Expressez-Vous

By Ban Ki-moon (United Nations Secretary-General)

I am regularly inspired by the good will, talent and idealism of the young people I meet across the world.

This year’s commemoration of International Youth Day also marks the launch of the International Year of Youth, under the theme “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”.

Today’s challenging social and economic environment warrant a special focus on youth. Eighty-seven per cent of people aged 15 to 24 live in developing countries. The global economic crisis has had a disproportionate impact on young people; they have lost jobs, struggled to find even low-wage employment and seen access to education curtailed. As economies slowly begin to stabilize, the needs of young people should be paramount.

This is a moral imperative and a developmental necessity. But it is also an opportunity: the energy of youth can ignite faltering economies. I am regularly inspired by the good will, talent and idealism of the young people I meet across the world. They are making important contributions to our work to eradicate poverty, contain the spread of disease, combat climate change and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. I call on Member States to increase their investments in young people so they can do even more.

During the International Year, the United Nations and its youth organization partners will focus on the need to encourage dialogue and understanding across generations, cultures and religions. In a world in which different peoples and traditions are coming into closer, more frequent contact than ever before, it is crucial that young people learn how to listen intently, empathize with others, acknowledge divergent opinions, and be able to resolve conflicts. Few endeavors are more important than nurturing these skills, and educating young people about human rights, for in them we not only see the next generation of leaders, but also crucial stakeholders of today. Let us also recognize that older generations themselves stand to learn a great deal from the experiences and examples of young people as they come of age in a world of accelerating interconnectedness.

As we launch this International Year, let us acknowledge and celebrate what youth can do to build a safer, more just world. Let us strengthen our efforts to include young people in policies, programmes and decision-making processes that benefit their futures and ours. 

(Source: http://www.un.org/en/events/youthday/sg.shtml) 

Beautiful People by Pradeep Swar is a fast moving story that carries us across continents. It is a story of two families totally unknown to each other and coming from separate cultures. It is the tale of how their fortunes came to cross paths in the High Himalayan and the dusty plains of North India. The story carries us over a period of almost two decades and tells us to the varying fortunes of our two families whose second generation comes together as students in the Eastern Hill station of Darjeeling, the famed tea producing centre. The underlying current of terrorism and the activities of the crime nexus bring us back to the stark realities of the present day world where none are truly secure and can never know when violence may strike.

At time, the realization comes as a result. The path to finding that result may be very rugged and evil may strew its way in the very familiar form of violence, but howsoever bad the case may be, all seems good if at the end, the result is good.

It is a wonder and a miracle if something, even a little good thing comes out of a violent and inhumane behavior. That result is then beautiful.

Such is the case with Omar. A driven and orthodox mastermind he is, who will stop at nothing until he gets his vengeance. And he is going to use anything and anyone to claim it and will wipe out anything and anyone on his path to get it.

Then, there are the other people. Those everyday people who live an undistributed life and who are suddenly entangled in this tumultuous chain of threatening events.  “The strife of humanity is when a human uses another wrongly.” But evil has power and so does innocence and these clash to bring out an eye-opening truth in front of our eyes. That it is a beautiful world filled with beautiful people.

Title: Beautiful People

Author: Pradeep Swar

Edition: First Edition

Cover: Paperback

Subject: Fiction

Pages: 225

Size (mm): 140 x217

Weight (grams):260

Price: US$ 8.75

Pradeep Swar, 19, is a young and promising young Nepali author wrote this story at the tender age of 16. He himself was a student in Darjeeling has used much of his own personal experience of the region to give depth and interest to his first full length novel.

UNAIDS Outlook Report 2010

New UNAIDS report shows that young people are leading the prevention revolution, with 15 of the most severely affected countries reporting a 25% drop in HIV prevalence among this key population. New global opinion poll shows that AIDS continues to be of major importance for the public around the world.

The new UNAIDS Outlook report outlines a radically simplified HIV treatment platform called Treatment 2.0 that could decrease the number of AIDS-related deaths drastically and could also greatly reduce the number of new HIV infections. Evidence shows that new HIV infections among young people, in the 15 countries most affected by HIV, are dropping significantly as young people embrace safer sexual behaviours.

Also in the report, a sweeping new UNAIDS and Zogby International public opinion poll shows that nearly 30 years into the AIDS epidemic, region by region, countries continue to rank AIDS high on the list of the most important issues facing the world.

And an economic analysis makes the case for making health a necessity, not a luxury, outlining the critical need for donor countries to sustain AIDS investments and calling on richer developing countries to invest more in HIV and health.

The report was launched in Geneva ahead of the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna. The UNAIDS Executive Director, Mr Michel Sidibé, stressed that innovation in the AIDS response can save more lives. “For countries to reach their universal access targets and commitments, we must reshape the AIDS response. Through innovation we can bring down costs so investments can reach more people.”

According to UNAIDS’ estimates there were 33.4 million people living with HIV worldwide at the end of 2008. In the same year there were nearly 2.7 million new HIV infections and 2 million AIDS-related deaths.

Treatment 2.0 saves lives:

Treatment 2.0 is a new approach to simplify the way HIV treatment is currently provided and to scale up access to life saving medicines. Using a combination of efforts it could bring down treatment costs, make treatment regimens simpler and smarter, reduce the burden on health systems and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV and their families. Modelling suggests that compared with current treatment approaches, Treatment 2.0 could avert an additional 10 million deaths by 2025.

In addition, the new approach could also reduce new HIV infections by up to 1 million annually if countries provide antiretroviral therapy to all people in need, following revised WHO treatment guidelines. Today, 5 million of the 15 million people in need are accessing these life-saving medicines.

“Not only could Treatment 2.0 save lives, it has the potential to give us a significant prevention dividend,” said Mr Sidibé, speaking at the launch of the report.

Young people leading the prevention revolution:

A new UNAIDS study shows that young people are leading the HIV prevention revolution. HIV prevalence among young people has declined by more than 25% in 15 of the 25 countries most affected by AIDS. These declines are largely due to falling new HIV infections among young people.

In eight countries—Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe—significant HIV prevalence declines have been accompanied by positive changes in sexual behaviour among young people.

For example, in Kenya there was a 60% decline in HIV prevalence between 2000 and 2005. HIV prevalence dropped from 14.2% to 5.4% in urban areas and from 9.2% to 3.6% in rural areas in the same period. Similarly in Ethiopia there was a 47% reduction in HIV prevalence among pregnant young women in urban areas and a 29% change in rural areas.

Young people in 13 countries, including Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Malawi, are waiting longer before they become sexually active. Young people were also having fewer multiple partners in 13 countries. And condom use by young people during last sex act increased in 13 countries.

There are 5 million young people living with HIV worldwide, making up about 40% of new infections.

Bonn Climate Change Talks -May, June 2010

Thank you chair for giving us the floor, My name is Hansha. I will be 65 years old in 2050.

Article 6 and the New Delhi Work Programme are among the most promising commitments you have taken under the frame of the UNFCCC. Education, awareness raising and public participation are the three pillars that will enable all of us to develop and put into practice the shared vision we have been speaking about for so long.

18 years have passed since Rio and political leaders are still confronted in their constituencies with skepticism and lack of basic understanding on climate change. This situation contributes to reduce popular support for more ambitious policies.

As article 6 workshops demonstrate, Young people are already potent agents for change. We will keep rising up ourselves, and we invite you to join us on this path.

With Education, Public Awareness and Public Participation as its main three pillars, the review of the New Delhi Work Programme provides a unique chance to build a bridge between actions by governmental and citizens.

We call all governments without delay to:

• Adopt a systematic approach to education on climate change in integrating this issue through all elements and at all level of formal national curricula.
• Parties must recognise the role of NGOs and youth organisations as key providers of non-formal and peer education. And, considering their different capacities, provide financial support to enhance the initiatives of civil society across borders.
• In parallel to education, public awareness raising should be considered a priority and all forms of communication involved in fostering a broader understanding of the social implications of climate change.
• Finally, Public Participation is a key to good governance and to political support for actions at all level of decisions making.

We call you to relish the potential of our generations and enable all stakeholders to address this issue.

Investing in education and young people today is investing in the future. And unlike some of your other investments, we can promise you high returns.

Today, one of the most inspiring youth climate activists Sara Svensson addressed the opening plenary of the UNEP Governing Council meeting/Global Ministerial Environment Forum. She Said:

Thank you Mr Chair.

Distinguished Delegates,

My name is Sara Svensson, and I will be 65 years old in 2050. I’m here as a representative for half of the world’s human population, Children & Youth.

We are desperately aware that humanity is on track of driving ourselves into extinction. Millions of species with intrinsic value have already gone extinct because of shortsighted human activities. Pushing the deadline for biodiversity targets literally means crossing the line to death. Despite this, 2010 is called the International Year of Biodiversity.

Where is our reason to celebrate?
In 2009, millions of people all over the world mobilised in the lead-up to Copenhagen. Personally I was fasting for climate justice. I spent 43 days and 44 nights eating nothing and drinking only water. I felt a moral response was needed to an immoral situation. COP15 didn’t give us the climate deal we need. United Nations became the Divided Nations and observers were locked out of the room.

Where is our reason to celebrate?
In desperate urgency, we now have a choice. We can raise to the challenge, restructure our economies, redefine our common values and do what is best for the greater good. The world needs a a total paradigm shift, and we have the tremendous opportunity to make it happen.

That is our reason to celebrate.

Children & Youth announce with confidence that the sustainable future is coming. We’re not pleading for change anymore, we’re creating it ourselves. Over the next 40 years we’re committing our entire working lives to gradually transform our societies and create a sustainable future.

If we can’t trust you – as our appointed leaders – to save the world, it won’t take long before Children & Youth kick you out of office and take your place.

You can speed up the process by showing bold leadership today. Give us the green jobs we want. You have the power, we have the energy. Use your power to give us the framework we need, and we’ll use our passion to steer the world on course.

Thank you.