ICYO
Youth Information September
2006 – I
News and views from
Indian Committee of
Youth Organizations
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ICYO - Platform of 356 Youth
Organizations in India.
ICYO - India’s largest network of
urban and rural youth .
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Youth Voices at AIDS
2006
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From 13 to 18 August 2006, AIDS
2006 – the XVI International AIDS
Conference, a biennial event, took place in
Toronto (Canada). This year’s Conference
theme Time to Deliver focused on the
promises and progress made to scale-up
treatment, prevention, and care. UNESCO was
one of the organizations supporting the
Toronto Youth Force, a coalition of global
youth NGOs, student groups, and networks
(including The Global Youth Coalition on
HIV/AIDS, Taking IT Global, Family Health
International, UNFPA and UNICEF), which
aimed to facilitate collaboration amongst
stakeholders committed to youth HIV/AIDS
issues; provide capacity building and skills
to young people so that they can participate
effectively/ meaningfully; and to promote
intergenerational (youth-adult) partnerships
before, during and after conference.
With more than 1,000 young people who
made their voices heard at the Toronto
Conference, the 2006 Youth Force was an
outstanding success and made a substantial
impact. Its key results include: the
organization of a Youth Pre-Conference
preparing young people to meaningfully
participate in the Main Conference, expanded
youth sessions and young presenters and a
sustained media and outreach campaign. (UCJ,
Section for Youth - UNESCO)
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Key Successes of the Toronto
Youthforce and AIDS 2006 Youth Programme
A. Background
Since its foundation at AIDS 2002 in
Barcelona, the YouthForce has played a
pivotal role in keeping youth issues on the
agenda. The 2002 and 2004 YouthForces were
successful in increasing the number of youth
participants and raising their visibility,
showcasing youth-adult partnerships, and
getting young people on planning
committees. The 2006 Toronto YouthForce
continued to build upon past successes, and
added new elements: expanded youth
activities and initiatives through close
coordination with the Local Host Youth
Programme; a highly-successful advocacy and
media campaign; and the creation of a
Commitments Desk to encourage leaders to
concretely commit to working with young
people.
Due to the efforts of the Toronto
YouthForce and the AIDS 2006 Youth
Programme, the XVI International AIDS
Conference (AIDS 2006) witnessed an
explosion in numbers of young delegates and
a sharp increase in meaningful youth
participation throughout the Conference.
AIDS 2006 also marked the
institutionalization of youth within the
Conference Organization structure, through
the creation of a Youth Advisory Committee
and a Local Host Youth Programme. The
inclusion of youth at this level led to
greater youth-focused programming at the
AIDS 2006 as well as meaningful dialogue
between youth and adult leaders. The
YouthForce and Youth Programme helped young
people move away from issues focused solely
on youth participation toward substantive
issues such as the need for comprehensive
HIV prevention.
With half of all new HIV infections
occurring in young people under the age of
25, there is a critical need for global and
regional advocacy efforts to keep youth
issues, especially those surrounding HIV
prevention in the developing world, on the
table. The objectives of the Toronto
YouthForce were:
· To facilitate the
collaboration of stakeholders committed to
youth HIV/AIDS issues at the Conference.
· To empower young people from
both developing and developed countries to
be effective participants in the Conference.
· To promote youth participation
and inclusion of youth issues in the
mainstream conference agenda, in press
generated from the Conference and in
HIV/AIDS programmes and policies in general.
· To gain and achieve
international and individual commitments
which promote youth leadership and mitigate
the impact of HIV/AIDS on young people.
B. Results
1. Institutionalization of a
youth programme within the International
AIDS Conference and expansion of YouthForce
initiatives
- Increased youth
participation in the International AIDS
Conference Local Host secretariat and
programme structure : A Local Host
Youth Coordinator and five additional Youth
Programme staff were hired, and a Youth
Advisory Committee was formed to provide
input into programming. Young people were
selected for all Conference planning
committees and one young person presented as
a plenary speaker. Through these
ground-breaking initiatives, the YouthForce
was able to collaborate extensively with the
Local Host Youth Programme, and to become
part of the official Conference programme
for the first time.
- Increased numbers of
youth scholarships : More
scholarships were awarded to young people
than ever before at an International AIDS
Conference. At AIDS 2004, 100 youth
scholarships were awarded; this year there
were 145 international and 239 Canadian
scholarship recipients.
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Reduced registration
fees and expanded age range
:
In part due to efforts of
previous YouthForces, conference
organizers drastically lowered registration
fees to $150 USD for non-OECD countries
(compared to $550 for adults) and $200 for
OECD countries (compared to $750 for
adults). In addition, the age range for
youth delegates was expanded from 18-24 to
16-25. Sixty delegates at the Conference
were under age 18.
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Increased number of youth delegates :
Young people attended AIDS 2006 in
record numbers, far surpassing past records:
at AIDS 2006 there were over 1,000 youth
delegates, more than double the number at
AIDS 2004. This can be compared to 50 youth
at AIDS 2000, 200 youth at AIDS 2002 and 450
youth at AIDS 2004. In order to boost the
number of young people at the Conference,
the YouthForce introduced the “Take Two to
Toronto” campaign to encourage organizations
and governments worldwide to sponsor youth.
As a result, an additional 117 youth,
sponsored by 31 organizations, attended the
Conference.
- Enlarged Youth
Pre-Conference: The Toronto
YouthForce, in collaboration with the AIDS
2006 Youth Programme, organized a Youth
Pre-Conference for 236 young people from
around the world. The Pre-Conference
provided young people with information and
skills in advocacy, media and
communications, prevention technologies,
trade justice and treatment access,
research, and monitoring and evaluation.
Youth participants credited the
Pre-Conference with preparing them to fully
participate in the Conference while
providing a forum for networking with peers
and experts in the field.
- Highlighted Youth
Opening and Reception:
The Youth Opening and
Reception kicked off the Conference week.
Held at the Olympic Spirit Toronto
Centre, the party was attended by over 1,000
guests. Special guests included Keep a
Child Alive Co-Founder and Goodwill
Ambassador Alicia Keys, UNAIDS Executive
Director Dr. Peter Piot, Bob Haas, Chairman,
Levi Strauss & Co, and Craig McClure,
Executive Director, International AIDS
Society.
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Expanded youth-focused sessions and
presenters:
Over 40 young people
presented abstract sessions, poster
presentations, and skills building workshops
and/or moderated sessions. This included 18
youth-specific sessions in the Conference
programme, youth opening and closing
sessions. As part of the Toronto
YouthForce, the Global Youth Coalition on
HIV/AIDS (GYCA) facilitated e-courses to
prepare young people for the Conference;
of the 94 young people who participated,
65 submitted abstracts and session proposals
with a 35% acceptance rate.
- Enhanced opportunities
to reach young people:
Youth morning orientation
sessions commenced with an
opening orientation on Sunday and continued
daily. These breakfast meetings
provided an overview of key sessions and a
space to ask questions and learn more about
the advocacy messages and tools available to
youth. In addition, a “Youth Pocket
Guide to Navigating International AIDS
Conferences” was developed and given to
all youth delegates at the Pre-Conference
and Youth Pavilion, providing background
information, advocacy and networking
strategies, and young people’s personal
testimonies.
- Showcased youth space -
Youth Pavilion/TYF Booth : The
Youth Pavilion, housed within the Global
Village, was a youth-focused space to
showcase youth achievements, facilitate
networking opportunities , provide a youth
media hub, and continue the momentum from
the Youth Pre-Conference. Forty sessions
were held throughout the conference,
including lively performances using music,
theatre, and film. The Pavilion was hailed
as one of the most interactive and engaging
spaces within the entire Conference. The
Toronto YouthForce Booth in the Youth
Pavilion made available t-shirts, condoms,
posters, fact sheets, postcards, and
information about other youth events (see
Advocacy section below).
- Enhanced Web Outreach
through the AIDS 2006 Youth Site :
The official youth website (
http://youth. aids2006. org) served as a
clearinghouse of information on all
youth-related activities leading up to and
during AIDS 2006 for youth, adults and
media. The website featured articles, blogs,
podcasts and articles by YouthForce
journalists and youth delegates. In addition
to the AIDS 2006 Youth Mentors Online
discussion boards and other helpful
resources, the AIDS 2006 Youth Site provided
an invaluable tool for helping young people
at the Conference stay connected, and
helping those back home feel part of AIDS
2006.
- Youth Rapporteur Team
: AIDS 2006 marked the first time
a Rapporteur Team was dedicated entirely to
recording the proceedings and
ground-breaking presentations at the
conference from a youth perspective. The
Toronto YouthForce and Youth Programme
selected and collaborated with the
Rapporteur Team. At the official Conference
closing, the team presented to 5,000
Conference delegates on youth issues and
involvement at the Conference, including
reinforcing the TYF key messages. The youth
rapporteur report will form part of the
official Conference record.
2. High impact advocacy and
media campaigns
- Effective Toronto
YouthForce Advocacy Campaign : The
Toronto YouthForce launched a
Conference-wide advocacy campaign, focusing
on the following key messages based on a
3-week e-consultation with 218 youth from 36
countries:
LISTEN: Involve us in decision making
that affects our lives
MONEY: We need fully-funded programs
to protect ourselves
SEX: HIV is mainly spread through sex.
We need access to condoms to protect
ourselves
TRUTH: We need comprehensive sex
education to protect ourselves
ACCESS: We need youth-friendly health
services, including prevention, treatment,
voluntary counseling and testing, and access
to harm reduction programs
The YouthForce broadcast these messages
at the Conference through eye-popping
t-shirts, large posters, and postcards
urging leaders to visit the Commitments
desk. The entire 600,000 square foot
conference venue was “postered”, garnering
the YouthForce the highest visibility of any
Conference-wide advocacy campaign. As a
testament to the YouthForce advocacy
campaign’s visibility and impact, Dr. Peter
Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS,
remarked, “I know more about the YouthForce
than anything else at the Conference.” The
materials are on view at
http://youth. aids2006. org/en/action/
. Youth delegates used the materials,
messages, and extensive advocacy training to
engage decision-makers in dialogue resulting
in concrete commitments to scaling up
HIV/AIDS interventions for and with young
people. The advocacy campaign was a clear
success, as a wide range of Conference
delegates were impressed with the impact of
the messaging, and noted the effects of the
Campaign.
- Expanded Toronto
YouthForce Media Campaign: F or the
first time in the Conference history, a
YouthForce Media Team, consisting of 11
youth journalists from around the world,
provided excellent coverage of the
conference via articles, blogs, podcasts,
press conferences, and a video documentary.
Youth spokespeople, trained as part of the
YouthForce media team, gave dozens of radio
and TV interviews that aired on national
radio and international media including MTV,
CBC, and CNN, providing wide coverage to the
YouthForce and youth HIV/AIDS issues. The
media team produced 40 podcasts, 140 blog
entries in French, Spanish and English, 30
articles in English and French, and a press
release and 6 media advisories; distributed
270 press kits; and wrote 3 articles for the
youth column of the AIDS 2006 daily
newspaper. The media showed high interested
in the young people attending the Conference
and youth HIV/AIDS issues. For example,
over 7 major media outlets each day visited
the Youth Pavilion.
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Continued partnership with MTV :
The Toronto YouthForce Media Team blogged
and wrote over 30 entries and articles for
the MTV Staying Alive website. In addition,
the AIDS 2006 Youth Programme and Toronto
YouthForce partnered with MTV on 48Fest, a
48 hour filmmaking competition by MTV’s
Staying Alive. Eight teams of six youth
filmmakers were challenged to write, shoot
and edit a whole film in just two days. The
films were screened and judged by a
distinguished panel at the “forty|eight|
fest” awards ceremony.
3. Real Commitments Made from
Leaders and Partners
- Garnered concrete
commitments - Youth-Adults Commitments Desk
: The Youth-Adult Commitments Desk
was an unprecedented initiative which marked
a step forward in ensuring accountability
for promises made to young people and
generated a great deal of buzz. It provided
an opportunity for adult delegates to visit
and interact with young people. Featured
prominently in the Youth Pavilion, the
Commitments Desk garnered 344 concrete,
time-bound commitments to youth (some of
which are highlighted o n
http://youth. aids2006) . Members of
existing global youth networks will follow
up with leaders to ensure that promises are
kept. A monitoring plan will be put in place
to ensure that commitments are implemented
and consequently, highlighted at the XVII
International AIDS Conference in Mexico in
2008.
| Notable
Commitments :
o “I commit to ensuring
that the UN system will get its act
together and respond cohesively to
safeguard the rights of young
people. I will promote inclusion of
young people at the decision-making
table in issues that affect their
lives. I will also start a youth
internship program at UNAIDS” - Dr.
Peter Piot, Executive Director and
Under-Secretary General of UNAIDS
o “For AIDS 2008 in
Mexico, I commit to double the
number of young people” – The
Honorable Dr. Frenk, Minister of
Health (Mexico)
o “I commit to empower
youth directly in the
decision-making process at City
Hall, including in preparation for
Mexico City AIDS 2008” – David
Miller, Mayor for City of Toronto
(Canada)
o "I commit to allocate
WHO resources and priorities to make
information and knowledge available
to young people, including young
people living with HIV/AIDS, and
making health service youth
friendly" - Anders Nordstrom, Acting
Director General of WHO |
- Moved beyond words -
Youth Leadership Forum: “
From Rhetoric to Action,” a High-Level Youth
Leadership Forum, featured a dialogue
between global leaders and 12 youth leaders
from around the world. Global leaders
included Dr. Peter Piot, the First Lady of
Honduras Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, Canadian
Minister of International Cooperation the
Honourable Josée Verner, and Chairman of the
NAACP Julian Bond. During the forum young
people discussed issues of pressing concern
to them such as the need for comprehensive
HIV prevention.
C. Impact
The YouthForce, together with the AIDS
2006 Youth Programme, made a substantial
impact on AIDS 2006 -- on the International
AIDS Conference structure and programme, on
young people, and on leaders and partners.
Continuing the work of past YouthForces,
youth participation moved from being
“outside” the mainstream conference, to
being incorporated into Conference planning
and programme, through the
institutionalizatio n of a youth programme.
The YouthForce model, remarked upon highly
by many delegates, highlighted the
effectiveness of youth-adult partnerships.
Young people participating in the YouthForce
and the Conference increased their skills
and capacity enormously. Furthermore, the
focus not only on youth participation
issues, but also on substantive key messages
developed and advocated by young people
themselves, made a real impact on leaders
and partners, as they recognized that young
people have something meaningful to
contribute.
D. Beyond Toronto: What’s next?
The Toronto YouthForce coordinating team
(Family Health International, Advocates for
Youth, Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS,
and TakingITGlobal) are currently drafting a
final report documenting experiences and
lessons learned, and devising a plan for
next steps and sustainability. Delegates
have also been invited to join the Global
Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS, an initiative
stemming from the Barcelona and Bangkok
YouthForces.
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Youth Information is published by
Indian Committee of Youth
Organizations (ICYO)
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Phone: 91 9811729093 / 91 11 26183978
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Email:
icyoindia@gmail. com /
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Web:
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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)
is a registered non-profit, non-governmental
network organization, committed in
developing areas of mutual cooperation and
understanding among different youth
voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and
individuals working in the field of youth
welfare in India.
ICYO functions as an umbrella
organization of youth NGOs in India. It's
family consists of
over 356 organizations spread in 122
districts of 22 states from different
corners of India.
Our goal:
To improve and extend the youth work and
services through Youth Organizations;
To enhance and demonstrate youth work in the
society;
To promote effective youth programmmes;
To organize network of civil society
organizations working towards the
development of youth work;
To organize seminars, conferences,
workshops, trainings;
To maintain international relation with
organizations promoting young people in
their programmes and activities
Affiliation: Consultative (Roster)
Status with ECOSOC, United Nations;
Consultative Status with Commission on
Sustainable Development;
Full Member of World Assembly of Youth
(WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN);
CRIN, South Asia Youth
Environment Network (SAYEN), Affiliate group
of ECPAT International, Thailand;
ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Partner of AIDS Care
Watch Campaign;
Steering Committee member of World Bank's
YDP Network;
Working relation with Indian Association of
Parliamentarians (IAPPD);
International Medical Parliamentarians
Organizations (IMPO);
Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on
Population and Development (AFPPD);
World Youth Foundation, Malaysia .
