This
year the Alliance of Youth CEOs is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
The alliance, which represents the widest component of organized
youth movements in the world, aims to raise international awareness
on youth issues through its advocacy work.
The alliance, witch aims to raise international awareness on
youth issues, originated from a joint initiative of the Secretary
Generals of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM)
and the International Award Association (IAA).
The group, comprising of the chief executive officers of the
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, the World
Alliance of YMCAs, the World Young Women's Christian Association,
the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,
the World Organisation of the Scout Movement and the International
Award Association, first met in 1996 as they realised their
six movements had great potential for joint advocacy work for
young people.
The intention was to present the IAA youth programmes; however,
during the meeting it became clear that the six movements had
much in common that could and should be harnessed for shared
objectives. They decided to meet again, to "address collectively
and with one voice" some of the subjects related to "youth
development and youth education".
Several Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also have created national
alliances with these partners and work together on common youth
issues.
The group remains an informal network of the six CEOs, with
no statutes and no chairman. “Our mandate as CEOs is to
influence advocacy work and to facilitate co-operation at field
level” said Ibrahim Osman, deputy Secretary General of
the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
that hosted the 10th anniversary meeting on June 2 in Geneva.
Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross,
UNICEF and UNESCO were also present at the anniversary meeting.
During the meeting participants had the chance to hear about
the history of the alliance, its achievements and lessons learnt
over the past 10 years, as well as the work with UNICEF. They
also reflect and make proposals for its future work.
Besides the inter-generational initiative to empower young people
in Africa to prevent HIV, and the Pan-African youth forum
on HIV and AIDS organised in Senegal in 2003, four publications
have been published by the alliance, including "Girls and
Young Women in the 21st Century: A call to action" and,
together with UNICEF, "Children and Young People: Participating
in Decision-Making. A Call for Action". Many ministers
of education have consulted alliance publications when drawing
up their national education policies. "We want youth policies
to become legislation so that, though governments may change,
the policies remain" said Eduardo Missoni, WOSM Secretary
General, at the anniversary meeting.
Plans for the future of the alliance include strengthening the
cooperation between the six youth organizations at country level
and building on the success and lessons learnt of their past
work to change the way that policy decisions regarding young
people are made, giving young people more of a voice.
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| Ibrahim
Osman, Deputy Secretary General of the International Federation
(left) and Edoardo Missoni, WOSM.Secretary Generali
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| Representatives
from YWCA, UNICEF and YMCA at the anniversary meeting.
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