About Countdown 2015, tuesday 31st-2nd of september

‘Countdown 2015: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All’ is an initiative dedicated to assessing the progress and mapping the future for the key goals of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994.

With ten years left until 2015, this initiative is about identifying future directions, recruiting new allies, and recognizing the critical role of young people in the next decade of efforts to both fulfil the commitments made at ICPD and bring real change to people's lives.

Countdown 2015 comprises a series of activities and events that will be held throughout 2004 and into 2005 - and is a key element of efforts by NGOs and civil society to mark the tenth anniversary of ICPD at the national, regional and international levels.

Since sunday 2nd of May, Nigerian youths have been in The NATIONAL HIV/AIDS Conference and honestly believe me alot of things have been happening in the youth HUB,things are haappening there,we have been provided a free voluntary counselling and testing centre.wao isnt it amazing?
The most Amazing thing here is that youths from Every part of Nigeria has been represented massively folowing the consultative sessions we organised,its really happening in ABUJA nigeria,meeting with lots of foriegn youths and donors .things are happening.
The youth caucus has been all series of Activities,today we had a rally and imagine things were properly done and every youth there caught fun,I actually had an opportunity to ride with a popular Star in his power bike all thru the rally and people must have thought i was his girlfriend or something??? even the media interviewed me and asked me some questions concerning if i was related to him ,but we said it was just him that wanted me to ride with him,cos we were leading the rally .
waooo fun all the way from Nigeria.WE Would participating in ICASA meeting as youth stakeholders in Nigeria.
Tomorrow is our press briefing international press men and women are every where around Nigeria.The youths in Nigeria will be sharing and discussing the NATIONAL YOUTH DECLARATION ON HIV/AIDS.
this is all for now more detailed report backed up with pictures would sonn come your way.

NIGERIAN YOUTH DECLARATION ON HIV/AIDS (DRAFT 01)

Introduction:

This youth declaration is an outcome of the National Youth HIV/AIDS
Consultative sessions held in Lagos, Enugu and Port Harcourt on the 21st,
23rd and 27th of April, 2004 respectively. Coordinated by youth- led
and youth serving organizations in each of the zones where it was held
the sessions witnessed the participation of (Final figures will be
tomorrow in PH) youths.



Preamble:

In preparation for the 15th International Conference on AIDS, youth
globally mobilized and formed a youth caucus to ensure that youth have the
opportunity of participating massively at the conference, at the
highest level possible, that their voice is heard at the conference and
issues affecting them are seriously addressed by the global HIV/AIDS
stakeholder community. The Nigerian youth have been seriously involved in this
process and have been spearheading the course of things at the Youth
Caucus level. This declaration is therefore a practical demonstration of
the Nigerian youths’ commitment to the efforts to bring to a halt the
spread of HIV/AIDS and is intended at sharing the Nigerian experience of
youth participation and involvement in HIV/AIDS and reproductive health
policy making with other youth globally and is a showcase the Nigerian
youths’ potentials to make a difference.

Participants of the consultative sessions:

Taking into cognisance:

That Youths are the most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection as a result
of; inadequate/ lack of access to correct information, lack of good
communication skills, inadequate parent- youth interaction, poor state of
education, inadequate reproductive health services, early initiation to
sexual activity society’s resistance to young people who speak frankly
about sexuality and risk taking on the part of youth;
That youth have over the years not been adequately represented in the
conceptualization, formation, implementation and evaluation of HIV/AIDS
and reproductive health policies;
That current programmes and prevention strategies do not adequately
address the needs and concerns of youth especially those in the rural
areas;
That youth have the right to know about and participate in the
formation of decisions that affect their own development;
That most communities do not have youth friendly centres/ units where
youth can gain access to reproductive health information and services;
That the 4th National Conference on AIDS serves as a good medium to
articulate our needs, express our concerns, showcase our activities,
highlight our future plans and advocate for support.

Endorsing:

· The Abuja Declaration on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Other Related
Infectious Diseases.

· The Dakar Youth Empowerment Strategy

· The WHO 3 *5 Initiative

· The UNGASS Declaration of commitment on HIV/AIDS

Recommended as follows:

1. That measures be taken to ensure that youths participate at the
highest level possible in the design, implementation, and evaluation of
HIV/AIDS and reproductive health policies and programmes;

2. That the needs of youths, especially those in the rural areas, be
met by reproductive health services and programmes, through the
establishment of youth friendly centres in community health centres and
counseling units in schools;

3. That Government and civil society should ensure that youths are
represented by youth themselves in NACA, SACA and LACA to ensure that their
needs and aspirations are adequately addressed by the strategies that
are developed;

4. That youth decide upon the kind of messages and language and methods
of dissemination of IEC materials that are focused on youth
populations;

5. That the rights of youth living with HIV/AIDS (YLHA’s) and those
affected by HIV/AIDS should be protected and respected, to ensure their
effective participation in society’s development;

6. That a policy mechanism which encourages adequate and priority
funding to youth- led and youth focused projects and interventions be put in
place to ensure that all worthwhile youth initiatives are brought to
the platform of delivery;

7. That an enabling environment be created for youth- led organizations
to carry out their activities in the communities where they exist by
all stakeholders;

8. That realistic access is created for youth at National conferences
and workshops to build their capacity for effectiveness and progress.

Our commitment:

1. We resolve to ensure that all youths who represent our interests at
various levels of policy making are well informed about our needs and
are able to articulate and justify them;

2. We resolve to form a formidable National Youth Network on HIV/AIDS
and Reproductive Health to enhance partnerships, resource sharing and
collective progress among youth led organisations;

3. We take it upon ourselves to ensure that youths in our immediate
constituencies of operation are well informed about the dangers of
HIV/AIDS and educate them how to take precautions;

4. We resolve to work together among ourselves as youth and with our
communities, institutions and government to develop and ensure the
implementation of specific youth focused programmes and projects;

5. We resolve to develop and publish IEC materials that convey the
language of youth and adequately inform the youth population;

6. We resolve to join hands with the government and civil society to
implement existing and emerging strategies to halt the spread and impact
of HIV/AIDS.

7. As Nigerian youth and stakeholders in the collective development of
our dear nation, we advocate for the support of the global community to
bring about the realization of our dreams of putting to a halt the
greatest threat ever to our development as a population and as a nation.

8. We resolve to pursue the objectives of this declaration and of
ensuring youth participation and involvement through all worth while medium
until we are listened to and we are heard.

It was fun for TIG Enugu Nigeria,yesterday .As we on Air
for 15mins. waoooooooooooooooooooo

Many things have been happening throughout this period and honestly it hasnt been easy .But just yesterday we were invited over to the NAtional Television Authority Nigeria.

Firstly they have promised to cover The National HIV/AIDs Consultative Forum.2ndly they gave us five minutes to talk about The NAtional Youth Consultative forum and how youths are nation builders.And at 7pm and 8pm News we were on Air and before Friday we will be on Network.

so this is to show that we are almost there for the change we wish to make.

lets continue to strive as we are sure we re on the right track.
thank you .

The National HIV/ AIDs conference will be coming up on the 2nd-5th of May,2004.And we are in the process of working the youth caucus out o we can be on stage in Abuja
But before then consultative forums for youths in the 6 geo political regions have been planned.The idea behind the National Youth Consultative Forum is to seek the opinion of Nigeria youth about HIV/AIDS and give them some basic education about the virus and its implications for them both today and tomorrow, collect data from them about their work in the past, current projects and plans for the future.The process will take place in a sequence of days Enugu 16, Minna 18, Lagos 21 and Port Harcourt 25 April. In Port Harcourt, we must have put all of our observations and the inputs together, then we can now have a National Youth Declaration on HIV/AIDS. We will present this in Abuja,we will get back for other regions dates.

we need youths from our country Nigeria and outside to be part of this,participate in any of the forum near you ,cos your VOICE counts.
Contact me or jerry nwigwe if you want to participate in the youth caucus thanks