Hot issues to dominate ‘Yute X’ Conference
YOUNG people will put forward their ideas for addressing violence, risky sexual behaviour and other major issues at the three-day Yute X conference, which opens tomorrow at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.
Over 200 youth from across the island, primarily between the ages 15-24, are expected to participate in Yute X. Issues up for discussion at the forum include crime and violence, youth sexuality, governance and HIV/AIDS.
The conference commemorates the International Year of the Youth and Jamaica’s Youth Month. It is staged by the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN), in collaboration with the National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD) and the Ashe Performing Arts Company, with support from Tetley Teas, Nationwide News Network, the United States Agency for International Development and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Olympic and World Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser is the patron of Yute X and will open the conference. Professor Verene Shepherd, director of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona, will deliver the keynote address: “You Can’t Hide the Truth from the Youth: Education and Advocacy in a Post-Colonial Society.”
Yute X, first held in 2008, is a biennial conference planned and staged by a team of young people, including JYAN staff and a host of volunteers. It is designed to provide a youth-friendly platform for youth to express themselves, dialogue with each other and develop recommendations for decision-makers on relevant policies and programmes.
“Yute X is the only conference of its kind in Jamaica,” said Charles Barrett, executive director of JYAN. “It is a rare and unique opportunity for youth to draw national attention to the issues affecting them, and to make calls for action.”
Youth can register for the conference at www.yutexconference.com or by emailing yutex@gmail.com.
JYAN is currently partnered with NCYD and ASHE on the Jamaica Youth Participation Advocacy Initiative (JYAPI), a two-year UNICEF-supported project. JYAN’s mission is to raise young people’s awareness about adolescent reproductive health, crime and violence, human rights, youth participation and governance and to equip youth with advocacy skills.