News Archive (2008 - 2005)

International Youth Day (IYD) will be celebrated on August 12 in countries around the world. IYD gives the world an opportunity to recognise the potential of youth, to celebrate their achievements, and plan for ways to better engage young people to successfully take action in the development of their societies. It presents a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to rally together to ensure that young people are included in decision-making at all levels.

Juli Dugdale has joined the World YWCA as the Programme Director for Asia and the Pacific. Dugdale arrives from Australia and has an impressive background with the YWCA including the roles of being the first elected young woman to a position of National YWCA of Australia Vice President, National YWCA of Australia staff team member, host country Co-ordinator for the Brisbane World Council. Dugdale recently volunteered as a member of the World YWCA Staff team at the Nairobi World YWCA Council meeting in 2007.

The World YWCA has sent a message of solidarity to the YWCA of Georgia amidst the conflict that broke out in South Ossetia between Russia and Georgia on August 8. Humanitarian organisations in Georgia have revealed that displaced women and children are in desperate need of clothes, food and shelter. World YWCA General Secretary Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda expressed her ‘hope for peace’ in the region and reiterated the commitment to peace and justice by the YWCA movement.

The Journey for Justice is an annual programme organised and hosted by the Joint Advocacy Initiative of the YWCA of Palestine and East Jerusalem YMCA (JAI-PAL). World YWCA Advocacy Intern, Leanne Baumung took part in the programme and reflects on her experience of expressing solidarity with Palestinian youth and witnessing what life is like for young people living under occupation.

The World YWCA is working with the GEAR Campaign to build a United Nations that really works for all women by advocating for an independent UN entity that will enable governments and the UN system to achieve their goals on gender equality, women’s empowerment and human rights. The GEAR (Gender Equality Architecture Reform) Campaign officially launched last March, during the 52nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The civil society GEAR Campaign worked throughout CSW to advance these goals and now has over 250 organisations as members from all regions of the world, including the World YWCA.

The Nagasaki Peace Messengers brought a powerful message of peace to the World YWCA on August 19, when they made their annual visit to Geneva.“All nuclear weapons need to be eliminated as soon as possible,” said one of the Nagasaki Peace Messengers who is part of the group that helps educate other young people from around the world about the devastation nuclear weapons can cause to humanity.

The World YWCA offers one year and short internships to further develop young women's leadership skills. The internships are intended to increase the number of globally experienced and trained leaders in the YWCA movement. Participants return to their associations to share their experiences and learning.

World YWCA interns Joy Yakubu and Leanne Baumung will join other representatives of NGOs, grassroots organisations, UN system, private sector, academia, media and youth in Paris to attend the 61st DPI/NGO meeting to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

World YWCA has contacted the YWCA of Haiti to ensure the safety of staff and volunteers after severe flooding has left the country facing a humanitarian disaster caused by a series of tropical storms. UN officials have reported that the situation looks to worsen, with more bad weather forecast and a death toll already standing at 200 people.

Ms. Navanethem Pillay took the opportunity in her new role as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the 9th UN Human Rights Council on September 8 to remind Member States, UN and civil society representatives about the importance of human rights for all.In her inaugural statement, Pillay referred to 2008 being the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and stated that while this occasion offers the chance to celebrate progress made towards the full realisation of human rights for all, it is essential to remain focused on the challenges that remain. Pillay stressed the interdepenence and indivisibility of human rights, asserting that crises,conflicts and disasters demonstrate how abuses of one set of rights resound on other rights.