http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2004/04/16/SCAU200404167346.html
VOTY-NCJP, other youth groups to join 2004 Global Youth Service Day (GYSD)
By LLOYD LUNA / Polytechnic University of the Philippines
"Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) 2004 mobilizes youth in over 150 countries to rebuild communities, breakdown ethnic barriers and promote peace through community services.�
From Kuwait to the Philippines to Uganda, from Bolivia to India to Spain, millions of youth in over 150 countries around the world are organizing community service projects and special events to celebrate the 5th Annual Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), April 16-18.
It is in this event that the Voice of the Youth Network, the Network of Campus Journalists of the Philippines, SAVE ME Movement and other youth groups in the country have expressed their full support and commitment.
Young people around the world are responding to terrorism, war and ethnic violence by focusing their efforts to eradicate hunger and HIV/AIDS, to address education problems in their communities, and to resolve conflicts. Young volunteers are mobilizing en masse to mark this year's GYSD.
Global Youth Service Day is an annual global event led by Youth Service America, in cooperation with Global Youth Action Network, Inc., its key partner, together with a consortium of international organizations and national committees. GYSD 2004 Philippine Celebration is led by National Youth Commission and Youth for Sustainable Development in partnership with the National Coordinating Committees that include Network of Campus Journalists of the Philippines (NCJP), Tinig Kabataan (VOICE OF THE YOUTH NETWORK), Philippine Youth Employment Network, Inc., Batangas Youth Organization and Family Planning Organization of the Philippines. SAVE ME Movement, Office of the Presidential Assistant for Youth Affairs, Tuklas Katutubo, UNESCO Club, Remedios Foundation's Youth Zone Project also help for the preparation.
NCJP, the fastest growing organization of campus journalist in the Philippines, is organizing local events in different in different regions particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao under the SUMMER 2004. This program aims at inculcating moral values in journalism that involves more than 300 student publication nationwide. They coordinate on various training on modern mass media, trainings on journalism, team building activities, leadership congress and regional writing competitions. NCJP national president Patrick Asi�ero says, �We are putting into writing different events that has something to do with GYSD because for us, documenting the celebration itself is very vital in also promoting the active participation of the Filipino Youth.�
In another statement, VOTY founding president and NCJP director on International Relations Pocholo Gonzales stress, �The Filipino Youth continuously and passionately inspiring, informing and involving their fellow youth, through GYSD, where young people represent a dynamic force of creativity and change.� He adds that GYSD creates a remarkable opportunity to exemplify the power of a generation uniting its efforts to build a better Philippines and a better world.
VOTY spearheads Youth Action Forum in different chapters nationwide. The program focuses on peace and development. Under this are voter's education, crime prevention, anti-terrorism law in the Philippines and other issues.
Meanwhile, leading GYSD coordinator and Asia-Pacific Coordinator Global Youth Action Network Catherine Kamping pointed out that countries around the world are beginning to recognize young people as assets, tapping into their amazing energy, commitment, and skills to solve problems especially here in the Philippines. She further notes, �Young volunteers from different geographic, socio-economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds are organizing service projects, public awareness campaigns, and forums that tackle some of society's most intractable problems.�
Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is a public education campaign that highlights the amazing contributions made by youth year-round to their communities through volunteering.
This celebration envisions fostering youth participation and involvement and that millions of young people in countries everywhere will highlight and carry out thousands of community improvement projects. This day will be a way for local, national, and international organizations to build the capacity of an international network and organizations that promote youth participation, service and learning; to educate the public, the media, and policy-makers about the year-round contributions of young people as community leaders around the world; to mobilize youth and adults to meet the needs of their comities through volunteering; and to learn and share effective practices in youth service, youth voice, and civic engagement in the world today.
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