National plans of action must involve young people

9 May 2002, NEW YORK - Youth representatives in a discussion on the participation of young people in national plans of action said the unprecedented involvement of young people at the Special Session on Children could lead to new opportunities for action across generations. They agreed this was a marked difference from the 1990 World Summit when young people's presence was largely symbolic.

Participants pointed out that when national plans of action did not involve all areas and ages of civil society, the documents had no ownership and didn't make much of a difference. The lesson is clear: the way forward is with young people and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) -- not just for them.

Young panelists from Guatemala, Nepal, Romania and Uruguay discussed plans of action in their own countries and talked about how children could get more involved. "We'll need all kinds of help," said Santiago Garcia, 15, of Uruguay, who is part of the first children's council to monitor his government's actions on behalf of youths.

"We young people are important to plans of action because we freely express our opinions," said Alexandre Bogdan Rosu, 16, of Romania. "We have to be careful not to confront adults, but to show them that we can reason with them and that we are logical. And we must start working for change locally."

Panelists and audience members discussed the need to work closely with NGOs to double the pressure on governments and to help assure that young people have access to government leaders. The youth delegates from Nepal called for a handbook on how governments, media and NGOs should work with young people.

Young people from Guatemala highlighted the importance of framing plans of action and follow-up measures that protect the rights of indigenous children, disabled youth, children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, those in jail and others marginalized by society.

Youth delegates also talked about their use of mini-summits for young people and adults, which used democratic, decentralized models of participation.

The NGO, Save the Children, presented the results of a survey of more than 2,000 young people who were asked how they would feel about getting involved in their country's plans of action and what they might be able to contribute.

"It would make us feel happy and proud," said some of the respondents. "Being able to participate would give us the sense that we are respected as citizens by the government." They all said they have many solutions to offer to fix the problems they live with every day.