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Young people dialogue on natural disasters: A meeting in Bangkok brings together dozens of youth from Thailand, Indonesia and Pakistan

© Rosati

Some 60 young people from Indonesia, Pakistan and Southern Thailand gathered in Bangkok between April 30-4 May for some soul-searching on the issue of disasters - natural and man-made. The week-long young people's forum, 'Disasters and the aftermath: Building life skills for health and education,' provided the participants with a great opportunity to examine ways to strengthen their capacity to cope with disasters and other stressful situations.

At the forum, the young men and women also developed plans to guide follow-on activities in their respective countries.  These actions will focus on helping young people and their families, as well as supporting and boosting local systems such as schools and community organizations.  Those attending were recruited from established youth programes in each of the participating countries -- all struck recently with devastating disasters.  It was a week of dynamic and engaging dialogue, of listening and learning.  It moves forward a process that started after the catastrophes of the tsunami and the Pakistan earthquake -  a process of reaching out to young people to share their thoughts and opinions on issues of importance to them today.

In early April, a series of consultations took place with many other young people in Indonesia, Pakistan and Southern Thailand.  These individual discussions solicited the opinions of those aged 11-24 on such issues as disasters, health, education, family, peers, community.  Their responses (please see country consultations document) highlight many of the challenges young people  face today and the various ways in which they deal with them.