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ANNEX III: Statement

Opening Report

Of the Director of the Agricultural Administrative Development Division

For the Workshop Seminar of the Project

''Enhancement of Farm Youth Network for Agricultural Career"

Monday 23, July 2001

5 th Floor Meeting Room, Benjasirikit Building, Department of Agricultural

Extension

Mr. Director-General,

On behalf of participants, I would like to express my gratitude to you for presiding the seminar today.

The FAO has always supported agencies all over the world in many ways in order to uplift the standard of living of the rural poor. Its unlimited concern has contributed to at least two projects of farm youth development scheme of the Department of Agricultural Extension under the concept of Integration of Population Education Program. The project recently approved is the "Enhancement of Farm Youth Network for Agricultural Career" which set its objectives for the farm youth who participate in it to take active caution on drug abuse, awareness of HIV/AIDS, understanding family planning, pursuing proper agricultural practices and consequently become a qualified community leader. A Thai 4-H member must realize that he has an important role in improving himself, his own family and community in order that they obtain sufficient food and withholds from malnutrition. In this Workshop, participants will be instructed with self-sufficient agriculture method and exchange experiences on food processing, product value added, group work and participation in community work.

All activities of the project will take one year to be completed while network among the 4-H clubs and 4-H National Council Committee is also encouraged. The procedure of the project contains workshop seminar, agricultural activity improvement, Lao-Thai farm youth training, and visiting well-developed 4-H clubs in some advanced countries. At present, we are invited by Korean 4-H Federation to see them.

The project's workshop seminar will take 4 days, from 22-25 July 2001. The purpose of the seminar is to bring 4-H club leaders from 4 provinces and members of 4-H National Council Committee to meet in order to discuss and plan the next step of the project together while making them aware or convince them of how crucial the drug and HIV/ AIDS problems are in Thailand. They will as well be instructed of the safeguard for themselves and their communities. Awareness of how important the IT is to their lives and business will be created by visiting the most popular newspaper publication "Thai Rath". They will also have a chance to visit and enjoy a lively lecture on AIDS and family planning at Population Development Association (PDA) as well as at the office of the Narcotics Control Board. Moreover, the chance that all of them meet, exchange their experiences and build up friendship and network is open for them during the evening session.

Opening Remarks for Workshop Seminar on

"Enhancement of Farm Youth Network for Agricultural Career" by

Mr. Surarit Sri-Arunothai

Deputy Director-General, The Department of Agricultural Extension

Director of the Agricultural Administrative Development Division, Dr. S. Malcolm Hazelman, Ajan Anusit, National 4-H Committee Members, 4-H leaders and Distinguished Guests :

It's my great pleasure to preside the opening of the workshop seminar here today. The report presented to me by the Director of the Agricultural Administrative Development Division helps me understand that the project "Enhancement of Farm Youth Network for Agricultural Career" is in accordance with the Farm Youth Development Policy of the Department of Agricultural Extension which aims at guiding young farmers to become high potential leaders of families and communities while serving as key factor in agricultural development. The project also helps increase the quality of life of participants by preventing themselves from HIV/AIDS and narcotics harms.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) strongly believes that effective farmer's associations contribute greatly to the improvement of their societies. And to socialize or educate the young farmers is the starting point. DOAE has established Agricultural Technology Transfer Centers (ATTC) at the sub-district level intentionally used them as a venue where people in the community meet, plan, exchange ideas and transfer technology. They are also places for 4-H members to learn and practice agricultural innovation as so call "learning by doing". I, therefore, can say that farm youth is the future's hope of the agriculture sector of Thailand.

I am very grateful to FAO for its generous support to our 4-H activities. The DOAE will also do the best to improve our task on farm youth as we realize very well that they are the future of Thailand's agriculture.

I would like to record the DOAE's appreciation to the staff of the Sub-Division of Farm Youth who organize the workshop and will carry out all the activities of the project. My sincere thanks are for the 4-H National Committee members and 4-H club leaders who certainly will be the key factors to the achievement of this project.

To you all, my best wishes for the success of this Workshop. May I declare the Workshop Seminar open. Thank you.

PRESENTATION FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY

ON

"WORKSHOP OF FARM YOUTH NETWORK FOR AGRICULTURAL CAREERS"

BY

Dr. S. Malcolm Hazelman
Senior Extension, Education and Communications Officer

FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Sawadee !

Introduction :

I am particularly honored to have been invited, on behalf of my organization FAO, to participate at this ceremony to mark the official opening of the first part of the project on "Enhancement of Farm Youth Network for Agricultural Careers"

We are glad to be of assistance for the project as a partner to Farm Youth Sub-Division of the Department of Agricultural Extension.

As someone who has only been at FAO for six months, the opportunity via this collaboration is welcomed as a means to network and to learn but hopefully also to contribute in appropriate ways in addressing the needs and aspirations of the rural youth of Thailand.

This is the first time I have worked alongside the Farm Youth Sub-Division of the Department of Agricultural Extension but I, and my colleagues at FAO, look forward to many more such opportunities.

Thailand Situation :
The situation of youth in Thailand is well documented in a recent publication by ESCAP titled 'Youth in Thailand". (I recommend for you to examine the publication, copies of which are available from that organization).

The report's findings point out positive developments supporting youth in Thailand. These include having a national youth policy and a national youth structure in place, having government and civil society involvement at various levels in programmes, projects and activities for youth, and consultation and participation avenues have been initiated and are available. Nevertheless, many challenges exist. The report identifies four major areas of concern for youth in Thailand: education, health, employment, and participation. These four concerns are, in general, similar to the eight concerns Thai youth identified in 1998 at the First National Youth Platform. The concerns highlighted then included I) youth and drugs; ii) youth and the environment ; iii) youth and national policies and politics ; iv) youth and the economy ; v) culture and youth development ; vi) media and youth development ; vii) youth and AIDS ; and viii) youth and education. It is noted that most of the same concerns were again highlighted by youth at the Second National Youth Platform held in 1999.

Workshop :

This workshop's objectives and the broader project it comes under are, therefore, very relevant as it is addressing some critical issues affecting youth today specifically the issue of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse, information, employment opportunities and capacity building.

At the Third Asia-Pacific Intergovernmental Meeting on Human Resources Development for Youth held in Bangkok between 4-8 June this year, I learnt about the very successful integrated national HIV/AIDS prevention policy and programme that the Government of Thailand had mounted in 1991 under former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun's administration. The United Nations, I am told, has internationally recognized that programme as a model for other countries to emulate. Given the continuing existence of the disease in Thailand today and the potential for widespread effects, you should take note of the lessons from those programmes and incorporate relevant aspects to your own follow-up activities after the workshop. I should also add that this workshop is certainly addressing some of the recommendations of that intergovernmental meeting. I refer specifically to the recommendations that call on civil society groups and organizations to reach especially vulnerable youth, including rural youth and out-of-school youth. As well, for them to also to play an active role in addressing youth health issues in an integrated manner, including advocacy, public education, direct service provision and resource mobilization.

I am not expert on the subject of HIV/AIDS, but I am told that youth are the most vulnerable and the impacts also harsh on them. They often have to look after families, even while they are still young, due to deaths occurring when family members contract disease. I am also informed that AIDS is also becoming a greater threat to rural areas than in cities as more people living with HIV reside in rural areas and the epidemic is spreading into the remotest villages, cutting food production and threatening the very life of rural communities. One fact that I myself had not realized until recently is that AIDS undermines agricultural systems and affects the nutritional and food security of rural families. As adults become ill and die, families face declining productivity as well as loss of knowledge about indigenous farming methods and loss of assets. As emphasized by Thailand's HIV/AIDS campaigns, PREVENTION IS EASIER AND CEHAPER THAN CURE !

For FAO's part, we are especially delighted that time in the program has been allocated to create awareness also of the role of rural youth in food security and sustainable agriculture. I shall leave the coverage of that subject to our distinguished speaker. Suffice here to say that youth do have a most important role regards food security and sustainable agriculture. The large numbers of young people alone suggests that youth must be considered as an important force of change and an essential part of any effort to end hunger. Achieving food security and maintaining sustainable agriculture via the appropriate selection and application of traditional and improved technologies that are economically sound and environment friendly and sustaining are goals to aim for. Youth in Thailand, and indeed the world over, do and can play a role via home food production, agricultural production and agribusiness, agricultural employment, and related fields. Youth role, such as via youth organizations such as your 4-H Clubs, in creating awareness, lobbying Government and communities, teaching and training, community organization and mobilization, self-help efforts etc, all help in achieving the goals of food security and sustainable development.

FAO's Rural Youth Program :

A brief word on FAO's rural youth work. FAO's Rural Youth program is very much concerned with youth employment and food security. For over three decades it has been working to strengthen and expand rural youth programming in developing countries around the world. FAO encourages a comprehensive life skills approach to non-formal education, primarily targeting out-of-school youth. The educational focus is on experiential activity and project-based learning. The overall goals of these programs are to provide young people with knowledge, skills and experiences they need to become productive and contributing citizens of their respective countries.

The life skills of the highest order for most of these programs are those which contribute directly to a young persons ability to find meaningful employment (Seiders,1999).

Conclusion:

To conclude, I wish to mention again some critical issues that face rural youth in Thailand for which urgent attention is required. The issues include HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, information, and training and capacity building especially to enable youth to gain meaningful employment and to enable them to live productive lives. These will be addressed by the workshop for which you have been selected to be a participant. Most important will be your individual as well as your collective actions that should occur as follow-up after this workshop and project. Thai youth have in the not too distance past shown their ability and capacity to make a difference in many arenas including forging political changes. Likewise can be made regards the afore-mentioned critical issues. You can make a difference ! It is your duty as a citizen to do so !

On behalf of FAO, I wish to congratulate the organizers for the hard work in organizing the project as well as this workshop and wish you and all participants involved success.

We look forward to the outcomes of your deliberations especially the plans for follow-up action.

Thank you once again ! Korp kun !

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