Thanks to all of you who posted responses to the dialogue questions. They will become part of a report.

Even a casual observer could not fail to notice the ritual descent of young adults onto city centre streets every Friday and Saturday night. City councils, the media and development agencies increasingly make reference to the quality of night life aimed at young people to boost the image of cities while commentators remark on the role of night time activity in the revival of Britain's city centres. This project, then, looks in more detail at the connections between young people and changes in urban nightlife (bars, clubs, pubs, music venues).

In particular, we (YAFNet) are concerned with who currently owns the pub, bar and club sectors; the growing theming and branding of nightlife spaces; new methods of surviellance and control especially CCTV; and issues of access, safety and exclusion. Over the last decade new types of upmarket, branded nightlife, especially more cosmopolitan style and café bars, and larger super-pubs and -clubs have come to dominate nightlife in most cities. In the wake of this growth, older/historic and alternative/independent nightlife are being squeezed out, shut down or bought out. By talking to groups of young people, nightlife operators and regulators in several cities, this project aims to shed light on some of the implications of, and reactions to, the emergence of these 'cool cities'. We ask - whose nightlife? whose culture? whose city?

Hi everybody,

I am very pleased to participate in this forum.

I support the youth fund initiative. I think this is a way for the oung people to find the necessary fung that will allow them to support their Community Projects.

I hope that the fund will be a reality and be available as soon as possible.
I would suggest that all the mecanisms are put in place for the creation and the management of that fund.

Looking forward to hearing from others,

All the best !!!

Osée Résidor
From Haiti.

Hi everybody,

I am very pleased to participate in this forum.

I support the youth fund initiative. I think this is a way for the oung people to find the necessary fung that will allow them to support their Community Projects.

I hope that the fund will be a reality and be available as soon as possible.
I would suggest that all the mecanisms are put in place for the creation and the management of that fund.

Looking forward to hearing from others,

All the best !!!

Osée Résidor
From Haiti.

I strongly support the establishment of a Youth Fund which shall be administered and managed by qualified youth professionals.
In February 2007, I had the experience of participating in an African Union/ UNIDO/UNOWA/ECOWAS Conference on Youth Employment for the Mano River Union (MRU).MRU has more than 5 miilion unemployed youth majority of whom are ex-combatants and are jobless.
It became clear that most of the Ministers from the Region did not like the idea of creating youth led development projects and really opted for the integration of the proposed project for youth employment and empowerment into the already existing ones, which to me is unfortunate.Youth Led Development should complement existing structures and programmes.
However, I am of the opinion that all youth groups must synergise efforts so that we have a clear focus,purpose and direction in eastablishing a Youth Fund for youth empowerment.
Thanks for listenning.
Selorm.
[email protected]
[email protected],
Liaison Officer,
All Africa Students Union,
(AASU)
Accra.

Enviromental Refugees remain key issue even as the Environment Youth Alliance comes to our country Kenya from th 16-24th April 2007. Millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa,including Kenya, are increasingly becoming victims of the climate and have to move fromtheir homes. The term refugees had previously been associated with persons fleeing wars and persecution. The worst hit group are the youth since most of the deveoping countries have not fully invested in us.

It is in this regard that Youth Action Forum for Networking (YAFNet) endorses the intrduction of The Youth Fund. The Youth Fund would support young people in implementing projects to foster sustainable development in their communities.

Martin LutherJr. once said that "the Nation that does not invest in its YOUTH is a dying nation and is headed to the dooms"
VIVA EYA.

hi all

thanks to jacquie for the invite to this group. i'll see if i can contribute something meaningful!

there has been a lot of research and discussion on youth funds previously - would be good to see what is out there and get a hold of things. i'd write to the international youth foundation, world bank, CONGO, etc and see waht they can tell you.

i'm going to email jacquie - if i can find them - some discussions i was involved in about youth funds ages back.

should also talk to the Youth Employment Summit people as they were looking at a youth fund.

for me, it doesn't make sense to have a youth fund for every different organisation - the benefits are to be realised through scalability and efficiency ... possibly by pooling money?

cameron

One Canadian organization with a global membership of over 100,000 agrees: “Young people have too often been seen as a burden rather than an asset, a group to be taught but not to teach, and to receive but not to give. Yet this is a view we simply can’t afford to have. Young people are in fact, the world’s greatest untapped resource.” Jennifer Corriero, Co-founder, Executive Director, TakingItGlobal (Canada)

Questions for Youth Led Development Dialogue
A. Development
There is an underlying assumption that to be modern or developed is to be like wealthy northern or Western countries.

DIALOGUE QUESTION:If you could redefine development from a youth perspective, how would you define it?

B. Youth Leadership
Youth leadership assumes that young people are in leadership positions and
can implement and manage activities targeted towards youth.

DIALOGUE QUESTION: What does youth leadership do to enhance or multiply efforts to achieve “development”?

C. How can partners support us?
There is currently a proposal to launch a UN Habitat Youth Fund, as well as many other initiatives that are aimed at supporting “Youth Led Development.” Youth need a voice in shaping the design of the activities supported by these initiatives.

DIALOGUE QUESTION: Do you support the UN Habitat Youth Fund or concepts like it at the local, national and international levels and Why?