NB: directly adapted from (http://www.cipe.org/programs/women/essay.php)

Theme: Engaging Youth in Reform

The deadline for the 2009 competition is March 1, 2009!

Young people can be a powerful force for change! As future reformers, young people (18-30) have innovative ideas on how to solve the political, economic, and social problems facing their countries. However, they often lack the voice to bring these ideas to policymakers. Simply, young people are often regarded as recipients of reforms, not active participants in the reform process.

CIPE’s essay contest gives you the opportunity to share your ideas about citizenship, democratic and market-oriented reform, youth leadership, and the ways that your country can create avenues for youth to participate in the political and economic spheres. We encourage you to get thinking, get involved, and use your own experiences to develop concrete solutions to these development issues.

A $1,000 honorarium will be given for each winning essay.

ligibility
Open to students and young professionals aged 18-30. Special weight will be given to essays submitted by citizens of non-OECD countries.

Topic Categories

* Citizenship in a Democratic Society

What needs to be done to develop a sense of citizenship in young people and help them realize their role in a democratic society?
True reform occurs only when citizens actively participate in the governance process – it can’t be achieved by street protests alone. Young people are an integral part of society and their input and participation in their countries’ governance is necessary to effect political and economic reform. However, many lack the skills and opportunity to communicate with policymakers and get involved in their country’s development. Youth are often disengaged from the political process and rarely develop the sense of citizenship that is so crucial to building an inclusive, participatory democracy. To become active citizens in their countries, young people must have the skills to develop their ideas on reform and outlets to express those ideas in a constructive manner. What does citizenship mean to you? How are citizenship and good governance connected? How can your country engage and enable young people to participate constructively in the governance process? Be sure to begin your essay by describing the situation in your country.

* Educational Reform and Employment Opportunities

How can you reform your country’s education system so that graduates have the necessary skills for employment in the public and private sectors?
In many countries, the youth unemployment rate is very high. In some countries, this is caused by a lack of jobs. However, in many others, young people entering the workforce are not prepared for the jobs available – they lack the necessary skills and education. Unable to find good jobs, they face a difficult choice: remain unemployed or accept low-paying jobs with no opportunity for advancement. Improving the educational systems of many countries is a key step towards creating a generation of young people who possess the skills and knowledge to participate in the economy, locally and globally. What are the major employment problems young people face in your country? What can be done to give them the right skills and opportunities to enter the workforce? Who should taking the lead in doing so? Be sure to begin your essay by describing the situation in your country.

* Entrepreneurship and Leadership

What needs to be done in your country to provide youth with the opportunity to become entrepreneurs and/or leaders in their communities?
Young people can play a positive role in the political and economic spheres in their countries, on both local and national levels. Unfortunately they often lack access to the resources and groups that would help them get involved and have an impact. However, when provided with the opportunity and skills to become influential members of their communities, youth can accomplish their goals. What are the skills that young people need to acquire to start a successful business or civil society group? What are the major barriers that prevent them from opening a business or assuming a leadership position in your country? What programs or policies would give youth the skills to become active and influential members of society? Be sure to begin your essay by describing the situation in your country.

Funding: there is no entry fee
Deadline: 27 February 2009 - before 16.00 h
Open to: the competition is open to anyone born after 17 May 1974, which can be proved with a photocopy of an identification document

The international competition for young designers on the topic “Climate Change” has the goal of raising and spreading awareness, through the medium of posters, of the environmental situation in which we find ourselves. The future depends on our common awareness and responsibility regarding what we can put right and how we must start to function in our relation to nature for a more promising future. It is vitally important to involve in this process young creative people who have a fresh and unique way of looking at these problems regarding our living environment.

The competition is open to anyone born after 17 May 1974, which can be proved with a photocopy of an identification document.

For works that have already been published, the minimum size is 420 x 600 mm, and the maximum size 700 x 1000 mm.

Original works must be 590 x 840 mm in size.

There are no restrictions regarding the number of works entered per designer.

Works may already be published or made especially for this festival. Posters must arrive undamaged with completed stickers in the upper right corner on the back.

Posters may not be backed or framed.
There is no entry fee.
Works will not be returned.

Poster must be in the ratio 1 : 1, and must be set to net format of the product.

Exhibited posters will be selected by a preliminary jury appointed by the event committee. The entrans will be notified of acceptance on the exhibition via our website. The winners will be awarded by the international jury.

The International Jury
• Mr. Dimitris Arvanitis, Greece
• Ms. Anette Lenz, France
• Mr. Piotr Młodozeniec, Poland
• Mr. Bruno Monguzzi, Switzerland
• Mr. Leonardo Sonnoli, Italy

The jury will adhere to criteria based on: creativity, originality, aesthetics, communicability and excellence of execution.

Awards
• 1st prize (1.000 eur)
• 2nd prize (700 eur)
• 3rd prize (350 eur)
• 3 distinctive merit awards
• 4 merit awards
• Prize of the City of Ljubljana

Copyrights
− All posters become part of the collection of visual communication of the Brumen Foundation; they will be displayed on the website of the festival, where they will be available to governmental and non-governmental institutions in Europe for a formal compensation (transmission costs).
− Information in the application form will be used in the catalogue.
− The organizer can use the posters for pedagogical, promotion and publishing purposes without special consent of the author.
− The organizer may reproduce and distribute the posters in the catalogue and in other printed media, on the internet and in any other electronic form.
− Your signature on the application form means that you fully agree with the terms of cooperation in the workshop.


Contact:
Fundacija Brumen / Poster Festival
Dolenjska 83
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Slovenija
tel: +386 51 371 233
fax: +386 1 42 725 93
info@posterfestival-ljubljana.si This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
posterfestival-ljubljana (http://www.posterfestival-ljubljana.si/)
Competition - Call for Entries
Entry Form

NB: directly adapted from http://www.mladiinfo.com/contests/595-ljubljana-poster-festival-09-brumen-foundation.html

Development Partnership International in collaboration with Centre for Creative Arts Education (CCAE) and Centre for Development Support Initiative and with support from the Commonwealth Innovative Initiative Award is organising a one-day Niger Delta Youth Development Roundtable which will bring together youth activists, development experts and workers, and adult allies to discuss the Niger Delta development challenges as it relates to youth.

The Niger-delta challenge is a youth development challenge! The youth are the ones in the creeks. They are the worst hit by unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor health care, inadequate portable water supply and abject poverty. The youth are both the worst victims and the leaders of the struggle; their voices must be brought to the mainstream of policy-making. The young people are in agreement about what the most important challenges are in the Niger-delta. They want good access roads, effective transportation systems, electricity supply, good schools, jobs, food on their tables, portable drinking water, safe and secure communities, an environment free of pollution, support for self actualisation and participation in the formulation of decisions on issues that affect them.

Niger-Delta Youth Development Roundtable, scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt Rivers State, is a one day dialogue which seeks to provide a platform for the articulation of these concerns, as well as raising the profile of the youth in the developmental processes of the Niger-delta region by ensuring that youth issues are integrated into the development processes of the region and that young people have a chance to be involved in the ongoing efforts at developing an effective framework for the development of the region. This session will also bring to the fore the positive contributions of youth to the development of their various communities and will promote peace as the most viable means to resolve the development crisis in the Niger-delta region.

Date: Tuesday February 17th 2009

Due to limited space, participation at this meeting is strictly by invitation. To participate, send a bio-data of yourself (not more than one page) to adebayo@developmentpartnership.org latest by Thursday 12th February 2009 and an official invitation would be sent to you in due course.

1)
A lonely cold heart
a candle burns with desire
the space in between.

2)
My soul is whirling
drunkenness makes me fly high
your arms wide open.

Tackling the Niger Delta Challenge

Through funding received from the Commonwealth Innovative Initiative award, Development Partnership International is planning to organise a one day Niger Delta Youth Development Round Table. The objective of the dialogue is to:
• examine the development situation of the Niger Delta region, in relation to other regions of Nigeria;
• review ongoing development processes initiated at various levels of governance, and reflect on their relevance to provide long term solutions to the development challenges of the region;
• discuss the status of young people in the Niger Delta and the impact of the development challenges on their lives and livelihoods;
• make recommendations and proffer solutions to the development challenges of the region, particularly as they relate to youth development.

In preparation for the dialogue, DPI seeks to engage students and young researchers with interest in the development of the Niger Delta in examining the issues of sustainable youth development in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria by extension. This is therefore to call for papers and articles on the subject of youth and the development of the Niger Delta region. The papers may address: infrastructural development, information and communication technology, HIV/AIDS and health service delivery, employment, peace building or agricultural development. These must be however linked to youth development.

- Youth and students between the ages of 15 and 30 are particularly encouraged to submit papers or articles;
- All papers or articles must be typed, double space, 12 point times new roman and must be at least 10 pages in length but not exceed 15 pages including references;
- Authors of 15 outstanding papers will be invited to attend the youth dialogue on the Niger Delta challenge to be hosted in one of the states of the Niger Delta;
- After a thorough review process, 6-10 good quality papers will be published in a final report titled: Youth Development and the Niger Delta challenge;
- The author of the best paper will receive a cash prize to be determined at a later date and will be personally honoured at the dialogue.
- All papers must be received by February 10, 2009. Papers should be sent by email to: dpi@developmentpartnership.org.

All queries should be addressed to Adebayo Samuel adebayo@developmentpartnership.org. or Chibuzo Nwachukwu chibuzo@developmentpartnership.org

Recently, my mom underwent mastectomy (a surgical term for removing one or both breasts for cancer). It was a shock to me when I found out about it. All along, I thought it was just plain lump in her breast. After all, the biopsy said it was benign. Her surgeon, who is the leading surgeon of our country, told her she had nothing to worry. Thing is, we have a history in our family. Two of my mom's sisters already had breast cancer, her youngest sister for 10 years and elder sister for 7 years. Both underwent mastectomy and are still living quite normally until today. So it was this reason why her doctors had to remove her left breast, just to make sure it would not spread.

During her operation, my sister began to panic and started to cry. She said, how come the operation took so long when the doctors said it would only take 4 hours. I didn't know what was happening in the operating room. I wasn't aware of mastectomy as part of the option. But I didn't want to cry. I didn't not want to panic. I had to remain still. I already prayed and I kept my faith all the time. My sister asked, what if something went wrong, how could she live without our mom? I dismissed that thought. Mom would be alright. Whatever happened there, I knew she'd survive it.

If it was hard for me and my sister to wait, it must be harder for our dad, who at the time was in Europe, working thousands of miles away as an engineer. Could he sleep well? Was he focused on his work? What was he thinking, same as my sister or me? Dad used to sweat the small stuff. I wondered how he was taking it. Mom and dad are so close and connected to each other, they feel each other when something is wrong with the other.

When hospital staff brought my mom in her room, I felt relieved. She just turned her head to me and my sister and then closed her eyes. She was still groggy. My sister began crying again and my aunt called me outside, she said she had something to say. This was the time she disclosed to me about mastectomy. A surge of fear and pain overtook me. I felt something was clutching my neck and I couldn't breathe. I was just quiet, nodded to my Aunt, and found myself walking endlessly round the hospital until I realized there was a place for me to go. I climbed the stairs to the 4th floor and knelt down in the chapel. I was face to face with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the loving mother who the world has come to know. Her face was still and her eyes were expressive, her arms were open, perhaps ready to catch me if ever I fell down. I began to cry. I remember praying or asking her, "Tell me, it's gonna be alright. You love me right? You love my mom and my family? Please, please send me your love." For one hour I was just talking to her. But the whole chapel fell silent and the only thing I could hear was my mind, the beat of my heart and the constant soft sobbing. After awhile, I found my feet again. I was ready to see my mom and my sister. They didn't need to see me crying.

On my way back, I began texting my friends both global and local. I asked them to send me and my mom their love, prayers and healing positive energies. After a few minutes, my phone was filled with love and prayers from my friends. I saved them and thought of reading them one by one to my mom. That night, I didn't sleep. I was just beside her, holding her hands, sending positive energies. I said my prayers for her in all religious traditions I could think of: Tibetan, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Islam, Pagan or just anything that I learned from the heart. I called the Gods and Goddesses who I loved. I told them to help heal my mom quickly and to keep her safe and positive.

It only took my mom two days to put a smile on her face, even if her surgery was very painful. She said, "it's just a breast, I still have my life." On the third day, she woke up early, took a shower, put on her make-up and perfume and changed her hospital gown to a regular pair of pyjamas (easier for nursing staff to check her wounds); she was ready to receive visitors. My family and friends came flocking and although her eyes get teary once in awhile, it was easy for her to put her smile back. She said, at the operating room, she was singing "jingle bells" until anesthesia put her to sleep. I read to her all the messages my friends sent her and she was grateful.

Looking back, I remember that a few months ago, I read Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, when Jacopo, one of the editors and main charcters, gets cancer. He talks about metastasis and how your cells turn against you. He says:

"And what are cells? For months, like devout rabbis, we uttered different combinations of the letters of the Book. GCC, CGC, GCG, CGG. What our lips said, our cells learned. What did my cells do? They invented a different Plan, and now they are proceeding on their own, creating a history, a unique, private history. My cells have learned that you can blaspheme by ana-grammatizing the Book, and all the books of
the world. And they have learned to do this now with my body. They invert, transpose, alternate, transform themselves into cells unheard of, new cells without meaning, or with meaning contrary to the right meaning. There must be a right meaning and a wrong meaning; otherwise you die. My cells joke, without faith, blindly." (Eco, 514)

My mom is fast recovering and her doctors are surprised and happy that she's healing faster than average women who have cancer, considering that mom is also diabetic and hypertensive. Mom can say to her cell which Jacopo thought it was only the cells who could do the talking, "...(M)ethistemi? It’s the same thing: I move, I transform, I transpose, I switch cliches, I take leave of my senses." (514) Yes, my mom's cells turned against her that's why she's left with one breast and her physical body altered. But when this happened to her, everything around her went on her side--love, love is on her side and that's everything she could ask for.

At last, we've bridged the digital divide; what with satellite dish receiver connected to a mud/thatch hut. Or what do you think folks?

I hear a lot of cases about sexual abuse on children and young people. Often, it happens in their own homes where their own father, male relatives or other close friends who the children trust are the ones who betray them. I don't understand, how a father or an uncle or a grandfather could ever do that to his own. Is it a mental illness? While I do not believe in capital punishment, when I hear of such crimes like child molestations or sexual abuse, I cannot help myself but think that the best punishment for them is to show everything that they did to those children, picture by picture, frame by frame, until the fang of their guilt devour them. Like a month ago, there was this young girl who was burned alive after she was sexually molested. These kinds of evil, I cannot take. I cannot make peace with these things, not when children are involved.

For children who are made prostitutes by their own parents, or relatives, there's no forgiveness. It's the responsibility of the parents to provide a good life for their children. If they cannot, they should not be allowed to have children in the first place (this may sound a violation of human rights, especially freedom of choice but really, what rights do they have to sell their children?!) Even if the parents are poor, they should be the one to make every legal means possible to at least feed their children, or clothed them or give them shelter. I know a lot of poor families and the parents do their best, work almost 24/7 just to make sure that their children eat 3x/day, or that they have blankets to keep them warm. But of course, we are responsible for them as well. For allowing it to happen. For making them poorer, more envious. For allowing child prostitution businesses to prosper. For keeping our mouth shut when we know that the kid next door is being molested and made prositute by his or her parents.


For some people, prostitution is an opportunity to live, or to survive rather. For those who are 18 and above, it's become a personal choice, not that they have other choices. I'm sure, if there's a better job out there and if they have the skill, prostitution would not have been included in their choice of work. Like, the other night, I was watching on a local network the "local bills" that our councilors passed. One of them was talking about prostituttions. He said that "it is very alarming that when the sun sets, prostitutes are on queue" on this particular avenue, and "these prostitutes are very young like 14-16 years old." He added, "these young women are not native of this town, they've come from other poor provinces. We therefore think that we should set a raid, and take all the prostitutes." One chauvinist councilor in a malicious tone said, "I'll go with you", and all other chauvinist councilors, as if in unison, reiterated, "me, too", and they all laughed. Bastards! They wanted to go there not because they want to save these young women but because they want to see a spectacle, being surrounded by half-naked women, would have been a taste of ectasy. If they trully want to be of help, they would have a ready-made alternative for these young women. They would have planned it really well, like send them to school after the Department of Social Welfare and Development officers have counselled them. But no, they just wanted to "catch" these young women as if they were the criminals. Like most raids, these women would be put to jail, subject to more molestations and sexual abuses by God-knows-who. And what about those people who made profits out of these poor young women? Nothing. They just enjoy their profit, relocate and look for another opportunity to lure poor young women to their bait. Our local government, obviously is oblivious of women's rights, of gender sensitivity. They make local bills that are trully nonsensical. They don't even read, I'm sure, that's why they are so dense. Again, it's our fault for voting these people. Well, I didn't vote for them but the rest of local city populace did.

God didn't promise days without pain,
laughter without sorrow,
or sun without rain,
But He did promise strength for the day,
comfort for the tears,
and light for the way.

If God brings you to it,
He will bring you through it.

A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.
The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter:
"Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river." The little girl said:
"No, Dad. You hold my hand."
"What's the difference?" Asked the puzzled father.
"There's a big difference," replied the little girl.
"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond..So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours...

I just love everything that he writes.

When I first read "The Island of the Day Before", I was like, "Omigod! That's exactly how I imagined things when I was a young HS student, creating my own theories about getting old or younger the moment one crosses the latitudes" But of course, his was more intellectual in a sense. It was like reading what I had in mind.

Anyway, my latest addiction is his Foucault's Pendulum. I read it before and reading it again after 3 years of keeping from the shelf. Now, I understand it more clearly. I really believe that his works are the work of not just a creative writer but a genius, somebody who can infuse history, myth, science, religion and creative writing in one. I mean, there are other writers who write beautifully but not with intellectual magnitude like him. Eco does not only entertain but informs very well. I have to read the "Name of the Rose" soon. I have some of his books in my library and this month til next month, he will be my "author of the month". I wish I could see him in person! Maybe that chance meeting will spark some inspiration in my own writing. Maybe.

Funny, I've been directed to the Middle Ages era in all the books I've recently bought, especially the ones connected to the Templars. Maybe, it's the kind of topic that's been read many many times and it's no longer a hot topic. I really don't mind having that kind of information: myth, stories, legends of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. I just enjoy reading.

Since my visit to Mexico, I had this dream of learning the Spanish language whole-heartedly. Although I took Basic Spanish a few years back, I only remembered a few phrases. The Filipino language has similarity in the Spanish language, as a matter of fact, there are so many Filipino words that are derived from Spanish. For this reason, I was able to, more or less, bargain some items in the flea market in Mexico. People thought I was Mexican. As my teacher would say, "you were Mexican, the Wise Woman of Mexico, Was it Mayan?". But when I went to Spain, it was totally different. The Spanish was harder to understand probably because they spoke quite fast and kind of slang.

Anyway, I recently visited a bookstore and bought 5 Spanish grammar books. From beginner's to intermediate, from conversational to basic form, and of course, a writing worksheet! Everyday, I try to read 1-5pages a day just to familiarize with terms and construction. I am preparing myself so that when I study the language formally, I won't start from scratch. I feel, I'm destined to go back to Spain (or I dream of going back to Spain, anyway) so I have to learn their language better.

Next time, when I'm good with Spanish, I will have to go back to my French school and relearn the language. Yes, I did study French for the simple reason: to be able to pronounce French food especially pastries properly. Hahaha. I just love French pastries and cakes. Yummy!

Next will be Italian. I like their accent, almost like singing; very romantic.

Next next will be German.

Then the classical languages (Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, Eyptian...) I'll just stop on my death bed, well, maybe not. Who knows, I might be chanting a Tibetan prayer to hasten my "transformation".

Also posted at: http://abc4all.net/essay.htm

The training is in a beautiful villa called Villa Boccella which is 45 minutes away from the town of Lucca. Our villa is at the foot of the mountain and we are surrounded by trees, flowers, herbs and vineyards. Everytime the sun rises, it shines through my window and it is just so lovely. Our food is strictly vegetarian but once in awhile we go out of the villa and eat at the nearby restaurants. The food is just so good, you woudn't even ask for fish or chicken or meat. The water tastes so good since Tuscan water is fresh.

The training is composed of of 24 particapants across the globe, alot of them are Americans, Irish, British and Australians (age17-35). And due to economic circumstance and language barrier, there are only 4 from Asia (Me, 2 Vietnamese, and 1 Nepalese) and 1 from Africa. We are divided into 4
teams, and all of us have a chance to be the "leader". On the first day, even without knowing each other that much we have learned to trust each other, especially within the team. Each task requires different leadership style and the more you participate the more you know which style fits you. We manage to resolve conflicts, use our own voice, and use dialogues to get to the bottom of things. nothing in the course is not known to us. However, the training reminds us of what we value, what we love and the kind of philosophy we embrace in relation to giving service to other people and the community. Questions like, how do we become aware of our surrounding if we are not even aware of our self? How do we maintain trust and partnership, when competition is the name of the game?

We are also lucky to visit Siena and learn how this city was built by visionaries of that timeand how this town became prosperous and pro-people. The lecturer is also a volunteer and is so passionate in sharing her knowledge with us. She is not even an Italian but through her self-discovery and self-study, she's been invited to lecture in different conferences and trainings in Europe. So I believe that in order to become an effective leader, it is not only limited to doing something outside but also one must work within. As leaders, we have to make ourselves a good "educator" to also inspire others.

In the training we also have "moments of silence" or others call it "meditation" and just listen to what the Universe is telling us, so to speak. It gives us a sense of stillness which makes us see, hear and
understand more.

Each of us also have personal mentor from the Lucca Trainers/Coaches to guide us in our current or future projects. All of the trainers are volunteers too, who of course, have been under the Lucca trainings. A lot of the trainers are Educators, Businessmen and Lawyers who are also traveling alot to reach the places and people who are often neglected. They also use their "miles" to sponsor trainees in the training, which a friend told me about. I'm sure, in the nearest future, when I'm able to sponsor others, one of the training grounds will be Lucca Leadership.

Anyway, here is the link to the organization: www.luccaleadership.org I will try to make a video presentation of our training to post on our yfci or abc4all web. But it may take a little more time.

I found this site, which is worth the share.

Note: Directly adapted from the website: www.justicemakers.net

Important Dates:
August 14th: Application Window Closes
August 21st: Semi-Finalists Announced
Setptember 8th: Public Rating & Judging Begins
September 24th: Public Rating & Judging Ends
October 12th: Winners Announced

2008 Competition RegistrationJusticeMakers is hosting a global competition for innovations that end torture, abuse, and arbitrary detainment. The competition will award $5,000 to the eight best proposals for concrete, achievable action.

Participation is free, and open to anyone with an idea and a familiarity with his or her country's criminal justice system. Don't miss out!

For registration, please go to their website and inquire.

You Never

You never said I'm leaving
You never said goodbye
You were gone before I knew it,
And only God knew why
A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried
If Love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died
In Life I loved you dearly
In death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place,
That no one could ever fill
It broke my heart to lose you,
But you didn't go alone
For part of me went with you,
The day God took you home

An appropriate poem..
In memory of my father..