[youth development in Nigeria] U N I T E D N A T I O N S THE SECRETARY-GENERA...

This year's commemoration of International Youth Day also marks the
launch of the International Year of Youth, under the theme "Dialogue and
Mutual Understanding".

Today's challenging social and economic environment warrant a
special focus on youth. Eighty-seven per cent of people aged 15 to 24
live in developing countries. The global economic crisis has had a
disproportionate impact on young people; they have lost jobs, struggled
to find even low-wage employment and seen access to education curtailed.
As economies slowly begin to stabilize, the needs of young people
should be paramount.

This is a moral imperative and a developmental necessity. But it is
also an opportunity: the energy of youth can ignite faltering economies

. I am regularly inspired by the good will, talent and idealism of
the young people I meet across the world. They are making important
contributions to our work to eradicate poverty, contain the spread
disease, combat climate change and achieve the Millennium Development
Goals. I call on Member States to increase their investments in young
people so they can do even more.

During the International Year, the United Nations and its youth
organization partners will focus on the need to encourage dialogue and
understanding across generations, cultures and religions. In a world in
which different peoples and traditions are coming into closer, more
frequent contact than ever before, it is crucial that young people learn
how to listen intently, empathize with others, acknowledge divergent
opinions, and be able to resolve conflicts. Few endeavors are more
important than nurturing these skills, and educating young people about
human rights, for in them we not only see the next generation of
leaders, but also crucial stakeholders of today. Let us also recognize
that older generations themselves stand to learn a great deal from the
experiences and examples of young people as they come of age in a world
of accelerating interconnectedness.

As we launch this International Year, let us acknowledge and
celebrate what youth can do to build a safer, more just world. Let us
strengthen our efforts to include young people in policies, programmes
and decision-making processes that benefit their futures and ours.

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Posted By rotimi to youth development in Nigeria at 8/11/2010 03:08:00 AM