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LA-21 Youth Parliament
representatives came together with the state officials on the same
platform to discuss the future establishment of a National Youth Council
and the formation of a national youth policy in February, 2004.
The LA-21 youth
representatives also had the opportunity to meet with the NGO
representatives of the National Youth Council Initiative. The LA-21
youth representatives criticized the idea that there are two rival
initiatives for the establishment of a National Youth Council currently
in Turkey; stating that;
“Every NGO has the
free will to get organized for a specific aim as well as our parliament
has the right of freedom in not supporting this initiative. It is also
essential to underline that our fundamental aim is not to establish a
National Youth Council out of the LA-21 Youth Parliament; rather we try
to form the basis of a representative, inclusive and participatory youth
platform at the national level, which, we think, should turn out to be
the main branch of a future National Youth Council in Turkey.”
Youth adopted a
declaration at the end of the meeting, which was then submitted to all
relevant authorities in Turkey. Within the declaration, youth outlined
that;
The involvement of
public sector in the national youth policy formulation process is a must
for the effectiveness of this process.
There should be a
governmental agency, whose responsibility will be to coordinate the
policy formulation process. This agency should own specific
qualifications:
a.
It should be an effective
institution in following the international youth agenda
b.
It should formulate adequate
solutions to possible problems that might be faced during the process
c.
It should have the capacity to
fulfill its duty of facilitation.
National Agency of
Turkey, which has been established in 2003 under the State Planning
Organization attached to the Turkish Prime Ministry, should be the
coordinating agency in this process.
1.
Within the national youth policy
formulation process, a commission of state authorities will be
established for the development of an action plan.
This commission shall be composed of;
·
Concerned Public
Institutions,
·
University
Student Councils,
·
NGOs and
institutions specialized in youth
·
academicians.
2.
For an integrated national youth
policy, obligation sharing shall be done accordingly;
·
Youth NGOs shall
define their roles in this process,
·
University
Student Councils shall democratize their structures,
·
Student Unions at
high schools shall be strenghtened,
·
Local Youth
Platforms working within the framework of the Local Agenda 21 National
Youth Parliament shall finalize their institutionalizations and
streghten the bound in between.
3.
Demands of the LA21 National Youth
Parliament within the national youth policy formulation process:
-
“The Democracy
Education and School Councils Project” that is initiated by Turkish
National Grand Assembly and the Ministry of Education shall be
implemented in coordination with Local Youth Concils’ activities.
-
Youth Centers
established by Ministry of Youth and Sports shall be open for the use
of all volunteer local youth paltforms.
-
International
Organizations such as the European Union, the United Nations and the
World Bank shall take a supportive leading role in the process of the
development of an integrated national youth policy in Turkey.
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