In this report, the Middle East Youth Initiative cautions that a new jobs crisis may damage future prospects for the region's young people. For Middle Eastern economies, the global downturn coincides with a historically high share of 15- to 29-year-olds in the total population. This report shows that, even during the “boom” years of 2002 to 2008, young people in the Middle East did not benefit from high-quality education and struggled to find decent jobs.
Key stakeholders from 50 countries came together in Washington, DC, September 15-16, 2008, for Making Cents International’s 2nd Global Youth Enterprise Conference. During two days of meetings, the new and growing international community working on youth enterprise, employment and livelihoods development shared their experiences on what holds potential, what is really working and how to measure success.
The report is based on findings from a November 2006 assessment to Southern Sudan where the Women’s Commission looked at formal and non-formal education, including vocational training, income generating activities and literacy classes, and livelihood projects and opportunities for Southern Sudanese who are returning after decades of displacement. The vast majority of Southern Sudanese have been denied their right to education and have missed opportunities to learn practical skills that could prepare them for employment.
Restricted to U.S. national organizations.
Time: 10:00AM - 12:00PM
You're invited to join the Washington Network on Children in Armed Conflict for a discussion exploring the linkages between youth, unemployment and security in post-conflict settings, an issue that demands our attention, as countries transitioning from crisis to development face broad challenges.
Building the capacity of youth to be workforce-ready and equipped with entrepreneurial skills is a common method of addressing economic development needs in economies in which youth are the largest sector of the population and/or the sector of population that has the lowest employment rates. It is particularly important in post-conflict areas, with many children acting as heads-of-households and without the skills to provide for their families through employment or entrepreneurship.
loveLife is the national HIV prevention program for youth in South Africa. Over the next two years, it is focusing on the Make Your Move Campaign, the goal of which is to change the mindsets of youth to understand that change is possible through small actions on a daily basis that can help them to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and to make positive steps towards a socially and economically productive life.
Building the capacity of youth to be workforce-ready and equipped with entrepreneurial skills is a common method of addressing economic development needs in economies in which youth are the largest sector of the population and/or the sector of population that has the lowest employment rates. However, so often youth are guided into enterprises that have low market potential, are not meeting immediate community needs, that are socially or environmentally unsustainable, or that are replications of other businesses that are already run extensively throughout the community. By assessing opportunities for youth prior to their training, and incorporating an understanding of the need to assess the environmental implications of any business or industry development, and related real growth opportunities in regards to resource availability, these programs can truly achieve success and sustainability.
In October 2007, USAID’s Displaced Children and Orphans Fund, in close collaboration with the Microenterprise Development office, initiated the STRIVE (Supporting Transformation by Reducing Insecurity and Vulnerability with Economic Strengthening) Program. A five-year, $16 million effort, STRIVE uses market-led economic strengthening initiatives to benefit vulnerable children. In doing so, the program aims to fill current knowledge gaps on effective approaches to reducing the vulnerability of children and youth.
