World Assembly of Youth
Assemblée Mondiale de la Jeunesse
Asamblea Mundial de la Juventud
AbbreviationWAY
Founded24 August 1949
TypeINGO
PurposeYouth
HeadquartersWorld Youth Complex, Lebuh Ayer Keroh, Ayer Keroh, 75450 Melaka, Malaysia
Region served
Worldwide
Official language
Secretary General
Albania Ediola Pashollari
President
Malaysia Idris Haron
Main organ
General Assembly
AffiliationsUNAIDS UNEP ILO UNESCO UNFPA UNICEF WHO UNDP ECOSOC DPI UNCTAD
Staff
12
Volunteers
1300
Websiteway.org.my

The World Assembly of Youth (WAY); French: Assemblée Mondiale de la Jeunesse, Spanish: Asamblea Mundial de la Juventud is the international coordinating body of national youth councils and national youth organisations. The full members of WAY are national youth councils. WAY currently has 140 member organisations from all continents. As the international coordinating body of national youth councils, WAY has special consultative status with the United Nations, the highest status possible for a non-governmental organization. WAY co-operates with the UN and many of its special agencies, particularly with UNAIDS, UNEP, ILO, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, UNCTAD and WHO.

The World Assembly of Youth recognises the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the basis of its action and services. WAY promotes the work of youth organisations in areas such as: democracy, environment, human rights, population, health, drugs, community development, leadership training, and cultural and religious tolerance. It provides opportunities for youth representatives from different countries to exchange ideas and experiences, to coordinate programme plans, and to reach a better understanding of each other's problems due to differences in racial, religious, and national backgrounds.

The regional structure of the National Youth Councils in all the continents, Asian Youth Council, European Youth Forum, Caribbean Youth Forum, Forum for the Integration of Asean Youth, Pacific Youth Council, Arab Youth Union, Pan-African Youth Union, African-Arab Youth Council, SADC Youth Movement, are consultative members.

The WAY Headquarters is located in World Youth Complex in Melaka, Malaysia having been previously established in London, Paris, Brussels, Copenhagen, and Kuala Lumpur. The organization is financed from annual membership fees and voluntary contributions from its member organisations, and has three official languages: English, French, and Spanish.

History

In 1949, an initiative was undertaken to establish a youth organisation to promote global cooperation and understanding amongst the young people of the world. Recognising the need for a universal youth organisation, youth leaders from national youth councils of all member countries of the United Nations were invited to attend an international conference in London. In August 1949, the international conference held at Westminster Hall in London established the World Assembly of Youth.

The draft charter, which had been prepared in February 1949 in Ashbridge, England, was ratified at the first official meeting of WAY in Brussels a year later. The meeting, organised by the Belgian Youth Council, was attended by more than 100 young people from 37 countries. The WAY Charter was ratified by 29 of the national youth councils present, and WAY began its work on behalf of the world youth community.

The WAY headquarters has moved throughout the years to various bases including Brussels, Paris, London and Copenhagen. In 1999, the WAY headquarters moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and now has finally established its headquarters building, the World Youth Complex, in Melaka, a southern state of Malaysia.

Past leadership

Presidents

Term President Nationality
1949 - 1952 Mr Maurice Sauvé  Canada
1952 - 1954 Mr Guthrie Moir  Great Britain
1954–1956 Mr Guthrie Moir  Great Britain
1956–1958 Mr Antoine Lawrence  Guinea
1958–1962 Mr Ravindra Varma  India
1962–1964 Mr Carlos Delgado  Peru
1964–1966 Mr Romeo Maione  Canada
1966–1969 Mr Alessandro Berti  Italy
1969–1972 Mr Peter Schieder  Austria
1972–1975 Mr Thomas Sandiford  Guyana
1975–1982 Mr Ole Lovig Simonsen  Denmark
1982–1988 Mr Ole Lovig Simonsen  Denmark
1988–1993 Mr Ole Lovig Simonsen  Denmark
1993–2000 Mr Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam  Malaysia
2000–2005 Mr Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam  Malaysia
2005– 2010 Mr Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam  Malaysia
2010–Present Mr Datuk Seri Ir. Idris Haron  Malaysia

Secretary Generals

Term Secretary General Nationality
1949 - 1952 Mr Paul Mercereau  France
1952 - 1954 Mr Paul Mercereau  France
1954 - 1956 Ms Helen M. Dale de Mestral  United Kingdom
1956 - 1958 Ms Helen M. Dale de Mestral  United Kingdom
1958 - 1962 Mr David Wirmark  Sweden
1962 - 1964 Mr David Wirmark  Sweden
1964 - 1966 Mr Carl-Axel Valén  Sweden
1966 - 1969 Mr Jyoti Shankar Singh  India
1969 - 1972 Mr Jyoti Shankar Singh  India
1972 - 1975 Mr Carlos Antonio Carrasco  Bolivia
1975 - 1982 Mr John Danquah  Ghana
1982 - 1988 Mr Shiv Khare  India
1988 - 1993 Mr Shiv Khare  India
1993 - 2000 Mr Heikki Pakarinen  Finland
2000 - 2004 Mr Donald Tinotenda Charumbira  Zimbabwe
2004 - 2007 Mr Donald Tinotenda Charumbira  Zimbabwe
2007 - 2010 Ms Ediola Pashollari  Albania
2010–Present Ms Ediola Pashollari  Albania

Activities

The World Assembly of Youth has two main tasks:

To represent its members towards international organisations and institutions and promote the work of voluntary youth organisations all over the world. WAY deals with all issues affecting youth in international, regional, and local level.

WAY organises events on global, regional, and national levels. These events are often carried out in cooperation with other international youth organisations, regional youth structures or national affiliates. WAY's representatives participate in various UN working groups and other meetings promoting youth issues and the interests of member organisations.

Aims

  • Increase inter-ethnic respect and to foster inter-cultural and international understanding and cooperation.
  • Facilitate the collection of information about the needs and problems of youth.
  • Disseminate information about the methods, techniques and activities of youth organisations.
  • Promote the interchange of ideas between youth of all countries.
  • Assist in the development of youth activities and to promote, by mutual aid, the extension of the work of voluntary youth organizations.
  • Cooperate in the development of national youth councils of voluntary youth organizations.
  • Establish and maintain relations with the international organisations, both voluntary and governmental.
  • Support and encourage the national movements of non-self governing countries in their struggle for national liberation.
  • Promote tolerance, understanding, solidarity and cooperation among young men and women irrespective of race, sex, language, religion or political orientation.
  • Encourage the full participation of young men and women in the development process of their countries.
  • Improve the equality between young men and women.
  • Promote the democratic participation of young people both in their own organisations and in the life of society as a whole.
  • Act as a representative body of national youth councils to the UN and other appropriate governmental and non-governmental international bodies.

Main organs

General Assembly

The paramount body of WAY is the General Assembly, which determines the policies and programmes of the organisation. The General Assembly is convened every four years, and votes on the admission of new members and the adoption of policies. The General Assembly also elects the officers who are charged with the responsibility of implementing WAY's programmes. The officers include the Bureau and the Executive Committee.[1]

Bureau

The Bureau consists of WAY's president and five Vice Presidents, who are elected at the General Assembly. The Bureau meets between meetings of the executive committee to review and supervise the work of the Secretariat.[1]

Current members

Name Position Nationality
Datuk Seri Utama Ir. Idris Haron President  Malaysia
Munkhbat Ayush Vice President  Mongolia
Hussein Abdullah M. Al-Ahmed Vice President  Yemen
Preye Jerome Ketebu-Brown Vice President  Nigeria
Benedice Louis Sibanda Vice President  Botswana
Mohamed M M Suliman Vice President  Libya

Executive committee

The Executive Committee has 13 members. The present members are of 13 different nationalities from North and South, East and West. The executive committee is charged with the general administration of WAY and the implementation of programmes drawn up by the General Assembly. The executive committee meets at least once a year.

Current members

Name Position Nationality
EXCO Member  Korea
Blagica Petrova EXCO Member  North Macedonia
Muesse Kazapua EXCO Member  Namibia
Simone Phillip EXCO Member  Trinidad and Tobago
Belmani Abdel Jalal EXCO Member  Morocco
Leyla R. Israfilova EXCO Member  Azerbaijan
Mustafa M. Radja EXCO Member  Indonesia

Secretariat

The Secretariat headed by the Secretary General Ms. Ediola Pashollari and support staff, carry out the daily work of the organisation in accordance with the guidelines established by the General Assembly and its elected bodies. The Secretariat of WAY is located in Melaka, Malaysia .[1]

Members

The World Assembly of Youth currently has 140 member organisations. There are four membership status granted by the executive committee at each General Assembly. These status are: Full, Associate, Observer, and Consultative. In accordance with Article IV and V of the WAY Charter, membership of WAY is granted as follows:

Full members of WAY are national youth councils which are representing a cross section of democratic, voluntary youth organisations in a country or territory, and which have ratified the Charter and are admitted by the Assembly by a vote of the majority of its members.

The Assembly has the power to admit national youth councils or national youth organisations, which are interested in regular co-operation with WAY, as associated members, provided that a member national youth councils of WAY does not already exist in the country in question.

Regional youth organisations with national youth councils as members may be provided consultative status. They shall be permanent invitees to the meetings of the Bureau and the executive committee without the right to vote.

The executive committee may admit international organisations, national youth councils and national youth organisations as observers, provided that a member national youth council does not exist in the country in question.

Africa

Country Organization Status
 Algeria National Youth Organisation (Algeria) Observer
 Angola National Youth Council of Angola Full
 Benin Benin Association for Youth Development Observer
 Botswana Botswana National Youth Council Full
 Burkina Faso Youth Solidarity Association Observer
 Cameroon Cameroon National Youth Council Full
 Comoros National Union of Youth of Comoros Full
 Congo Forum for Youth Development Observer
 Congo DR Congolese Association for Youth Development Observer
 Ethiopia Ethiopia Youth League Observer
 Gambia National Youth Council of Gambia Full
 Ghana National Youth Council of Ghana Full
 Guinea Bissau National Youth Council of Guinea Bissau Full
 Ivory Coast Federation of Movements and Associations of Youth and Children of Ivory Coast Full
 Kenya Kenya Association of Youth Organisations Full
 Lesotho Lesotho Youth Federation Full
 Libya National Organisation of Libyan Youth Full
 Madagascar Madagascar Ecumenical Network of Youth and Students Observer
 Mali Malian Movement for Youth Promotion Full
 Mauritius National Youth Council of Mauritius Full
 Morocco Youth Workers of Morocco Observer
 Mozambique Organization of Mozambican Youth Associate
 Namibia National Youth Council of Namibia Full
 Nigeria National Youth Council of Nigeria Full
 Rwanda Rwanda National Youth Council Full
 Senegal National Youth Council of Senegal Full
 Seychelles Seychelles People's Progressive Front Youth League Observer
 Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Federation of Youth Organisations Full
 Somalia Somalia Youth Council Full
 South Africa South Africa Youth Council Full
 Sudan General Sudanese Students Union Observer
 Swaziland Swaziland National Youth Council Full
 Tanzania Youth Council of Tanzania Associate
 Tunisia National Union of Youth Organisations Associate
 Uganda Uganda National Youth Council Full
 Western Sahara Sahrawi Youth Union Observer
 Zambia National Youth Development Council of Zambia Full
 Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Youth Council Full

Asia

Country Organization Status
 Bangladesh National Youth and Social Welfare Council Full
 Bhutan Bhutan Youth Development Association Associate
 Brunei Brunei Youth Council Full
 Cambodia Cambodian Youth Development Center Associate
 China All China Youth Federation Observer
 East Timor East Timor National Youth Organisations Full
 India Indian Committee of Youth Organisations Full
 Indonesia National Youth Committee of Indonesia Full
 Iraq General Federation of Iraqi Youth Full
 Jordan National Union of Jordanian Youth Full
 Korea National Council of Youth Organisations in Korea Full
 Kuwait Public Authority for Youths and Sports Observer
 Malaysia Malaysian Youth Council Full
 Mongolia Mongolian Youth Federation Full
   Nepal Social Youth Council of Nepal Full
 Pakistan All Pakistan Youth Federation Full
 Philippines National Youth Commission Observer
 Singapore Peoples Association Youth Movement Observer
 Sri Lanka National Youth Services Council of Sri Lanka Full
 Syria Syrian Youth Union Observer
 Thailand Thailand National Council of Youth and Child Development Full
 Vietnam Vietnam Youth Federation Observer
 Yemen Yemen Youth General Union Full
 UAE Emirates National Students Union Observer

Caribbean

Country Organization Status
 Anguilla Anguilla National Youth Council Full
 Bahamas Bahamas National Youth Council Full
 Barbados Barbados Youth Development Council Full
 Belize Belize National Youth Council Full
 Dominica National Youth Council of Dominica Full
 Guyana Georgetown Youth Leaders Council Full
 Jamaica National Youth Council of Jamaica Full
 Montserrat Montserrat National Youth Council Full
 Puerto Rico Youth Organisation Council of Puerto Rico Full
 Sao Tome and Principe National Alliance of YMCAs Observer
 Saint Kitts St. Kitts National Youth Council Full
 Suriname Suriname National Youth Assembly Full
 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Youth Council Full

Europe

Country Organization Status
 Albania Albanian Youth Federation Observer
 Armenia National Youth Council of Armenia Full
 Czech Republic National Youth Council of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia Full
 Croatia Croatia National Youth Council Full
 Germany German National Committee for International Youth Work Full
 Greece National Council of Hellenic Youth Organisations Full
 Latvia National Youth Council of Latvia Full
 Luxembourg National Youth Council Luxembourg Full
 North Macedonia Youth Council of Macedonia Full
 Norway Norwegian Children and Youth Council Full
 Poland Polish Youth Council Associate
 Portugal Youth Institute of Portugal Observer
 Russia National Youth Council of Russia Observer
 Turkey Youth Activities Services Observer
 United Kingdom British Youth Council Full

Latin America

Country Organization Status
 Argentina National Youth Council of Argentina Full
 Bolivia National Council of Bolivian Youth Full
 Brazil AMP Observer
 Chile National Youth Council of Chile Full
 Colombia National youth Committee of Colombia Full
 Cuba Union of the Young Communist League Observer
 El Salvador National Youth Council of El Salvador Full
 Ecuador International Youth House of Ecuador Full
 Guatemala Guatemala Youth Development Committee Associate
 Mexico Mexican Institute of Youth Observer
 Nicaragua National Youth Council of Nicaragua Full
 Paraguay Paraguay Youth and Students Hostel Association Observer
 Peru National Council of Peruvian Youth Full

Pacific

Country Organization Status
 Australia Australian Youth Policy and Action Coalition Full
 Cook Islands Cook Islands National Youth Council Full
 Fiji Fiji National Youth Council Full
 Niue Niue National Youth Council Full
 Papua New Guinea National Youth Service Full
 Solomon Islands Solomon Islands National Youth Congress Full
 Tonga Tonga National Youth Congress Full
 Vanuatu Vanuatu National Youth Council Full
 Western Samoa Western Samoa National Youth Council Full

North America

Country Organization Status
 Canada Canada World Youth Full
 USA Youth Network Council Full

Consultative

Country Organization Status
 Sudan African-Arab Youth Council Consultative
 Malaysia Asian Youth Council Consultative
 Syria Arab Youth Union Consultative
 Brazil Caribbean Youth Forum Consultative
 Belgium European Youth Forum Consultative
 Brazil Forum for the Integration of Andean Youth Consultative
 Fiji Pacific Youth Council Consultative
 Algeria Pan-African Youth Union Consultative
 South Africa Southern African Community Development Youth Movement Consultative

Volunteer Programme

The World Assembly of Youth has established a volunteers programme that seeks to develop a dedicated corps of young people who will be willing to assist in WAY programmes and activities around the world.

World Youth Institute

WAY established the World Youth Institute (WYI), with main function as a vehicle for education and training of young people around the world. The World Youth Institute is geared to be a leading institution for empowerment and capacity building through education, training, and development programmes.

See also

References

[2]

  1. 1 2 3 "Welcome to World Assembly of Youth". way.org.my. Archived from the original on 2007-05-19.
  2. ↑ WAY Charter, 2005
  • Official site
  • World Assembly of Youth's electronic group - worldyouth@yahoogroups.com
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