In April, the Youth Forum organized a major youth conference on human rights entitled "Youth Rights - Human rights". The aim of the conference was to highlight the human rights situation across Europe. The idea for the conference was sparked in 1996 when the Council of Europe decided to take up the offer of the Romanian government to host the fifth European Youth Ministers’ Conference in Bucharest. The initial reaction among youth organizations was one of rejection. Romania at that time was, and still is, a violator of human rights in terms of its state policy and legislation. The main concern of youth organizations at that time was the existence of article 200 of the Romanian Penal Code outlawing homosexual activities. Yet not just youth organizations were concerned about giving Romania such a prestigious Council of Europe event. Structures within the Council of Europe e.g. the advisory Board of the Youth Directorate and the CDEJ (European Steering Committee on the Cooperation in the youth field), echoed similar concerns. The result of these deliberations was the decision to organize an event surrounding the Ministers’ Conference on human rights a topic for the Ministers’ Conference itself.

The Youth Forum took up the challenge, not just to highlight Romania, but to expose human rights violations across Europe. The role of the Youth Forum and youth organizations in general is to promote the principles laid down in the European Convention on Human Rights.

We, as youth organizations, have to speak out against the institutional and social discrimination faced by large numbers of Europeans and non-Europeans every day. Poverty, anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and intolerance are evils that plague every European society. Youth organizations can contribute towards the elimination of these in several ways: education, awareness, information, lobbying and campaigning.

The Youth Forum and its predecessors have been working with human rights as a basis for over 35 years. One example is the 1991 Youth Rights Charter by the Youth Forum, which has been a model for both NGOs and governmental organizations over the past years. The essence of human rights is based on the fact that they have to be fought for and continuously improved. The work has to be idealistic and be carried out within non-governmental organizations. With the Human Rights Conference the Youth Forum wishes not only to improve our own human rights work and that of its member organizations, but also to increase a general awareness of human rights, moving towards an understanding that human rights are also youth rights. It is up to European institutions, national governments, NGOs and individuals to protect and improve human rights for everyone in Europe.

Index | Info | articles | latest news | activities | commentaries

the latest issue | interviews

For further information please contact P.O.Box: 80-896 Beirut Lebanon.

E-mail: AYF@cyberia.net.lb

This document maintained by AYF@cyberia.net.lb.
Material Copyright ©1997 AYF