In view of new and emerging issues facing today's young generation, the first youth conference was organized in Dadeldhura district from June 9-10, 2014. The conference was hosted by the District Development Committee, Dadeldhura, with financial and technical support from UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. The event was an attempt to empower youth by providing knowledge and skills for their effective participation in the local government planning process.
Nepal's population is very young with about 33 percent of the people below the age of 15 and also 57 percent between the productive ages of 15-59. Adolescents and youth are central to the future development agenda. Safeguarding their rights and investing in their future by providing quality education, decent employment, effective livelihood skills, access to sexual and reproductive health and comprehensive sexuality education is essential to their development and that of their families. The recently-published Nepal Human Development Report 2014 also shows that the country needs to further invest in its youth population.
The conference held in the district headquarters Khalanga called for involving adolescents and youth in the local level planning and decision-making process, among other things. More than 100 adolescents and youth took part in the event, including 42 female youth from 20 Village Development Committees representing youth networks and junior Red Cross circles. Representatives of government and non-governmental agencies and representatives from local political parties also attended. The thematic sessions and presentations included youth participation in development planning, national youth policies, district youth strategy and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services. The topics and discussions that followed during the two-day conference culminated in a 12-point action plan to be implemented by participants thorough VDC level youth networks:
• Launching of outreach campaigns against child marriage and polygamy
• Running door-to-door awareness programmes against caste-based discrimination and Chhaupadi
• Creating pressure on the government agencies concerned to improve youth's livelihood prospects.
• Forging collaboration with the stakeholders to fight violence against women and discriminatory practices
• Submitting proposals before the local development authorities for youths' leadership development and capacity building
• Taking initiatives to ensure youth participation in the local government planning process
• Holding meetings with guardians regularly to decrease school dropout rate
• Promoting youth-friendly health centers and informing young people about the services available on ASRH
• Conducting several programmes targeting adolescents and young people
• Tackling adolescent pregnancy and ensuring adolescents' basic human rights
• Collaborating with stakeholders to control gambling, alcoholism, etc.
• Supporting young people vulnerable to substance abuse in coordination with health institutions
The conference held in the district headquarters Khalanga called for involving adolescents and youth in the local level planning and decision-making process, among other things. More than 100 adolescents and youth took part in the event, including 42 female youth from 20 Village Development Committees representing youth networks and junior Red Cross circles. Representatives of government and non-governmental agencies and representatives from local political parties also attended. The thematic sessions and presentations included youth participation in development planning, national youth policies, district youth strategy and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services. The topics and discussions that followed during the two-day conference culminated in a 12-point action plan to be implemented by participants thorough VDC level youth networks:
• Launching of outreach campaigns against child marriage and polygamy
• Running door-to-door awareness programmes against caste-based discrimination and Chhaupadi
• Creating pressure on the government agencies concerned to improve youth's livelihood prospects.
• Forging collaboration with the stakeholders to fight violence against women and discriminatory practices
• Submitting proposals before the local development authorities for youths' leadership development and capacity building
• Taking initiatives to ensure youth participation in the local government planning process
• Holding meetings with guardians regularly to decrease school dropout rate
• Promoting youth-friendly health centers and informing young people about the services available on ASRH
• Conducting several programmes targeting adolescents and young people
• Tackling adolescent pregnancy and ensuring adolescents' basic human rights
• Collaborating with stakeholders to control gambling, alcoholism, etc.
• Supporting young people vulnerable to substance abuse in coordination with health institutions
