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Young
Leaders for a Sustainable Fiji, Fiji
Who's
involved:
Project leader: Vani Samuwai with Catherine
Nisha
Main partner: Ministry
of Youth Employment Opportunities & Sports
Other organisations:
- Department of Environment
- Ministry of National Planning & Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
- Ministry of Fisheries & Ministry of Forestry
- Live & Learn Project
- University of the South Pacific
- Partners in Community Development Fiji
- World Wide Fund for Nature
- Greenpeace Pacific
- SOPAC
- OISCA
- Secretariat of the Pacific Community
- Forum Secretariat
Timeframe:
September 2005 - February 2006
Theme:
My island home
Background:
Young people are virtually invisible in terms
of public policy and of voices expressed on the
national stage. It was for this reason that the
Ministry of Youth Employment Opportunities & Sports
embarked on a three year pilot project from 2002
- 2004 in hosting the National Youth Parliament
Programme with funding assistance from AUSAID,
UNICEF & the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
(SPC).
The programme, which was
also an empowerment initiative, has empowered
a total of 222 Young Leaders from all walks
of life, different races, different ethnic and
religious backgrounds. These young leaders continue
to advocate for youth issues in their communities,
youth groups, villages and schools and are able
to identify themselves with issue based forums,
workshops and seminars. Some have represented
Fiji in overseas workshops and forums and have
returned with much to share with their peers.
The Young Leaders are now
in the process of forming a Youth Parliament
Alumni that will enable them to coordinate
their work together and be a powerful group that
will be a 'voice' for young people in Fiji. During
the National Youth Week in 2005 from May 2nd to
May 6th these Young Leaders will organize an Environmental
Awareness Workshop and Clean Up Campaigns so that
they need to understand and know that our environment
is fast depleting and they must take ownership
of conserving and caring for the environments
they live in, particularly since Fiji is a Small
Island Developing State and is currently affected
by environmental changes taking place globally.
Objectives:
- The Young Leaders will be well-versed and be
well-informed on all environmental issues and
governing instruments and be able to take responsible
for their actions as agents of change in their
communities, villages, youth groups and schools.
- The Young Leaders will
continue to create the 'multiplier effect' by
sharing and advocating what they learnt in one
week with their peers, friends, families and with
those they come into contact with.
- The issues on environment
is one that the young people tend to be ignorant
-about because of the over-riding youth issues
such as HIV/AIDS, unemployment, crime but do not
understand that all these issues are inter-related
and the need to treat the environment issue as
an urgent issue thus this workshop will provide
this.
- To raise awareness on environmental
issues amongst the young leaders from Global,
Regional and at National level.
- To raise awareness on International,
Regional and National governing instruments regarding
the environment that are in place particularly
the Rio Declaration on Environment & Development
and Agenda 21 where Chapter 25 focuses on the
contribution of children and youth and the Barbados
Programme of Action, also what will transpire
in Mauritius and with our current Fiji National
Environment Act.
- To instill in the lives
of these young leaders the need to conserve the
environment and promote sustainable development
so that there is a better future for all.
Activities:
- Conduct a one-day workshop for 100 leaders who
are past participants of the National Youth Parliament
Programme which will culminate in the launch of
the first ever Fiji Youth Parliament Alumni of
the Fiji Islands
- During the workshop facilitate
the discussions and group work on activities of
the Alumni for the next two years to focus on
environmental issues and HIV/AIDS awareness and
prevention
- Elect 10 participants for
the Steering Committee for the next two years;
one young leader will be nominated by the Alumni
to represent them at the National Youth Advisory
Board
- Facilitate the young leaders
in organizing and documenting 2 clean-up campaigns
and 1 HIV/AIDS prevention campaign by January
2006
- Conduct a survey of 20
young leaders who participated in the workshop
to determine: a) how they envision the Youth Parliament
Alumni; b) name three ways that environmental
issues can be addressed by the Alumni; c) name
three ways that HIV prevention issues can be addressed
by the Alumni.
- Provide photographs and
60 minutes video coverage of the workshop and
clean-up campaigns.
- Publicize the workshop
and clean-up campaigns through local radio, television
and newspapers.
- Investigate and report
on ways of making the clean-up campaigns regular
events possibly with local support
Progress
Reports:
28 October 2005
Youth Parliament Alumni launched
Youth Fiji newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 3, October
2005
The Ministry of Youth, Employment
Opportunities and Sports launched the first ever
Youth Parliament Alumni of the Fiji Islands on
Friday 28th October 2005 at the Southern Cross
Hotel, in Suva.
The Youth Parliament Alumni
brought together past participants of the successful
2002, 2003 and 2004 National Youth Parliament
Programme.
Senior Youth Officer William
Naisara says the launch will be preceded by a
workshop where former youth parliamentarians will
deliberate on ways of strengthening the Alumni...
>>
more
Downloads:
Project
Proposal
Workplan
For more information:
Contact Vani Samuwai: vsamuwai@youth.gov.fj
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Summary
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