|
HRIDAY-SHAN
organized the First Global Youth Meet on
Health (GYM 2006)
November 14-19, 2006 (New Delhi
and Agra) |
| What
is activism? |
- Action to achieve a desired goal
- Intentional action to bring about social
or political change
|
| Why
Youth Activism? |
- Impressionable age when attitudes and
behaviours towards health get etched
- Abundance of energy to be channelised
towards positive social change
- Potential advocates for health promoting
policies
- Effective and enthusiastic watchdogs
for effective enforcement of policies
|
 |
| The
Organisation: HRIDAY-SHAN (Awareness, Advocacy
and Action on Health) |
HRIDAY
(Health Related Information Dissemination
Amongst Youth)-SHAN (Student
Health Action Network), a
voluntary organisation of health professionals
and social scientists, engaged in activities
aiming to promote health awareness and informed
health activism among school and college
students in India, since 1992. |
- Works in collaboration with the World
Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare, Government
of India, to promote health awareness
and informed health activism among youth
in India
- School and community based health education
programmes have been successful in inculcating
healthy lifestyle practices among Indian
youth (results evaluated and published)
- Informed health advocacy by youth is
an innovative component which has helped
to catalyse health action in tobacco control.
- Through the HRIDAY-SHAN programme, schools
have also become portals of health education
for neighbourhood communities
- Recipient of research/programme grants
from National Institutes of Health (USA),
World Health Organization, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (USA) Research
for International Tobacco Control (Canada)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
and Government of India (Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare)
- Awarded and Endorsed by WHO:
- WHO Director General’s
Award for contributions to
tobacco control (2002)
- Programme listed as a best practice
model
- Recommended for global replication
|
| 225 youth from 35 countries from around the world with 280 (Youth and adults) national and international delegates from 35 countries and 11 states of India |
In
this first of a kind meet (GYM 2006), a
total number of 225 youth from 35 countries
from around the world participated along
with eminent resource persons from various
organizations. These participants were oriented
on health issues, using innovative health
education strategies. This initiative
empowered youth through enhanced health
awareness and strengthened health advocacy
skills among youth leaders. |
- GYM delegation was joined by 10,000
Indian school students from various
schools of Delhi, at the inaugural ceremony
on November 14, 2006 and 2500 youth
supported this delegation at the closing
ceremony on November 19, 2006
- Technical sessions at Agra from November
15- 18, 2006 involved sharing of
HRIDAY-SHAN’s health promotion
experiences and success story with international
partners and learning from their experiences
and successes
|
| Themes
that were addressed during GYM 2006: |
- Diet and Nutrition (including healthy
diets, food safety, food policies)
- Promotion of Physical Activity
- Avoidance of Addictions like Tobacco,
Alcohol and Drugs
- Protection and promotion of Environment
- Healthy Gender Relations (including
prevention of HIV-AIDS)
- Road Safety
- Peace and Non-Violent Conflict Resolution
|
| Technical
sessions at Agra included: |
- Small group discussions, skill building
workshops (led by youth participants)
- Interaction with Indian policy makers
- Developed global recommendations for
health promotion
- Cultural and social exchange sessions
|
| Dignitaries
who graced the event: |
- Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Honorable
Prime Minister of India (Inaugurated
GYM 2006)
- The Honorable Chief Minister of Delhi,
Smt. Shiela Dikshit(Chief Guest at Closing
ceremony)
- Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Minister
for Health and Family Welfare (Guest
at the Inaugural Ceremony)
- Mr. Oscar Fernandes, Union Minister
for Labour and Employment (Interaction
with youth participants on issues related
to HIV prevention)
- Ms Poonam Khetarpal Singh, Deputy
Regional Director for SEARO, World Health
Organisation (Guest at the Inaugural
Ceremony)
- Dr. Janet Collins, Director, National
Centre for Chronic Prevention and Health
Promotion (Resource person for technical
sessions)
- Dr. Robert Beaglehole, Director,
Chronic Disease and Health Promotions,
WHO, Geneva (Resource person for technical
sessions)
- Mr Chris Dawe representing Clinton
Global Initiative (Resource person for
technical sessions)
|
| The
patrons of the event included : |
- Mr. Manishankar Aiyar, Union Minister
for Youth Affairs and Sports, Government
of India
- Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Minister
for Health and Family Welfare, Government
of India
- Justice A.S. Anand, Chairperson, National
Human Rights Commission of India
- Mr. Ram Niwas Mirdha, Chairman, Sangeet
Natak Akademi
- Dr. Sawai Singh Sisodia, President,
National Cooperative Union of India
|
| GYM
2006: NOT a one time event but a beginning
to a sustainable global youth movement |
| The
Movement: Youth For Health (Y4H) |
A
worldwide movement of health advocacy by
young change agents, Y4H (Youth
For Health) was launched at GYM 2006. It
will evolve into a powerful global platform
of advocacy for health promoting policies.
This network is being facilitated by e-connectivity
by HRIDAY-SHAN, in partnership with organizations
such as WHO, World Heart Federation and
GLOBALink. |
| |
| Y4H
is undertaking: |
- Regular exchange of views on policy
issues related to health among GYM delegates
- Concerted global e-advocacy on identified
health issues
- Coordinated national and international
action programmes
- Widening the Y4H network at each country
level
|
