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Meeting Summary
Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow Secretary of State for International
Development
Andrew Mitchell MP began his speech
by outlining how Peace Child International got its name. He
then described the ambitious policy programme of the Conservative
party in international development being led by the Globalisation
and Global Poverty Group set up by David Cameron.
Mr Mitchell states there are many opportunities and challenges
ahead with regard to the global youth population. There has
been progress over the last 50 years, with growing wealth,
improved life expectancy and literacy levels, and young people
are at the heart of many of these improvements.
There are currently 1.3bn young people in the world and their
talents, energy and dynamism need to be harnessed in order
to help lift nations out of poverty. The youth population
has implications for all aspects of development policy.
Improved education means both getting more kids into school
and providing a better standard of education. Achieving this
is to make a political choice to invest in young people. DFID
should be praised for abolishing school fees and making education
compulsory, however the state does not have to be the only
provider of education. It has been suggested that private
schooling, specifically with reference to a scheme in India,
could drive up standards. This would involve working with
private schools and subsidising fees. Peer-peer teaching is
also an alternative to state-provided education, for example
HIV education in Jamaica.
On economic growth and employment, one out of every three
young people is unable to find employment. This relates to
property rights, the rule of law, health, education and investment.
Many young people are unable to secure loans to start their
own businesses. To help this situation, microfinance could
be extended.
Young people in the UK also have a role to play. For example,
gap year students do real work in the developing countries
which they visit/volunteer in.
Effective policy in this area needs more research. If policy
is wrong, a huge amount of potential will be wasted. The young
generation can drive forward growth and development.
Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State (SoS) for International
Development
Hilary Benn started his speech
by saying that the young people of today, in both developed
and developing countries will be the leaders of tomorrow,
and will be making the big decisions of the future. It is
imperative, therefore, for them to understand the world and
its problems.
He explained that he had met many young people from both
the UK and developing countries on his travels. He said that
the lives of young people in the developing world need serious
reflection: are we doing the right things to improve them?
There is an unparalleled amount of potential in today's global
youth population, and yet still 5000 children die every day
through a lack of clean drinking water; women are still dying
in childbirth; malnutrition claims the lives of countless
children; and diseases such as malaria, TB and AIDS claim
those of countless others.
In 2010, there will be 700million young people of working
age. It will be an enormous challenge to provide them all
with a living. This could result in high levels of migration,
both within and between countries. 50% of young people in
developing countries are currently unemployed and literacy
levels amongst 15-24 yr olds are not where they should be.
Progress on this is possible but the scale of the challenge
is huge, and together with population growth over the same
period, there is a risk that basic needs will not be met.
What can we do about this? Make Poverty History was an expression
of recognition by people that we have a moral choice to address
these problems. Poor countries are often affected by conflict
and it is difficult to get foreign investment in order to
provide education, healthcare and other basic services. In
these situations, good governance is fundamental.
This is a practical challenge too. Education is paramount
and the Gleneagles aid commitments, which include monies saved
as a result of debt cancellation, will go towards achieving
these services in countries which lack the resources and capacity
to provide them themselves.
Often the poorest, conflict-ridden countries are those with
the worst problems of disease and survival rates from disease.
Malaria, TB and AIDS means that many young people lose their
parents and become orphans. This is why treatment is important,
in order to help people to live longer. School is also a good
social vaccine against AIDS, as it results in a deeper knowledge
of the disease, which asserts power, and therefore protection.
Unemployment is a huge problem affecting young people. Economic
development is needed in order to both help solve this problem
and create jobs, as well as to create revenue in taxes to
help pay for services such as education and health systems.
For this, there needs to be peace, stability and good governance.
DFID contributes to the development of young people in the
developing world through a number of channels. It has programmes
which tackle infant mortality, for example, as well as practical
programmes, such as in Sierra Leone, where young people are
being encouraged to participate in the democratic process
as voters. DFID also funds radio programmes, educating young
people about youth law issues.
Despite this, there is a need for much more progress on issues
affecting and surrounding young people, and there is much
for DFID to learn from other actors working on youth issues,
as well as from young people themselves. Today's young people
really will be running the world tomorrow and they need to
get to know their fellow global citizens, who have the same
hopes, fears and aspirations as them, in order to understand
common humanity. They will then be in a better position to
tackle the problems and issues affecting young people all
over the world.
Discussion
The chair, Ann McKechin MP said she would take questions/points
from the audience during the discussion on three major themes
affecting young people - education/schooling; health and social
issues; and employment and economic growth.
On education and schooling, the following questions/points
were raised:
- Are there alternative models for when the school system
fails in developing countries, such as peer-to-peer education
and local library systems?
- How can research organisations concerned with youth issues,
and young people themselves become actively involved in the
policy-making process?
- What can be done about the politicisation of educational
institutions by political parties, which occurs in some developing
countries?
- Education is denied to many marginalised groups - how can
small NGOs involved in informal/'street corner' education
initiatives get involved?
- DFID does provide free education but how can very poor people
access this?
- The WB report said that investment should be concentrated
in the 12-24yr age group to give young adults a second chance,
but DFID's response concentrates on the early years, specifically
on healthcare. Will there be any newer initiatives aimed at
older age groups as a result of this?
- How can young, marginalised people in the UK get involved?
- There is now much momentum around youth as a result of this
report - how can the recommendations of the report be implemented
and how can DFID play a part in realising this?
On health and social issues, the following questions/points
were raised:
- Though DFID has involved young people in policy-making
previously (with the 2004 action plan on young peoples' involvement
in decision-making and extra funding for the development awareness/education),
there don't seem to be any similar, new schemes or a continuation
of those which were implemented previously.
- Whilst DFID's treatment plans for HIV/AIDS are good, are
there any plans for work on prevention and how best to confront
anti- attitudes to prevention?
- Regarding global citizenship and local communities, there
have been no evaluations by other stakeholders. What mechanisms
will DFID use to help bring about change in South Africa?
- What role can young peoples' participatory groups have in
development? Where is the contact point in DFID for youth
interested groups?
- Young people in the UK and in the North also need to feed
in.
- Alcoholism as a problem in child-headed households? Has
DFID done any work on this?
On employment and economic growth, the following questions/points
were raised:
- What is the role of the private sector beyond charity and
philanthropy?
- Is there a place for youth self-employment?
- Is there anything to be learnt from UK government youth
initiatives which could be applied to developing countries?
- The impact of conflict, especially on youth exclusion and
the incidence of conflict. How can these energies be channelled
into peace-building?
- Young peoples' problems stem from ineffective aid and development.
DFID funding is influenced by indicators of good governance.
Responses
On education and schooling, the SoS replied that DFID works
with consortia of groups who work with, for instance, the
media on transparency and with organisations working with
streetchildren. Abolishing school fees was a good thing but
there are still hidden costs which need addressing. Primary
school education is a priority for the MDGs, but just as important
is how to keep young people in education. Such strategies
are lacking in many developing country governments. They need
to take responsibility and people need to make them accountable.
DFID will be working with the WB to turn the commitments (e.g.
primary education funding) into reality. Youth involvement
is a big question for all societies.
On health and social issues, the SoS emphasized that DFID
can't fund everything. They currently spend a quarter of a
billions pounds on civil society in both the UK and developing
countries. Their development awareness work does focus on
the school sector and schools could link with people/organisations
outside the sector in the work that they do in this arena.
With regard to HIV/AIDS prevention, abstinence does not always
work. DFID have a different view from the Americans and they
distribute many condoms. They also monitor impact, in order
to hold governments to account and build accountability. They
work hugely with NGOs rather than governments. DFID don't
fund the Zimbabwean government for example, but they do help
to feed the population and have an HIV/AIDS programme run
by civil society. In Tanzania for example, they do give funding
directly to the government, for it to deal with education.
The Minority and Rights team in DFID is the team to contact
for youth organisations and on young peoples' issues. They
like to talk about substance, rather than process.
On economic growth and employment, the SoS emphasised that
the private sector does have a fundamental role to play. It
is a source of funding, and economic development will provide
the answers to some questions. It is already core business
for DFID, but the investment climate needs to be improved
in many countries and the UK was one of the first funders
of the Investment Climate Facility. There are lots of lessons
to be learnt from UK government approaches to young people
but education is the key - it provides aspirations and self-confidence.
On youth and conflict, he admitted that DFID could do more.
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