PC; Sista
More than 80 young leaders from across the Pacific region are converging in Nadi, Fiji from 8 – 10 October 2019 to discuss young people’s participation in good governance to promote human rights.
Rose Martin, RRRT’s Senior Human Rights Advisor said this regional Young Leaders Dialogue (YLD) is unique in the sense that the entire event has been organised by a group of Pacific youth for Pacific youth.
“This YLD on good governance and human rights is planned and implemented by a group of youth leaders from across the region to ensure that the topics discussed are of relevance to young people.
“The rationale for this event is that it is a fundamental principle of human rights for citizens to be involved in decision making that affect them.
“We recognise that many times young people are left out in the very decisions that affect them,” Martin said.
Ni Van youth leader, Ronald Garae, one of the shortlisted participants for the YLD, said the event would provide him an opportunity to gain a clear knowledge and tactics or strategies that should be used to advocate on human rights and good governance
“I would like to convey a clear understanding of promoting human rights of individuals in the community in all aspects of life especially the marginalised groups.
“I also expect to gain more understanding on good governance and how to use that to build a better future for everyone,” Garae said.
Meanwhile, Litiana Kalsrap, Youth Leader from Vanuatu, who worked with counterparts from other parts of the Pacific region to plan and organise this event said the YLD is a linking platform for leaders and youth leaders to prioritise good governance.
“It is about time for youth leaders to step up and take an active role in the decision making processes of development, and governance which affect them especially considering the fact that this region is faced with so many challenges to do with human rights, gender and climate change,” Kalsrap said.
Other young leaders from Tonga who will be joining Garae for this event next week include Florence Tamara, Jessica Wari, Yasmine Bjornum and Gaetano Kalopong.
The Vanuatu delegation will be joining Pacific youth counterparts from Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, Tonga, Samoa, and Solomon Islands to discuss governance and human rights issues affecting young people in the region.
The three-day regional meeting is organised by the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) and Social Development Programme (SDP) and fully supported by the UK-funded Pacific Commonwealth Equality Project (PCEP) with programme support from Australia and Sweden.
SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST
