Dimapur, August 27 (MExN): The Government of Nagaland is sponsoring a delegation of “dynamic youth leaders” to the Youth Employment Summit (YES) 2006, scheduled to be held at Nairobi, Kenya from September 13 to the 16th, this year. The YES initiative is being hosted by the Government of Kenya. According to sources, the selected delegation is Director of Entrepreneur Associates Neichute Duolo, Naga Students Federation President Phushika Awomi, Youthnet Director Hekhani Jakhalu, Hornbill Finance Ltd Director Merentoshi R Jamir, Executive Member of NPMHR Mhonlomo Kikon, Executive Director of Resource Center Dimapur Dr Adela Mero, ex-Coordinator of YES (NE) Sethrichem Sangtam, Nagaland Urban Development Agency Consultant Nancy Kikon, Planning & Co-ordination Department OSD Kevilenuo and Temsurenba, from Mokokchung. It was informed that an amount of about 7 Lakhs was granted by the State Government towards this initiative.
Overview of the YES campaign
In September 2002, under the co-chair of President Bill Clinton and First Lady Suzanne Mubarak 1600 delegates (1000 youth) from 120 countries launched the decade long YES Campaign. The YES Campaign is a youth-led response to the enormous global challenge of youth unemployment. In over 60 countries, young leaders are bringing together diverse stakeholders through the infrastructure of YES Country Networks to take actions that result in productive and sustainable employment for youth. The YES Campaign works with national and global partners to develop and deploy effective programs that realize the following goals:
1. Develop capacity of youth to lead in-country youth employment initiatives
2. Promote (in-country) youth employment to address key development challenges
3. Build in-country coalitions to develop national strategies addressing youth unemployment
The YES Campaign was initiated in 1998 and it took 4 years and 60 consultations held globally to formulate the goals, build global commitment, create a global alliance and prepare thematic documents to launch the YES Campaign in 2002. This is an iterative campaign where the process is not cast in black and white – its strength is learning by doing, being flexible and nimble and quickly taking action where needed.
The YES Kenya 2006, Nairobi is being organized for the leaders and members of the 70 YES Country Networks and other diverse stakeholders from all over the world. It will be a forum to address the issue of creating markets for goods and services for rural areas and unleashing widespread entrepreneurship efforts to eradicate poverty. Innovative policies, next practices and ideas, will be shared and used for initiating committed and collaborative action. YES Kenya will be held in Nairobi, and is expected to attract around 2000 people, of which 1000 will be youth. This will not be just an event it will be organized as a workshop based learning event to build capacity to conceptualize programs and policies, build partnerships for program implementation to combat youth unemployment. YES Kenya will include Ministerial meetings, plenary sessions, open forums, workshops and skills development workshops.
Objectives of YES Kenya 2006 include
1) Creating Markets
a) Bottom of the Pyramid model ‘what works’ and ‘next practices’ from practitioners and experts
b) Employment in the growing field of Earth Restoration and Conservation - replicable models, curriculum, and success stories
c) Attracting Foreign Direct Investment in developing countries, learning from countries that have been successful,
understanding what is needed, and a way forward
d) The global Trade Industry and how countries can build core competencies for outsourcing etc.
2) Unleashing Entrepreneurship
a) Microfinance models for youth and Entrepreneurship building from success stories such as Junior Achievement – techniques for engaging youth
b) How large scale labour intensive employment programs can be developed.
c) Safer Cities and Youth – employment strategies for slum dwellers, urban and migrant youth
d) How to raise funds, develop proposals and build partnerships.
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