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SUSTAINABILITY: Our Challenge. Our Future. Celebrating International Youth Day in Nepal
12 August 2009
Youth Rally in Kathmandu
'It is often said that young people are our future. They are our present, too. It is today, and not tomorrow, that we must invest in young people and include them in solving the great challenges of our times', said Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director on the occasion of International Youth Day, 12 August 2009.
Mr. Ian McFarlane, UNFPA Representative
speaking during the elocution contest
Young people are key partners in sustainable development. They often lead by example: practicing green and healthy lifestyles, or promoting innovative uses of new technologies. They deserve full access to education, adequate healthcare, employment opportunities, financial services and full participation in public life. The International Youth Day has been observed annually since 1999 to bring attention to the needs of all young people and to celebrate the energy and spirit of the youth across the world.
Winners of a quiz in Mahottari
In Nepal, UNFPA celebrated the International Youth Day with local partner organizations in Kathmandu and in the districts. In the capital Today's Youth Asia (TYA) organized an Elocution Contest in which forty one participants competed in two age groups- 13-16 junior category and 17-24 senior category- talking about "Our Responsibility towards Sustainable Development" through the lenses of one of the eight Millennium Development Goals. The Association of Youth Organizations of Nepal (AYON) organized a youth rally, an interaction program on the theme of the day, a blood donation drive and a music concert to close the day.
Youth performing in Kapilvastu
In Dadeldhura, Dang, Kapilvastu, Rautahat, and Mahottari districts District Development Committees, various youth organizations, UNFPA and the local communities in celebrated the International Youth Day by organizing rallies, interactions, street dramas, radio programmes, speech competitions as well as song and essay contests.
For more information on UNFPA Youth Programming in Nepal contact Ms. Anna Adhikari, Communications Consultant at adhikari@unfpa.org
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