What is INFOYOUTH?

The Infoyouth network, often described as ‘a network of networks’, was set up in 1991 at the request of UNESCO General Conference to provide an overview of youth policies and programmes throughout the world. The main objectives of the organization include increasing the availability of knowledge and experience about issues concerning the youth, easing decision making processes, aiding in the monitoring of official policies, encouraging regional and inter-regional exchanges of data between its members, raising awareness and facilitating the training of young people in new information and communication technologies, and providing access to information and support to those struggling against the HIV/AIDS.

The Infoyouth programme is set to be an effective tool in the process of finding, selecting and disseminating relevant information at international, national and local levels.

It is an innovative framework based on the complementarities between the governmental and non-governmental sectors, linking an international organisation, UNESCO, a Ministry, the French Ministry for Youth and Sports, and an institute, the National Institute for Youth and Community Education.

For further details, please visit the websites:

www.infoyouth.org
www.injep.fr

IFHD and YOUTH

I. Right from the period of preparations for the ”International Youth Year” in Barcelona, Spain in 1984, The International Foundation for Human Development, Hyderabad has been an active member in the Working Group of International Youth Non-Governmental Organisations set up by the former UNESCO Youth Division. Since 1995, it has been a member of “UNESCO-INFOYOUTH programme” and, in addition to its being a national focal point, it has been striving to coordinate youth activities and establish networking among the youth NGOs in the SAARC region. There is a satisfactory level of cooperation with the “French National Institute of Youth and Community Education (INJEP)”, which is entrusted by UNESCO to manage the international network of the INFOYOUTH programme, as well as, with the Youth Centre of the “Korean National Commission for UNESCO”, which is the regional focal point for Asia and the Pacific region.

At the sub-regional and regional level, IFHD has been constantly making efforts to bring together youth-related NGOs and networks and has been trying to provide a platform for their mutual consultations, whether it is physical or electronic or virtual. From 1995 to 1998, a trimestrial bulletin ‘Asia-Pacific Link’ was published and distributed among the NGOs, UNESCO field offices and the National Commissions for UNESCO. As the response and cooperation from the recipients was found to be inadequate in proportion to the efforts mobilized to continue such an initiative, it was discontinued, after releasing a few more issues electronically. However, a Website is kept open to provide information and serve as a reference point for youth and youth networks in the region.

There have been, already, two sub-regional meetings with the youth organisations in South Asia: in 1998, there was a “Seminar on Promotion of Voluntary Service and Social Responsibility” from 22nd to 23rd August, and, again, in 2001, the ”2nd South Asian Conference: Current Challenges for Voluntary Action” was held form 27th to 29th July. Bringing representatives of the youth organizations from Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and even from different parts of India proved to be laborious and expensive. One or two countries make things particularly difficult to get them involved. Administrative and visa problems have been insurmountable and the productivity of such a gathering has not always been evident. The enthusiasm evoked and the commitment obtained on the spot did not, usually, sustain themselves for long in the follow-up activities. However, all is not a waste: symbolically, the spirit of sub-regional identity is upheld and ingrained in the mind of the youth leaders and a wide spectrum of current and future issues of relevance to youth have been broached and provided an agenda for their ensuing national and local action. There has been a constant stress in all those discussions on the positive role that could be played by the information and communication technologies for development and poverty alleviation in the region.

In fact, with redeemed determination, we in IFHD intend to pursue this tradition of consulting each other in the sub-region. If not in lieu of, at least, in addition to the physical meeting now and then, we are also envisaging ‘a meeting of minds’ by virtual conference, more frequently, through website facilities. All along, youth related sections in UNESCO have been very cooperative in our endeavours.

Similarly, parallel to above such events, there has been an effort by some active youth organizations to form an autonomous networking mechanism, called “Voluntary Youth Associations of South Asia (VYASA)”. This informal group was set up with its secretariat at the IFHD office by the South Asian NGOs, when they met in 1998 in Macao during a meeting arranged by UNESCO. These consultations have invariably brought out the commonalities in their problems, limitations and their aspirations. But, no concrete activities have been, so far, undertaken under its banner.

II. At the national and local levels in India, IFHD has an equally daunting and formidable task. These national and local activities provided, in fact, the background necessary for several sub-regional, regional and international activities and exchanges undertaken by us.

III. International Exchange

IFHD receives a limited number of international youth volunteers who are willing to spend about six months with the Organisation either to give or to learn a subject or a skill. Some modest facilities are offered for them. The objective is to facilitate among the volunteers their own individual development by opening up of their minds and in the process to stimulate similar efforts in the receiving groups.

IV. Library and Information Centre

We have a Library and a Youth Information and Documentation Centre with more than 5000 books and documents that provide extensive information for youth on higher studies, scholarships, self-employment opportunities and Community Development.

V. Student Loans and Scholarships

In cooperation with two Non-Resident Indian foundations, IFHD awards loans and scholarships to deserving students.

VI. Psychological Empowerment

We have continued our programs on psychological empowerment in the form of providing free psychological counseling for young people with various intra- personal and inter-personal problems. Though the focus is on the youth, the services have been provided for older people and couples too. We have also been conducting workshops on self-empowerment, personality development and meditation in three colleges of Hyderabad and Secunderabad of Andhra Pradesh state in India.

In-charge: Mr. Syed Salman Ahmad, Mr. Rajesh KOTA