Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 24 June 2009
Rosemarie North
Razia Essack-Kauaria, the Director of Governance Support and Global Monitoring at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), told more than 500 youth representatives from 149 countries across the globe, "we are inspired by you and appreciate your efforts in every corner of the world".
"Youth do an amazing job. You are the drivers of change in a world that is increasingly complex." The event marks the 150th anniversary of the idea of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.
Massimo Barra, the IFRC's Vice-President of the Standing Commission, told the gathering, "It's up to you to show that the Red Cross Red Crescent is young. It is not an easy task and we all have to unify. Alone we are nothing. Together we are the power of humanity." On Monday and Tuesday, youth arrived at the global youth meeting from all over the world, registered and settled into bunks in a series of tents erected by the Italian Red Cross.
H M Salauddin, from the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said he had been involved in the Movement for 16 years. "It's a great opportunity to be here, to get a chance to visit and to see with my own eyes the starting point of the Movement". Rusudan Kobaladze, from the Red Cross Society of Georgia, said: "I am here for many reasons, one of them being that we want to share and find out more about other National Societies, make friends from other different cultures, share our experiences, and learn more about youth activities and not only youth".
Jessie F. Qualah from the Liberian Red Cross Society, brought a message.
"We can tell the world our young people have power. We have the power to act, we can move, we can show that we can reach the most vulnerable people."
Today (Wednesday), seminars, emergency response unit training and exercises begin, alongside informal cultural exchanges and budding friendships. Focussing on the theme "Youth on the Move", the attendees will address today's pressing humanitarian challenges such as HIV and AIDS, climate change, migration and discrimination.
The week of meetings will culminate in the development of a formal declaration that will be presented to governments, the United Nations, international non-governmental organizations and leadership of the Red Cross Red Crescent.
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