Dear friends,

Over the past 12 years, significant momentum has built around efforts to increase youth participation in global decision-making, particularly at the United Nations. This remains one of our objectives at the Global Youth Action Network.

Last year, there was a sudden and historic 400% increase of youth included on member delegations to the General Assembly - the highest form of participation available to young people within the UN System. But no mechanism exists yet to support and maintain this level of participation. In fact, the UN Youth Programme has instead been reduced in staff size, and remains the only Secretariat office addressing youth affairs.

The momentum that has built now must be met with greater commitment on the part of the UN to support these critical voices in conversations about our future.

The UN Special Session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS taking place this week offers yet another chance for world leaders to recognize the important voice that young people bring to addressing global problems - especially those in which their role is so significant. Members of the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA) are working hard to ensure that our generation is heard, but the United Nations must dedicate more of its resources to support this population, the ones most impacted by their decisions today.

If these global challenges are to ever be solved - such as halting the spread of HIV/AIDS - it will be with young people, not for them... Young people's greatest interest is having a future more hopeful than the one we see today. The stage is set, and we're ready for inter-generational partnership, but those at the helm have to meet a new generation halfway.

This is our world.

Benjamin Quinto
Executive Director

Youth Employment in Latin America: Overcoming a Lost Decade
Union Network International- Nyon, Switzerland 5/4/2006
... During the Regional Meeting for the Americas a plan for improving youth employment in Latin America was a focus of the meeting... More here.

Governor Opens Youth and Community Conference
Pacific Magazine- Honolulu, HI, USA 4/28/2006
... The American Somoa Governor of Hawaii has officially opened the Youth and Community Conference which seeks to address challenges confronting the American Samoais youth now and in the future... More here.

BBC Arabic Inspired to Focus on Youth Issues
AME Info- UAE 4/30/2006
... Encouraged by the succes of its Your future... who decides it? events in Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, the West Bank and Syria the BBC has vowed to increase its coverage of young people in the Arab world... More here.

Positive Image Awards: In a League of Their Own!
Young People Now- London, UK 4/26/2006
... This year's Young People Now Positive Images Awards attracted a high caliber of entrants, each encouraging a positive image of youth in media... More here.

Nepal Youth Gripped by 'Fever of Revolution'
The Star- Toronto 4/23/2006
... The young people of Nepal protested against the King in a desire for democracy... More here.

Youth are Our Responsibility
Sun St. Kitts/Nevis- St. Kitts and Nevis 5/19/2006
... In the Caribbean young people need education and committment from older generations to make a change for the future... More here.

King Renews his Confidence in Young People
Jordan New Agency- Jordan 5/16/2006
... King Abdullah remarks on a visit to Hashemite University that young people are responsible for the future, especially in education... More here.

Youth in Action Project Ghana
After a visit by GYAN's Associate Director, the GYAN Ghana team is currently getting ready to launch the Youth in Action project in Ghana. This project focuses on promoting democratic governance, and the achievement of the MDGs by 2015 in Ghana and West Africa. GYAN is also in the process of opening a new office in Accra, so stay tuned! We hope you can visit us soon! For more information contact Kwame Frempong.

UNGASS HIV/AIDS 2006 Review
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA) and Advocates for Youth (AFY), in collaboration with UNFPA, are coordinating a Youth Summit on May 29 and 30 preceding the upcoming UNGASS AIDS 2006 Review Meeting being held from May 31 - June 1, 2006 at the United Nations Secretariat in New York to elevate the issue of youth and HIV/AIDS through the voices of young people themselves. 2006 marks five years since member states signed on to the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (DoC), pledging to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide, with specific targets to reduce the vulnerability of young people to infection. 60 youth participants are attending the Youth Summit and some of them have researched and written National Youth Shadow Reports on their governments' progress in achieving DoC youth targets. These reports are now available at the GYCA website.

Global Youth Service Day Report Due June 5th
The 7th annual Global Youth Service Day took place in 117 countries, involving hundreds of thousand young people in community service projects. Congratulations to everyone involved for making this year's celebrations a big success! The GYSD 2006 Final Report is now being compiled, and please submit your report by June 5th by filling out this survey.

CSD Youth Caucus makes impact at the UN
During the Commission on Sustainable Development at the UN Headquarters from May 1-12, more than 60 young people came together to lobby for policy change on energy and climate change initiatives. Several GYAN members and staff were part of the Youth Caucus, and GYAN also assisted with accreditations and logistical support.

Walk the World
GYAN partnered with the UN World Food Programme to lead Walk the World celebrations in 9 countries on May 21, 2006. The activities included walks, workshops, radio shows, and mobilized thousands of young volunteers, promoting the eradication of child malnutrition in their communities. For more information contact Luis Davila-Ortega.

Join the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) in 2006
GCAP will build on the successful efforts in 2005 to continue the call to action in 2006. A month of mobilization will be launched on 16 September, which will build up to a climax on a global white band day on the 17 October - the International Day on the Eradication of Poverty. In most countries, national coalitions of civil society organizations will undertake the coordination of activities. Please visit the website for more information and to find out how to get in touch with the national coalition in your country.

Earth Action
2006 is the UN International Year of Desertification and Earth Action is calling on all people, media outlets, and legislatures to become more involved in issues surrounding topsoil and land use. Every 25 billion tons of usable topsoil is lost, leaving behind parched land that may eventually become so degraded that it cannot support life. Join Earth Action in demanding that the UN and its member-states support an end to desertification. Visit their website.

Hugo Chavez Addresses Mass Rally Organized by Hands Off Venezuela
Venezuela Analysis.com 5/14/2006
... President Chavez spoke to an audience of 5,000 enthusiastic young people in the largest gathering of the Left in Vienna, Austria... More here.

Where Are the Bright Young Things?
Inter Press Service New Agency 5/9/2006
... Young Kenyans need to get involved with local, regional and national government... More here.

Young People Flogged for Taking Part in Celebration in Iran
NCR-Iran.org- London, UK
... The youth were arrested by the "anti-vice police" in a park on the suburbs of Babol as they were celebrating... More here.

Politics 'as usual' will not win youth votes
Jamaica Gleaner- Kingston, Jamaica
... Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline; it is condemned to bleed to death... More here.

Indonesia, Chinese Youth Pledge to Deepen Cooperation
People's Daily Online- Beijing, China 5/9/2006
... Youth cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China to further deepen the people-to-people contact among young people... More here.

GG says Young People must be Productively Engaged Government of Jamaica
Jamaica Information Service- Jamaica 5/15/2006
...the government must try "to contribute to the process, by inspiring young people to hone their skills"... More here.

More Journalistic "Oxygen" Needed to Revive Democracy
College News, 5/16/2006
...Just half of the people polled in a 2005 National Youth Survey agreed that voting is important... More here.

:: PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Advocates for Youth
Advocates for Youth is dedicated to creating programs and advocating for policies that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates provides information, training, and strategic assistance to youth-serving organizations, policy makers, youth activists, and the media in the United States and the developing world. AfY is partnered with GYCA for the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS issues. For more information, click here.

:: EVENT SPOTLIGHT [Full Calendar]

Global Youth Village
Date: 14 July - 5 August, 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
The Global Youth Village is an international summer training program for young people ages 13-18. Be an agent for social change this summer by exploring global citizenship, teamwork, project planning, decision-making, and public speaking with friends from around the world. Learn how to make a difference both locally and globally and participate in an array of stimulating recreational and cultural activities and events. For more information, click here.

Young Global Leaders Summit
Date: 15 July, 2006
Location: Ohio, USA
At Bowling Green State University in Ohio, young people from all over the world will come together for a day of workshops, speakers, and discussions on how they can take positive action to improve U.S.-Muslim relations. Students will hear from top experts and then have time to discuss between themselves about this critical global relationship and issue. For more information, click here.

1st International Summer School for Young Africans
Date: 23-30 July, 2006
Location: Nigeria
Organized by the Africa Diaspora Youth Forum (UK). Attend the 1st International Summer School for Young Africans in Nigeria from the 23rd to the 30th of July 2006. The summer school will be held for a week and will draw speakers and trainers from all over Africa and its Diaspora. For more information, click here or send an email.

Voices of Change 2006 International Summer School
Date: 15-21 August, 2006
Location: Gloucester, Great Britain
Following the success of the 2005 Voices for Change event in Pune, India, Voices for Change is returning to the United Kingdom from the 15 to 21st of August. Based in an outdoor environmentally sustainble conference center, called Green and Away near Gloucester, the 2006 event will be home to 150 young activists from around the world. To take part you need to be between 16 and 25 and a limited amount of scholarships are available. For more information, send an email.

:: BE CAUTIOUS - POTENTIAL SCAMS
Many scams invite people to register for a youth conference, and intend only to collect registration fees. Please beware and only pay fees when you are certain it is a legitimate event. Common schemes include events taking place both in the USA and other countries.

• Global Youth Welfare Organization The Global Youth Welfare Organization is promoting two conferences, one in Miami, Florida USA and one in Spain. This conference is a hoax, please do not send any money or information to this organization. GYAN reminds you that organizations that are promoting two events in two locations tend to be hoax organizations.