Youth participation at ISW workshop in Astana

by Daud Hamidi (d.hamidi@wateryouthnetwork.org)

Central Asia Youth Workshop has been organized by the International Secretariat for Water and is part of its Youth Strategy #WaterGeneration for future water leaders as an opportunity to learn, share ideas and develop cooperation among youth in the region (Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).

Daud Hamidi, member of Water Youth Network (WYN), attended representing Afghanistan in this event. 

From June 16 to June 20, 2017, participants learned and shared ideas about water related issues and how to address them in the region. After intensive working hours they developed the Youth Vision in preparation for the 4th General Assembly of the World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW) that will take place in March 2018 in Brasilia. The Youth Vision was presented in Blue Peace Central Asia conference, Almaty and recently in Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace, Geneva.

Beside the interactive sessions, the participants had a friendly meeting to discuss the future perspective and share water stories of the region with Didier Burkhalter, Swiss Foreign Minister.

For Central Asia region which is mostly semi-arid to arid, water is an extremely valuable resource and can lead to rather significant international disputes. Investing on youth to address and prevent from future water disputes is a need and seems a solution to establish close cooperation on water among the countries in the region.

The workshop brought together 30 young people from region, as part of the Universal Exhibition 2017 in Astana. This workshop took place at The Swiss pavilion.

Useful links and info:

Link to ISW central Asia youth updates:

http://www.sie-see.org/en/project/mobilizing-water-peace-central-asia/#Home

Link to Youth Vision:
http://www.sie-see.org/en/article/publications-en/youth-vision-central-asia/

Link to Video of Young Ambassadors Committed for Water:
http://www.sie-see.org/en/article/video-young-ambassadors-committed-for-water-in-central-asia/

Link to the recent activity:
http://www.sie-see.org/en/article/central-asias-young-water-champions-transforming-region/

Read more:
https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/yemen/en/home/news/news.html/content/eda/en/meta/news/2017/6/19/67098