In the same movement, similar
movements have been born in each continent and nation and young people have
committed themselves to build these networks and customize them to meet the
needs of their nations and youth community in the light of climate change and
sustainable development. This spirit that has led to the growth of the Indian
Youth Climate Network, African Youth Initiative on Climate Change, Australian
Youth on Climate Change, Malaysian youth on Climate Change, Nepalese Youth on
Climate, European Youth Forum, SustainUS, Energy Crossroads, among many others.
The network has partnerships with governments in the North and South, United
Nations agencies, NGOS and community groups in the rural areas of every
continent. They are educated and are continually informing themselves through
their Capacity Building Working Groups.
Communication in any network is
essential. A network needs to communicate to its members, its partners, and
supporters of their activities any new information and new projects upcoming or
new findings to share with the community. The most effective way for each group
is required.
·
While I worked for African youth, I
realized getting the information to the youth, and ensuring that they
understand it to an extent of taking action was a huge impediment to achieving
our objectives in the network. While in developed countries, access and use of
internet to build networks has eased their work. In Africa, like any other
developing continent, the use of internet and ICT tools to grow the youth
networks is still a challenge. Not only is access to a computer is a challenge
for the local youth groups, but the effective use of the computer, internet and
other Web 2.0 tools is still a challenge for most youth. While I have the
dispensation to use ICT to support my youth work, I admit and appreciate the
fact that only a quarter of my colleagues access these services. Of these, only
a half can effectively make use of the services to further enhance the work of
our networks. We therefore spend more time serving the network not only in
project implementation, but also building their capacity in Communication
strategies. This is the reason: I have sought to explore various ways that
networks can use in their project implementation: blogging, wikis, social
networks, film making, photography, mailing lists, SMS alerts, radio talks and
road shows among others.
Diversity in Networks?
Yes. The beauty of diversity in any
youth network is the liveliest phenomenon to observe. The growth of any youth
network is solely dependent of the ability of its members to engage in diverse
activities, while addressing their core vision and mission. Diversity provides
each member of the network with a chance to take part in the running of the
network activities. For instance, the saving of the dolphin would take a myriad
of activities: educating school children and communities, working with artists
to create awareness, advocacy work, policy work with governments, among other
activities. Youth should never limit their opportunities to achieve their
dreams, they should always innovate new ways to deal with their challenges.
Where do we get resources?
The major challenge for the young
people in meeting their needs is finding the resources. The resources could be
skills, educational materials, communication facilities, offices, finances,
land and many others. The most important source of resources to a youth network
is their contribution. Youth contribute either by paying membership to the
network, contributing their time, skills, assets, to facilitate the achievement
of the objectives they have set out. Young people have successfully run network
projects with their own contribution. Another source of resources is the
community where the youth belong – these can be government agencies, NGOs,
universities or community groups. Youth networks have also moved to another
level of fundraising for their projects which includes developing project
proposals and fundraising from larger corporations, governments and other
funding agencies. This has been in some measure successful, given the limited
funding allocated to youth programmes. Governments, NGOs and funding agencies
are now allocating a percentage of their annual budgets to youth programmes
which is accessible to youth networks.
·
In 2009, eight African Governments
supported young people from Kenya, Zambia, Namibia, Swaziland, Malawi,
Botswana, Nigeria, and South Africa to participate in COP 15 of the UNFCCC.
This was a historic year for the youth movement to work with their governments
in achieving their dreams. In 2010, the African Ministerial Conference on
Environment, are in discussion with the youth to ensure that they are
officially recognized with the AMCEN, and take part in the decision making
processes. This is a huge resource to youth networks around Africa.
With whom should I work?
Partnerships? We must seek to work
with all people and in different ways. Every time i meet a network of young
people, the second question I ask them is, “Who are you working with?” It is
vital for networks to identify and forge partnerships, friendships and other
networks with relevant groups working in the same area as they. These partners
are means of knowledge sharing, capacity building, information dissemination,
support, among other areas of partnership. The partnership is either organized
or informal, long term or short term, even project based. The partners still
support the sustainability generation participants in their projects through
knowledge sharing, internship programme, and mentorship. While I worked with
the InterVarsity Environment Network, we were in partnership with UNEP, UNICEF,
universities, UN Habitat, Consultancy firms, and journalists, to ensure the
success of a sustainability workshop for the university students. Without them
this project would not have been a success.
The bottom line for any youth
network is leadership, integrity, transparency and responsibility. In
leadership, a transition and mentorship policy needs to be in place either on
paper or existing as a standard operating procedure. Dynamic youth networks
needs to have dynamic leaders who not only buy the vision of the network and
run with it, but also those that are willing to delegate duties, work with all
members and mentor others to take up their positions once their term is over.
In AYICC, which I have served for five years, I have always been amazed by the
leadership characteristic that most members have observed. Having only started
as a volunteer in events planning, I ended up being moulded into a leader and
now have the role to mould others who are taking up the leadership position
from me.
Intergeneration partnerships in
youth networks
When I joined clubs and societies in
my high school we always had a patron who would guide the activities of the
group. In running youth networks, I have realized that you need more than just
a patron for the network. You need a board of advisors, a board of directors,
and most important, as an individual, you need a mentor who guides your
leadership journey and provides checks and balances. You need to learn under
someone senior who has probably been in the same position as you, someone with
years of experiences, who can correct you when you are in the wrong. The old
and the young need to share their experiences, and their knowledge and dreams.
While you have a mentor, you need to mentor someone else in the network that’s
the only way an intergenerational partnership can be fully realized.
What is your role in a youth
network?
Every person, youth or not, has a
role to play in animating the youth network. Support the youth in your
community to work together, share with them opportunities that exist, hold
dialogues with them, listen to their way of thinking about the future, and
advice them. You can support their vision, by developing programmes in your
organization that will address their needs.
Young people are unwilling to accept
failure, guide them in accepting mistakes as the way to achievements.
Demonstrate to them, how to gather strength in the midst of failures.
Education is a right, not a luxury, so spend time educating the youth with your experiences.
Itulah beberapa cara yang dapat kita lakukan untuk memperkuat jejaring pemuda yang tujuannya adalah selain cultural exchange juga menjadikan kita orang yang lebih open-minded sehingga dapat menjadi pemuda yang dapat berkontribusi baik untuk negara melalui prestasi yang kita ukir. Semoga artikel ini bermanfaat ya..Education is a right, not a luxury, so spend time educating the youth with your experiences.
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