Statement From Sudan Youth

06:23 PM Mar, 31 2015
Sudanese Online
SudaneseOnline Press Release-Phoenix Arizona USA
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Al-Ayam Centre for Cultural Studies and Development sponsored, in collaboration with state research and peace centers and CSOs in several States, holding youth dialogue in Khartoum, South Darfur, North Kordofan, Eljazeera, River Nile and Kassala. Each forum was all inclusive and gender balanced. Youth from political parties, civil society organizations, youth movements and university students attended and debated all issues. The slogan of these debates was "Opinions intermingle". The debates were open and free. The participants were highly committed to the concept of dialogue and reached consensus on certain recommendations. They choose their representative to an all- inclusive youth conference to be held in Khartoum.
The Khartoum all- inclusive conference was held on 20th to 21st of March2015, and attended by youth from political parties, peace centers, CSOs, university students, youth movements and media operatives from Khartoum and the five states. The all inclusive conference was presented with papers covering a wide range of issues including, the role of youth in social and democratic change, peaceful coexistence, mutual recognition and tolerance, students` violence, youth participation problems and barriers, impact of Al-Gazeera Scheme collapse on youth in the state and the youth participation in national dialogue.
The final Youth Inclusive Conference reviewed and summarized these recommendations and highlighted the following points:
1. That Dialogue is the best mechanism for conflict mitigation and prevention, that dialogue must take place in a free and conducive atmosphere.
2. The conference emphasized importance of cession of hostilities in dialogue, south Kordofan and Blue Nile to allow delivery of humanitarian to IDPs and all civilians in need.
3. The conference stressed that youth participation in national dialogue should represent 40% of the dialogue participants they further recommend that the same ratio applies to the legislative and executive bodies.

4. The conference stressed the need to allow greater youth participation in the Constitutional Conference and Dialogue Preparatory Sessions, to be convened in Addis/ETHOIPIA, and assigned chairing two preparatory committees and be represented in all other committees.
5. The conference calls for broadening of the Youth Forum activities to cover all Sudan states and inclusion of other youth concerns such as non employment, migration, local gold mining, smuggling and human trafficking, land disputes and drugs abuse and medical care for the deteriorating psychosocial youth mental health.
6. The conference endorsed youth efforts to continue coordination to transfer and highlight state-level concerns into federal level.
7. The conference asserted the need for social justice, as a tool for democratic transformation, fair and balanced allocation of power & wealth (resources) and the geographical preferential positive discrimination to support speedy recovery for war torn areas.
8. The conference calls for inclusivity in solving Sudan crisis and conflicts, disowning the partial settlements and bilateral agreements.

Khartoum 21st March 2015.