Description

This is the report of International Youth Forum 2008 held on June 22nd-30th, 2008 at Asia Africa Building, Bandung Indonesia.
IYF 2008 is a forum for youth to learn, share and
experience mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation through
real conversations on what matters the most, so that they can be the
agents of a peaceful change in their own communities. The IYF 2008
brought 200 young people from the ages of 18-30 from around the
world who have been actively engaged or interested in this forum.
Background
• The future of global peace lies in dialogue and understanding among
different cultures, nations and religious beliefs. Increasingly the
world is witnessing the deepening of inter-cultural, inter-national
and inter-faith conflicts, especially from the tensions created by the
threat of terrorism.
• To build a peaceful world, there is a need to create safe meeting
spaces for youth of diverse backgrounds to engage in dialogue.
• Youth want to help develop solutions for reaching the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015, especially in relation to
poverty alleviation, the rights of education and healthcare, and
also the safe-guarding of the environment.
Objectives
• To promote mutual understanding about divisive issues, friendships
across barriers, and cooperation among interfaith, international,
and inter-cultural youth leaders.
• To initiate a global youth peace network to provide a creative space
for interactions, and social movements.
• To encourage youth to develop mutual understanding, friendships
and global collaborations.
Outputs
• A mutual understanding, friendship and collaboration among youth
from different backgrounds.
• A creative space to interact and share experiences among youth
from different backgrounds.
• A global youth network on peace development.
• Youth-created ideas on strategic actions and recommendations
towards achieving the MDGs by 2015.
• A recommendation by youth from different backgrounds in achieving
Millennium Development Goals in 2015.
• Distributing the strategic and creative action plan to UN and other
influential social Organizations.
• An “INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FORUM DECLARATION 2008”, reflecting
the experiences of youth from different backgrounds, religions,
nationalities, and cultures.