WYMD Newsletter - December 2006

1) Asian Youth Forum, 2007 Conference (Thailand) January 24-29, 2007
WHAT: A 5-day international youth event in Bangkok, Thailand which will bring together college-aged young people from across Asia for academic seminars, intercultural workshops, social events and interpersonal exchanges.
WHERE: Bangkok, Thailand. The AYF will be held as part of an international Pan-Asian Conference (PAC 6) on language teaching to take place in January 2007.
WHEN: The AYF will be held in mid-or late January 2007. Final dates will be announced on our website at the beginning of 2006.
WHO: College-aged students and youth from countries throughout Asia. Special youth delegations are planned from countries such as Korea, Japan, Thailand and Russia.

2) Saskatchewan Youth Summit (Canada) February 2-3, 2007
What is the Saskatchewan Youth Summit?
The 2007 Saskatchewan Youth Summit is created for Saskatchewan's youth to discuss the opportunities, challenges and future in Saskatchewan.
The Summit will take place at the TCU place in Saskatoon on February 2nd and 3rd. The total number of participants is expected to be 400 which will consist primarily of our youth. Representatives from business, education and training, media and government will be in attendance to further their involvement in the attempt to keep Saskatchewan's population right here at home.
If you are interested in attending the Youth Summit and are a Saskatchewan resident within the ages of 19 to 30 and want your voice to be heard, visit the wesbite - here

3) Children for Peace 2007 - Indo-Pak Youth Peace Camp (Pakistan) March 26, 2007
This is a continuation of Children for Peace 2006 (Indo-Pak Peace Camp) held in Chandigarh on October 2-6, 2006. The event will be held in Peace-city Sadikabad in March/April 2007. Find out more, and keep up to date with changes to programming at takingITglobal.org

4) National and Global Youth service Day (USA and worldwide) April, 20-22, 2007
Millions of youth will participate in National & Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world, on April 20-22, 2007. They will tutor young children, engage in disaster relief, register new voters, educate their communities about good nutrition, distribute HIV/AIDs prevention materials and meet many more community needs through their service. National & Global Youth Service Day supports youth on a life-long path of service and civic engagement, and educates the public, the media, and elected officials about the role of youth as community leaders. To read about last year's day, to register your participation, or to find about grants for projects, visit the website - here

5) TUNZA International Youth Conference (Germany) August 26 – 30, 2007
Formerly the UNEP Global Youth Forum, the TUNZA International Youth Conference is one of the main platforms for cooperation and interaction between UNEP and its youth partners. It is the vision of the organization to "foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens who will better influence decision-making processes and act responsibly to create a sustainable world". Organized for young people (15-24 years), the Conferences provides opportunities for young people to learn from one another, share experiences and ideas on community-based environmental actions and develop joint strategies on promoting environmental protection. A number of workshops, plenary sessions, focused group discussions, field trips as well as panel discussions will take place. Furthermore, a new TUNZA Youth Advisory Council with two advisors for each of the six UNEP regions and two advisors representing indigenous youth organizations will be elected by the participants. The TUNZA conference 2007 follows in the footsteps of the 2005 TUNZA conference in Bangalore, India. Before the adoption of the TUNZA strategy by the UNEP Governing Council in 2003, UNEP had been organizing Global Youth Forums for young people from 15 to 24 years since 1986. These gatherings of environmentally active youth are an important element in realizing the "vision of the organization to foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens who will better influence decision-making processes and act responsibly to create a sustainable world". Nomination Criteria * For candidates to be considered their birthdates must fall strictly between 8 September 1984 and 8 September 1992. * Candidates must be nominated by their organizations and must be active members. * Only nominations from organizations working on or interested in environmental and sustainable development issues will be considered. * Each nomination must have two candidates - one female and one male. But only one of them will be elected (Please note that applications will not be considered unless the above is fulfilled). * All nominations must reach UNEP on or before 28 February 2007. For more details and to apply visit the website and complete the application form - here

January 2007 Newsletter
WYMD in 2006 1) Fourth Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy 2) World Youth Day for Democracy/Global Youth Day for Democracy 3) WYMD website updates: updated Resources section, and new Events page 4) Launch of WYMD's Newsletter 5) Chat: increase in membership and activity DEMOCRACY ALERTS/APPEALS from WMD 1) Imprisoned Singaporean Democracy Activist and WMD Participant Hospitalized 2) The Chinese Government Jails Uyghur Activist's Son HIGHLIGHTED ARTICLES, NEWS AND REPORTS FROM PARTICIPANTS 1) Article: Bangladesh put in category of 'flawed democracy' By Unb, Dhaka - published in the Daily Star, Bangladesh, October 2006 (Bangladesh) 2) Article: The Role of Youths in Constructing Democracy in a Transitional Polity (An eye on Darfur) By Stephen Nkem Asek (Darfur) 3) Report: Congo Peace Initiative (CPI) (Congo) 5) Reports: Plan in West Africa (West Africa and international) 6) Newsletter 2007: NAYMOTE (Liberia) HIGHLIGHTED NEWS FROM INTERNATIONAL PRESS 1) Egypt: government power monopoly feared 2) Iraq: Execution of Saddam Hussein 3) Brazil: An alarm call to the new government – the ever growing public security crisis HIGHLIGHTED FORTHCOMING EVENTS 1) Asian Youth Forum, 2007 Conference, (Thailand) January 24-29, 2007 2) Saskatchewan Youth Summit (Canada) February 2-3, 2007 3) Children for Peace 2007 (Indo-Pak Youth Peace Camp) (Pakistan) March 26, 2007 4) National and Global Youth service Day (USA and worldwide) April, 20-22, 2007 5) TUNZA International Youth Conference (Germany) August 26 - 30, 2007 OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRANTS, FUNDING AND PARTICIPATION 1) National Peace Essay Contest (USA) 2) Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships (international)
WYMD in 2006
1) The Youth Movement secretariat organized two workshops at the Fourth Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy , which took place in Istanbul, Turkey, April 2 through 5, 2006. We had the opportunity to meet many inspiring young activists, and people who work with young people on democracy issues, who are enthusiastic about bringing new life to the Movement. Read the reports: - Political Engagement of Youth: What Works? - WYMD Functional Workshop 2) World Youth Day for Democracy/Global Youth Campaign for Democracy Participants organised activities and events on and around the 18th October. WYMD participants from fourteen countries organised events and activities such as: school forums on democracy issues, surveys on youth perspectives, awareness campaigns, workshops, seminars, rallies and many more, with a focus this year on raising awareness of youth activism in this area. 3) This year the WYMD reviewed and updated the resources page, adding new and exciting guides, tools and resources for participants! An events page was also added, to provide news on forthcoming events relating to democracy issues and youth participation in democracy issues. 4) The WYMD Newsletter was also launched this year. This monthly newsletter includes: news from participants on events and organisations; highlighted international news on democracy issues; resources including reports, submitted by participants; and information on forthcoming events and opportunities for participation, grants and funding. 5) Finally this year saw participation in WYMD's chat forum - WYMD Chat - increase significantly. Chat now has over 250 members. Activity in Chat has also increased, resulting in a lively, interesting and informative forum, where young activists from all over the world spread news and information, offer support and advice and build networks. Get started by sending an email to ymdchat-subscribe@groups.takingitglobal.org
Democracy alerts/appeals (from WMD)
1) Imprisoned Singaporean Democracy Activist and WMD Participant Hospitalized On December 3, Dr. Chee Soon Juan – Chairman of the Alliance of Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) and Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) – was admitted to Changi General Hospital due to complaints of nausea reportedly from eating prison food. On November 29, 2006, the World Movement for Democracy issued an alert condemning the jail sentence of Dr. Chee and his colleagues. This alert included concern over Dr. Chee's health, and since that alert, his health has in fact worsened. He is suffering from abdominal pains and his blood pressure was also extremely low the evening he was taken to the hospital. Before going to hospital, he had not eaten since November 26 and was suffering from dehydration. Doctors reportedly still have not ascertained why Dr. Chee is suffering from abdominal pain. Dr. Chee Soon Juan is serving a five-week prison sentence for refusing to pay the a fine for speaking in public without a permit, and will soon face a trial on December 21 for attempting to leave Singapore without a permit (to attend the World Movement's Fourth Assembly in Istanbul), as well as another pre-trial on January 4 for a suit brought against his family. The World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA) emphasizes that Dr. Chee's imprisonment is just one case that represents ongoing problems in Singapore. In recent weeks, amendments to the Penal Code have been drafted to further restrict and criminalize many forms of speech, including Internet content, drawing complaints from several international media organizations. In September, the Far Eastern Economic Review was banned, and accredited civil society representatives from many countries were refused entry for the IMF/World Bank meetings. The WFDA asks that individuals concerned about Dr. Chee write on his behalf to the responsible Singaporean official, Mr. Wong Kan Seng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, as well as to local Singaporean Embassies in their countries. The postal address for Mr. Wong Kan Seng is Ministry of Home Affairs, New Phoenix Park, 28 Irrawaddy Road, Singapore 329560. The telephone number is (65) 6478 7010, and the fax number is (65) 6254 6250. Letters can also be sent by email to mha_feedback@mha.gov.sg. For previous World Movement alerts concerning Dr. Chee For the statement made by WFDA For more information on Dr. Chee's health 2) The Chinese Government Jails Uyghur Activist's Son The son of a well-known campaigner for the rights of China's Uyghur minority has been jailed for tax evasion in the country's northwest Xinjiang province. Alim Ahbudurimu, son of Rebiya Kadeer, was sentenced to seven years in jail and fined for evading taxes. Another of Ms. Kadeer's children, Kahar Ahbudurimu, was also sentenced and given a hefty fine, but was not jailed. Human rights activists are accusing the Chinese government of seeking revenge for Ms. Kadeer's work. Ms. Kadeer, a World Movement participant who was the 2004 Rafto Prize Laureate and nominee for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, has just been elected to the leadership of the World Uyghur Congress. She is currently living in exile. - Here
Highlighted Articles, Reports and News from Youth and Democracy Groups
News on projects, issues and experiences and articles from people working on youth activism and democracy issues. These include accounts of personal experiences of activism, issues and challenges involved in organising, and suggestions on how these challenges can be overcome. 1) Article: Bangladesh put in category of 'flawed democracy' By Unb, Dhaka - published in the Daily Star, Bangladesh, October 2006 (Bangladesh) Bangladesh ranks 75th among 165 democracies and is grouped in the category of "flawed democracy" in a global survey report released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) on November 24, as hassles hampered a smooth run of the past parliament and continued over the coming elections" Read the full article - here 2) Article: The Role of Youths in Constructing Democracy in a Transitional Polity (An eye on Darfur) By Stephen Nkem Asek (Darfur) This essay discusses the major facets of democracy, and common problems encountered during the transition to democracy, with a particular focus on problems faced currently in many African countries. The author asserts that it is vital that young people play a key role during transitions, through the creation and maintenance of youth structures, and through the coordination of a youth front. He believes that young people have a responsibility to act, and have the energy and resourcefulness to change the status quo through peaceful and democratic means. Read the essay - here 3) Report: Congo Peace Initiative - CPI (Congo) This report gives an insight into the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country whose internal problems are far from over following the transition to democracy, with the country trying to cope almost single handedly with the legacies of war. Displacement, hunger and sickness affect a huge percentage of the population, and according to CPI help from the international community is so far scarce... - here If you would like to know more about CPI, please email: wymd[at]youthlink.org with details 4) Reports: Plan in West Africa (West Africa and international) Plan West Africa has published a range of guides for children & youth participation and advocacy. These include a final report on study of children's rights in West Africa and a guide to child and youth participation. Read the reports and guides - here 4) Newsletter 2007: NAYMOTE (Liberia) NAYMOTE-PADD's newsletter 2007 reports on NAYMOTE's activities over the past five years, on its impact on the local community, and on interest it has aroused in the media as well as in government and policy. NAYMOTE's achievements and activities include launch of a public education campaign, the receipt of an achievement award for providing civic education on democratic elections, and the training of young people through capacity-building workshops. For those who do not know much about NAYMOTE, the newsletter provides an insight into this prolific and highly respected organisation currently working to improve youth participation in politics, as well as young people's rights in Liberia. Read the report - here Check out WYMD's Resource Page for toolkits, guides, and more articles.
Highlighted News from International Press

1) Egypt: government power monopoly feared (Human Rights Watch) January 4, 2007 The Political Parties Law is being used by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and the ruling National Democratic Party to maintain a virtual monopoly over political power in Egypt by denying opponents the right to form political parties. According to Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch “The government has for decades used the political parties law to fix elections before they begin”. Human Rights Watch have published a briefing paper, entitled “Monopolizing Power: Egypt’s Political Parties Law,” outlining the powers granted to the Political Parties Committee - dominated by the presidents and his ruling party - through the Political Parties Law, to license and suspend political parties. Under the law, the president and the National Democratic Party are allowed to choose who may compete against them and under what terms. Read the report Read the briefing paper 2) Iraq: Execution of Saddam Hussein (BBC and Human Rights Watch) December 30, 2007 Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi leader was hanged on December 30 in Baghdad for crimes against humanity. The moments before the execution were shown on Iraqi state TV and pictures of the body wrapped in a shroud released. After a year-long trial, Saddam Hussein had been sentenced to death by an Iraqi court on 5 November over the killings of 148 Shia Muslims in 1982. Human Rights Watch, meanwhile, has condemned the execution and the "deeply flawed trial" which preceded it, as marking "a significant step away from respect for human rights and the rule of law in Iraq". The organisation opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, believing that its use undermines any commitment to human rights. In November, Human Rights Watch released a report “Judging Dujail: The First Trial Before the Iraqi High Tribunal,” which was based on 10 months of observation as well as interviews with judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers. In the report, the organisation claims that flaws including government undermining of the High Tribunal including failure to disclose evidence, a show of bias from the judge and violations of the defendant's right to question witnesses for the prosecution. Read the full BBC article Read the full Human Rights Watch article Read the HRW report on the trial 3) Brazil: An alarm call to the government – the ever growing public security crisis (Amnesty International) December 29, 2007 Amnesty International unreservedly condemns the criminal attacks which took place on the nights of the 28 and 29 November in Rio de Janeiro state. It has been reported the attacks are a response to the rise of “militias”, reportedly made up of active or former police officers. This reinforces the belief that the failure of the state and federal authorities to effectively tackle the public security situation has actually contributed to the growing violence. Between the 28 and 29 December criminal gangs launched a series of attacks across the city of Rio de Janeiro and in a number of municipalities in the state. Police stations were shot at and bombed with home made devices, and a number of buses were burnt, including one in which seven passengers were killed. At the time the report was written, 19 people were reported killed and 22 injured, including women and children as well as police officers and criminal suspects. Read the public statement
Highlighted Forthcoming Events
1) Asian Youth Forum, 2007 Conference (Thailand) January 24-29, 2007 WHAT: A 5-day international youth event in Bangkok, Thailand which will bring together college-aged young people from across Asia for academic seminars, intercultural workshops, social events and interpersonal exchanges. WHERE: Bangkok, Thailand. The AYF will be held as part of an international Pan-Asian Conference (PAC 6) on language teaching to take place in January 2007. WHEN: The AYF will be held in mid-or late January 2007. Final dates will be announced on our website at the beginning of 2006. WHO: College-aged students and youth from countries throughout Asia. Special youth delegations are planned from countries such as Korea, Japan, Thailand and Russia. 2) Saskatchewan Youth Summit (Canada) February 2-3, 2007 What is the Saskatchewan Youth Summit? The 2007 Saskatchewan Youth Summit is created for Saskatchewan's youth to discuss the opportunities, challenges and future in Saskatchewan. The Summit will take place at the TCU place in Saskatoon on February 2nd and 3rd. The total number of participants is expected to be 400 which will consist primarily of our youth. Representatives from business, education and training, media and government will be in attendance to further their involvement in the attempt to keep Saskatchewan's population right here at home. If you are interested in attending the Youth Summit and are a Saskatchewan resident within the ages of 19 to 30 and want your voice to be heard, visit the wesbite - here 3) Children for Peace 2007 - Indo-Pak Youth Peace Camp (Pakistan) March 26, 2007 This is a continuation of Children for Peace 2006 (Indo-Pak Peace Camp) held in Chandigarh on October 2-6, 2006. The event will be held in Peace-city Sadikabad in March/April 2007. Find out more, and keep up to date with changes to programming at takingITglobal.org 4) National and Global Youth service Day (USA and worldwide) April, 20-22, 2007 Millions of youth will participate in National & Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world, on April 20-22, 2007. They will tutor young children, engage in disaster relief, register new voters, educate their communities about good nutrition, distribute HIV/AIDs prevention materials and meet many more community needs through their service. National & Global Youth Service Day supports youth on a life-long path of service and civic engagement, and educates the public, the media, and elected officials about the role of youth as community leaders. To read about last year's day, to register your participation, or to find about grants for projects, visit the website - here 5) TUNZA International Youth Conference (Germany) August 26 – 30, 2007 Formerly the UNEP Global Youth Forum, the TUNZA International Youth Conference is one of the main platforms for cooperation and interaction between UNEP and its youth partners. It is the vision of the organization to "foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens who will better influence decision-making processes and act responsibly to create a sustainable world". Organized for young people (15-24 years), the Conferences provides opportunities for young people to learn from one another, share experiences and ideas on community-based environmental actions and develop joint strategies on promoting environmental protection. A number of workshops, plenary sessions, focused group discussions, field trips as well as panel discussions will take place. Furthermore, a new TUNZA Youth Advisory Council with two advisors for each of the six UNEP regions and two advisors representing indigenous youth organizations will be elected by the participants. The TUNZA conference 2007 follows in the footsteps of the 2005 TUNZA conference in Bangalore, India. Before the adoption of the TUNZA strategy by the UNEP Governing Council in 2003, UNEP had been organizing Global Youth Forums for young people from 15 to 24 years since 1986. These gatherings of environmentally active youth are an important element in realizing the "vision of the organization to foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens who will better influence decision-making processes and act responsibly to create a sustainable world". Nomination Criteria * For candidates to be considered their birthdates must fall strictly between 8 September 1984 and 8 September 1992. * Candidates must be nominated by their organizations and must be active members. * Only nominations from organizations working on or interested in environmental and sustainable development issues will be considered. * Each nomination must have two candidates - one female and one male. But only one of them will be elected (Please note that applications will not be considered unless the above is fulfilled). * All nominations must reach UNEP on or before 28 February 2007. For more details and to apply visit the website and complete the application form - here
Opportunities for Grants, Funding and Participation
1) National Peace Essay Contest (USA) Developments around the globe and at home challenge us to rethink the role of the United States in the international community. What is our nation's place in this increasingly complex global picture? How do we best promote respect for human rights and the growth of freedom and justice? What can we do to nurture and preserve international security and world peace? The National Peace Essay Contest: Promotes serious discussion among high school students, teachers, and national leaders about international peace and conflict resolution today and in the future; Complements existing curricula and other scholastic activities; Strengthens students' research, writing, and reasoning skills; and Meets National Contents Standards. Deadline for posting submissions: February 1, 2007 2) Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships (international) The Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships (AFPF) is an American non-profit, non-governmental organization that gives developing-world journalists the opportunity to work as reporters in American newsrooms. The program, which runs from mid-March to September, is offered annually to approximately ten professional print journalists between the ages of 25 and 35. Created in 1984 by Alfred Friendly, a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter and former managing editor of The Washington Post, the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships is one of the most successful and admired programs in international education for journalists. AFPF is unique in that it is the only program to offer foreign journalists a non-academic, long-term, hands-on experience in a single news organization. Convinced that healthy democracies need strong, free media, Friendly conceived a fellowship program that would both impart American journalistic traditions and respond to worldwide interest in the dissemination of fair and accurate news. Sharing the goals of AFPF, the Daniel Pearl Foundation partnered with AFPF in 2003 to offer special fellowships to honor the life and work of journalist Daniel Pearl – the Wall Street Journal South Asia bureau chief who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in 2002. Daniel Pearl Fellows have worked at the Washington, DC bureau of The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and The Berkshire Eagle and North Adams Transcript. Applicants for the Daniel Pearl Fellowships must come from areas where Daniel Pearl worked as a journalist – South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Your voice
Contribute to WYMD's Newsletter! We would love to hear more from WYMD members, and develop this newsletter as a forum for you to share stories, experiences, news of events etc. So please, if you have any stories to share, know of any events that might be of interest (international or national), or just want to share an experience of activism or participation, please send us an update so we can share this information with the other members! Please send any news, articles etc to wymd[at]youthlink.org or using our online feedback form