As the Commission for Social Development has come to a close, I wanted to post an update on the progress of youth in the decision of social inclusion. On the agenda of this year’s meeting was a whole item dedicated to the World Programme of Action for Youth. European youth delegates have been very active in the commission by making statements and there is also a resolution regarding youth specifically. The two topics brought up most often were climate change and employment for young people. The need for youth to be employed is one area both our members and Member States at the commission can agree upon. At a morning briefing with the Chairperson of the Commission, Finnish Ambassador Ms. Kirsti Lintonen, she highlighted that next year (the policy year where resolutions will be made) youth employment will, in fact, be a major concern.

These are great steps to have taken, but as always, I have to temper the successes with saying that it cannot end now. Governments need to be followed up with on the statements they have made and commitments to youth they have promised. I also believe that there needs to be more youth participation in social development. I suggest more organized groups of young people from developing countries, where the majority of young people live, must be included in discussions. However, I do not have solutions to how to actually make this happen. We need to think and act together.

All I can do is leave you with some questions for thought:

What would these groups look like?
How feasible is it for young people to be physically present to conferences?
What other alternatives could be thought of to insure ALL young people have their voices heard?

The Commission for Social Development is a more than half way through. I just wanted to provide a summary of what has been happening through out the week. Let me try to set the scene for you...

Location: UN conference room
I am not sure how many people have seen movies such as "The Interpreter", but they give a fairly accurate depiction of what the inside of a UN conference room looks like. Although, I think what happens inside is a little less exciting than the movie.

Mood: Bureaucratically stifled
Some delegates look bored. Others appear to be making plans for the weekend. Either way, delegates are saying what has been pre-approved by their governments with no diversion.

Time: Somewhere between 10AM and 12:30PM

I have been sitting and listening to delegate after delegate (country after country) present their statements. Generally, they all begin with “Congratulations Madam Chairperson and the honorable Bureau for your election into the position…” and to summarize the rest would basically sound something like “we fully support social inclusion and are doing are promoting it in all our practices”. I know, it is a glib observation and not fully accurate. There are different issues that some countries focus on more, and countries are saying important things. Take a look at the statements submitted on the CSocD website to check them all out.

But all this congratulating and speaking about how much countries are already promoting inclusion gets a little old, and frankly, more than a little untruthful. That is why it was so refreshing to hear Cuba give her stance and liven up the conference a little. Cuba asked:



“Right on Cuba!” was what I was thinking…until at the end they added in that “Cuba is proud to have a profoundly popular and participatory democracy, where the people has the power and all human rights, not a few, are promoted and protected”. Ehn, nice try…

The United States was no better, though. They basically dropped names like “Obama”, “Hillary”, and “Gore”. Did we forget about the last eight years’ administration? I feel it is so important for these talks to be honest. Why can’t countries talk and say, “Hey, I know we haven’t always been perfect in this area but what can we do to change that?” Not, “Listen to all the great things we have done”. That, in itself, is exclusionary. You are excluding and ignoring groups of people who have not felt the benefits of your programs and policies. Having these conversations are important, and countries have to be responsible to the statements they make. How and when can we young people hold those accountable and no longer let them get away with their sweeping statements?

Greetings! This past week has been an exciting one here in the United States, and elsewhere in the world, with the inauguration of new president Barack Obama. Clearly, so many of us are hungry for change and belief that things can get better. I believe why so many of us in the United States believe that President Obama can help usher in these changes is because he brings people together, makes everyone feel included. This allows people to become inspired to act together. While this has been something highlighted by the US media lately, this is not a new phenomenon. People have been coming together to work on common issues for a long time. This past week I have been thinking a lot about how people can come together as I have been preparing for the upcoming Commission for Social Development meeting at the United Nations (UN).

For those of you who are not familiar Commission for Social Development, it is a conference held every year for two weeks at the UN. This year is the 47th meeting and will take place February 4-13. The commission has 43 member states (countries) involved and usually somewhere between 150-200 civil society organizations (groups of regular people like you and I). This year the topic will be “Social Integration” and discussing how nations can build socially inclusive “societies for all”. In non-UN language, this means countries will work to come up with written agreements to follow that allow everyone—regardless of ethnicity, nationality, gender, religion, age, etc, etc.—to feel accepted and respected by their countries.

My work the past four months has been preparing a statement that puts together all the ideas and recommendations GYAN members contributed during our online consultation regarding social integration, or how we have been referring to it—social inclusion. I have enjoyed reading all the amazing points and views GYAN members take, and from that, being able to translate all those into one cohesive statement. Our statement is now posted on the Commission website as an official UN document in six different languages, along with other statements from more organizations all working towards the same goal of social inclusion. It is so exciting to know that youth voices—YOUR VOICES—are going to be heard by the member states in attendance!

Getting young people involved in the discussions is so important, but the work does not end here! The information has to be shared with our communities. More importantly, we must remind our governments of the promises they have made and demand that they abide by them. It is such a big job and cannot be done alone. If you are unfamiliar with the Commission for Social Development and the online consultation GYAN held, I invite you to take a look sites and see what young people are saying. GYAN members have shared their recommendations on how their governments can promote social inclusion, how do you think your government can do this? Or even, what is social inclusion?

This entry was written by Franziska Seel and Vidar Ekehaug as the introduction to the September edition of YouthLink Express - GYAN's monthly newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

Last week saw the opening of the General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters here in New York, the time of the year when world leaders speak about their commitments to development, peace and security. At the center of many statements were the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs came out of the Millennium Summit in 2000, and represented a major shift in commitments from governments. For the first time in history, governments recognized that there are enough resources to end poverty, provide education and health care for all, achieve gender equality, and ensure a sustainable development. Also for the first time, there was an actual deadline – 2015 – for making significant progress.

Yet, today, we are far away from reaching the MDGs. What is going wrong? Are the MDGs after all just an unrealistic dream? While governments continue to repeat their commitments to the goals as they have done the last few years, there also seems to be a growing sense of helplessness among many of them. Civil society leaders, on their part, are increasingly concerned that the strategies to achieve the MDGs focus too much on economic growth as a catalyst for development, and ignore the human aspect. The MDGs represent a tangible and deliverable commitment from governments to create a better world, but they are also just a series of numbers, targets and indicators.

The MDGs can be a strong advocacy tool to hold governments accountable, but is the MDG policy framework enough to eradicate extreme poverty and growing inequality? Or do we need to change the whole debate? Please share your opinions with us!

Job Description

The Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) is looking for young people who enjoy writing and keep up to date on current issues for a volunteer blogging position. GYAN is a network of youth organizations, and strives to connect young people around the world and provide them with the tools and resources they need to enact change locally, nationally, or globally. GYAN also has special consultative status with the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and accordingly works to increase youth participation in the United Nations.

To this end, the staff and interns at GYAN regularly attend briefings, meetings and conferences at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and write about them in our online blog. GYAN is now looking for a dynamic, motivated and knowledgeable young person to write in our blog about issues that affect young people in their local communities, and what is being done by and for youth. The blog is available at http://www.tigblog.org/group/unreports.

Blogger Responsibilities:

- Write one blog per month minimum about one of the topics detailed below
- This position will last for 6 months; during this time you must write 6 blogs
- Work to publicize the blog in your local or national community, and urge more young people to read and comment on the entries

Blog topics:

Currently, our blog focuses on issues and events taking place at the UN. Your blog must relate to one of the following topics:

1. Write about the UN’s presence in your local area. Feel free to choose a specific policy or program to analyze. Are there any helpful programs that the UN is implementing in your local community? What do people think about the UN’s efforts? Give your opinion on the policies of the UN, and whether you can see their effect in your local area. Are their efforts working? Check out the UN News Centre to keep up to date on issues, and to find ideas to blog about: http://www.un.org/News/


2. Discuss critical issues facing young people in your community, and what young people can do about them. Discuss a problem and offer a solution.


3. Highlight some of the positive contribution of youth. What are young people in your area already doing to help others and to enact change?


4. Read and respond to previous blogs written by GYAN staff and interns regarding UN programs, events, and policies. Are those measures actually being implemented? Is anything happening on the ground, and are UN policies creating tangible change? Is there a difference between what the UN is saying, and what is actually getting done? Post your responses and observations in the blog.


5. Write about how young people can increase their voices and participation in the UN, and what young people can do to get involved and make a difference in their communities. What opportunities do you see for young people in your area, whether within the UN system or outside of it? Discuss any opportunities you find out about – e.g. fellowships, programs, conferences, workshops, etc.

Skills & Requirements

- Basic knowledge of United Nations activities and policies
- Interest in social justice issues and in learning more about the UN
- Strong writing skills
- Fluent in English, Spanish or French
- Knowledge of youth opportunities locally and nationally
- Previous experience or involvement in working with youth, or working to make a difference in your community is helpful

Application

E-mail us: 1 previous writing sample of your choice, and a brief essay stating your interest in the UN system. Please send us this material by the application deadline of September 15, 2008. E-mail all application materials to gyan@youthlink.org.