OPEN: eDiscussion on ‘Youth Engagement in the U.N. System’!

With significant increase in youth awareness and participation worldwide, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) is exploring ways to enhance youth involvement in the UN system.

The Global Youth Help Desk (GYHD) is a UN-Habitat initiative, developed in collaboration with partners, to provide up-to-date information on urban youth issues, regionally and globally. The site aims to promote best practices, knowledge sharing and action on urban youth issues.

The forum is open for all!

1st event: Discussion about youth awareness, participation and development during the International Year of Youth (12 August 2010 – 12 August 2011).

A series of online discussions and debates on:

•          youth involvement and development in the UN system
•          creating a framework for this purpose
•          potential challenges in the implementation of such a vast project

To facilitate the discussion, a report has been prepared laying out the various possible ways of involving youth in the UN system.  Read it here!

Register now at http://edebates.globalyouthdesk.org! 

Add YOUR voice to the debate on whether youth should have a greater say in the UN system!

What you decide here will influence international agendas of development in the years to come. 

  

Young People We Care: YPWC –Regional Partner of Youth Service AmericaInv...

Young People We Care: YPWC –Regional Partner of Youth Service AmericaInv...: YPWC –Regional Partner of Youth Service America Invites YOU to join us on Global Youth Service Day Every year, children and youth arou...

YPWC –Regional Partner of Youth Service America Invites YOU to join us on Global Youth Service Day

Every year, children and youth around the world dedicate their time, effort and heart to serving their communities and changing lives.  

Every one of them is a hero. 

Every one of them deserves to be appreciated, supported and respected.

The Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is a time when all these young people with big hearts and even bigger dreams come together to celebrate their efforts and the power of youth to effect change in our world. In the past, youth have undertaken projects ranging from clean-up activities to tree planting activities.

But more than just celebrating, GYSD also provides a platform to bring these youth together, to link projects and build partnerships across the globe.

The strength of a chain is in the strength of its weakest link. 

GYSD aims to strengthen these links. After all, in the realm of advocacy and social change, the smallest community action project is as important as bigger projects.

Young People We Care (YPWC) is proud to be a GYSD regional partner of Youth Service America (YSA). In 2012, we will expand our efforts to promoting and encouraging youth participation and initiatives in serving their communities through our network in Ghana and worldwide. We are a firm partner and supporter of GYSD.

Do you have a burning desire to do something to make the world a more sustainable one? Or do you prefer taking matters into your own hands, becoming a leader and putting ideas into action? Do you want to learn more about what others are doing around the world?

 Itching to do something?

Well, here is something prepared by GYSD to help you get started!

GYSD Project Planning Resource includes:

·         Information about GYSD

·         Steps to project planning

o   Investigate

o   Prepare and Plan

o   Act

o   Reflect

o   Demonstrate and Celebrate

Rio to Rio + 20 Update_Call for Applications for GEEBIZ Competition : Re-inventing Green Corporation

Greetings Friends,

We just had interesting news from our partner - Peace Child International on the lunch of the Road to Rio + 20 Green Business Competition.

Please follow this link to check it up and apply if you meet the requirements:
http://www.opportunitiesforyouth.org/2011/05/06/the-small-is-challenge-calling-all-young-inventors/

Thank you in advance and don't forget to follow us on our new Facebook fun page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Young-People-We-Care/143440732395259

if you want to still receive regular updates from us on youth and development issues.

Regards

Emmanuel Duker

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : YOUNG PEOPLE WE CARE (YPWC) RECEIVES YOUTH SERVICE AMERICA’S DISNEY’S FRIENDS FOR CHANGE GRANT TO HELP KIDS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

BUNKPURUGU-YUNYOO, NORTHERN REGION –13TH APRIL 2011– MATTHEW NYANNUBE YOSAH, A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES WA, AND PROJECT OFFICER OF YOUNG PEOPLE WE CARE (YPWC) GHANA IN NORTHERN REGION was one of the selected youth leaders around the world to be awarded a $500 Disney’s fiends for Change Grant from YSA (Youth Service America) to support youth-led projects encouraging kids, families and communities to work together to make a positive change in their world.

One of 20 grants awarded in the United States, Matthew Nyannube Yosah will implement Youth Participatory Environmental Action for Sustainable Development from April 15th to 17th in celebration of Global Youth Service Day, the world’s largest and longest-running youth-led service campaign. According to Matthew, ‘Youth Participatory Environmental Action for Sustainable Development is a community felt, need-based and grassroots approach to a youth-led community action project that seeks to enhance the environmental health of communities. Located in the Northern Region of Ghana, an intervention is needed to enhance the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal 7 (Ensuring Environmental Sustainability) and improving climate change globally’.

Disney's Friends for Change (www.disney.com/projectgreen) is a program created to inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world (and the people and animals that live there). The grants offer youth needed resources to bring environmental initiatives to life and inspire change within their local communities.

“These grants were extremely competitive, but ‘Youth Participatory Environmental Action for Sustainable Development’ exemplified the goals of the Disney’s Friends for Change program,” said Steve Culbertson, President and CEO of Youth Service America. “Young people in Kinkangu want to make a difference, and Disney’s Friends for Change Grant, in coordination with YSA (Youth Service America), offers them the resources needed to make a positive, measurable impact on their community.”

Now in its 23rd year, Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) engages millions of young people via partnerships with schools, youth development, community, and faith-based organizations. Events are currently planned in more than 100 countries and in all 50 states, addressing the most challenging local, national and global issues facing the world including health, literacy, childhood hunger and the environment.

"Kids and families are at the heart of everything we do athttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif Disney. We strive to partner with and inspire the next generation to improve the planet’s future by using creativity, arts and problem--solving to make a difference through Disney’s Friends for Change Grants,” said Leslie Goodman, senior vice president, Corporate Citizenship, The Walt Disney Company.

For more information about Youth Participatory Environmental Action For Sustainable Development visit www.ypwc.org and also join our Facebook fun page. For more information about YSA (Youth Service America) and Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), visit www.YSA.org.

###

Disney's Friends for Change is a multiplatform initiative that helps inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world (and the people and animals that live there). Through PSAs on-air and online tool-kits, the program aims to provide useful information to help kids make small changes that add up to big differences. As part of the program, Disney donates $1 million dollars annually to fund projects all around the globe and has funded over 41 projects that help the planet ranging from educational & community programs to species & habitat protection. Friends for Change currently has over 3 million actions taking place from kids in 33 countries throughout Europe, Latin America, Japan, India, and China. Kids can join online at www.Disney.com/projectgreen .

Youth Service America (YSA) improves communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in substantive roles. Founded in 1986, YSA supports a global culture of engaged youth committed to a lifetime of service, learning, leadership, and achievement. The impact of YSA’s work through service and service-learning is measured in student achievement, workplace readiness, and healthy communities. For more information, visit www.YSA.org.

Young People We Care (YPWC) is a youth led and youth focused organization headquartered in Ghana. Founded in 2005,our mission is to educate and inform youth on global issues, inspire them to take action, encourage their participation in global issues, identify and build sustainable partnerships aimed at youth development and provide young people with tools and resources for effective action. Our vision is to provide a ‘youthful voice’ that seeks to address the numerous challenges facing young people by effectively using young resourceful minds to influence the course of global policy formulation and development in a consistent and harmonized manner. For more information, visit: www.ypwc.org .

CONTACT:
Diane Dray
818-567-5384
The Walt Disney Company
diane.dray@disney.com

Jen Voss
Youth Service America
202-650-5064
jvoss@ysa.org

Matthew Nyannube Yosah
Young People We Care/ Development Education Club
+233-249431332
matthew@ypwc.org

YPWC in Rio + 20 Partners Meeting (UK) & Voice YOUR Opinion in our Global Youth Survey

Dear YPWC's

I hope you all had a good start to the new year! Please see below for some information on what is going on with the launch of the Road to Rio + 20 project and how YOU can get involved:


YPWC Excited about Participation in Rio + 20 Partners Meeting in the UK:
On January 28 - 31 2011, Young People We Care representatives Michael Boampong (Founder and Principal advisor for YPWC) and Johanna Dans (joining the YPWC team in February as the Regional Coordinator for the Road to Rio + 20 Project - West and Central Africa) will gather together with representatives of the 13 Road to Rio + 20 partner organizations in Buntingford, UK, to discuss and plan our exciting involvement in the project.

Road to Rio+20 Global Youth Survey on Sustainable Development
Peace Child International in partnership with YPWC will organize and host an Africa Regional Summit in Accra, Ghana as part of the Road to Rio consultation process to place youth at the centre of the Earth Summit in Rio in 2012. The main theme will be sustainability and the role youth can play in ensuring that governments do not drop the goals of the original Earth Summit held in 1992, as well as identifying what young people can do. We need your input! Please help us gather information for Road to Rio Project by completing a 10 question short survey here.  As a thank you, you'll be able to enter the draw for the participation in one of our Road to Rio+20 regional meetings around the world, in the summer/fall of 2011.

As a recent addition to theYPWC team this coming February, I am also hoping to strenghten the already existing bonds between YPWC that have been linking it with international partners, and especially those in West and Central Africa, to work together in this warm and welcoming atmosphere to work for such an important cause as promoting young people's involvement in sustainable development.

If you have any questions on Road to Rio + 20 project, our would like to become involved, please don't hesitate to contact: Michael Boampong at Michael@ypwc.org or Johanna Dans johanna.dans@ypwc.org

YPWC Thank You 2010

Dear YPWCer:

Five years ago, a group of young people founded Young People We Care to promote youth-led development through building the capacity of young people in Ghana and beyond to be active change makers and to also direct engage young people in development issues such as the Millennium Development Goals, HIV/AIDS and International Migration. We have had tremendous success over the past five years including: hosting more than 60 global anti poverty campaigns, supporting young people on three occasions to have a voice at the Global Forum on Migration and Development and bringing together over 80,000 young people for inter-generational dialogues on development issues with policymakers and people who matter most in development.

Recall, that for the 2nd time we were selected for an award by the United Nations Volunteer in recognition for our innovative voluntary support in the area of youth-led development on International Volunteers Day and also as a as a Regional Lead Agency by Youth Service America. Organizations such as ours, which is supported by volunteers, funds from individuals and some amount of small grants from donor organizations rarely do well in such difficult environment.

As the holiday season approaches, we’d like to thank you for your moral support. The exciting accomplishments would not have been proudly achieved without you.

As YPWC gets stronger, we have innovative ideas on how engage young people in promoting sustainable development. However, we would not be able to realize our noble vision without your support. As the year draws to a close for a new year, please think of YPWC if you are considering supporting a youth organization that aims to create a better tomorrow through the active engagement of young people. We need your help to keep this important work alive!

We have the vision, so having your generous support can ensure that our work is done in a more structured and forward-looking manner. Here’s what your donation will provide:

• With a $5 donation you can support the travelling cost to schools where we have Development Education Clubs.
• With a $15 donation you can buy programs, posters and refreshments for community and school events.
• With a $50 donation you can sponsor an online consultation on a key issue such as poverty and MDGs and Migration.
• With a $125 donation you can sponsor a development oriented campaign such as STAND UP 2011.
• With a $500 donation you can support a Fundraising and Advocacy Training for youth.
• With a $1500 donation you can support a 4 young people to implement innovative activities on Global Youth Service Day in April 2011.
• With a $5000 donation you can support the August 2011, Road to Rio + 20 Regional event in Accra-Ghana.

Please help us move into 2011 with a guaranteed mission of educating and informing youth on key development issues; inspiring youth to take action; encouraging youth participation in global issues; identifying and building sustainable partnerships aimed at youth development; and providing young people with tools and resources for effective action. Your donation can be made easily and securely on our partner’s page (Omprakash) (full link at: https://omprakash.org/DonationForm?go=DonationForm&p=166)

If you need more information on our fundraising strategies please contact Shantell at: shantell.scott@ypwc.org or Tel: +233-3220-52537

Thank you in advance and we look forward to sharing much good news with you throughout 2011 in the spirit of co-development and solidarity.

With very best wishes,

Michael Boampong

Founder and Advisor, Young People We Care

michael@ypwc.org

Shantell L. Scott

Executive Director, Young People We Care

shantell.scott@ypwc.org