1. Youth Flash
UN Home | UN DESA DSPD - Youth
March 2012
In this issue of Youth Flash, you will find the following:
Feature Article:
Rio+20: A Youth Blast! UN CSD Major Group of Children and Youth
News from UN offices
Youth in Action
Publications
Feature Article:
young activists, journalists, professionals, students and children
are involved in shaping our future together.
Rio+20: A Youth Blast! If you want to express your valuable perspective and get
involved--you are welcome to join us! We are young. We know
each person has different capacities, interests and ways to
UN CSD Major Group of Children and Youth express themselves...
“Try not--do or do not. There is no try.”
Master Yoda, Star Wars
This year in June in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil all countries of the
world will gather for the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development (aka Rio+20), 20 years after the Rio
Summit, to discuss and plan our lives, our development, our
survival and our future. This is one of the biggest events of our
time. It is an international conference that will bring over 50,000
together to discuss the sustainability of our planet and the actions
that need to be taken to create a better world for all. At Rio+20, the
way the world works will be designed. This event will be
designing our future....your future.
Don’t you think you should be part of that conversation?
According to Agenda 21, civil society consists of nine Major But what is happening at Rio+20?
Groups. Agenda 21 represents the very first institutionalization of
the youth participation at the UN. So, what does this mean for you?
We will be engaging with the official process. We will be
The Major Group of Children and Youth (MGCY) is the official outside and inside the conference venue to push our
voice for young people (under 30 years of age) in the UN governments to recommit to our futures.
sustainability negotiations. This means that hundreds of youth
organisations and networks, official youth government delegates,

2. Youth Flash Newsletter March 2012
We have organised an official Conference of Youth (aka Youth So, what is next?
Blast) which will take place from the 10-12 June 2012 for all
young people to prepare, strategise and finalise what we will be Well, we hope that this article has inspired you to get involved.
doing during Rio+20. Besides providing information and training Hopefully, you will tell your friends about Rio+20, why it’s
to participants, the event will be a space for youth to share important and why they should get involved. If you are really
experiences and solutions related to sustainable development interested and inspired, why not gather together a few friends to
issues and forms of participation in decision making at the start some campaigns in your area, school or region?! And we
international level. The focus of Youth Blast is four-fold: (i) to hope that you will also link up with the UNCSD Major Group of
build partnership among children and youth by providing a space Children and Youth to ensure that together we can make sure
for networking, ideas and experiences exchange; (ii) to plan that Rio+20 leads to real results for us and to the future we want!
activities for the Rio+20 Summit as well as its follow-up; (iii) to
develop an international knowledge base through collecting and Want more information on how to get involved? Read our
identifying information on activities, initiatives and best practices participation guide or visit our website:
which will be included in the publication on youth activism toward http://uncsdchildrenyouth.org/
and at Rio; and (iv)to empower the MGCY constituency through
developing and disseminating training packs and advocacy tools Use your voice and share it with the world to influence
and facilitating coordination activities and actions of the MGCY change.
on the road to Rio+20 and the Conference itself.
You are welcome to attend this event as it is open to anyone under
30 years of age and it is free. Unfortunately, as it is a youth event News from UN offices
organised by and for young people we are not in a position to fund
or sponsor you. But you have time and even if you can’t raise the
money to attend in person we hope you will do something in your Office of the Secretary General
local community, or school or area to promote what is happening.
We are also going to try to make sure everything is (as much as On 25 Jan United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
possible) recorded so you can see what happened. recently elected for a second term, outlined a series of priorities
and actions as part of his upcoming 5 year action plan, which he
If you are from Brazil, we also have great news, ‘Youth Blast - believes the global community must take in order to build “the
Conference of Youth for Rio+20’ will take place from 8-12 June . future we want’.
The first two days of the conference, 8-9 June will be focused on
Brazilian Youth (Brazilian days), while 10-12 June are geared In his statement, the Secretary General said the agenda ‘will
towards both international and Brazilian youth ( International require mobilizing all the human, financial and political
days). The aim of this conference is to enable youth to dynamically resources available to the United Nations in order to catalyse the
engage and strategise before Rio+20 to effect positive change in type of global collaboration that is possible, necessary and
the negotiations. timely.’
One of the Agenda’s 5 priority areas is that of ‘working with and
for women and young people’, highlighting the importance of
young people and youth development to the Secretary General
and the UN. In his statement he said that we must ‘ Address the
needs of the largest generation of young people the world has
ever known by deepening the youth focus of existing
programmes on employment, entrepreneurship, political
inclusion, citizenship and protection of rights, and education,
including on reproductive health. To help advance this agenda,
the UN system will develop and implement an action plan,
create a youth volunteer programme under the umbrella of the
UN Volunteers and appoint a new Special Adviser for Youth.’
Work is already underway on realizing these commitments, and
Youth Flash will keep you updated as they progress
For more: http://www.un.org/sg/priorities/sg_agenda_2012.pdf
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41034&Cr=Ki
-moon&Cr1=
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3. Youth Flash Newsletter March 2012
UN Office for Disarmament Affairs Contact in FAO HQ: Francesca Dalla Valle, Youth Employment
and Institutional Partnerships Specialist
Francesca.dallavalle@fao.org
Art for peace competition
On 1 February, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs launched a PLURAL+ 2012 Youth Video
disarmament education contest to run until 30 April. “Art for Festival on Migration and Social
Peace 2012 encourages young people to watch a short film online,
then to “imagine a world free of nuclear weapons”. Based on your
Inclusion
musings, you are asked to create and upload original artwork to:
unartforpeace.org. Calls for Youth Participation
There are three age groups that can participate: 5-8, 9-12 and 13- Español Français Arabic
17. Tap your imaginations and draw, paint, sketch, use pens,
pencils, crayons, charcoal, oil, acrylic paint or watercolours to New York (February 1, 2012)-- The United Nations Alliance of
illustrate a world free of nuclear weapons, without wars, without Civilizations ( UNAOC) and the International Organization for
fear. Migration ( IOM) again invite the world’s youth to submit
original and creative videos focusing on PLURAL+ themes:
Youth between the ages of 5 and 12 will need to have parents or migration, diversity and social inclusion.
teachers help with their submissions. Once the artwork is posted,
family and friends will be able to view, share and vote via Recognizing youth as powerful agents of social change in a
Facebook. world often characterized by intolerance, and cultural and
religious divisions, PLURAL+ invites youth to address key
Four winners from each category will receive a certificate from the challenges in their communities related to migrant integration,
United Nations and all winning artwork will be reproduced in a inclusiveness, identity, diversity, human rights and social
United Nations calendar. cohesiveness, both at local and global levels. Young people up
to 25 years old are invited to submit short videos of five minutes
Winners from age groups 5-8 and 9-12 will receive wonderful art maximum in length.
supplies. For those in the 13-17 year old group, there will be cash
prizes awarded of $500 for first place, $300 for second place, $200 Marc Scheuer, Director of the UNAOC, said “PLURAL+ videos
for third place, and $100 for fourth place. The winners will be fit very well in this very relevant conversation: how to build
announced before the end of May 2012. more inclusive societies where we can all live together in
harmony.” Michele Klein-Solomon, Permanent Observer to the
Because art is a universal language, everyone can participate, so United Nations, IOM, added “PLURAL+ videos touch very
spread the word and spread peace! sensitive issues in a very real way. They look at the realities that
people are facing; we like to see young people expressing their
For more information, please visit: unartforpeace.org profound ideas in a manner that allows the opening of a
dialogue.”
FAO Independent media producer and PLURAL+ 2011 jury member
Renzo Devia said, “I was amazed to see how these young film
FAO in Mozambique, has, since 2008, supported youth producers’ makers created these videos and I really appreciate the work
associations to improve self-employment and access to markets in they put into these productions. Probably the most impressive
the Sofala province. Programme evaluations have assessed that thing is the stories. I learned a lot from different cultures and
most youth managed to enlarge their businesses and invest in social issues in various nations”.
further activities while increasing the size of their land and have
managed to access local and district markets and in some cases PLURAL+ supports young people’s expression of their opinions
reached the provincial level. Quite a number of them became also by providing them with a variety of media platforms and
pivotal in creating seasonal employment in those districts. Overall, distribution networks, including broadcasts, video festivals,
the revenues generated went both to re-invest in their businesses conferences and events around the world. PLURAL+ not only
and to further enhance livelihoods opportunities of their families. provides young people with an effective platform to express
Support to youth producers’ associations is foreseen to continue to themselves on key migration and diversity issues, but also
further facilitate their access to markets while improving their food reinforces the firm belief of IOM and UNAOC that youth are
security and ability to cope with food prices volatility. powerful and creative agents of social change.
Contact in Mozambique: Felicidade Panguene, Programme Officer
(Felicidade.panguene@fao.org) A prestigious international jury will select three winners in each
www.un.org/youth 3

4. Youth Flash Newsletter March 2012
age categories (9-12, 13-17, 18-25). All the winners will be invited scholarships, training and internships, ICT contests and awards,
to New York, all travel expenses paid, to present their work at tech camps, online girls’ networks and other programmes that
PLURAL + 2012 Awards Ceremony at the Paley Center for Media will give them a boost in entering what has become a largely
on 6th December 2012. male-dominated sector. Job opportunities in the ICT sector
continue to grow and many countries and regions are predicting
PLURAL+ partner organizations will also award other prizes and a shortage of qualified staff with math, science, engineering and
professional opportunities, such as winning participants presenting computing skills to meet the growing demand. This provides
their work at film and video festivals, conferences and events significant opportunities for qualified women. Help us
around the world. encourage girls to prepare for a career in ICTs and share the
Portal link with your networks.
PLURAL + 2012 deadline for video submission is 1 July, 2012.
Early submissions are encouraged. Further information, including
ITU is also leading the“International Girls’ in ICT
guidelines, regulations, awards, and the entry form can be found at
Day”initiative adopted through ITU Plenipotentiary
the PLURAL+ website at:
Resolution 70 (Guadalajara, 2010) with the idea of creating a
http://e2ma.net/go/7445908639/208821690/230860947/1407883/g
global environment that will empower and encourage girls and
oto:http://www.unaoc.org/pluralplus/http://pluralplus.unaoc.org
young women to consider careers in the field of information and
communication technologies. It set the 4th Thursday in April
You can watch PLURAL+ 2011 winners here.
of every year to be the day girls and young women are invited
to spend the day at the office of ICT companies, government
PLURAL+ is a joint project of the UNAOC and the IOM with the
agencies and academic institutions so they better understand the
support of many international partners, including: Anna Lindh
opportunities the ICT sector holds for their future. In 2012,
Foundation, Chinh India, Cine y Salud Spain, COPEAM,
International Girls in ICT day will be celebrated on 26
Universal Forum of Cultures Foundation, MEC Serbia, NEXOS,
April.
Roots&Routes Germany, Royal Film Commission Jordan, Without
Borders Film Festival, SIGNIS, UN TV, UNESCO AV Platform,
ITU actively encourages and invites ministries of education and
Turkish Cultural Center New York, Gulen Institute, TAL, Global
communication, private sector companies and other
Block, Scalabrini International Migration Network, Paley Center
governmental and academic institutions to get involved and
for Media and Red Unial.
organize local, regional and national events designed to
showcase ICT and technology careers to young female students,
For more information, please contact: plural@unaoc.org
and to encourage relevant entities to reach out to girls and young
women through schools, tertiary institutions and in-house
ITU Girls in ICT Portal mentoring and shadowing programs.
Those interested to join ITU in this initiative and organize on 26
April 2012 Girls in ICT Day events are invited to contact
girlsinict@itu.int.
In addition, ITU will celebrate World Telecommunication
Information Society Day (WTISD) on 16 May 2012 on the
theme, ‘Women and Girls in ICT’,to further highlight the role
technology can play in empowering women
worldwide.http://www.itu.int/wtisd/index.html
For more information:please see: www.girlsinict.org or
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/sis/index.phtml
Contact: girlsinict@itu.int
UNESCO
ITU launched the Girls in ICT Portal to encourage girls and
Travel to Learn Arts and Crafts
women to enter the fast-growing information and communication
(ICT) sector.
The aim of this exchange programme undertaken with the
The portal is designedto help girls and young women aged 11-25 Fondation Culture & Diversité Programme is to enable arts and
prepare for and pursue a technology career, providing links to crafts students from disadvantaged backgrounds in France and
www.un.org/youth 4

5. Youth Flash Newsletter March 2012
developing countries to undertake study tours in France and abroad Route de l’esclave
to discover handicraft traditions and know-how through
placements in arts and crafts institutions, enterprises and Dans le but de contribuer à une meilleure connaissance de
associations. This programme helps students acquire new skills, l’histoire de la traite négrière et de l’esclavage et de donner aux
develop professional networks and participate and present their enfants à comprendre le contexte de l’évolution du racisme, un
work at international fairs. 14 young students from Chile, projet collaboratif de production d’un film et d’un livret
Colombia, France, India, Lebanon, Mali and Tunisia participated pédagogique a été initié dans le contexte du projet La Route de
in this programme since 2009, and 19 students will participate until l’esclave. Ce travail a été réalisé en collaboration avec le Réseau
2014. Contact: K.Monteil@unesco.org des Ecoles Associées de l’UNESCO. Plus de 300 enfants et une
cinquantaine de professionnels de l’éducation de différentes
régions du monde ont pris part à l’élaboration du scénario du
World Heritage Volunteers 2012 film et à l’identification des activités pédagogiques qui ont
permis de composer le livret (la France de l’Outre Mer, le Brésil,
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage le Ghana, le Danemark, l’Espagne, Cuba, Trinité et Tobago, la
Convention, the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) project, more- République Dominicaine etc.). Ce film et son livret seront
than-ever overcoming boundaries and territories, will gather youth distribués gratuitement aux écoles faisant partie du Réseau.
volunteers all over the world to get involved in the preservation Contact: K.Monteil@unesco.org
and promotion of World Heritage. This year, WHV workcamps
will be held in 40 World Heritage sites located in 25 countries. The
project will involve 33 youth organizations and some 700
volunteers who will cross borders, share their cultures, and unite to
preserve natural and cultural sites, restore archaeological finds, and
raise awareness amongst local communities about their heritage.
UN HABITAT
Volunteers will act in various World Heritage sites, from the
endangered antique Chan Chan archaeological zone in Peru, to Applications To Un-Habitat Urban Youth Fund Is
natural sites such as the tremendous Victoria Falls in Zambia, or Now Open
even the Great Wall of China. The project is jointly coordinated by
the World Heritage Centre (WHC) and the Coordinating UN-HABITAT invites young people in cities and towns of the
Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS). For developing world to apply for grants from the Youth Fund of up
further information please contact CCIVS (secretariat@ccivs.org). to $25,000 per project. The call for applications is now open and
continues until 15 April 2012.
Panasonic Kids School and Eco Picture Diary Global To qualify for funding, the projects must be led by young people
Contest aged 15-32 years who are piloting innovative approaches to
employment, good urban governance, shelter and secure tenure.
The Eco-Picture Diary Contest, a program developed globally as
For more information on the Fund and the youth programme at
part of Panasonic kids school - Panasonic's next generation
UN-HABITAT, please visit our website at www.unhabitat.org
promotion support activity and education programs, gives the
children an opportunity to learn about environment issues and
thinking about the eco action ideas to protect our planet in an easy- YOUTH 21
to-understand and playful way. The initiative results from the
strategic partnership between Panasonic and UNESCO World A Youth 21 meeting is scheduled 15-17 March this year in
Heritage Centre to promote sustainable development through Nairobi, Kenya at which delegates will discuss the mandate for a
World Heritage conservation and environmental education for the Special Representative for Youth, and the steps needed to
next generation. On 8 February, the award ceremony of "Eco engage young people in decision making
Picture Diary Global Contest" was held at UNESCO headquarters through the creation of a Permanent Forum on Youth.
with young participants from 37 countries attending the ceremony.
Panasonic and UNESCO will continue to promote in 2012, the The Youth 21 initiative is a report discussed in Oslo last month
40th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, which called on the Secretary-General to appoint a Special
through the World Heritage Eco Learning Program and various Representative on youth, and to support Member States in
promotional events. Contact: c.quin@unesco.org; establishing a United Nations Permanent Forum on Youth.
i.yousfi@unesco.org
To get involved in the Youth 21 process, please sign up and
participate at:
http://edebates.globalyouthdesk.org/Home/Index.aspx
www.un.org/youth 5

6. Youth Flash Newsletter March 2012
Announcing the winners of the YUNGA
International Drawing Competition! Sign up to be a YAHAnet member today to start sharing stories
and projects and discussing awareness and prevention strategies!
Over 2800 children and youth aged 6 to 20 from 60 countries
participated in this year’s YUNGA International Drawing Youth in Action: The lead up to
Competition and contributed to the objectives of the "International
Year of Forests 2011” to raise awareness on forest biodiversity. Rio+20
The overall winner is Naylee Nagda, aged 15, Kenya. The winners UN Commission for Sustainable Development
for each age group are: Major Group for Children and Youth
6 -10: 1st Wigave Rattamanee aged 10 Thailand, 2nd Maria
Jimenez Albarran aged 8 Mexico, 3rd Siddhi Prasad aged
7 Qatar, 4th Andi Tenribalo Hikmah Papacce Tenri aged
6 Indonesia.
11-15: 1st Naylee Nagda Aged 15 Kenya, 2nd Lea Anne R.
Rulloda aged 13 Philippines, 3rd Giovanna Lucarini aged
11 Italy, 4th Aby Abraham aged 13 Qatar. Organizing MyCity+20 events, which include Rio+20
16-20: 1st Louisa Luk aged 17 China, 2nd Daniela Karaivanova negotiation simulations
aged 17 Bulgaria, 3rd Hoi Kei Leung aged 18 China, 4th
Vincente Tiu Tangcuro III aged 17 Singapore. MyCity+20 is a concept as well as an informal platform in order
See their works of art on FAO and Green Wave websites. to motivate and support other cities to create their own
simulation of Rio+20. We share a common vision: Young
Youth in Action people take action in the field of sustainable development. And
we give ourselves the following mission: Young people will be
ready to tackle international sustainable development issues by
Global Youth Podcast Challenge for simulating international summits. Young people are also given
the opportunity to take action locally on SD issues. We set for
HIV Awareness & Prevention Run by ourselves 3 goals : 1. The youth learn about global SD issues
Arts-Based Social Collaboration thanks to a simulation of the Rio+20 summit, 2. The youth are
Platform YAHAnet.org given the opportunity to take action in their local community,
and 3. The youth carry the message that they are ready to be
involved in the transition towards a sustainable society. To learn
more: http://mycityplus20.blogspot.com/
#PushYourPresident: A grassroot action initiated by young
people from all over the world. We feel Rio+20 can only
become a success if as any decision makers as possible attend
Rio and will, at Rio, safeguard young people’s interests. We
cannot do this alone, but to reach this goal we need your help!
In the months leading up to World AIDS Day 2011, Youth, the Start #PushYourPresident in your own country and thereby be
Arts, HIV & AIDS Network (YAHAnet.org) hosted a student-led the source of change which will make the difference in Rio! GO
worldwide podcast competition on the theme of “Turning the Tide RIO+20! For more information:
Together to Reach Zero” (a combination of the 2012 International http://dusruttenaarrio.nl/pushmoveyourpresident/
AIDS Conference theme and the 2011 World AIDS Day theme).
Young people aged 15 to 24 were encouraged to participate in the Official Youth Delegate Initiative: Since January 2012,
competition through their educational institutions, through members of the MGCY have been targeting Member States to
community youth organizations, or on an individual level. The raise their awareness about the importance of including a youth
winning podcasts were created by a team of young peer advocates delegate in their official delegations: The inclusion of a youth
in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, and by two young activists from delegate will indicate the commitment of a Member State with
a youth organization in Gambia. Find out more about the winners the values of the Rio declaration, particularly principles 10 and
and listen to the top six podcasts in the YAHAnet Gallery! And be 21, and intergenerational equity and equal participation. Official
sure to check out the mp3 stream of an interview on McGill youth delegates serve as a liaison with the youth of their country,
University’s radio station in which YAHAnet coordinator John and inspiring and encouraging young people to participate more
student intern Emily talk about YAHAnet’s work and the podcast deeply at home, in the political life of their own societies,
competition. thereby counteracting the immense social costs of excluding
www.un.org/youth 6

7. Youth Flash Newsletter March 2012
young people. Official youth delegates will have a pink badge http://www.facebook.com/Riomasvos
during the Rio negotiations, will have access to closed discussions
and will participate more fully in the process. This will help push Youth Blast is the official event of the Major Group of
toward policies that are favourable for youth, especially in the Children and Youth (MGCY) with the aim of empowering
development of a green economy and other CSD policy processes. young people to participate the United Nations Conference on
For more information: http://uncsdchildrenyouth.org/get- Sustainable Development – Rio +20. Youth Blast will be held in
involved/working-groups/communications/campaigns-2/ Rio de Janeiro June 10-12, 2012. Besides providing information
and training to participants, the event will be a space for youth to
WAKE UP CALL: MAURITIUS Wake Up Call was a global share experiences and solutions related to sustainable
campaign organised by the One Young World organisation with development issues and forms of participation in decision
the aim of uniting youth around the world under the slogan “This is making at the international level. It will also be an occasion to
a Wake Up Call”, where each country would choose a specific build strategies for the activities to be developed during the
theme to address to their leaders. Youth rose magnificently to the conference. Click here to Register. Please visit the Major
call, with several countries choosing to focus their Wake Up Call Group of Children and Youth website to find out more ways to
on Rio+20 and sustainable development. Wake Up Call Mauritius get involved http://uncsdchildrenyouth.org/
demanded that youth be included in the official delegation to Rio,
as well as the consolidation of formal youth participation in Stockholm+40 The Swedish minister for the Environment
sustainable development. On 21.2.12, hundreds of young people organize Stockholm+40conference (April 23-25, 2012), the
flooded the Mauritian Prime Minister’s inbox with this request; the 40th anniversary of the UN Conference on the Human
campaign is ongoing, with a Rio+20 Simulation, a “Sustainability Environment in 1972.Youth play an important role in the
tour” of schools, and awareness events on the cards. If you want to program, and there will be about 60 international youth present
know more, here’s the website: wakeupcallmu.com at the event. The 3 themes of this conference are: sustainable
innovation, sustainable production, and sustainable living.
World Youth Parliament for Water, March 05-12, 2012: The Additionally, there are plans to organize youth briefings and
WYPW will take place in the region of Marseille from 6 to 17 meetings around Rio+20 back-to-back to this conference. To be
March 2012 in the framework of the 6th World Water Forum in continued :-) More information:
Marseille, France. The WYPW will gather 85 young people aged http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/15451/a/181900
between 18 and 24 from all over the world. The aim of the WYPW
is to enable the young people to share their solutions for water, MobilizeU International Competition between Colleges &
encourage youth participation in the World Water Forum's debates Universities that encourages students to engage their campus
and start new initiatives and projects. For more information: communities in four weeks of environmental activism
http://www.see-swe.org/youth/pmje#one surrounding Earth Day 2012 (March 29 - April 29). Over the
month-long competition, students will mobilize their campuses
US/Canada Citizens Summit for Sustainable Development, to generate as many “acts of green” as possible, through
March 24-25: It will be a platform for civil society in the U.S. and activities such as registering new voters, collecting personal act-
Canada to share and collaborate in the lead up to Rio+20 and of-green pledges, leading community clean-ups, and organizing
beyond. The Citizens’ Summit invites a wide range and major Earth Day events, as well as amplifying environmental
perspective to the table, reaching out to diverse groups and those initiatives that their schools are already working on. Every act of
new to the process. It aims to establish the need for sustainable green generated during MobilizeU will contribute to Earth Day
development is home-grown, that US and Canadian citizens have Network's global A Billion Acts of Green® initiative - thus
taken issue with. The Citizens’ Summit will engage US and providing a platform for college students to make a significant
Canadian Member States and the Rio+20 process in generating impact on the international scale.
lasting, transformative outcomes: For more information contact MobilizeU@earthday.org or visit
http://www.citizenssummit.org/citizenssummit.org/Welcome.html the website: http://www.earthday.org/mobilizeU
Rio+You: 22nd of April 2012 (Earth Day) will see synchronized The Volvo Adventure, in partnership with the United
events in over 50 Nations Environment Programme is an educational
cities around the world. Young people want to get media attention programme that rewards environmental activities and the
and to mobilize decision-makers of the future. To enter, you form a team of 2 to
thousands of people for the conference to come and to raise greater 5 members aged 13 to 16 (at competition opening - July 1st
awareness. This campaign was started by over 30 South American 2011). Perform an environmental project in your local
organizations and if you want to get involved and run an event-- community & submit the project via our online submission tool
you are very welcome! before the competition deadline, January 31st 2012. For more
information click here.
YOUR GOVERNMENT IS YOU!: http://www.riomasvos.org /
www.rioplusyou.org (em breve em Português)
www.un.org/youth 7

8. Youth Flash Newsletter March 2012
Projects are judged and the best projects are selected for an all For the first time, the 2011 edition of the World Youth Report is
expenses paid trip to Göteborg, Sweden where they can win: 1st largely dedicated to the voices of young people themselves. The
place = 10,000 USD, 2nd = 6,000 USD and 3rd = 4,000 USD. report is based on contributions from youth and representatives
of youth-led organizations to an e-discussion, in which they
UNCSD MGCY Capacity Building: Inclusiveness and equal shared their own views, experiences and recommendations on
participation of all youth are key to making Rio+20 a success. preparing for, entering, and remaining active in the workforce.
Aiming for a target of 1 billion youth including 5 million without The 2011 edition of the report is also the first to be produced in
internet, the MGCY wants to ensure every young person has the an interactive website that allows readers to engage on youth
chance to get involved and have a voice, which will itself join the employment issues: how young people are experiencing and
global voice of youth through the MGCY. Thsi is why the capacity addressing employment challenges; where and how young
building initiative was launched - with view of informing and people are succeeding in employment; how youth employment
inspiring young people across the world to learn about sustainable interacts with social practices; and what Governments can do to
development, RIo+20, as well as how they can act. The initiative help prepare young people in the transition from education to
would be incomplete without the plethora of volunteers across the work.
world who signed up for the tasks of disseminating a capacity-
building tookit which the team is working on, as well as taking The report aims to shed light on such complex issues, while
individual awareness-raising, activism, advocacy and facilitation bringing the voices of young people themselves into fora where
responsibilities. The team, like the rest of the MGCY, operates on youth issues are discussed and acted upon. The report was
very fluid lines and therefore welcomes anyone who wishes to officially launched at a side event to the Commission on Social
join. Email uncsdmgcy
uncsdmgcy@gmail.com for more information. Development on 6th February, bringing together main
contributors to the report as well as representatives from
Member States, the UN system, youth and the private sector.
Publications Access the report: www.unworldyouthreport.org
World Youth Report 2011: youth
perspectives on the pursuit of decent
work in changing times
The World Youth Report 2011 explores the transition of young
people from schools and training institutions into the labour
market, a phase marking a critical period in the life cycle. The
current employment scenario for young people, worsened by the
global economic crisis, poses an urgent challenge with long-term
implications for both young people and society as a whole.
www.un.org/youth 8