On 16th September 2011, VIDES International in collaboration with the Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice (IIMA) organized a side event at Palais de Nations, Geneva. The event was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Costa Rica, Italy, Paraguay, Uruguay, the Permanent Observer Holy See and the NGOs Platform on the Right to Education. The event, entitled “Young Volunteers and Human Rights” served as a response to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s request to “the international community to support youth as agents of change and development.” The panelist present at...

On the occasion of the European Year of Voluntary Activities Promoting Active Citizenship (2011) and the International Year for Youth (IYY), Vides international and Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice (IIMA) are organizing a training course on the “Voluntary Service and Human Rights” to be held from September 9 to September 21.Committee on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families - CMW and to share their own experiences with the members of the many NGOs present in Geneva. In addition, they will enjoy the occasion to meet...

The new Head of the United Nations Population Fund, Babatunde Osotimehin, called the Member States’ attention on the largest global youth generation, especially now that it is estimated that world population will exceed 7 billion people.“Today, almost a third of the world’s population is composed by youth, with just below 90 per cent living in developing countries, a proportion that will enormously increase during the next 20 years”, he said. Hence, other important challenge is to face the situation of adolescents and youth living in developing countries.The head of the...