Iraqi Youth and Arab Spring

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Iraqi Youth and Arab Spring

• Towards Integrating Youth Issues in the NHDR-
  Iraq

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Message number zeroBefore I start

• Business as usual,,,,,, youth are absent

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UN Contribution at Global Level

• 1985 1st International Youth Year
• International Youth Day 12th August
• 1994 Int. Conf. Pop. Development (Cairo)
• 6.13 Countries should aim to meet needs
  aspirations of youth, particularly in areas of
  formal non formal education, training,
  employment opportunities, housing health,
  thereby ensuring their integration
  participation in all spheres of society,
  including political process leadership roles
• ICPD Programme of Action 1994

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UN Contribution at Global Level

• 1998 International Youth Conference, Lisbon
• A Society that cuts itself from its youth
  severs its lifetime. It is condemned to bleed to
  death Kofi Annan, Secretary general
• 2000 World Programme of Action for Youth
  Covering 15 Priority areas
• Education, Employment, Hunger/Poverty, Health,
  Environment, Drug abuse, Juvenile delinquency,
  Leisure, Girls young women, Participation,
  Globalization, ICT, HIV/AIDS, Youth and conflict,
  Intergenerational relations

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UN Contribution at Global Level

• 2010 International Youth Year
• Dialogue Mutual Understanding
• 2011 High Level Meeting of G.A. on Youth
• Failing to invest in our Youth is a False
  Economy. When Youth lack opportunity, they are
  more easily led to crime and violence, to drugs
  and risky sex, and the slippery slope to the
  bottom of social scale S.G. Ban Ki-Moon
• Participants - 4 Heads of States
• - 40 Youth Ministers
• - Several Heads of UN agencies

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Outcomes of 2011 HLM on Youth

• Unemployment
• Youth are most Dynamic Innovative segments of
  population
• Youth are Key Human Resource Demographic Bonus
• Youth Participation
• Youth Engagement is easier at Local level than at
  State Level
• Role of Youth-led associations to develop a
  Critical Space for Democracy Peace at Grass
  root level
• Adolescent Girls Young Women Gender
  stereotypes that perpetuate discrimination

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Arab Spring Youth Reshaping History
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Arab Spring 11 months of Youth movements

• Great Revolutions cannot be made. .
• They erupt, like Volcanoes, a top of mounting
  force of huge and long suppressed social
  political contradictions.
• Mustafa Barghouti, Al-Ahram news

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Youth led Arab Spring Underlying causes

• Failure of Developmental Programmes
• System of Governance at odds with Democratic
  Transformation
• Weak mechanisms for Civic participation and
  Political Representation
• Unfulfilled universal Aspiration for Freedom
• High Unemployment among educated youth
• Conflicts and Emergencies
• Conflict between Traditionalism Modernism

Iraq UNCT Retreat - November 2011
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Arab Spring Youth Tidal WaveFrom Tunis ..

• Demographic transition Large Youth population
• Dignity Revolution Personal national
  degradation
• Loss of Fear challenging concept of Power
• .. To Egypt ..
• Urban, Middle-Class youth ignited the uprising
  flame
• Escaping conservative environment
• With ability to express desire win support of
  majority
• Participate in building new Oppression-free
  Society

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Arab Spring Factors of Change

• Breaking the Silence
• Youth no Longer afraid
• Actors of Change
• Youth taking charge of their present Shaping
  their Future
• Demanding Political Reform
• Youth putting pressure on political structures to
  change
• Protecting their Nation
• Youth preserving national Treasures Institutions

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Iraqi Youth Human Rights and Challenges

• Iraqi Youth in Figures (National Youth Survey)

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Youth Education (15 30 yrs)

• 5yrs or less 29
• 6th grade (Certificate) 33
• 9th grade 20
• 12th grade 10

62 has 6th Grade or Less !! 82 has 9th Grade
or less !! What Employment opportunities ??
Investing In Youth Investing In Youth Investing In Youth
1ry Education 2ry Education
Students 4,151,000 1,492,000
Schools 12,141 4,109
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Youth Education (15 30 yrs)
Cause of Drop Out Cause of Drop Out Cause of Drop Out
10-14yrs 15-24yrs
Youth Unwilling to continue 36 30
Parents refusal 22 15
Financial reasons 12 17

• Youth who Reads
• 10 14 yrs 14
• 15 24 yrs 23
• 25 30 yrs 26

Value of Education
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Youth Work

• Working Youth Male female
• 10 - 14yrs 6.5 9 3
• 15 - 24yrs 24 39 6
• 25 30yrs 46 76 14
• Support Early Employment
• 10 - 14yrs 49
• 15 - 24yrs 32
• 25 30yrs 46
• Youth who want to migrate 16

Gender Disparity
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Youth Participation

• Participate in Social activities
• 10 - 14yrs 23
• 15 - 24yrs 28
• 25 30yrs 30
• Chance to discuss their opinion
• 10 - 14yrs 4
• 15 - 24yrs 6
• 25 30yrs 8
• Participation in election (above 18yrs)
• Male 76 female 64

Low Social Participation
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Youth Gender Equity

• Male Female
• Womens right to work 51 93
• Women need approval
• of caretaker to work 92 92
• Husband can beat his Wife 50 26

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Youth mental Health

• Sense of happiness / Optimistism
• 10 - 14yrs 73 Male 55
• 15 - 24yrs 53 Female 62
• 25 30yrs 51
• Sense of Security
• 10 - 14yrs 67
• 15 - 24yrs 59
• 25 30yrs 55
• Support Use of force to solve problems
• 10 - 14yrs 28
• 15 - 24yrs 37
• 25 30yrs 41

Growing Unhappy, unsecure Violent
Iraq UNCT Retreat - November 2011
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Youth Health

• Male Female
• Smoking 71 31
• Alcohol 14 1.5
• Practice Sports 22 2.0
• Attitude to PLWHA YES No
• Should be isolated 84 16
• Share on meal 10 90
• Shake hands 17 83

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Government and UN response to youth Aspirations
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Priorities

• Youth
• Water

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Government Efforts

• Several stand-alone sectoral initiatives
  programmes
• Lack of intersectoral coordination or linkage
• Some initiatives are targeted to youth, majority
  are for all population groups, including youth
• Few are Gender-sensitive Young women benefits??
  
• Government has no clear vision for Iraqi Youth
• Classical approach What the Nation wants for
  Youth?
• Ministry of Youth Sport some coordination
  capacity, more focus on Sport/Culture

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UN Efforts

• Some Youth-targeted projects
• Youth included in several programmes, but not
  specifically targeting them
• Girls Young Women concerns Vulnerabilities ??
• Few UN joint programme with some inter-linkage
• Some quick impact /short span initiatives
• Limited involvement of Youth (Design/implement/
  evaluate)
• No Coordination structure
• Youth is Cross Cutting issues !!!
• UNDAF (2011-14) Women Youth at Outcome 5

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Investing in YouthAs Community Assets /Agents
for Change

• a Human Rights approach

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.. HR ( Freedom, Dignity, Equity )
What do Youth want ?

• Political Rights
• Freedom of expression right to be listened,
• Consulted in Decision Making
• Economic Rights
• Equal chance for employment and decent work
• Livelihoods Employability
• Social Rights Health, Education, .. but also
• Self-Development (self-esteem, empowerment, )
• Social participation / Entrepreneurship
• Gender Equity / combating Gender Based Violence

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Programming Principles

• Multi-dimensional
• Addressing ALL rights (Civic, Social Economic)
• Comprehensive
• Different levels of interventions (Skills,
  Participation Services)
• Simultaneously Interlinked implementation
• In Time Place with Referral mechanism between
  interventions
• Youth Active Involvement
• With Youth TO Youth
• Addressing Young Girls Exclusion Vulnerability

Iraq UNCT Retreat - November 2011
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Comprehensive Interlinked
Enabling Environment
Interlinked Gender-sensitive Youth Focused
National Youth Policy
Education Skills
Services Counseling
Adequate Data
Empowerment Participation
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Ideas for HR-Based Multisectoral Youth
Programming and reporting
Political Rights Social Rights Economic Rights
Educate (Skills) Life skills on Civic Values Life Skills on Health Social Values (incl. Gender Equity Girls Empowerment) Market oriented Vocational skills
Educate (Skills) Life skills on Civic Values Life Skills on Health Social Values (incl. Gender Equity Girls Empowerment) Employability Life Skills
Empower (participation mechanisms) Youth participation mechanisms Youth participation opportunities (Social Entrepreneurship) (Youth Associations) Information on opportunities (Employment, Grants, Credits, Internships, and apprenticeships , ..)
Serve (Services Counseling) Youth-led Associations Youth Friendly Health services Career /Business Counseling
Serve (Services Counseling) Youth / Students led School clubs centers Psycho-social Counseling Credit Counseling
Serve (Services Counseling) Youth / Students led School clubs centers Youth-to-Youth Counseling Credit / Grant Services
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How What do UN need to deliver Comprehensive
interlinked Youth Programme ??
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Conclusion

• Gap is still exist between youth aspiration and
  governments delivery
• HDR theme on youth is timely
• Need to address Youth reporting comprehensively,
  multi sectoral, integrated, muli-level,
  participatory intervention
• HR based approach is appropriate
• Thematic studies are still needed to prepare NHDR
• Address vulnerable youth groups
• Writing up NHDR within its national-sub-national-r
  egional- international context is recommended
• Youth participation is NEEDED

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Thank You
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