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Who Are We?
We are an
international youth network working in partnership with the United
Nations, established during the 1995 Copenhagen Social Development
Summit with the participation of 300 youth organizations with diverse
religious, racial, cultural and national backgrounds. We, Youth
Association for Habitat and Agenda 21, are serving as the Secretariat of
Youth for Habitat International Network.
Our Vision:
We are not only leaders of tomorrow but partners of today.
Our Mission:
To
increase youth awareness for sustainable development and livable
environment, youth participation in decision making; to develop
partnerships among youth; to enable youth to establish partnerships with
the governments, local authorities and the private sector; to follow up
and increase the participation of youth in the international youth
related events of the United Nations and the European Union; to improve
networking among youth groups and to develop training programmes.
To
facilitate the establishment of legitimate platforms such as student
unions in high schools and universities, youth councils at the local
level, with a view to increase participation of youth in decision making
processes, to enable young people to get together
How?
Information dissemination from international level to national level;
Analyzing of good practices in the world and their implementation at the
national and local levels; Following up of the world agenda and agenda
setting; Creating youth-civil society solidarity; Speeding up
democratization process by raising awareness on civil society; Improving
social sensitivity with a young perspective; Creating common platforms
bringing together different views in solving social problems
Our Principles:
Non-Governmentalism: Within the framework of our projects, we are
working with a diversity of local authorities in different cities
(governorships, municipalities, provincial administrations). We are
developing the sense of ownership and promoting volunteerism among youth
at the urban level in order to stimulate them to act towards the
solution of their common problems. Therefore, we apply no discrimination
as to political ideas in the youth platforms. Such an approach also
facilitates the development of partnerships with the local authorities.
Local action: The local dimension of our activities is essential. What
is understood here is the spread of information and experience to the
most local level that is the neighborhood level.. Another understanding
is to create facilities in developing cities instead of developed ones.
Accountability: The Association does not receive in cash support from
the private sector, but in kind support on a project basis.
Facilitator Role: The association avoids establishment of branches or
organizations attached to itself. Rather, it acts as a facilitator to
enhance the capacities of youth groups and to enable young people to
establish their own legitimate bodies.
Projects
In 1997 we launched the National Youth Action Plan for Habitat and
Agenda 21, within the framework of the project that we carried out in
partnership with United Nations Development Programme and Prime Ministry
Housing Development Administration, as the result of a series of
national and local meetings. Moreover, we organized the International
Youth Follow Up to Habitat and Agenda 21, with the participation of 430
young people from 42 countries.
We carried out the “Renewable Education Training” project in 1999 in
order to raise awareness on clean and non-exhaustible energies, within
the framework of the Global Environmental Facilities/Small Grants
Project.
Since 1997, we are executing the youth component of the Turkey Local
Agenda 21 Program, in partnership with International Union of Local
Authorities and United Nations Development Programme. We are continuing
our activities geared towards establishment of partnerships and of local
youth councils and youth centers in around 60 provinces in Turkey.
Protective Families Campaign provided scholarships for 130 young people
for one year by protective families who were willing to help them to
sustain their education in the aftermath of the earthquake in August
1999 in Turkey. Moreover, youth centers have been established in
Kocaeli, Bolu and Sakarya with the contributions of European Commission
Humanitarian Aid Office within the framework of the Youth Centers in the
Earthquake Region Project.
We are carrying out the South East Anatolia Region Social Development
Programme for Youth since May 2001, in partnership with the United
Nations Development Programme, South East Project regional Development
Administration, with the Contributions of the Swiss Development Agency.
Youth centers have been established in the project cities in order to
create social platforms for young people, to enhance their capacities
and to enable them to take part in decision making processes..
The Association strives to contribute to Turkey’s European Union
accession by implementing Euro-Med projects, awareness raising and
information activities about the European Union and youth policies at
the European Level.
We are a member of…
Council of Europe-Youth Advisory Council, UN World Youth Forum
International Planning Committee, UN World Summit on Sustainable
Development Youth Caucus, UN World Summit on Information Society Youth
Caucus, World Bank Youth Strategy Development Group, Istanbul+5
Facilitator Group, Turkey Local Agenda 21 Program National Steering
Committee, Turkey Habitat Forum-Executive Committee.
We are a partner of…
Youth Forum of the European Union, UN-Habitat
The Best Practices
and Local Leadership Programme |
