The workshop was organized with the aims of:
Creating awareness of youth issues and gender perspectives and identifying problems in rural areas, such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and other related concerns;
Discussing the role of rural youth in household food security, nutrition and environmental sanitation;
Identifying priority needs of rural youth;
Exchanging information; and
Networking.
See Annex 3 for the complete workshop programme.
All 61 youth participants (24 women, 37 men) are members of the Lao Youth Union. Resource persons represented: the Lao Youth Union, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, FAO, UNESCO, International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). In addition, the Lao Youth AIDS Prevention Programme performed a drama. See Annexes 1 and 2 for the complete list of participants.
Deputy Chief of the Cabinet of Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union
Mr Vanhpheng explained that the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union is a sociopolitical organization with roles and responsibilities defined in the Constitution and various laws of Lao PDR. The LYU was established on 14 May 1945 and operates under the direct supervision of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. Currently it registers some 273 000 members nationwide. The objectives of the LYU are i) to mobilize youth solidarity in implementing the goals of the Party and ii) to contribute to the construction and expansion of the People’s Democratic Regime, aiming to create peace, independence, democracy, unity and prosperity.
To join the LYU, youth should meet the following criteria:
Male and female of Lao nationality aged 15 - 30;
Demonstrate activeness in schools, workplaces and communities;
Be willing to contribute to national protection;
Agree to follow the rules of the Lao Youth Union; and
Be physically healthy and strong.
The role of the Lao Youth Union is i) to disseminate the ideology of the Party, ii) to protect the interests of Lao youth and iii) to implement, lead and coordinate youth activities in the country. The LYU implements Party guidelines and policies as well as the laws and regulations of the Government through the following action plan:
1) To provide youth with education in terms of ideology and morality;
2) To enhance the skills and knowledge of youth in areas of science and technology;
3) To provide youth with vocational training, employment opportunities and skills training;
4) To support the youth in maintaining good physical and mental health to prevent destructive social behaviour;
5) To set up and strengthen the structure of youth and child organizations;
6) To develop methods and techniques to improve youth and child-related activities;
7) To generate income for youth and child development; and
8) To cooperate with international youth.
Senior Extension, Education and Communications Officer, FAO, Bangkok
Mr Hazelman emphasized that youth (defined as those aged 15 - 24) make up a large proportion of populations in Asia and the Pacific region, many of whom are rural based and are part of those categorized as poor. As well, many lack adequate and appropriate education and training and/or are unemployed - conditions that make them vulnerable to exploitation in unsafe and unfair occupations, some of which bring about negative consequences (such as prostitution, HIV/AIDS and drug abuse). He presented lessons from case studies made by FAO in Asia and the Pacific, including experiences shared during national rural youth meetings that pointed to the important role rural youth have in regards to food security and sustainable agricultural development. Key lessons Mr Hazelman highlighted include the importance of having a clear national policy relating to rural youth; building and utilizing youth networks and partnerships at the national, regional and international levels; organizing youth into youth-led organizations that are active and have strong leadership together with competent and committed advisors, with projects and activities that address youth and community needs; and giving priority and attention to education and training opportunities for continued learning and human-capacity building. He advocated for a "rethinking of the future for rural youth through investments in youth" via investments in skills training, investing in appropriate technology and microfinance and investing in capacity building for youth-led and youth-serving organizations.
Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
In his presentation, Dr Phomphiphak pointed out that the agriculture sector is very important for the Lao economy as it generates more than 50 percent of the gross domestic product. He introduced the Socio-Economic Development Plan and the National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and Government, which focus on achieving three priority development objectives in the agriculture sector: i) ensure food security, ii) enhance agricultural production and iii) stabilize shifting cultivation. He mentioned that youth have many roles and opportunities for participation and employment in the agriculture sector of the country, such as utilizing the outputs of research to further develop the sector, assisting rural populations in the implementation of village development activities and in taking adequate measures to prevent and cope with natural disasters such as floods and drought. In addition, youth have a role to play in donor coordination activities in the agriculture sector. Dr Phomphiphak also spoke of the challenges, possible solutions and alternatives for agriculture and forestry production in Lao PDR, including youth’s involvement.
The challenges Dr Phomphiphak presented:
Limited agricultural production skills of rural youth;
Lack of clean water, health and other services in rural areas;
Limited financial support for the enhancement of agricultural and forestry production; and
Limited road access between markets and production sites.
Possible solutions and alternatives:
Establish closer linkages between agricultural and forestry development with the development processes of other sectors such as education, health and communications;
Enhance the provision of technical on-the-job and vocational training; and
Facilitate and extend youth’s access to credit in all parts of the country.
Head of Administration Division, Department of Physical Education, Ministry of Education
Mr Leusinsay provided a general overview of the Lao education sector, including formal and non-formal education. Formal education system consists of a network of kindergartens, primary schools and lower and upper secondary schools. The non-formal education system provides services to all people regardless of age and especially targets rural populations. The location of classrooms and the timetable have been designed to suit the target groups to provide them with opportunities to continue learning. Mr Leusinsay presented the Educational Action Plan of the Ministry of Education, 2001 - 2005 and the general policies of the ministry.
The Educational Action Plan:
1) Educational development must be linked with socio-economic development and it should suit local circumstances;
2) The education system should secure and provide study opportunities for the whole population;
3) The Lao education system should follow international standards and trends for improvement;
4) People should be encouraged to complete compulsory education. In this task both public and private sector have a role to play; and
5) Education must be the core of human resources development.
General policies:
1) Focus the development of the education system in the future on disseminating political ideology and improving the skills and educational levels of the population to reach international standards;
2) Systematically and comprehensively develop curricula, including subjects such as moral science, philosophy, arts and physical education;
3) Pay attention to the development of kindergartens and schools for young children;
4) Expand basic education facilities to reach the whole population, eradicate illiteracy and provide vocational training to all;
5) Create opportunities for people to attend secondary schools, expand upper secondary schools, vocational schools and universities. Support studies in technology, foreign languages (especially English) to foster socio-economic development;
6) Expand the education system to rural and remote areas and create opportunities for marginalized groups, such as ethnic minorities and people with disabilities to access education opportunities;
7) Support talented students in becoming highly qualified professionals;
8) Focus on quality in educational development at all levels;
9) Encourage the whole society, including parents, individuals and the private sector, to get involved in the development of the education system and in creating opportunities. Expand the system of private schools and include them as an important part of the national education system;
10) Pay attention to administration and monitoring of the education system; and
11) Pay attention to cooperation and search for foreign assistance in terms of experiences and funding.
Health educator and trainer
In her presentation, Dr Chanhsomphou highlighted the current issues and challenges confronting rural youth in Lao PDR. She emphasized the importance of youth, as those aged 10 - 25 constitute more than 32 percent of the population. She clarified that although the UN defines youth as those aged 15 - 24, the LYU defines youth as persons aged 15 - 30. Regarding education, Dr Chanhsomphou noted that despite the country’s many successful projects in increasing literacy rates among rural youth, the levels of education attainment still remained low. In fact, 36 percent of the youth aged 10 - 25 have never attended school. Only 17 percent of rural youth complete upper secondary school, and often there are no opportunities to continue to higher education because most parents are unable to afford or support their children’s education. Regarding agriculture and rural development, she emphasized that although working and assisting in their agricultural fields is a daily duty for rural youth, they still consider themselves as unemployed due to their irregular and seasonal income received from agricultural endeavours. This situation results in many female and male youths moving from rural to the urban areas to find employment. Male youth usually find employment in the construction industry whereas girls work in the garment industry, restaurants and in entertainment places where they might sometimes get involved in the sex industry. According to the preliminary results of the rural youth study, rural youth aspire for higher education, good quality health care and services, including clean water, relevant quality vocational training, access to fair markets and market prices for their products, having financial support or funding for rural youth development, sports and leisure activities. She also offered the following tentative recommendations for the meeting’s consideration: i) youth should be part of the management teams of all projects/activities related to youth; ii) develop projects to ensure participation and partnership of both female and male youth and iii) integrate messages relating to "good citizenship" as part of income-generating activities targeting rural youth.
APPEAL Coordinator, UNESCO-APPEAL, Bangkok
Mr Hakeem’s presentation focused on the importance of community-based mechanisms for education and training of rural youth. He outlined the key elements of the regional project of the Community Learning Centres (CLCs) supported by UNESCO Bangkok. The CLCs are context specific and multipurpose and they provide communities with training and education, resources, library services and information. In addition, the CLCs provide possibilities to network and establish linkages. All activities are community-based and take into account the different needs of men and women. Mr Hakeem called on the Lao Ministry of Education (especially its Department of Non-Formal Education (DNFE)) and the Lao Youth Union to work together to promote skills training for youth through the CLCs that are currently operating in Lao PDR. Mr Bounkhong, the Deputy Director of the Department of Non-Formal Education of the Ministry of Education, further elaborated on CLCs and DNFE-administered vocational training centres.
Chief Technical Advisor, ILO, Vientiane
Ms Howell stressed in her presentation that 80 percent of the working population is rural based and the agriculture sector is the source of livelihood for 83 percent of the population. Most rural communities are engaged in small-scale production, often at the subsistence level. Many rural youth migrate every year to urban areas for economic reasons. Many more young adults migrate to neighbouring countries[1] to find employment that can support them and their families. Compared to those living in urban areas, rural youth tend to have or be:
Lower literacy and numeracy levels, with more young women illiterate than young men;
Less education, with higher school drop-out and repetition rates;
Less skilled; and
More adversely affected by the lack of access to new technologies.
Increased funding for rural education and skills training will have beneficial impacts for rural employment. Improved levels of literacy and numeracy increase a person’s capacity to undertake most jobs. Completing secondary education significantly increases employment opportunities and wages earned. A highly educated workforce creates greater productivity and higher economic growth.
Ms Howell also mentioned that the National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy for Lao PDR includes actions to transform farms from subsistence level to a commercial basis, strengthen and expand rural credit facilities and open community market access by upgrading and expanding feeder roads and establishing a market information system. These plans also provide employment opportunities for young people in rural areas, such as:
Labour-intensive infrastructure investments in safe drinking water, sanitation, schools, health centres, roads, irrigation that link apprenticeships as plumbers, electricians, builders, welders, refrigeration for young men and women;
Environmental restoration works in rural areas (e.g. clearing unexploded ordnance (UXO) areas);
Tourism services for local sites and ethnic communities (develop local guides by providing language training, produce information on historical monuments, wildlife, etc.);
Environmental and cultural conservation; and
Human services such as education, health and personal care for people who are disabled, elderly or sick and young children.
Department of Teacher Training, Ministry of Education, Lao PDR
In her presentation, Ms Vasalin explained that in the mid-990s UNICEF, the Ministry of Education and the Centre for Environmental Health and Water Supply under the Ministry of Health began developing and testing teaching materials on hygiene for the primary school curriculum. These materials have evolved into a respected participatory curriculum package called the "Blue Box" that is being integrated into the country’s next curriculum for teacher training. Now called the "Learning with Joy" kit, the Blue Box has been developed for participatory learning in the classroom using games and stories. The box consists of full-colour story cards, games, cartoon books, textbooks and a teacher’s guide/activity book. Targeted to primary school grades one through five, the key elements of the Blue Box include educational materials related to diarrhoea, malaria, intestinal parasites, personal and environmental sanitation, including hand washing. The messages focus on hand washing, personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, water and latrine use for better health. As the project uses child-to-child and child-to-adult approaches in teaching, the messages learned in the classroom are spread to the public by children, first to their family and then to the community. The kit is provided to schools after teachers have been trained in the proper participatory learning techniques.
Programme Assistant, UNODC Office in Lao PDR
Ms Srithirath explained that the types of drugs used in Lao PDR include opium, cannabis and methamphetamines (ATS, which goes by the Thai name of ya baa) and that they all have negative effects and impact on individual health, family, community and the society. Of these, ya baa is the most popular and widely used drug among youth. An UNODC survey in 2002 identified the drug-use patterns and situation among students in schools in three areas (Savannakhet and Luang Prabang provinces and Vientiane). The study revealed the following motivations of youth for taking drugs: curiosity to try new and exciting things, social pressure from peers and sense of belonging to a certain social group. The study also showed that sometimes especially young men use drugs to demonstrate their masculinity. It also showed that the youth do not have enough information about the negative effects of drug use. The prevention of drug use includes community-based outreach programmes, awareness raising and dissemination of information about drugs. Treatment includes drug counselling and therapy. Ms Srithirath noted that Lao youth can play a major role in drug prevention as part of the community-based drug abuse prevention and they can play an important role in peer education, counselling and help groups.
A former drug user from the Donkoi Child Development Centre also spoke about his experiences of drug abuse, treatment and reintegration to society; Dr Chantharavady Chounlamany, Deputy Director of Mental Health Unit of Mahosot Hospital gave a brief overview on the importance of community-based drug treatment.
The Lao Youth AIDS Prevention Programme presented a drama illustrating the negative effects and harm of HIV/AIDS, through the story of the destroyed life of one man and the impact on his whole family and community (see photo, page 18).
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[1] UNICEF estimates more than
100 000 Lao workers are employed in Thailand, many illegally as undocumented
workers. According to the International Labour Organization, around 180 000 Lao
workers registered for employment in Thailand in 2004. |
