Port-au-Prince, August 12, 2022 --- The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action presented plaques of honor and merit to influential institutions and personalities in the youth sector in Haiti, on the occasion of International Youth Day, August 12, 2022. Among these institutions is the Haitian national amputee football team which performed in July 2022.
The Minister of Youth, Sports and Civic Action, Raymonde Rival, celebrated this day around the global theme "Intergenerational solidarity: creating a world for all ages".
In Haiti, out of a population of 11 million 600 thousand people, about 20% are young people aged 15 to 24, a little less than 2/3 are part of the potentially active population and 5% are elderly people.
The Minister promised to help guide the youth towards better life goals. "We must combine efforts for the benefit of young people, guarantors of the future," she said.
“How to talk about sustainable development while ignoring young people”, wondered the young ambassador of the Observatory of Haitian Youth. “Young people must be at the table for development discussions,” said Mathania Charles.
The objective of this year's theme - "Intergenerational solidarity: creating a world for all ages" - is to draw attention to the fact that all generations must act to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and not leave no one behind.
The Global Ageism Report launched by the United Nations in March 2021 identifies intergenerational interventions as one of three key strategies to address ageism. Intergenerational activities can lead to a greater sense of social connection and strengthen intergenerational solidarity,” he noted.
According to UNFPA Director of Operations, Koessan Kuawu, who spoke on behalf of the Representative, Saidou Kabore, “UNFPA supports the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action (MJSAC) in updating the framework documents such as the strategic plan, the national youth policy and the situational analysis of young people”. “This one produced recommendations on how to tackle the problem of young people”, he underlined.
In addition to the MJSAC, UNFPA supports civil society organizations involved in the provision of sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents, adolescent girls and young people.
UNFPA also supports these organizations in their involvement in community violence reduction. These organizations work in and out of school settings. They target girls.
UNFPA supports girl spaces in youth and adolescent friendly maternity wards.
“The Demographic Dividend is an avenue of recourse to ensure intergenerational solidarity”, according to a statistician-demographer. “However, public policies oriented towards the full fulfillment of the rights of each age category and the elimination of ageism are needed,” said Jacques Hendry Rousseau.
“It’s by recognizing the specific needs, the rights of each age category and by taking advantage of the qualities they have that we can guarantee intergenerational solidarity and create a world where no one will be left behind”, added the demographer.
In addition to the official part and the debates, in the presence of various organizations and young people, this day of celebration was marked by a fair, where young people exhibited their products.
Text: Vario Sérant
Photo: Michaël Isaac Junior Ambroise
Texte traduit du Français à l’Anglais par :
Jhunie Laura Ganème et Michael Johnson Leger,
Officiers communautaire
