A two-day Regional Youth Conference is being held in Port Moresby. It is being attended by youth representatives from Port Moresby, East New Britain and Morobe, who are part of the Spotlight Initiative funded by UNFPA.
Stakeholders who were in attendance were from the National Youth Development Authority, UNFPA, Department of Education and the National Department of Health (NDoH).
Day 1 of the Regional Youth Conference had youth under the PNG Family Health Association (PNGFHA), display the work they had been doing in their respective desks.
UNFPA has been working closely with PNGFHA and partners like CIMC, MarieStopes, and OXFAM to implement the Spotlight Initiative programs.
PNGFHA has been asked to disseminate information regarding Sexual and Reproductive Health and GBV because these are the two cross cutting issues that occur in our country.
Michelle Tovebae of PNGFHA spoke on events shared from the three desks (LAE, POM, KOKOPO) that the way forward is through the success stories of survivors.
“We report on data, statistics and all that but also the individual stories of people who have come forward and saying that they’ve received these services through our young people who went out and advocated on GBV or SRH that’s how they’ve got the information from them and they came back to the clinic reporting most on GBV from the three sides,” said Tovebae.
Nellie Mclay, President of PNGFHA said it is important that Papua New Guineans, regardless who they work for, are part of the discussion process in addressing health and education issues affecting the youth.
Dr. Edward Waramin, Manager of Population & Family Health NDoH, said that youths and adolescents have rights to health care, personal growth and social and economic development.
Dr Waramin said, “Through the creation of a culture of participation and empowerment of youth and adolescents, and through the provision of health services, that are friendly to them. NDOH congratulates the facilitators of this conference and request that such multi-sectoral collaborative meetings and conferences should continue.”
In representing UNFPA, Assistant Representative Steven Paniu said PNG has more young people as part of its overall population than most countries in the world. This is both a risk and an opportunity.
“It means that young people must be given the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to make positive choices for themselves, their communities and their country. We cannot wait for people today to reach 30-40 year olds for them to be given a chance to participate in public decision making. They must be given the chance now,” said Mr Paniu.
He said young people need the skills to break the cycle of violence the skills to communicate, negotiate without violence and the skills and confidence to make positive decisions to direct their own lives now so they can direct PNG towards a healthy, peaceful and prosperous future.