The 4th Global Youth Employment Summit in Azerbaijan
H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, H.E. Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva and Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
The President of the "Foundation for the Child and the Family", Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, was invited as a keynote speaker to the 4th Global Youth Employment Summit on the fight against poverty and unemployment.
The summit was organised in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, in September 2008, by YES (Youth Employment Summit) in collaboration with the Government of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Youth and Sport.
The summit was held under the auspices of the First Lady of Azerbaijan and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, H.E. Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, as well as of the First Lady of Egypt, H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak.
The two first ladies were the keynote speakers at the Opening, together with Mrs. Vardinoyannis, the Minister of Youth and Sport of Azerbaijan, Mr. Azad Rahimov, the Director of the Library of Alexandria, Dr. Ismail Serageldin, and the President of YES, Mrs. Poonam Ahluwalia.
Mrs. Vardinoyannis said during her speech:
“All issues concerning children and youth go straight to our heart, which is why I feel particularly moved to be with you here today, and to share these moments with you. With this meeting we are joining forces towards one of the greatest challenges faced by humanity, the eradication of poverty – putting forward the investment in youth as a decisive factor.
Today, civil society’s attention has turned to Azerbaijan, hoping to see a further step taken in the struggle against poverty. This is thanks to the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and our hostess here today, Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, and to the President of the Board of Trustees οf Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, who embraced this initiative. I would very much like to thank them for this, as well as the government of Azerbaijan and the YES Organization for organizing this conference.
Our world has never been richer than it is today; rich in ideas, knowledge, technology and goods. And yet more than a billion people throughout the world live in extreme poverty. The numbers are shocking, according to UNICEF: 9,7 million children die each year of diseases related to poverty; 143 million children suffer from malnutrition; 93 million primary-school-age children are not in school. Why is there such a colossal contradiction in our world? How can anyone answer this question, so evident in the eyes of these children? Nobody can. We can, however, find ways for the modern world to reverse these appalling numbers. Can we achieve this by the year 2015? The United Nations have set the reduction of extreme poverty, by half until then, among the Millennium Development Goals. I want to believe that we can.
On our side, at UNESCO, our efforts lie in raising public awareness , by disseminating the message that liberation from poverty is a fundamental human right. UNESCO has placed poverty reduction among its top priorities and has developed specific youth education programmes and initiatives for the development of areas around the world, such as :
- Empowering marginalized adolescent girls in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan to become agents of social transformation.
- Promoting of culturally appropriate policy responses to exploitative migration of women and children in Africa.
- Improving the socio-economic opportunities for marginalized youth in four Arab countries through a skill training and capacity building program.
- Supporting several communities in Indonesia through non-formal education and environmental management.
- Using formal and non-formal education among young girls in Cambodia, Indonesia and Nepal.
- Fighting urban poverty among young and female migrants in China and Mongolia through training, support and action.
- Involving youth in community tourism, cultural and natural heritage preservation for poverty eradication in the Carribean.
There are many ideas, and I am sure that at this Summit, many ideas will be proposed for targeted and coordinated actions providing young people with the opportunities, the motives and the prospects to master the present and conquer the future.
For all these to come about however, there is one basic precondition: peace on our planet – the same message sent to every corner of the earth three days ago when we celebrated the World Peace Day. Development can only flourish in a peaceful and healthy environment. Only when the sky is clear can children look far into the horizon and see a brighter future. It is exclusively our responsibility to make every possible effort for this. So let us all, from every corner of the earth, unite our voices and say YES to Peace, YES to Education, YES to Development, YES to the Future of our children.”
* The YES campaign
The YES network and its Campaign for the professional development and settling of young people are already extended in 55 countries, which have positively responded to the global challenge for the elimination of youth unemployment. Its strategy is driven by the following 4 main objectives:
- 1. Convening governments, enterprises, educational institutions, professional organisations and trade unions as well as experts to set global agenda for youth employment.
- 2. Building leadership and entrepreneurship capacity of youth.
- 3. Promoting in-country youth employment linked to development challenges.
- 4. Building multi-sectoral in-country coalitions to develop national strategies for widespread youth employment.
- 2011
- UNESCO Heads of States Forum
- There is HOPE!
- Cultural Heritage - Climate Change - The teacher's role - Presentation of the book "The country of two suns"
- International Women's Day - The Educational Institute AKMI IVT honours Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
- The "Pancretan Association of Athens" honours Marianna V. Vardinoyannis.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis "Woman of the year 2011".
- Excellence Awards, Greeks who are Role Models for the New Generation.
- Presentation of the Greek publication of Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis' book "Labouring with the Challenges of Female Identity: Insights into Minoan Society".
- 2010
- Presentation of the book "Labouring with the challenges of female identity: Insights into the Minoan society" at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
- The Global Forum against human trafficking.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis - ELPIDA Children's Oncology Unit.
- Makistos smiles again!
- 83000 signatures for the "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- 10th Annual Meeting of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors
- An event for the "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- International campaign supporting Greece.
- The international "1GOAL: Education for All" campaign.
- First meeting of the Friends of the Aswan Heart Centre.
- 2009
- Global Campaign for the Climate Justice.
- Inauguration of the new Acropolis Museum.
- Declaration of the International Conference "Climate Change and Challenges for the Future Generations".
- International Conference "Climate Change and Challenges for the Future Generations".
- International Conference «Crossing Borders to Protect the Children of the World» and the Cairo Declaration.
- International Conference in Bahrain "Human Trafficking at the Crossroads of East- West" and the Manama Declaration.
- Summer Deaflympics - Athens 2013.
- 2008
- The Vienna Forum against human trafficking.
- Mothers - Olympic Champions of Love.
- Universal call for the Climate Change.
- The 4th Global Youth Employment Summit on the fight against poverty and unemployment, in Azerbaijan and the Baku Declaration.
- The appeal of Ancient Olympia.
- The “Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies” in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis "Great Lady of the Patriarchal Throne of Alexandria".
- 2007
- 2nd Workshop on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.
- The Chart of Paris against cancer.
- The first Oncological Hospital for children in Greece.
- Lecture of the H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak in Athens, Greece.
- Fairuz Concert in Athens, Greece.
- International Youth Forum for Peace in Sharm El Sheikh.
- Global Humanitarian Forum.
- Makistos smiles again.
- 2006
- Round Table " The Business Community against Human Trafficking".
- Fundraising Dinner to support the “End Human Trafficking Now” global campaign.
- The "Athens Principles" in Davos.
- International Center for Peace Studies.
- Protecting youth from drugs.
- The Multicultural Children Centre “Athina” in Belgrade.
- 1st Workshop on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.
- Marianna V. Vardinoyannis – Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
- 2005
- Helping the children of Palestine- Fundraising dinner in Cairo.
- The UN Millennium Development Goals and Civil Society.
- The Declaration of 22 Greek organisations on the UN Millennium Development Goals.
- 2004
- Exhibition of Traditional and Contemporary Handicrafts from Jordan.
- International Conference “Women in the Service of Peace” in Paris.
- International Conference “Women defending Peace” in Geneva.
- 2003
- 2nd European Conference of Legal Practitioners on juvenile matters.
- Exhibition "Breaking the Veils", Exhibition of women artists from the Islamic World, at UNESCO.
- Exhibition “The Unity of an Unique Monument: the Parthenon”, at UNESCO.
- The Mentor Awards.
- Awards to mothers.
- 2002
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina. A wonder of the modern world.
- Mother: A Symbol of life, hope and peace.
- Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders who change our world.
- Contemporary Societies - Multicultural Co-existence- The position of the child.
- The protection of the World Cultural nad Natural Heritage.
- 2001
- The child: victim of war and messenger of peace.
- 2000
- A Model Area for creative activities in the Municipality of Ano Liosia.
- Mother: A Symbol of life, hope and peace.
- Children: Symbol of hope, will, courage.
- The Meeting of Athens and Delphi on Children and Peace.
- The Declaration of Delphi on Children and Peace.
- 1st International Conference for the Culture of Peace.
- Early Childhood Resource and Training Center in Bethlehem.
- 1999
- By the side of mothers and children behind bars.
- Juvenile disappearance and abduction.
- The Hague Appeal for Peace.
- International Conference “Family and Children in the European society of the 21st Century” in Paris.
- Support for the children - victims of war in the Balkans.
- By the side of the earthquake victims.
- International Conference “Sexual abuse of children and paedophilia in the Internet”.
- 1998
- A three-point shot for a life.
- European Forum "FAMILY - EUROPE - 21ST CENTURY: Vision and Institutions".
- Family and the mass media.
- Presentation of the Minutes of the European Forum "FAMILY - EUROPE - 21ST CENTURY: Vision and Institutions"
- 1997
- International Conference “Priority to the Dignity and Safety of the children in Europe”.
- By the side of the children of Xanthi.
- Embracing children suffering from AIDS.
- The International Convention on Children's Rights and the role of the European Union.