IT Global Mauritius Government National Commissions and government ministries in a number of the SIDS

Overview of activities before and during the Mauritius meeting Testing the Youth Visioning Concept: Bahamian Ministry of Education and UNESCO co-sponsored a side event to the interregional preparatory meeting, Youth Focus Bahamas, a theme 'Youth Vision for Island Living’ (January , 2004). Other preparatory activities in SIDS around the world, including: National consultations, Regional meetings, poetry and essay contests Art contest, organised with UN Cyber School Bus Phase I: Preparation Phase II: In Mauritius Discussions focusing on sharing ideas and experiences between youth from the 3 regions and developing concrete, youth-led project proposals for implementation in their home islands

Youth commitments for follow-up work Life and Love in Islands – island lifestyles and cultures (17 projects) Culture – 7 islands HIV/AIDS – 4 islands Substance abuse – 3 islands Youth and governance – 2 islands Teenage pregnancy – 1 island My Island Home – safeguarding island environments (15 projects) Environmental education - 6 islands Waste management – 4 islands Beach protection – 4 islands Reforestation – 1 island Money in my pocket – economic and employment opportunities (11 projects) Youth employment – 5 islands Education – 4 projects Career guidance – 2 islands

Koïchiro Matsuura and Kofi Annan, Youth Visioning closing ceremony

Phase III:Principal action plan elements for project implementation Project implementation Youth prepare & submit project outlines Together with National Commissions and regional and inter-regional partners support youth initiatives Establish an Island Youth Fund with partners to provide seed funding for youth projects Monitor project implementation together with partners Hold regional follow-up meetings with partners Networking and awareness Establish an discussion group for youth networking Prepare a publication and DVD featuring the Youth Visioning event in Mauritius Regularly update the Island Youth website DVD on project implementation

Follow-up Projects Highlights Completed Singapore: Joy 2005! Objective: To promote inter-generational exchange between the youth and the elderly, by celebrating Chinese New Year (7 Feb 2005) with a steamboat feast for 105 elderly inhabitants.

Implementation in Progress (1) Mauritius: Empowering disabled youth Objective: To promote and preserve the skills of disabled youth; to raise awareness in the society and to help them become self- reliant and independent. Fiji: Young Leaders for a sustainable Fiji Objective: To raise awareness on environmental issues amongst the young leaders at local, regional and global levels including instruments on the environment (National Environment Act of Fiji, Rio Declaration and Agenda 21, Barbados Programme of Action for SIDS and Mauritius Strategy)

Implementation in progress (2) Dominica: Sensitisation and clean-up campaign in Gutter village Objectives: To educate residents on the impact of improper waste management, to get them involved in cleaning up their neighbourhood and keeping it clean and to uplift the image of the community Cape Verde: Youth and children against HIV/AIDS Objective: Raise awareness on HIV/AIDS issues and prevention through sports. Dominica: Parle Creole Objective: To promote Dominican heritage through the teaching and use of Creole St. Vincent& the Grenadines: Regional Sandwatch Fair Objectives: To raise awareness about destruction of the beaches and involve members of the community, particularly the youth, in cleaning and maintaining the beaches.

Proposals under evaluation Antigua & Barbuda: Youth employment & small business development Bahamas: Refreshing da Well (clean up an unused well, turn into a fountain) Cuba: Creating a bulletin on environmental education activities Madagascar: Environmental education for all Maldives: Sanitation and safe drinking water (awareness raising for schools) Jamaica: Training youth to teach children about eco-tourism and environmental awareness Kiribati: The beauty of S.Tarawa (waste management) Palau: Recycling for a better Palau Seychelles : Helping create more youth employment through local investment Trinidad & Tobago: Eye on Sandwatch Turks & Caicos: Beautiful by nature (create a club environmental awareness for school children)

Youth Visioning and the Mauritius Declaration and Strategy The need to involve youth in working for the sustainable development of SIDS is repeatedly emphasized Recognize that women and youth as well as the civil society are playing a key role in promoting sustainable development activities in small island developing States and encourage them in their efforts -----Mauritius Declaration, paragraph 15 Small island developing states recognize the integral role of youth in sustainable development and express the need to further ensure their participation….-----Mauritius Strategy, paragraph 14 Further action is required by small island developing States, with the necessary support of the international community to: (h) Involve youth in visioning sustainable island living -----Mauritius Strategy, paragraph 72

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development. The 8 goals are connected and have a bearing on the youth, which makes 1/5 th of the world population Investing in youth will provide the longest and most effective dividend towards meeting the MDGs by building the social capital needed to foster pragmatic development. (Youth & the MDGs: Challenges & Opportunities for implementation, April 2005)

Thank you for your attention!