Urgent Appeal

We would like to urgently draw attention to the all concerned authority towards the worsening health of Nanda Prasad Adhikari and Gomamaya Adhikari who are staging fast-unto-death demanding immediate investigation into the murder of their son Krishna Prasad Adhikari, a resident of Phujel VDC of Gorkha District. Krishna Prasad was was killed in Chitwan District by Maoist cadres on 6 June 2004. Maoist has accepted that he was killed by his cards.

Amid flagrant ennui of the present interim government and with the UCPN-Maoist Chairman Puspakamal Dahal openly giving threat of ‘revolt’ and asking the Chairman of the government not to investigate the case, if investigated the situation would be calamitous.

We believe that this is the issues of right to justice and accountability. We are sensible that it’s the duty of the Government to fulfill and protect to the rights of the citizen. Not only that, international community has also a duty to take a proactive position.

We have very good example of support and proactive position of international community, individual embassy and mission for the pluralism, human rights, accountability and civil rights during the People's Movement of 2006.

It is with sadness that we have seen, in the aftermath of the signing of CPA between the government and the Maoist no one has made accountable for the crime done during the period of Maoist Insurgency which has helped to institutionalizing impunity and deteriorating situation of rule of law in the country.

We believe international community, individual embassy and mission is our ally in the campaign against impunity in Nepal. Hence, we argue all the concerned authority to take measures aimed at ensuring justice for the Adhikari couple and arguing the Interim Government of Chairman Khil Raj Regmi to move the case forward through investigation and arrested as required.

We strongly believe that immediate intervention from international community will be significant to save the lives of innocent Adhikari Couple. Nanda Prasad and Gomamaya are only demanding nothing more than proper investigation into the murder of their son. We are demanding the justice without fear of favor.

Gopi Krishna Bhattarai

Chirperson

2013-09-05

शान्ति र विकास सम्बन्धी कार्यशाला

तालिम पछि सन्थाल समुदायद्वरा प्रस्तुत लोकनृत्य

युथ एक्सन झापाद्वारा सुरुङ्गा, ८ मा शान्ति र विकास सम्बन्धी तीन दिने कार्यशाला अायाेजना गरेकाेछ ।

कनकाई नगरपालिका ९ स्थित सरस्वती बालविकास केन्द्रमा सञ्चालित कार्यशालाको समापन कार्यक्रममा जर्मन नागरिक पिटर र मार्टिनले सन्थाल समुदायमा भएको यस्तो कार्यशाला निक्कै फलदायी भएको टिप्पणी गरे । सो अवसरमा जिल्ला विकास समिति झापाका सामाजिक विकास अधिकृत हिमराज सेढाईंले जिविसबाट युवाका लागि बजेट पाउनका लागि स्थानीय क्षेत्रमा योजना तर्जुमा गर्दा युवाहरुले ख्याल गर्नुपर्नेमा जोड दिए । यस्तै युथ एक्सन नेपालकी भावना भट्टले कार्यशालाबाट सिकेका कुराहरुलाई व्यवहारमा उतार्न जोड दिइन् ।

दुई दर्जनभन्दा बढीको सहभागिता रहेको कार्यशालामा मानव अधिकारकर्मी लक्ष्मी निरौला र दीपक दासले सहजीकरण गरेका थिए । कार्यशालाको आयोजना फलफूल तथा तरकारी उत्पादक सहकारी संस्था र युथ एक्सन नेपालको संयोजन रहेको दीपक दासले बताए ।

Office of Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth's 8 Recommendations to Incorporate Young People and their Priorities in the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Based on the inputs of young people in the MyWorld2015 and World We Want online surveys, the national consultations, the Bali Declaration of the Global Youth Forum on ICPD Beyond 2014, the Rio+20 Youth Blast, the Sierra-Leone Regional Youth Development Declaration Summit on Post 2015 Agenda, and after consultations with the relevant UN organizations and entities, the following is a set of recommendations to incorporate the human rights and development priorities of young people in a sustainable development framework which seeks to address development challenges for the current as well as the future generations:
1. Youth Participation and Empowerment
Recommendation: Young people expect the establishment and strengthening of institutional mechanisms that allow for meaningful youth participation in decision-making, particularly for those most marginalized, ensuring young people have access to the information they need to exercise their human rights, and strengthening the capacities of youth-led organizations and networks in order to enable them to fulfil their potential as active and equal members of society.
2. Governance
Recommendation: Young people expect a firm commitment to democracy, justice, transparency, integrity and equal representation in all governance processes, in such a way that enables youth to participate in the process of national development, including creating access to opportunities for employment, innovation and shared wealth-creation.
3. Education
Recommendation: Young people should be engaged in the design, content and delivery of education to ensure that it is responsive to the real and current needs of those people to whom it is intended to benefit. Youth need access to quality, relevant education beyond primary education, which integrates life skills, vocational training, comprehensive sexual education, peace-building and sustainable development, promotes global citizenship and utilizes informal education methods.
4. Employment
Recommendation: Young people call on the elimination of challenges they are faced with as the largest unemployed portion of the global population and within the period of transition to integrate the work force, including difficulties to access employment and economic opportunities that encompass fair wages, possibilities for funding and mentorship, equal opportunities, job and social security, career development and training, as well as entrepreneurial and innovation skill development opportunities.
5. Health care
Recommendation: Young people, particularly adolescent girls, urgently need universal access to affordable, quality health care and youth-friendly health services, including sexual and reproductive health. Countries must aim to ensure that all adolescents enter adulthood with the highest attainable standard of health, without unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, unsafe deliveries, violence, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, with a healthy weight and free of substance abuse.
6. Gender
Recommendation: Young people expect a firm commitment to ensuring equal and equitable representation of young women in politics, promoting girls’ access to secondary and higher education, and addressing harmful practices against young women and girls, including forced and child marriage, gender-based violence/discriminations and violence against women.
7. Inequalities
Recommendation: Young people expect a sustainable development approach which integrates education, human rights and youth participation to tackle the effects of inequalities in employment, governance, health and other areas of their roles in society, in a way that ensures young people are treated equally, regardless of socio-economic status, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and with special attention to youth with disabilities, youth in conflict zones, youth with HIV/AIDS and youth at risk.
8. Climate Change and Environment
Recommendation: Through concrete contributions and engagement in environmental protection efforts, young people as agents of change, durably influence the mindsets, attitudes and behaviour of their peers and communities. Provided with education on practical skills in disaster preparedness and adaptation to climate change, as well as on the potential consequences of climate change and global environmental degradation, youth can make sustainable choices with regards to consumption and lifestyles as well as green jobs. 

Chairperson's Message on the Anniversary of YOAC

It is my great pleasure to share with you all that Youth Action Nepal (YOAC) completes its decade long journey from May 27, 2013. We are very proud to obtain this achievement. We are also happy about our decade long contribution to promote youth social movement in Nepal.

To set up and run a youth organization was not an easy job in Nepal. It was during the time of armed conflict, thus it took more than six months to complete the registration process of YOAC. Generating resources was a very complicated and competitive task for YOAC, as we had to compete with other adult-led professional organizations. Thus, there was no funding (besides our personal contributions of time and money) in the first one and half years of YOAC’s establishment. YOAC had only hand-counted people in its core team and that was also depleting month by month because YOAC could not properly engage many of its important people. We were only limited in Kathmandu and a couple of districts. We were also lacking substantive projects, campaigns, and advocacy actions. Most importantly, we were not adequately trusted by many concerned actors because YOAC being a youth led and youth focused organization. Despite all these challenges, we had some strength; we had a clear vision about the future of Nepali youth movement; we were very determined what we wanted to achieve; and we never gave up our mission for making YOAC as a leading organization to promote youth movement in Nepal. As a result, YOAC has marked 10 years of its establishment.

From past to present, YOAC has focused its work on issues around human rights, peace, democracy, migration, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). YOAC still works as a leading youth organization to deal these issues from youth perspectives. YOAC took a lead role to convene Nepal Youth Social Forum (NYSF) since 2006 until now. NYSF is the largest non-partisan youth forum in Nepal, organized in every two years. YOAC also had taken a lead role during the national youth policy formulation process. Due to its persistent advocacy since 2004, YOAC has been able to establish foreign labour migration as a major youth agenda of Nepal. YOAC initiated SRHR focused advocacy and campaigns since 2005 when this issue was only dealt with from service delivery perspective. YOAC’s grassroots focused democracy promotion initiatives have been very successful in organizing and empowering hundreds of youth and their networks. Youth representation has been increased in our working locations. For instance, District Development Committee of Dang has formed a Youth Committee after our long advocacy. YOAC is now serving as an advisor of this committee. YOAC has dozens of success stories of these kinds. Similarly, our peace projects have prepared dozens of youth peace builders in our working districts. YOAC facilitated Friend of Youth Action group since 2007, which has been able to organize and engage more than 150 active and semi-active youth in a number of volunteering and community service projects. Human Rights Training and Study Session and Annual Peace School have been established as a popular educational programs for district level youth leaders. YOAC has also taken lead role in several national level advocacy and campaigns related to its working theme. One of its staffs has also selected as a UNFPA global youth fellow to work at the UN Headquarters New York. YOAC’s staffs, members, and volunteers have also participated in nearly 150 international events.

So many people and institutions have played a very prominent in the course of our ten years long journey. I would like take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to our volunteers, local partners, youth networks, well-wishers, donors, government agencies, youth and student political organizations, advisors, general members and staffs. It was impossible for us to continue our journey without your incredible supports, suggestions, and feedbacks. It will be injustice if I do not acknowledge the significant contributions of our founder members to make this organization alive. Thus, I also would like to highly acknowledge their works.

I hope we will get similar kind of love, support, and encouragements even in the future.

Thank you!

Best Regards,

Gopi Krishna Bhattarai

Chairperson

Consultation on UNHLD held

Youth Action Nepal along with MFA Nepal Chapter organized national consultation on the 2^nd UN High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development. The consultation was held on 25-26 April at Kathmandu. Consultation aim was to make effort to engage in the UNHLD. The consultation focused on the CSO seven points agenda for a 5 year action plan that was submitted to the UNHLD. The consultation came up with recommendations in line with the 7 points agenda.

Together Towards Prosperity

Third World County like Nepal, youth involvement is poor in any program because the senior citizens believe that youth lack experiences as well as ideas. It is useless to involve them senior people think. And also they don’t think youth involvement is important for the betterment of the village or a community. There was a period where in any program; meeting youth involvement was not at all. On such particular program senior people are active member. But now it has been changed and youth involvement and participation are seen rapidly in the village.

According to the Ram Chandra Acharya , youth of Kailali district Chumala VDC are begin to appreciate by the villagers' for their work. In any program, meeting or conflict arise in the village, youth steeped out to solve it. Chumala VDC Youth networking President Archarya said they also take consent of the senior people and work for the betterment of the community. Beladevipur Youth Networking Vice President Gyanu Chaudhary added senior people themselves want youth to take part. This situation arise because of Youth Action Nepal said Bijay Rana, member of Beladevipur Youth Network. After the program regarding interaction between youth and parents organized by Youth Action Nepal, the thinking has been changed of those parents for the youth. They appreciate their work and also praise them what they deed.

Youth of Beladevipur demand their participation on the meeting of the village. At first their demand are ignored by the people but gradually they perform their best for the development of the village and are being acknowledged said Ramdayal Chaudhary.

Youth Action Nepal had introduced such kind of program to gather all the youth for their as well as village's development. It was quite effective also. Youth Action Nepal carried out the awareness program like human rights, reproductive health and rights, youth rights, youth personality development, public hearing etc. These programs are implemented since 2065B.S and due to this around 300 youth from 5 VDC of Kailali are being initiated said Taparaj Joshi, coordinator of Youth Action Nepal, Kailali.

Different awareness program, workshop and work camp, interaction are launched by Youth Action Nepal for the upliftment of youth to developed their leadership skill and betterment of their locality.

Bitter Reality of Foreign Employment

Yagya Prasad Sapkota life became beyond his imagination and thinking as well. He went for foreign employment by taking debt and in the hope that he will give his family a good and better life. But the expectation and desire became vain as he return back home after a month. He became seriously ill and compel to returned back home. He said he did not get good work in a company as he was promise before going to another country. He was able to returned back home due to the help of Nepalese workers.

After returning back home, he suffer from serious economic crisis. So with the hope of getting some help he joins youth action in 2068 and also involve in the program. Knowing about his condition and willingness to do something they help him. Youth Action Nepal provides 20 thousand to him and from that money he opens a small hotel in Rajipur bazaar. From the income of that hotel, he is able to deduct his debt. Gradually from the income he fulfils his family needs as well. Further he added, 'Youth Action has shown me the way and bring me here.'

In a few period of time, Yagya Prasad Sapkota brings positive change in his life and became an example in his village.