GYAN and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals

1. Building Youth Leadership
to achieve the United Nations
Millennium Development Goals
Bremley W. B. Lyngdoh
Co-Founder and Director
Global Youth Action etwork
International Youth Professionals Summit
Manchester UK from 19th - 23rd August 2008

2. Introduction
The Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) is a growing collaboration
among youth and youth organizations that are committed to uniting their
efforts to improve our world. With nine hundred organizational members
and thousands of active partnerships in almost 200 countries and
territories, the Network is working to promote greater collaboration, to
improve youth civic engagement and participation in decision-making,
and to provide support and recognition to young people who take
positive action to improve their communities.
GYAN and TakingITGlobal have partnered to create the most dynamic
and resourceful community on the Internet of young social leaders and
youth organizations. GYAN is affiliated to the United Nations Department
of Public Information, and holds Special Consultative Status with the
United Nations Economic and Social Council. GYAN has endorse the
principles of the Earth Charter and it is now promoting is worldwide
through its partner organizations.

3. Building the Youth Voice
Helped ensure the largest participation of official youth delegates to the
United Nations General Assembly in 2000 and continuing to play an
active role in facilitating youth participation in all United Nations
processes, such as the Commission on Sustainable Development and
the Annual NGO-DPI Conference
Helped to establish Youth Advisory Councils for CONGO (Committee
of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations), the
United Nations Population Fund and assisted the World Bank with
youth consultations
Worked with governments to ensure strong youth participation in
policy-formation in Brazil, Jordan and Ghana
Worked with NextNext Entertainment on developing a strategy for Chat
the Planet TV
Coordinated the development of the 2005 report “Youth & the MDGs:
Challenges & Opportunities for Implementation”

4. Youth Action and Recognition
Launched and coordinated Global Youth Service Day in partnership
with Youth Service America. It is the world’s largest celebration of
young volunteers, with more than 1 million participants in 175 countries
outside the USA
Published an MDG Youth Campaign Kit in collaboration with the United
Nations Millennium Campaign & TakingITGlobal
Distributed $30,000 plus in Global Youth In Action Awards to youth-led
projects that improved local communities
Worked to highlight positive youth contributions by providing the media
(Channel Thirteen/PBS, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Time
for Kids, Stone Soup and others) with inspiring stories for broad
dissemination, also getting additional coverage of these stories in
dozens of books and other publications

5. Resources and Community
Helped to create, in partnership with TakingITGlobal, the most popular
clearinghouse of information and resources for youth on the net, listing
organizations, events and much more
Worked with grant-makers such as Artemisia Foundation and Youth
Service America, AOL Time Warner and the United Nations
Foundation to distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to youth
organizations working on issues like volunteerism, economic
development and entrepreneurship initiatives that create further
opportunities for youth
Organized meetings on collaboration with like-minded organizations,
including the World Social Forum, Earth Action, and Instituto
Cidadania, among others
Supported the launch and currently act as coordinating Secretariat for
the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS

6. The United Nations Millennium Summit
In September 2000, the Presidents, Prime Ministers and royalty of the
world gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York, and
pledged to achieve significant progress in eight major priority areas by
the year 2015.
These United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) address
many of the world’s most pressing challenges, and provide an
ambitious framework through which countries are now approaching
development.
As GYAN’s Co-Founder and as the official Indian Youth Representative
on my country’s parliamentary delegation, I had the chance to address
the U.N. Millennium Assembly and I called upon world leaders to support
the YES Campaign and create sustainable livelihoods for youth.

7. The Millennium Development Goals
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Improve maternal health
3. Achieve universal primary education
4. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
5. Promote gender equality and empower women
6. Ensure environmental sustainability
7. Reduce child mortality
8. Develop a global partnership for development

8. Building Youth Leadership for the MDGs
The Global Youth Action Network
based in New York close to the UN
Secretariat is committed to ensuring
that young people are seen as key
stakeholders in the design of their
future, and become a driving force
behind efforts to achieve the MDGs.
To help place young people at the
forefront of these efforts, a four part
comprehensive strategy has been
devised by GYAN and its regional
offices and partner organizations.
Please see www.youthlink.org

9. Getting the Facts
Only recently has the discussion about the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals become a major topic in the civil society sector. Much
information is needed still on how these MDGs can best be achieved.
In response to the United Nations Millennium Project, a special Working
Group on Youth was commissioned to create a detail report identifying the
potential role of young people in achieving the MDGs which was released
back in November 2004.
Polls and surveys were used to determine young people’s awareness and
understanding of the goals, what efforts are underway to address them,
and to compile case studies & success stories from across the planet.

10. Getting the Word Out
Everyone must work together for the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals, if they are ever to be achieved especially young
people. Priority must be placed on efforts to educate the public about
these Goals.
GYAN is making conference presentations, using public service
announcements and collaborating on publications to raise public
awareness about the MDGs, including the World Federation of United
Nations Associations’ Annual Report on the MDGs.
Other strategies will include media campaigns, television and radio
programs, and collaboration with United Nations agencies on the launch of
a Youth MDG Web Portal.

11. National MDG Youth Campaigns
The campaigns will mobilize millions of youth into taking action to better
understand and address the Millennium Development Goals. It will be
launched in a strategic alliance between TakingITGlobal and GYAN,
together with a broad coalition of youth groups, United Nations agencies,
development banks, and socially responsible global corporations.
In 30 pilot countries, young leaders will conceive and implement cost-
effective, participatory initiatives, including community meetings, school
workshops, roundtables with decision-makers, community-improvement
projects, video conferences, and much more.
At least 500,000 young people are expected to participate in the first year.
The initiative included an awards program and workshop during the
Millennium Summit+5 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

12. Impacting Policy
Poverty-Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) being developed by
governments as their blueprint for achieving the Millennium Development
Goals represent one of the most significant policy-related processes, in
which young people should have a greater voice. Efforts by the United
Nations are focused on advocacy, and getting governments to fulfill their
commitments to achieve the MDGs.
In collaboration with the United Nations Millennium Campaign, youth will
be invited to assist in advocacy efforts with governments, as well as to
participate in any way possible in developing these PRSPs and shaping
other policies with their government. In addition, national consultations will
give a voice to greater numbers of youth in determining priorities and
shaping policies.

13. Working Group on Youth
The Working Group on youth, which
was formed in mid-2004, consists of
a number of youth experts from
around the world who together have
been working on the report titled
“Youth & the Millennium
Development Goals: Opportunities
and Challenges for Implementation.”
The Global Youth Action Network
functions as the secretariat for this
group, with additional coordination
support provided by the United
Nations Programme on Youth in
New York at the UN headquarters.

14. Partner Agencies on the Strategy
TakingITGlobal
North-South Institute
Peace Child International
United Nations Millennium Project
United Nations Programme on Youth
United Nations Millennium Campaign
United Nations Program on Human Settlements
World Federation of United Nations Associations

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16. Thank you very much!