Youth Views On Water and Sanitation

" I think that the environment is the most important topic that the United Nations discusses. Environment affects every person, every day of their life; if they know it or not. Our enviornment must be taken care of! "

Meagan Lucas, Student
New Hyde Park Model United Nations

" I give water discussions to youth from disavantage community, it's really a shame coz people do not knowabout life threatning environmental issues that are facing them and it's up to us the youth to share the awareness especially to our communities."

Xoliswa
Pride of table mountain

" Looking forward to develop youth to a greater success to sustain the community"

Isaac Anthony James, Civil servant
EPDI

" This is to all the youth of the world;youths shoud learn to work rihteously so that te will be able todefeat what defeated their father or eslse what defeated their father will also defeat them."

Prince Edoho Daniel A

"I will like the UNEP to take note that Africa has more Environmental problems than other parts of the world so it should hold more conferences,training workshops etc in Africa where the youths and children in Africa will be involved.UNEP should also support small organisations form to help invove children in Environmental activities.This is because the government and the people are poor so when they They start something and see that it will cost them a lot they will loose hopes and abandone not because they donot care but because they lack the means to continue.I hope someone will hear me.In the small organisation we just formed,Cameroon Children Environmental Forum , OUR WISH THIS YEAR IS TO LOOK FOR DONORS THAT WILL PROVIDE PORTABLE WATER TO SOME SCHOOLS IN NGAOUNDERE IN CAMEROON.."

Nshari Kongla Alice, Teacher
Cameroon children Environmental Forum

" I believe we all have the right and dewsrve to have access to cleaan water and sanitation. Many people in our community here however have no access. Why arent our leaders doing anything about it? If this is done, many lives will be saved "

" It is with deep concern that i raise this issue of marginalisation of youth from developing countries, and more so those from economically challenged backgrounds. Having come from such a background, i can testify that if given the necessary help, these young people can make something of their lives, in turn making a difference in other young people's lives. If i were to take an example of my home district, young people and adults alike wallow in abject poverty, most below half a dollar a day. These young people are willing to go to school, work and sustain themselves and their families, but the resources are not available. Information is the most valuable asset i know, thats why i would like to join the UN youth exchange programmes, to be able to learn what other youth are doing to lead a sustainable life. In turn, i could teach the young people in my rural home how to lead their lives in such a way as to ensure sustainable development, eg through conservation of environment. Am ready to help transform the lives of these young people, but how? Please help."

" I believe its a crisis that in countries like mine (MEXICO),we still havent realized that water is running out on the world. I enjoyed reading in ahotel in one of Mexico´s estates: Guanajuato, "Dear tourist, here we take care of the water please dont missuse...". I felt very proud and ill export the idea if they allow to Yucatán and to every single state or country untill we | value such precious liquid. Another true thing is that while having it at so little prices, sort of taxed,some are not encouraged to save water and other forms o energy. I guess this was not only a comment but a pause for reflection that will lead me to share this thoughts with my local authorities. After all, i feel like any true citizen concerned about the future, but ready for action. "

" It's a great pleasure for us to send you our story. in congo brazzaville we're acting on the water protection, even if it's so hard but we 're struggling to inform poeple about the water pollution, at the first time it was too difficulte to make undrstanding the popalation by the compaings,intill now we're dealing with those action. we forbidden them by giving the massage to throw the sachets in to the water and we're hoping to do some an effort for act together with the gouverment and another a non goverment organizations. I thank you for your well understanding. Porel mikolo-ngoulou "

" In most places, rich people stick to clean places and in most rural areas people who can not afford to leave in dirty places. I will urge every one no matter what condition you find yourself, keep the environment clean "

" It is not enough that youth over the world are accustomed to various hardships in most stages of development especially in developing nations, but the worst part of it all is that when availed the least opportunity to voice out and contribute towards changing the plight of their generation, they tend to be displaying attributes of a lack of full comprehension of their situation and lack of coordination among themselves on means and ways of implementing measures that can/will facelift their plight. This therefore widens the gap and lack of confidence by the older generations to entrust us with the responsibility and a role to play in decision-making processes leading to development enriching the lives of the youths. Thereby the challenge lies with us identifying our strategy and putting forces together among ourselves across all continents and representing these corporate ideas in whatever opportunity made available to be heard with one voice. "

" Youth participation in various developmental does not usually represent an integrated vision and focus displaying the plight of the youth across continents. Youth once given an opportunity to voice out their views and enforce measures that will promote and improve their situations in various sectors of development within their particular nations, regions or internationally, they tend to represent a lack of full comprehension of expectations and results that can/will bring about such change to their plights. Implementation of programmes tend to misunderstood and thereby causing the older generations to doubt our capacity and lose confidence in entrusting us with responsibilities and roles of contributory nature decision-making structures or bodies. The challenge then lies with the youths to have an integrated understanding of youth issues across all continents and once/when availed a chance to voice in organizational gathering, represent such issues and concerns with one echo/voice across the world. We need to interested and concerned about our surroundings at all levels before you stand to speak out. "

" The irony of African laws is that there are punitive for as long as they are criminal and civil in nature, and that is how far it gets , environmental laws are conservative perhaps reserved in nature, people continue to exploit and dump toxic substances into nature without noticing that if you destroy nature, nature indeed will destroy, I strongly feel , being an African that our penal laws must include environmental litigation to the extent that the perpetrators will be brought to book , that is the only way sustainable development will become a reality and not a pipe dream. Thanks. "