PANEL DISCUSSION ON ADOLESCENT EMPOWERMENT ORGANISED
FACES
OF THE FUTURE: ROAD TO DEVELOPMENT
On the eve of World
Population Day, a nation-wide programme of dialogue between policy
makers, specialists and adolescents started at a FACE-TO-FACE
meet at India International Centre, New Delhi today. Developed
jointly by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, UNFPA and
NYKS, the programme aims to empower adolescents forming 23.6 per
cent of our population through information, various programmes
and policy leverage.
The Ministry of
Youth Affairs and Sports has been designated as the nodal ministry
for addressing adolescent matters. "The young in India, especially
the adolescents, have immense potential. They must have the opportunities
also"’ said the chief guest Shri Rajiva Srivastava, Secretary,
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. "Providing them right
stimulus is the responsibility of the society so that they turn
out to be engines for social change". New schemes aimed at
building environment to recognise needs of adolescents were being
formulated.
Mr. Francois M. Farah,
the country representative of UNFPA, the Guest of Honour said
"Empowerment of the adolescents means providing them choices
and to kindle their imagination with abilities of take risks and
above all to dream." He said that 40 per cent of AIDS cases
were in the age group of 15 to 29 years, thus stressing on the
need to increase awareness among the adolescents.
Shri V. Muraleedharan,
Director General of NYKS informed the mainly young audience that
starting from the Population day there will be year-long activities
involving adolescents and the stake holders. The programmes will
begin with nine workshops and Adolescents Melas in certain
state Capitals. As the preliminary part of the nation-wide programmes,
a sample of 400 adolescents were interviewed in Delhi who were
also invited for the present programme.
The panel discussion
ranged on modes and methods of providing information for developing
skills among the adolescents who form 23.6 per cent of our population.
A spectrum of issues ranging from communication to security and
abuse, reproductive health of adolescents, gender inequalities
and reaching adolescents through formal and non-formal education
were discussed. Dr. Amod Kant, General Secretary of Prayas;
Dr. Aruna Broota, Counsellor, consultant and psychologist; Dr.
Sunil Mehra of Mamta, Dr. Mridula Seth; Dr. Rajesh Mehta
and Dr. Anubha Ghosh of "We, the people" formed the
panel of specialists.
To empower adolescents
for a vibrant India, state-level Melas will be held in
Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Imphal, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai,
Patna and Thiruvananthapuram on 11th and 12th
of July, 2003. These workshops will address various adolescents
concerns and provide career counseling, free and comprehensive
medical check-up and skill development activities.
