UNDP and UNICEF Hold a Programme for Youth Leadership and Dialogue

Similarly, a “Young Men Leaders” (YML) workshop will take place on 15-18 March 2008 at the Radisson SAS hotel in Riyadh to train 50 young Saudi men on enhancing their leadership skills that will enable them to establish a community of practice on leadership issues. This community of practice would facilitate dialogue and exchange of information and best practices on the attainment of Human Development and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the role of youth in their achievement. In this workshop UNDP and UNICEF are partnering with the General Presidency for Youth Welfare.

In parallel, two separate “trainings-of-trainers” were held to develop the capacities of 45 Saudi young women and 25 young men to become certified national trainers in leadership. The training material used in these activities has been adopted from LEAD International Institute and Oxford University and tailored to match the national context and local needs.

Another activity under this joint programme is “The Youth Dialogue Platform” set to take place on 19 March 2008 at the UN building in Riyadh. This one-day event will bring both UN agencies (UNDP and UNICEF) to partner again with the General Presidency for Youth Welfare. The dialogue platform will highlight the following topics: youth leadership, youth employment and participation in the labor market, and youth volunteer work. Participants will include government officials and academicians dealing with youth issues, young Saudi leaders, experts in youth issues, and representatives from UN agencies and national counterparts. The main objective of the dialogue platform is to generate inter-generation discussion and exchange of knowledge on youth national priorities, challenges, and opportunities.

This joint programme for youth empowerment and development aims at strengthening the role of young Saudi males and females in the national development process and the achievement of the MDGs. This objective can be achieved through empowering and developing youth’s capacities in leadership and dialogue so they can adequately participate in the formulation of national strategies, policies, and programs targeting them. Moreover, this successful “youth empowerment program” is considered the first of its kind in the Arab Region and will be replicated in other regions within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Arab world.

Pictures from the event:

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