World Assembly of Youth
Encyclopedia
The World Assembly of Youth (WAY)http://www.www.way.org.my is the coordinating body of national youth councils and organisations of over one-hundred national youth organizations from around the world. It was founded in 1949 in London, England.
WAY is modeled after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
of the United Nations
. WAY has general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and works in close cooperation with several UN agencies including UNAIDS, UNEP, ILO
, UNESCO
, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO
.
WAY works for promotion of youth and youth organisations in programme areas such as: youth employment
, environment
, human rights
, democracy
, population
, health
, drugs
, community development
and leadership training.
Miss Ediola Pashollari is WAY's current Secretary General.
The draft charter, which had been prepared in February 1949 in Ashbridge, England
, was ratified at the first official meeting of WAY in Brussels
a year later. The meeting, organised by the Belgian Youth Council, was attended by more than 100 young people from 37 countries. The WAY Charter was ratified by 29 of the national youth councils present, and WAY began its work on behalf of the world youth community.
The WAY headquarters has moved throughout the years to various bases including Brussels
, Paris
, London
and Copenhagen
. In 1999, the WAY headquarters moved to Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia and now has finally established its headquarters building, the World Youth Complex, in Melaka, a southern state of Malaysia.
President: Maurice Sauvé (Canada
)
Secretary General: Paul Mercereau (France
)
1952-1954
President: Guthrie Moir (Britain
)
Secretary General: Paul Mercereau (France)
1954-1956
President: Guthrie Moir (Britain)
Secretary General: Helen M. Dale de Mestral (Britain)
1956-1958
President: Antoine Lawrence (Guinea
)
Secretary General: Helen M. Dale de Mestral (Britain)
1958–1962
President: Ravindra Varma (India
)
Secretary General: David Wirmark (Sweden
)
1962 -1964
President: Carlos Delgado ( Peru
)
Secretary General: David Wirmark ( Sweden
)
1964–1966
President: Romeo Naione ( Canada
)
Secretary General: Carl Axel Valen ( Sweden
)
1966 -1969
President: Alessandro Berti ( Italy
)
Secretary General: Jyoti Shankar Singh ( India
)
1969 - 1972
President: Peter Shiedex ( Austria
)
Secretary General: Jyoti Shankar Singh ( India
)
1972 -1975
President: Thomas Sandiford ( Guyana
)
Secretary General: Carlos Antonio Carrasco ( Bolivia
)
1975 -1982
President: Ole Lovig Simonsen ( Denmark
)
Secretary General: John Danquah ( Ghana
)
1982 -1988
President: Ole Lovig Simonsen ( Denmark
)
Secretary General: Shiv Khare ( India
)
1988 -1993
President: Ole Lovig Simonsen ( Denmark
)
Secretary General: Shiv Khare ( India
)
1993–2000
President: Datuk Seri Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam ( Malaysia )
Secretary General: Heikki Pakarinen ( Finland
)
2000–2004
President: Datuk Seri Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam ( Malaysia )
Secretary General: Donald Tinotenda Charumbira ( Zimbabwe
)
2004–2007
President: Datuk Seri Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam ( Malaysia )
Secretary General: Donald Tinotenda Charumbira ( Zimbabwe
)
2007–2010
President: Datuk Seri Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam ( Malaysia )
Secretary General: Ediola Pashollari ( Albania
)
as the basis of its action and services. WAY promotes the work of youth organisations in areas such as: democracy, environment, human rights, population, health, drugs, community development, leadership training, and cultural and religious tolerance. It provides opportunities for youth representatives from different countries to exchange ideas and experiences, to coordinate program plans, and to reach a better understanding of each others' problems due to differences in racial, religious and national backgrounds.
Since its formation, WAY has increased its membership of national youth councils to the present 93 full members, from as many countries from all continents. Furthermore WAY has 7 associated members and 22 organizations of observer status.
The regional structure of the National Youth Councils in all the continents, Asian Youth Council, European Youth Forum
, Caribbean Youth Forum, Forum for the Integration of Adean Youth, Pacific Youth Council, Arab Youth Union, Pan-African Youth Union, African-Arab Youth Council, SADC Youth Movement, are consultative members.
As the international coordinating body of national youth councils, WAY has consultative status 1 with the United Nations system, the highest status possible for a non-governmental organization. WAY co-operates with the UN and many of its special agencies, particularly with UNESCO
, the UNFPA and the WHO
.
WAY's funding is based on membership fees and other contributions from members. WAY's different projects has been funded by various UN agencies, government aid agencies and private foundations.
understanding and cooperation.
- Facilitate the collection of information about the needs and problems of youth.
- Disseminate information about the methods, techniques and activities of youth
organisations.
- Promote the interchange of ideas between youth of all countries.
- Assist in the development of youth activities and to promote, by mutual aid, the
extension of the work of voluntary youth organizations.
- Cooperate in the development of national youth councils of voluntary youth
organizations.
- Establish and maintain relations with the international organisations, both
voluntary and governmental.
- Support and encourage the national movements of non-self governing countries in
their struggle for national liberation.
- Promote tolerance, understanding, solidarity and cooperation among young men
and women irrespective of race, sex, language, religion or political orientation.
- Encourage the full participation of young men and women in the development
process of their countries.
- Improve the equality between young men and women.
- Promote the democratic participation of young people both in their own
organisations and in the life of society as a whole.
- Act as a representative body of national youth councils to the UN and other
appropriate governmental and non-governmental international bodies.
To represent its members towards international organisations and institutions and promote the work of voluntary youth organisations all over the world. WAY deals with all issues affecting youth in international
, regional
and local level.
WAY organises events on global, regional, and national levels. These events are often carried out in co-orporation with other international youth organisations, regional youth structures or national affiliates. WAY's representatives participate in various UN working groups and other meetings promoting youth issues and the interests of member organisations.
and training
of young people around the world. The World Youth Institute is geared to be a leading institution for empowerment and capacity building through education, training and development programmes.
WAY is modeled after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. WAY has general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and works in close cooperation with several UN agencies including UNAIDS, UNEP, ILO
Ilo
Ilo is a port city in southern Peru, with some 58,000 inhabitants. It is the largest city in the Moquegua Region and capital of the province of Ilo.-History:...
, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO
Who
Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
.
WAY works for promotion of youth and youth organisations in programme areas such as: youth employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
, environment
Environment (biophysical)
The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
, community development
Community development
Community development is a broad term applied to the practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities....
and leadership training.
Miss Ediola Pashollari is WAY's current Secretary General.
History
In 1949, an initiative was undertaken to establish a youth organisation to promote global cooperation and understanding amongst the young people of the world. Recognizing the need for a universal youth organization, youth leaders from national youth councils of all member countries of the United Nations were invited to attend an international conference in London . In August 1949, the international conference held at Westminster Hall in London established the World Assembly of Youth.The draft charter, which had been prepared in February 1949 in Ashbridge, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was ratified at the first official meeting of WAY in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
a year later. The meeting, organised by the Belgian Youth Council, was attended by more than 100 young people from 37 countries. The WAY Charter was ratified by 29 of the national youth councils present, and WAY began its work on behalf of the world youth community.
The WAY headquarters has moved throughout the years to various bases including Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. In 1999, the WAY headquarters moved to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia and now has finally established its headquarters building, the World Youth Complex, in Melaka, a southern state of Malaysia.
Past leadership
1949-1952President: Maurice Sauvé (Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
)
Secretary General: Paul Mercereau (France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
)
1952-1954
President: Guthrie Moir (Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
)
Secretary General: Paul Mercereau (France)
1954-1956
President: Guthrie Moir (Britain)
Secretary General: Helen M. Dale de Mestral (Britain)
1956-1958
President: Antoine Lawrence (Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
)
Secretary General: Helen M. Dale de Mestral (Britain)
1958–1962
President: Ravindra Varma (India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
)
Secretary General: David Wirmark (Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
)
1962 -1964
President: Carlos Delgado ( Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
)
Secretary General: David Wirmark ( Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
)
1964–1966
President: Romeo Naione ( Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
)
Secretary General: Carl Axel Valen ( Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
)
1966 -1969
President: Alessandro Berti ( Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
)
Secretary General: Jyoti Shankar Singh ( India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
)
1969 - 1972
President: Peter Shiedex ( Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
)
Secretary General: Jyoti Shankar Singh ( India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
)
1972 -1975
President: Thomas Sandiford ( Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
)
Secretary General: Carlos Antonio Carrasco ( Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
)
1975 -1982
President: Ole Lovig Simonsen ( Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
)
Secretary General: John Danquah ( Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
)
1982 -1988
President: Ole Lovig Simonsen ( Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
)
Secretary General: Shiv Khare ( India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
)
1988 -1993
President: Ole Lovig Simonsen ( Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
)
Secretary General: Shiv Khare ( India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
)
1993–2000
President: Datuk Seri Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam ( Malaysia )
Secretary General: Heikki Pakarinen ( Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
)
2000–2004
President: Datuk Seri Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam ( Malaysia )
Secretary General: Donald Tinotenda Charumbira ( Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
)
2004–2007
President: Datuk Seri Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam ( Malaysia )
Secretary General: Donald Tinotenda Charumbira ( Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
)
2007–2010
President: Datuk Seri Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam ( Malaysia )
Secretary General: Ediola Pashollari ( Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
)
General Assembly
The paramount body of WAY is the General Assembly, which determines the policies and programs of the organisation. The General Assembly is convened every four years, and votes on the admission of new members and the adoption of policies. The General Assembly also elects the officers who are charged with the responsibility of implementing WAY's programs. The officers include the Bureau and the Executive Committee.Executive committee
The Executive Committee has 13 members. The present members are of 13 different nationalities from North and South, East and West. The Executive Committee is charged with the general administration of WAY and the implementation of programs drawn up by the General Assembly. The Executive Committee meets at least once a year.Bureau
The Bureau consists of WAY's President and five Vice Presidents, who are elected at the General Assembly. The Bureau meets between meetings of the Executive Committee to review and supervise the work of the Secretariat.Secretariat
The Secretariat, headed by the Secretary General and support staff, carry out the daily work of the organisation in accordance with the guidelines established by the General Assembly and its elected bodies. The Secretariat of WAY is located in Melaka , Malaysia .Background
The World Assembly of Youth recognises the Universal Declaration of Human RightsUniversal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
as the basis of its action and services. WAY promotes the work of youth organisations in areas such as: democracy, environment, human rights, population, health, drugs, community development, leadership training, and cultural and religious tolerance. It provides opportunities for youth representatives from different countries to exchange ideas and experiences, to coordinate program plans, and to reach a better understanding of each others' problems due to differences in racial, religious and national backgrounds.
Since its formation, WAY has increased its membership of national youth councils to the present 93 full members, from as many countries from all continents. Furthermore WAY has 7 associated members and 22 organizations of observer status.
The regional structure of the National Youth Councils in all the continents, Asian Youth Council, European Youth Forum
European Youth Forum
The European Youth Forum is the platform of the national youth councils and international non-governmental youth organisations in Europe...
, Caribbean Youth Forum, Forum for the Integration of Adean Youth, Pacific Youth Council, Arab Youth Union, Pan-African Youth Union, African-Arab Youth Council, SADC Youth Movement, are consultative members.
As the international coordinating body of national youth councils, WAY has consultative status 1 with the United Nations system, the highest status possible for a non-governmental organization. WAY co-operates with the UN and many of its special agencies, particularly with UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, the UNFPA and the WHO
Who
Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
.
WAY's funding is based on membership fees and other contributions from members. WAY's different projects has been funded by various UN agencies, government aid agencies and private foundations.
Aims
- Increase inter-ethnic respect and to foster inter-cultural and internationalunderstanding and cooperation.
- Facilitate the collection of information about the needs and problems of youth.
- Disseminate information about the methods, techniques and activities of youth
organisations.
- Promote the interchange of ideas between youth of all countries.
- Assist in the development of youth activities and to promote, by mutual aid, the
extension of the work of voluntary youth organizations.
- Cooperate in the development of national youth councils of voluntary youth
organizations.
- Establish and maintain relations with the international organisations, both
voluntary and governmental.
- Support and encourage the national movements of non-self governing countries in
their struggle for national liberation.
- Promote tolerance, understanding, solidarity and cooperation among young men
and women irrespective of race, sex, language, religion or political orientation.
- Encourage the full participation of young men and women in the development
process of their countries.
- Improve the equality between young men and women.
- Promote the democratic participation of young people both in their own
organisations and in the life of society as a whole.
- Act as a representative body of national youth councils to the UN and other
appropriate governmental and non-governmental international bodies.
Activities
The World Assembly of Youth has two main tasks:To represent its members towards international organisations and institutions and promote the work of voluntary youth organisations all over the world. WAY deals with all issues affecting youth in international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
, regional
Régional
Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne, or Régional for short, is a subsidiary airline wholly owned by Air France which connects hubs at Paris, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, and Bordeaux to 49 airports in Europe. The airline operates in Air France livery, retaining its name in small titles and logo on...
and local level.
WAY organises events on global, regional, and national levels. These events are often carried out in co-orporation with other international youth organisations, regional youth structures or national affiliates. WAY's representatives participate in various UN working groups and other meetings promoting youth issues and the interests of member organisations.
Volunteer Programme
The World Assembly of Youth has established a volunteers programme that seeks to develop a dedicated corps of young people who will be willing to assist in WAY programmes and activities around the world.World Youth Institute
WAY established the World Youth Institute (WYI), with main function as a vehicle for educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and training
Training
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
of young people around the world. The World Youth Institute is geared to be a leading institution for empowerment and capacity building through education, training and development programmes.
External links
- Official site
- World Assembly of Youth's electronic group - worldyouth@yahoogroups.com