Address by Mr Marcio Barbosa, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO, on the occcasion of the opening of the UNESCO Meeting on Youth@the Crossroads - a future without violent radicalization, Manama, Bahrain, 16 June 2008

I am delighted to join you today in Manama for an event that addresses what is arguably one of the most strategically important issues of our time: how to turn young people away from the path of violent radicalization, and to channel positively their hopes, energy and enthusiasm towards a better future for all.

Let me once again extend my warm thanks to all those who have made this meeting possible, in particular His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, as well as His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain.

I would also like to express my gratitude to the Government of the United States of America, especially Assistant Secretary of State, Ms Kristen Silverberg, and the US Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Ambassador Louise Oliver, who, together with their team, have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of today’s event.

Finally, let me extend a very warm welcome to our distinguished guests. It is encouraging to see so many respected and high-level participants. I acknowledge with gratitude the presence of my friend former Colombian President Andrés Pastrana, and you have listened to the vibrant opening address of Professor Joseph Jabbra, President of the Lebanese-American University in Beirut, whom I would also like to thank for having graciously agreed to serve as overall chairman of the meeting.

UNESCO is equally gratified by the enthusiastic response from so many youth organizations and actors in the field of youth development, who have come from near and far to engage in this unprecedented exchange. Welcome, and thank you all for taking part.

There are about 1.2 billion young people aged between 15 and 24 in the world today, almost one fifth of the global population. Taken as a whole, they represent the best educated young generation in history, and a tremendous resource for the development of their societies. They have the potential and the power to be true agents of change in this rapidly changing and increasingly globalized world. In a very real sense the 21st Century is theirs – to shape, to live and to own.

Yet, while the emergence of a global society and the trend towards political and economic liberalization have brought greater freedoms, these changes have also produced a significant degree of uncertainty for the youth of today. Globalization has created new opportunities for economic and social development; but it has also contributed to inequalities.

Changing family structures have removed many traditional constraints, but this has also weakened the support systems upon which young people relied in the past. New lifestyles place many young people at risk. Increased mobility, for example, brings with it increased vulnerability to a range of threats, from exploitation and social segregation to the transmission of infectious diseases like HIV & AIDS.

Young people are often confronted with opposing values and norms. Marriages among young persons from different countries and regions have transcended boundaries of religion and faith previously difficult to cross. Yet they have also brought with them new obstacles that need to be negotiated.

Large segments of youth suffer poverty and exclusion, and lack the skills that would enable them to enjoy the benefits of development and realize their ambitions.

The statistics reveal the depth of the inequalities around us: over one hundred million young people have never been to school; more than 130 million are illiterate; almost 90 million are unemployed. Indeed, in certain regions, including that of the Arab states, young people account for up to half of those out of work.

Beyond poverty, too often young people are forced to live in situations of violence, conflict and insecurity. Many are internally displaced or have become refugees. Such volatile conditions make them extremely vulnerable, and there has been a marked escalation of violence perpetrated by and against young people, especially in contexts of social or political instability. At a critical juncture in their lives, these youngsters find themselves between an abysmal past and a future with very little hope.

UNESCO’s unique mandate in the fields of education, the sciences, culture and communication enables us to address the many root causes of the violence affecting young people across the world. We do this by supporting the integration of youth through efficient public policies, developed with young people themselves. We work directly with young people to help them gain the skills needed to fully participate in society. Above all, we promote dialogue at all levels, in an effort to foster mutual understanding, tolerance and trust between and among generations, as well as between and among cultures. In this, we rely with confidence on the resilience of young people, their optimism, and their willingness and ability to build bridges, to learn and to explore new horizons.

We have identified and will showcase at this meeting a number of community-based projects and best practices that hold the potential to engage youth constructively. These can provide young persons with positive options for their own future, and help dissuade them from being seduced by violent and radical behaviour.

We have gathered here an impressive group of practitioners and researchers, together with Government representatives and decision-makers from around the world.

Their presence shows that the commitment of the international community to addressing the problems experienced by young people everywhere is stronger than ever before, and that the will to work together is real and palpable.

Our immediate challenge will be to share these good practices amongst ourselves, and to identify those which can be scaled up, replicated or adapted in other countries and communities.

In harnessing these best practices, we also have to harness the energies and hopes of young people, so as to break down the barriers to progress and to reinforce - indeed celebrate - the common values of humanity.

On this note, it remains for me to wish you a very successful conference. I shall be following your deliberations closely.