9.6 Intercontinental youth work and development cooperation
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Intercontinental youth work and development cooperation
UN Youth Delegate Programme
In 2019, the youth organisation “Club House”, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Science, established the United Nations Youth Delegates Programme in Latvia. The United Nations Youth Delegates Programme is a UN initiative that aims to promote the participation of young people in the State’s foreign policy. The UN Youth Delegate represents his/her country's delegation to the UN events, as well as represents Latvian youth in other UN-related activities.
The goal of the Latvian UN Youth Delegates Programme is to educate young people about the issues on the UN agenda, to ensure national and global citizenship activities in Latvia, and to develop youth leadership skills. The main objectives of the programme are:
- involve young people in the country's international and national official delegations;
- educate young people on UN agenda and multilateralism;
- promote the practice of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals at the national and international level.
The role of the young people who participate in their national delegation is to provide a vision on youth-related issues, as well as to develop cooperation with young people from other countries.
To promote young people's understanding of UN agenda issues and their impact on everyday life the UN Youth Delegates Program has also organised two national conferences in Latvia. In 2019 a conference "Youth and Foreign Policy" was organised, but in 2020 – a conference "Human Rights and Health".
Intercontinental youth work cooperation
Youth camp movements created by diaspora Latvians
Youth seminar 2x2 is a camp for Latvian youth, both for those living abroad and in Latvia. During the camp young people participate in projects, discussions, lectures, excursions, dances, singing and many other joint activities.
The "2x2" camp was established in the sixties by Latvians in North America. The goal was to strengthen the Latvian identity among young people who were born outside Latvia, without losing ties with those who left Latvia as refugees during World War 2. Since summer 2015, "2x2" takes place also in Latvia, continuing the fifty-year tradition of Latvian camps in the USA. In 2019 two camps were organised – one in Canada and the other one in Latvia.
The camp movement 3×3, symbolising three generations, was established by the Latvian diaspora in the USA, in 1981. The movement helped Latvians all over the world to connect, affirm their ethnic identity and preserve cultural traditions. Between 1981 and 2019, the organisation has organized 257 camps with 38 625 participants from all over the world.
International Youth Development Exchange Program between Latvia and Japan
The International Youth Development Exchange Programme aims to promote mutual friendship and understanding between Japanese youth and youth from overseas countries and to broaden the international perspectives of youths, as well as to foster the spirit of international co-operation and develop their ability to put into practice. Since 1994 the Agency for International Programs for Youth has organized 8 youth exchanges between Latvia and Japan. The last youth exchange was organised in 2018.