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The Global Youth Reporters in Johannesburg are seeking the views of the ‘youth delegates’ on some of the national teams at the WSSD. This is the first of their reports.
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Johannesburg, August (GYRP) -- This time around, young people have been deliberately included on some of the national delegations to the World Summit on Sustainable Development. What expectations do these ‘youth delegates’ have of the conference? Do they think they will be able to make a difference?
There seems to be a divergence between what young people at the Summit want to happen, and what they expect will happen.
Sello Mosai of South Africa would like to see a ‘programme of action’ emerge at the end of the World Summit, that will take us "from the status quo to a better future.” But there appear to be no sign of that happening at the moment.
Camila Argolo Godinho, a youth delegate from Brazil, is "not expecting much from this Summit.” Judging by how little was implemented after the 1992 Rio Summit, she feels that the World Summit will be simply a case of history repeating itself. There will be talks, and the results of these will be put on paper, but "nothing will come out of it,” she believes.
Some of the youth delegates also feel like second class citizens in their national delegations.
Although Camila believes this is not the case with the Brazilian delegation, there are others who beg to differ. Lindsey Cole from Canada feels that the ‘adults’ on the national delegation often treat their youth counterparts in a condescending manner.
But maybe the national delegations are not wholly to blame for the youth delegates feeling sidelined.
Sello from South Africa holds the view that the United Nations is partly at fault.
Closed door meetings, to which youth delegates do not have access, do not exactly offer "proper participation as it should have been,” he says. The UN needs to allow free participation and a free flow of views between the youth delegates and decision makers.
Ultimately, the impact of the Summit's discussions will be on the youth of today. Young people feel it is only right that they are given a platform to voice their perspectives.
© Global Youth Reporters Programme
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