As you may aware, the current global economic crisis hit the people around the world, massive lay off and cause on increasing unemployment. And young people are the most affected of this crisis not only in developing countries but also in developed countries. ILO predicted that global unemployment could increase to 239 million in this year, it is estimated around 100 million people are in Asia. It is jobs crisis to the real people.

On the global economic crisis, young people were 2.8 times as likely to be unemployed than adults at the global level. For an example in Indonesia with over 38.4 million young women and men between the ages of 15 and 24 years. Youth are five times more likely to be unemployed than their adult counterparts. In Timor Leste, about 48% of the population is youth, the ages from 15 - 29 (2004, population Cencus). Due to violence and political turmoil, its impacts of increasing poverty and illiterate, and a huge informal sector which accounts for over 80 per cent of the working population.

Continue reading →

An excellent radio presentation from CBC Canada, featuring the case of the drain of health workers from the Philippines to Canada and how it impacts on the health care system of the Philippines. The story brings a human dimension to the work PSI is doing on migration. Click here

Many young people to work in summer jobs lasting approximately six weeks. It is going to allow them the opportunity to earn extra cash during the summer months. If it is their first job, they can learn work skills and get a head start on their futures through summer employment opportunities.

Still, young people, especially those new to the workplace, will encounter unfamiliar from the jobs they will be doing and from the working environment. Linn Elisabeth Hemmingsen, Chair of the Fagforbundet Youth, said that many young people is working for summers jobs but they are often in the dark about their rights as employees, many of them are being taken advantage of by their employers.

Summer Patrol (Sommerpatrulje) is setting up by the LO (The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions) to ensure that law and regulation are followed and workers do not get exploitation of their rights in the workplaces.

Hundreds of Fagforbundet Youth officers and volunteers are taking part for this summer patrol to make sure the employers treat young people well at workplaces. They will also help young people understand their rights and entitlements at work, Linn said again on her explanation on the participation of Fagforbundet Youth for this year summer patrol.

The summer patrol is scheduling from 22 June to 3 August 2009.

For more information, please click here

Stavern , Norway. The 4th Fagforbundet Youth Summer Conference is held in Stavern from 19-21 June. Over 160 young delegates jointly in attractive and interactive program of this summer conference. The delegates who are below 30 years spent worth of time to gathering and discussing. It is about youth empowerment that the delegates travel from around Norway for Stavern. They are exploring new learning, discuss the current issue affecting young people, make a new friend, new network, and have a lot fun. While there, participants attend wide variety of subject: panel seminars, panel debates, guest speakers and other outdoors activities to bond togetherness.

The conference began with the opening speak of the Fagdorbundet Ungdom (Fagforbundet Youth) Chair, Linn Elisabeth Hemmingsen, and the President of the Fagforbundet, Jan Davidsen.

Family friendly conference being introduced to attract young couple that they can bring the family along while attend conference.

The conference talk serious issue on housing that creates hard times for young people. For young, both singles and couples as well as for families with young children – housing expenses rose considerably. Housing expenses were as high or higher while at the same time incomes were significantly lower. Need strong strong policy to overcome and help the young people said Linn on her opening remark.

Click here and here for the photos of conference

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has partnered with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) on an innovative youth project called the “PLURAL + Video Festival”.

Between June 1st 2009 – September 30th 2009, youth (who are the ages of 9-25 years) from around the world will be able to create and submit videos on migration-related themes to the PLURAL + Video Festival, on the theme of migration, diversity, and identity. The festival is the brainchild of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and is the product of collaboration with a number of other important partners.

The videos will be appraised by an international jury, with the winners of PLURAL + being announced on December 18th 2009 to coincide with International Migrants Day. Winning videos will receive broad recognition and will be widely distributed though internet, broadcast, satellite, film festivals etc. as well as receiving a small cash prize of $1,000 (USD).

The PLURAL + Video Festival aims to promote youth involvement and dialogue in the areas of migration and diversity though asking youth to be creative in recording their thoughts, feelings and experiences on related topics such as migrant integration, identity politics, human rights, social inclusiveness etc. The value of this involvement and dialogue is the discussion about migration that will be generated, encouraging youth to participate in this important topic with a tangible result. When recorded, the opinions of youth on the successes or deficiencies of present migration policy can be considered by the public and policy-makers in the youths’ home countries and abroad, and the UNAOC and IOM plan to bring selected videos to the attention of policy makers.

For more information please visit the PLURAL + Video Festival website, click here

Million children are at work instead of school. The global financial crisis could push an increasing number of children, particulary girls, into child labour. Today is the World Day Against Child Labour. Most child labour is rooted in poverty, often associated with multiple disadvantage. Socio-economic inequalities based on language, race, disability and rural-urban differences remain deeply entrenched. Girls can face particular disadvantages due to discrimination and practices which allocate certain forms of work to girls. Many girls take on unpaid household work for their families, usually more so than boys.

Around the world, an estimated 100 million girls are involved in child labour. Many of these girls undertake similar types of work as boys, but often also endure additional hardships and face extra risks. Moreover, girls are all too often exposed to some of the worst forms of child labour, often in hidden work situations. More, click here

The ITUC has launched a new video spot to highlight the problem and press governments to tackle the exploitation of children more effectively, both through funding quality education and enforcing labour law.