Young Leaders Issue Declaration, Launch Web Community
In late September, more than 60 representatives, averaging 24 years of age, traveled from 17 southeastern European and Eurasian countries and provinces to Chisinau, Moldova for the 2006 Young Political Leaders Seminar sponsored by the USAID Bureau for Europe & Eurasia in collaboration with the International Republican Institute (IRI), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), and the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL). President of Moldova Vladimir Voronin and U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Michael Kirby opened the four-day seminar on September 25 with words of encouragement and support, emphasizing the importance of youth action and public service.
USAID’s Bureau for Europe & Eurasia (E&E), through its regionally-based implementing partners, IRI, NDI, and others, has supported a broad range of initiatives over the last several years targeted at developing leadership among young people in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The inception of the Young Political Leaders Seminars was spearheaded by Brock D. Bierman, Chief of Staff for USAID’s E&E Bureau.
“Young people, whether in Washington. DC or Moscow, have the desire to improve their futures,” says Bierman. “Our hope is to create new synergies and relationships through this program and create opportunities to generate dialogue that extends beyond our own backyards.”
In October 2005, E&E, in partnership with IRI, NDI, and ACYPL, organized a seminar in Macedonia for young political and civic leaders from 15 Eastern European and Eurasian countries designed to build on their collective experiences and initiate a network for the sharing of information, know-how, and best practices. A key objective of this event was to facilitate a renewed understanding of, and commitment to, democracy among young, politically engaged leaders in the region. The seminar focused on fostering democratic development, enhancing leadership skills, and strengthening communications among different political parties and community organizations. One of the tangible results generated by the seminar was the creation of an Internet chat group that has since been used as an open forum, facilitating the communication of young activists from different countries and regions on recent developments of various public policy challenges.
To build upon the progress made at the inaugural Macedonia seminar, E&E sought to continue its focus on the development of young leaders by convening another group of talented and energetic young leaders from a broad range of southeastern European and Eurasian political parties and civic groups for a second seminar in 2006. Trainings at the Moldova event were delivered by an array of experts, including U.S. Ambassador Pamela Hyde Smith and Paul Bonicelli, the USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, to develop specific skills and compare best practices in areas relevant to the seminar’s central theme of “engaging youth in the democratic process.”
The participants formed three task force teams, each with a specific goal. The first team crafted a united “Youth Declaration” that calls upon young people across the region to “raise up their voices against repression, corruption and totalitarianism” and was adopted by unanimous vote by the participants. The second task force drafted content and helped design a new website rooted in the Internet chat group established by their predecessors to facilitate networking and discussion among politically active youth in the region. The third team was charged with producing a live press conference to announce these accomplishments. The intensive sessions culminated in a crowded press event on September 28 at which the participants successfully presented the Declaration and launched DemocraticYouth.net.
Looking to the future, Bierman has great expectations of the Young Political Leaders. “We are excited about the progress and relationships that have been made in just one year,” Bierman says. “And are committed to helping these efforts flourish.
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| Members of the media relations task force held a press conference to present the Young Political Leaders’ Youth Declaration and announce the launch of DemocraticYouth.net |
USAID E&E Assistant Administrator Drew Luten and Chief of Staff Brock Bierman join participants in applauding the seminar facilitators, Jay Vincent and Matt Keelen, for their efforts [From left: Vincent, Luten, Bierman, and Keelen] |
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| More than 60 young leaders from across Eastern Europe and Eurasia participated in the September seminar on engaging youth in the democratic process |
Small group discussions enabled each participant to contribute to the learning experience |
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