Youths demand their inclusion in country’s dev process
‘Govt kept its strategic plan related to Rio+ 20 Summit confined within limited group’
Dhaka, June 19 (UNB) - Representatives from several youth organisations across the country on Tuesday demanded the government to engage the youth community in all development initiatives to pave the way for them to take lead in the process of transforming the country into a steady one.
They alleged that despite repeated request by the experts and the civil society, the government kept its entire strategic plan related to the Rio+ 20 Summit confined within a limited group.
They made the demand at a press conference titled ‘Safe City for Youth: From Dhaka to Rio+20’ held at the National Press Club in the city.
Activista Bangladesh, United Nations Youth and Students Association of Bangladesh (UNYSAB), Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), 1 Degree Initiative, International Youth Council (IYC), Kewokradong Bangladesh jointly organised the press conference protesting government’s indifference to include youth’s voice in the process of formulating the long-term country development plan developed for Rio+20 UN Summit.
Fifteen other youth organisations including Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and Bangladesh Scouts expressed solidarity with the initiative.
“Youth constitutes 31 percent of the country’s total population. But our voice is always ignored despite our immense contribution in the nation building process,” says Nafiz Imtiaz from Activista Bangladesh, the youth network of ActionAid.
“Bangladesh, as a country worst affected by climate change, will join the Rio+20 Conference as a member states of United Nations. Bangladesh will present its long-term country development plan and also will demand compensation from the developed countries for the damage caused to them by climate change,” said Afeef Ahmed from ActionAid Bangladesh.
They said even the consultation process performed during finalision of the position paper was strictly kept limited debarring participation of the concerned groups.
As a result, voice of the youth community has completely been ignored in the Bangladesh position paper.
The youth representatives came up with a 17-point demand on six areas.
The key demands include: ensuring due opportunity for youth participation in the Disaster Risk Reduction Committees at Union Parishad; making first-aid and rescue training in all schools and colleges mandatory and also engaging the local youth clubs with the training programme; ensure wider access of youth smallholder farmers to agricultural training and extension services and also ensure their direct entrance to the market to make sure they get fair prices for their goods; incorporating agricultural studies in the primary and secondary level national curriculum.
“Our demands are not only important for the Rio+20 Conference. These are the burning issues of thr nation. We will continue our efforts to address this issues at a larger scale,” said Subir Das from Young Power in Social Action (YPSA)
They alleged that despite repeated request by the experts and the civil society, the government kept its entire strategic plan related to the Rio+ 20 Summit confined within a limited group.
They made the demand at a press conference titled ‘Safe City for Youth: From Dhaka to Rio+20’ held at the National Press Club in the city.
Activista Bangladesh, United Nations Youth and Students Association of Bangladesh (UNYSAB), Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), 1 Degree Initiative, International Youth Council (IYC), Kewokradong Bangladesh jointly organised the press conference protesting government’s indifference to include youth’s voice in the process of formulating the long-term country development plan developed for Rio+20 UN Summit.
Fifteen other youth organisations including Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and Bangladesh Scouts expressed solidarity with the initiative.
“Youth constitutes 31 percent of the country’s total population. But our voice is always ignored despite our immense contribution in the nation building process,” says Nafiz Imtiaz from Activista Bangladesh, the youth network of ActionAid.
“Bangladesh, as a country worst affected by climate change, will join the Rio+20 Conference as a member states of United Nations. Bangladesh will present its long-term country development plan and also will demand compensation from the developed countries for the damage caused to them by climate change,” said Afeef Ahmed from ActionAid Bangladesh.
They said even the consultation process performed during finalision of the position paper was strictly kept limited debarring participation of the concerned groups.
As a result, voice of the youth community has completely been ignored in the Bangladesh position paper.
The youth representatives came up with a 17-point demand on six areas.
The key demands include: ensuring due opportunity for youth participation in the Disaster Risk Reduction Committees at Union Parishad; making first-aid and rescue training in all schools and colleges mandatory and also engaging the local youth clubs with the training programme; ensure wider access of youth smallholder farmers to agricultural training and extension services and also ensure their direct entrance to the market to make sure they get fair prices for their goods; incorporating agricultural studies in the primary and secondary level national curriculum.
“Our demands are not only important for the Rio+20 Conference. These are the burning issues of thr nation. We will continue our efforts to address this issues at a larger scale,” said Subir Das from Young Power in Social Action (YPSA)
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