DDD

Decade of Dignity and Development

…the verdict…

Q. What did you like most about this event?

A. The various facilitators/speakers were great and congratulations on a successful conference. (Yaw Ofran Dapaa, GHANA)

Q. What did you least like at the event?

A. Nothing I can think of.(Dualle Hafsa Abdi, KENYA)

Q. What were your expectations?

A. To have a discussion with other young people, to share views and experiences and consequently gain an in depth understanding of WYA’s philosophy.(Obadios Ndaba, RWANDA)

Q. Were your expectations met?

A. Certainly yes! (Charles Egwuba, NIGERIA)

Q. What topic/themes covered interested you most?

A. The role of young people and youth organizations in developing Africa’s potential.(Gladys Madara, ZIMBABWE)

Q. In what area would you like us to improve on?

A. Take us to the community, we would like to see the people of Africa.(Mdemka Sakhumzi, SOUTH AFRICA)

WHY I LOVE WYA

Amira Ali, 20 years, Kenya

This being my third internship at the WYAA office, I wanted to ensure that all the knowledge I accrued in my previous internships were put into use. This meant that I would carry out my projects with more experience, diligence and utmost efficiency. All my expectations were more than met as evidenced by the big success of the seminar we organized for the high schools on the 13th June 2009. I must say that I feel confident of my abilities as an organizer, goal-oriented, time conscious, detailed and an inspiring leader judging from the fact that the students were ready to listen to me and work with us on the preparation of the seminar. Needless to say I feel honored to have had a chance to work with WYA again.

My internship experience would not be complete without the people I worked with. I loved working with people like David. He is good at anything he lays his hands on! He delivers in all projects that he is assigned as he is spontaneous, innovative, social, resourceful and incredibly smart. I partnered with him in many projects and I found myself working with a man of high integrity and a pleasant chap too! I would work with him any other time anywhere. I also met Mutsa Murenje, an intern from Zimbabwe. A quiet, polite, diligent, good-hearted, humorous man with an impeccable talent in writing and a great mind to go with everything else!

INSET:WITH DESMOND ORJIAKO FROM THE A.U AND A WYA MEMBER FROM THE KENYA HIGH SCHOOL DURING THE WYA AFRICA DDD CONFERENCE AUGUST 2009 NAIROBI, KENYA

I found myself learning a thing or two from each of them and this makes my internship experience invaluable to me for a long time. I would not forget our supervisors, Hezbon and Irene, for their help all the way. They made it possible for us to carry out our projects with the least problems possible and I found that to be highly commendable!

MUTSA MURENJE PRE-INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

MUTSA MURENJE, ZIMBABWE,26

PRE-INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

A problem exists whenever there are facts to be accounted for, facts which are plain to any careful reader, a reader with an active orientation towards read material as opposed to a passive one. Perchance this explains why the late renowned political scientist Professor Masipula Sithole said that “Any social scientist, or even a layman, knows that an issue is generally studied when a problem has arisen.” A problem has indeed arisen especially with regards the sad and discouraging moments that I went through before the commencement of my internship at the World Youth Alliance Africa headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya in May 2009.

It all started in the year 2007 when I made an application to be considered for internship. I patiently waited for the response with joyous hope and longing expectation. It never dawned on me that I would later experience great grief and consternation. I was overly optimistic that the response would be positive. After all, I am of the opinion that optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope and confidence. So it is for this reason that I was overly optimistic that my application would succeed. But the response was quite negative and I was almost down on my knees. I didn’t expect it. I wasn’t ready for that kind of response. My application was unsuccessful. I was really devastated.

But it didn’t end there. For we all know don’t we, that the failure of one crop does not deter the planting of seeds. Success is born of trying and trying again. In short, victory is born of struggle. I had to resume the journey again. I remember reading elsewhere that it’s not a long way to a man’s heart’s desire and that on the road to one’s beloved there are no hills. I had to wait for close to two years before I could be considered for an internship in Nairobi. But believe you me; it didn’t come on a silver platter. It had to be a long wait indeed and it came with a price. I had to come by bus yes by bus all the way from Harare, Zimbabwe. Yes right there in Southern Africa. For your own information, Kenya is part of the East African Community and us we are from SADC!

The journey was extraordinarily long and tiresome but eventually I made it. If I were somebody I would have given up prematurely. But because I am a called person as opposed to a driven one, I have strength from within, power and perseverance that are impervious to the blows from without. I know that somebody elsewhere may be going through the same predicament that I went through. My encouraging words are please don’t lose heart because if you do, you won’t be able to make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country and a finer world to live in. I, myself have made a career of humanity and this is where I am today. I put it to you.

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY FORUM 2009

KENYA STUDENTS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES

STEPHANIE WAMBUI, 17 YEARS

My name is Stephanie Wambui and I am a proud member of the African continent and citizen of The Republic of Kenya. People talk about experiences.. others talk about how they have been positively influenced, but i would like to talk about the transforming experience of the International Solidarity Forum. Kenyan weather is generally pleasant as it is warm and sunny for mostof the year. Ideally, when the plane touched down at JFK, the warm and sunny feeling was quickly replaced by what I would describe as extremely cold weather.

Without time wasting, me and my colleagues, Africana and escorting teacher Miss Kopiyo, quickly put on our jackets and other warm clothing. We were soon informed by the Regional Director for Africa, Miss Irene Nyambura Mwangi, who came to pick us up from the airport, that this was going to be the norm but that in due course we would adapt. The World Youth Alliance is a United Nations accredited orginzation and because of this, it has the permit to conduct its ISF meetings at one of the delegated conference rooms at the UN Headquarters in New York. At this juncture I would like to commend on the econimism of the WYA because for the three days that the conference was held at the UN, we would walk to and fro, as a group, instead of taking the occassional two-dollar-bus which would be a great amount of expense.

In Kenya, cocktails for the youth are rare or even close to none as they are not considered an expense and not part of the curriculum. Thus my first experience was at the WYA house during the ISF evening cocktail which was formal yet to the point. The invited speaker came from the Mission of St. Lucia of whom i got a chance to speak to. Her talk was advocative as she found it very powerful that young people from all the world had come together to draft a declaration on the theme of this year's ISF, which was THE PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FOUNADATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEMS, one that would declare WYA's stand on the matter at hand.The German mission was present as well with a couple of German youth, as well as students from the New Mexican state and the Italian misson.

The cocktail generally was wonderful .Then there was work.The drafting, which constituted mostly the negotiations, was according to me the most intense times of the conference as there were heated debates and though there was not enough time to finish according to the time allocated, a draft committee was set up by the president of WYA, Miss Mary Halphine, with all the continents representred to prevent bias. I was fortunate to be a member of the committe as well as my colleague Africana, who made an outstanding contribution all through.

To conclude, I would first like to thank our Regional Director for Africa, Miss Irene Nyambura, for her consistent help, through the filling in of the visa to making sure we had accommodation and everything required for our survival in New York. I would like to also thank the president of WYA and her staff for inviting us and also their consistent concern over our welfare and allowing us to use their various facilities. To my parents this would not have been possible without their input and support. Last but not least, I would also like to thank our escorting teacher, Miss Genevive Kopiyo, for her complete and total input in terms of her responsibility over us. To the youth of africa and the whole world in general I would advocate that they join the alliance so that they can build on their leadership skills, build on the culture of life and build on their advocacy skills and work. Three cheers to the World Youth Alliance and its future members.

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY FORUM 2009

STUDENTS FROM KENYA HIGH SCHOOL SHARE THEIR NEW YORK EXPERIENCE

AFRICANA NJERI WANJIRU,16 YEARS

It was a very long flight.Thirteen hours in the air is not a
joke. The thought of coming to America...mmh...it made me get bees in
my stomach not butterflies.Why? I was nervous, excited, anxious...all
the words to describe the feeling kept contrasting like stings from
bees.That's why..
I would reach a point and ask myself,"Afrikana, what are you
doing? What are you going to do in New York? Will whatever you do
there have any impact on you or anyone else?Yes?"
The only answer that came was,"Sit back and put your seat belt
on, the driver knows what He's doing." God knew what He wanted to do
in me.I always tell my friends that 'your life is like a road. With
your headlights, however much you struggle, you can only see 2 meters
ahead, not more.. Whatever lies beyond is a mystery. Only God knows
and that's why I trust Him. It's my faith.
When we arrived, the first thing that hit me was the....COLD!
My face felt like cold glass that even a slight twich could shatter
and my fingers like ice sticks that could break anytime. Advice; The
next time you are given a warning, overestimate it, dont
underestimate.
The people here were very warm and friendly. I was the
youngest member present and have always wished to have an older sister
or brother so I felt priviledged. There was Ms Genevieve K'opiyo, my
teacher, and Stephanie Gikonyo, my schoolmate. They accompanied me
here and we were experiencing everything together as a family; the
subways, the streets with fast pacing people and the beautiful sites.
There was Ms Irene Nyambura, the Regional Director of Africa.
She always made sure that we were comfortable. She was a blessing and
I can find no perfect words to express my gratitude.
Ms Mary Halpine,President of WYA Int. went through thick
and thin with the other officials to ensure that we were comfortable
especially in terms of accommodation. We were overwhelmed by her
hospitality. I was personaly inspired by her ever graceful spirit that
unified us. In times of arguments, she always, somehow, found a way
out that we would agree to.
I cannot forget Ms Rebecca Ousten, Director of Advocacy.I was
deeply intrigued by her wealth of knowledge and her ability to
articulate wisely what was on her mind.
To the main thing ; the ISF. Being the youngest member, I did
struggle to fit in at first. Eventually, it became easy negotiating
the language. We would propose,argue then after voting reach a
concensus.
I really appreciating the lectures given to us by the
speakers; Julie Owen, Mr David Thunder(PhD),Prof. Habib Malik, Paolo
Carozza, Ambassador Davide of The Phillipines among others. That and
the negotiations helped me to percieve the human person in a new
perspective.
The human person has inherent and intrinsic dignity that
is the foundation of human rights. This dignity cannot be changed by
circumstances, stage of development nor talents. A slave has no less
dignity to that of his or her master and the modern man is not of
greater worth than the prehistoric man.We are all equal. We have the
capacity to reason, for intelligence and love. Just because an unborn
baby cannot show love or reason doesn't mean that they are lesser
human beings.They have the capacity to one day. They have dignity too.
I personaly came to a point to say that; 'DIGNITY is not
MEASURABLE like time, space and love. It is ever CONSTANT.'
I also came to understand that we often place all the blame on
governmental institutions for the violations of human rights.Yes it is
the duty of the international and national law and policy making
bodies to enact law and policy that promote the flourishing of human
rights but wwe shouldn't forget that we also have responsibility. We
should respect other people's rights too when practising ours
expecting nothing in return. The change should start with you then
slowly in solidarity we shall have a prosperous people who respect one
another, comprehend that they have dignity and are firmly rooted in
love.
My experience in America has changed the way I view people.
I have been able to meet people of different backgrounds and attitudes
and have learnt to understand and tolerate them. One thing that I know
I have to practise, that others find hard to do, is co-existing with
others.Understand people first before judging them. Understand your
environment too and respect it. CO-EXIST WITH OTHER SPECIES ON THE
PLANET.
Another thing that we ought to remember is where we are
from.When you go for conferences or anywhere else, remember what you
have left behind. Remember what has made you go there. Remember who
you speak for. This is something that many especially some politicians
and diplomats forget. There is a common saying that goes; 'Know where
you are coming from to know where you are going.'
I am a Kenyan youth who has dignity and I shall stand for
all that is right and true.I shall struggle with others in SOLIDARITY
to uphold the TRUTH. That is what I now know about myself.

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

The commission on the status of women is probably one of the most interesting commissions at the UN and also one of the largest. This is the commission’s 53rd year focusing on the equal sharing of responsibilities between men and women, including care giving in the context of HIV/AIDS. I have had the privilege of attending this commission to represent WYA. Since the beginning I have attended several events organized by African representatives.

One of them was a side event organized by the Mothers’ Union, a Christian organization. After sitting through the meeting, something that I noted was the way the audience oohed and aahed at the progress made in achieving gender equality. I was wondering if it was because the majority of the audience was made up of women and especially mothers. One of the panelists stood up to talk about the aim of the organization which was; to improve women’s lives, create awareness, provide training, involve men in care giving programs, empower women financially and fight for human women’s rights. This last point is a bit confusing, or is it just me?

I also attended an event about Bridging the Gap in a male dominated society- African perspective. It was organized by Worldwide Organization for Women. I thought I was educated on the African culture but after this event, I couldn’t be so sure.
A panel member was given the floor and she started her speech by thanking the “chairman,” Mrs. Carol. Her words were followed by gasps and whispers from the audience and finally somebody shouted, “Chairperson!” Another panel member also felt that she had to bring to light the point that she was at the commission and her husband was in the kitchen, cooking. There was a round of laughter and applause. I was left wondering if I had missed the joke about how it's funny for a husband to be home cooking.

I met an amazing young lady from Kajiado, Kenya who was going to give a speech on “Empowering the Girl Child”. She has been doing tremendous work with several NGO’s, speaking against harmful cultural practices that affect mostly girls.

So far, it has been a good week. It was interesting to hear what the African representatives had to say because, first I’m African and second I’m a woman. I feel however that, issues affecting young girls were not sufficiently dealt with and when they were, it was in isolation, as if young people were independent agents instead of members of a family or community. It made me think that the UN has a lot to learn from Africa about solidarity and how irreplaceable it is if we are to promote the well being of young women or anyone else.

Commission on Social Development, February 3rd-5th

With the cold of winter comes the Commission on Social Development, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The theme for this year’s commission is social integration.

This refers to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against certain people in the society, thus creating a “society for all”.

The WYA delegation was on time as usual, dressed for the occasion - suits and all. The Commission started with introduction and welcoming address by the chair. There were several presentations by various representatives.

In the afternoon we were divided into discussion groups, where we were supposed to look at the draft resolution and see if anything was amiss. Since we had looked at the document beforehand, we discussed our views with the other group members. We managed to bring up several suggestions for revision:

Removal of the list in naming types of discrimination or, insertion of the word arbitrary in front of the word discrimination so as to prevent loopholes. Most people agreed on the removal of the list because it may result in exclusion of other people

Replacement of “the pursuit of human dignity” with “the protection of human dignity” since dignity is inherent and need not be pursued, but rather must be protected and recognized.

It was interesting to hear WYA language being presented by the representatives of every group because it had been accepted as important (and also because we managed to have at least one WYA representative in almost every group). Hopefully, we will be able to see these changes in the final document.

There were several African countries that gave their reports on social integration. Among these were Morocco, Tunisia and Tanzania.

I managed to speak with the Tanzanian delegation, among them, a deputy minister. I was so excited to be able to speak my native language, Swahili, to them. The minister was very friendly. He introduced me to the youth representative from Tanzania.

I also spoke with the economic counselor from the Chad mission to the United Nations. I think I must have intruded on his coffee break, which turned out to be a good opportunity for him to learn about WYA.

Being at the UN is giving me insight as to how the United Nations works at policy making are made and I would urge more, young Africans to attend. I will keep you updated on more of the action.

Tessy Omina,
Kenyan Chapter-Committee Member
World Youth Alliance - Africa

WYA ROCKS!

MY WYA INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

Mathew Chesa

Kenya

Age: 24

The day was Monday September 8^th 2008. The moment I had been waiting for had finally come. I was headed for the World Youth Alliance North America office to begin my three month internship. I knew this was going to be interesting. From what I had been told by former interns, I was prepared to learn lots of new things as well as share my experience with other interns. I was also set for the fun that comes with living in an international house. One of my interests in life is going places and meeting faces. I therefore knew I would enjoy the internship since there were lots of new faces to meet and places to go. I was the last one to arrive for orientation at the WYA Headquarters on East 71^st Street in New York. I however managed to get there just in time for the start of the orientation. Of course I didn’t get the other interns’ names immediately and had to spend the next couple of hours sorting that out.

I was assigned internship projects which included; Research on the 47^th session of the Commission for Social Development (CSD 47) at the United Nations, handling the publicity module of the North America Decade of Dignity and Development (DDD) conference, the North America NGO fair and managing the WYA North America DDD Art competition. Unlike my previous internships in other organizations, working with WYA gave me hands on experience through directly handling the day to day affairs of my projects and consulting with my supervisors where necessary. I learned better resource management skills and really enjoyed the professional approach that WYA took when dealing with issues that affect young people. Participating in sessions at the UN also exposed me to the realities and challenges of advocacy work at international policy making forums. I realized the importance of having the Youth represented by people who know the real challenges facing the Human Person and are committed to helping in developing practical solutions.

with my colleagues on our way from the UN in New York

Through the training undertaken, I learned more about the dignity of the person as well as various international issues and their effect on the human person. I also got to appreciate even more the diverse cultures represented at WYA; I shared my internship experience with interns form North America, Philippines and Lebanon.

Happy Birthday! celebrating one of the interns birthday at the WYA House

The best part about WYA is the people. After one week at the WYA house it felt as though I had known my fellow interns for months or years. The staff members were also great people to be with. Of course I was rather nervous at first but after a while, I realized they don’t bite. Spending time around the kitchen table was interesting, especially when everybody noticed my love for Ketchup. It so happens that a previous Kenyan intern, who happens to be my sister (Tessy) was also in love with ketchup, which left them wondering whether it was a family thing or a Kenyan thing. Hopefully the next intern will resolve the issue :-). Of course the internship had its challenges and for me, the one thing I dreaded most was making phone calls, and all because my after 9 months over here my Kenyan accent is still intact. I owe the Americans in the office for helping me out through the pronunciation lessons. I can now differentiate between ‘world’ and ‘wild’. I also know that in the US cars don’t hoot, they honk, thanks to Casey my fellow intern. I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone at WYA for doing all they could to make me grow bigger. After loosing one pound in my first two months at WYA at least I managed to recover half of that just before I left.

L-R:Mathew(me), Christine (Philippines), Rita(Lebanon) and Casey (USA)

As I move on to the next phase in life, I will always look back at WYA and acknowledge that it played one of the greatest roles in shaping my destiny...

WYA ROCKS!

My Internship Experience

I got to know about WYA from a friend and so far my only regret is that i didn't know about it any sooner. My first meeting with WYA members was at an Ubuchindami film. I was amazed at how welcoming and jovial this group of youth was,a complete contrast to what i had of late grown accustomed to. With the violence, destruction of property and murders that rocked our beloved country earlier in the year still fresh in many people's minds, few had any reason to smile.

I had the opportunity to sign the charter and what inspired me most was the whole idea on the dignity of the human person. This had me thinking. If dignity was the value of the human person and is what granted us our human rights, then why was the world rife with all sorts of inhuman acts? Why do we hear of cases of utter disregard of human rights daily? I successfully applied for internship and immediately set off on a journey to find answers which i got after undergoing WYA'S track A training. I got to get a better understanding of so many things i had once taken for granted. This i attribute to the many inspiring articles, documents and stories in the Track A manual. Most inspiring was Victor Francl's inspiring book: Man's search for meaning. This enlightened me on the value of having a purpose in life. How he was able to overcome the whole ordeal at the Nazi camps was trully inspiring and led me to believe that i can accomplish anything i set my mind to.

WYA entrusted me with the duty of organizing and managing my projects, a noble idea indeed. Projects tailor made to meet with my strengths, aspirations and hobbies. I acquired so many corporate skills that am sure will come in handy in the near future.
I had an opportunity that so many young people of my age would only dream of. I had the opportunity to interact and network with big company's directors and even diplomats,but what i appreciate most and treasure are the many friends i have made at WYA and the mere fact that the youth united make a force to reckon with and can trully change the world.

Job Mwaniki
Intern with World Youth Alliance (August-December 2008)

A Quest to Understand Human Dignity

I had just cleared school and was overly keyed up about the next phase of life. For this next phase I only had two things in mind-to be a successful Perry mason (criminal Defense lawyer) and to make lots of money. It didn’t take long before I secured a job with one of the best criminal attorney in the country. I had no experience but I had enough enthusiasm to make up for a couple of years experience in this particular field. I had this pompous feeling about my progress. This is all I ever wanted to do – dressed in an executive dark blue suit and folders on my hands I could think of a better start.

It was a Friday morning and I was busy doing what I was proving to be very good at – preparing and drafting defenses when my boss called me into his office. He had this high profile client who was being accused of rape and he wanted me to assist with the defense. At first I felt humbled for it could probably mean I was making progress with the whole defense business. But listening to the client confess to having committed a felony on one hand and on the other hand having my boss instruct me to come up with a defense since the client would enter a not guilty plea. I knew this is not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Defend wrongdoers. I just couldn’t do it.

For days after I quit my job I was I felt so disillusioned, I lacked a sense of purpose felt like I had been dreaming a lie. I decided to settle for something else- since I had basic training in accounts. Accountancy it was then, but my efforts of securing a job in this particular field were futile. One afternoon I decided to visit my preschool teacher. We talked for a while just as I was about to leave she told me she come across something that might be of interest to me. She gave me a blue card. At the back of the card were 3 letters that would leave a permanent impression in my life, World Youth Alliance.

I visited the website marked in the card and read through. One phrase kept recurring – Human Dignity. For months after my initial visit to their regional offices in Nairobi my life took on a new turn. From the books I read, movies I watched how I treated people to the dreams I dreamt .It was a quest to explore and comprehend the whole idea of the dignity of the person which all of a sudden sound so appealing.

Do I still want to be rich and successful you bet! Only that this time its different I just don’t want to make a living. I want to make a life and add life to the years. If there is anything that I have learnt during my stay at the World Youth Alliance is that education is more than just a transmission of knowledge and fact. It must encompass character, a transmission of values, culture and life itself. Track A was a real eye opener. It gave me a chance to read widely and wisely. And the subsequent discussions involved a critical analysis of issues surrounding us. In a short shell casing Track A was all about intellectual profundity.

Since becoming a member of the World Youth Alliance I kept wondering why the whole idea of the dignity of the human never ceased to amaze me. I think I can attribute that to my growing up. I was born and bred in one of the Africa’s largest slum. Looking back life in the ghettos is more often than not characterized by hopelessness and desperation. But I will point out the very basics .Mine was a typical ghetto life, which in most cases is a life devoid of any securities, privileges and freedom whatsoever. Life’s very basics (food, shelter, washrooms, privacy) become a luxury. Like every kid from the slums have dreams but very little is done to encourage them and nurture their dreams. It is a life of struggle. Right from a very tender age one gets to understand it is a harsh world in here.

I was barely 8 years when I watched a neighbor murder another in cold blood. I had nightmares for days but I may as well had been hardened for there was more to come. I lost count of people I had to watch die in the hands of an angry mob. Loosing count was not the worst that could have happened to me. I become indifferent. I no longer felt troubled that my primary school desk mate was being stoned to death right at my doorstops. Times I watched the scenes unfold, watch them make rattle sounds as they died and simply moved on as it was normal. Not even once did I think they deserved to die. At one time I begged for the life of one but they still did it leaving me with a dying boy in my arms. Efforts to bring him to life were futile. During my time in WYA I have been was able to comprehend in a better way, what the lived experience of the dignity of the human person is and how all of us have an important role to play in building the society in which we live.

Understanding the intrinsic dignity of the human person has softened a part of me that I thought had died. I steadfastly believe that no one has a right to take the life of another notwithstanding the crime committed.

In wrapping up, my internship has been a wholesome experience it has given me a time to reflect, to understand myself better and to grapple the whole idea of the dignity of the person and the idea of human rights.

Pauline Wanja
Intern with World Youth Alliance (August to December 2008)
Alumni of Moi University - School of Law.