On 23rd and 24th March 2015, 200 youth and other participants from across key sectors of the South Asia region convened for a groundbreaking forum at the Trace Tower Business Centre in Kathmandu to enhance knowledge and strategies with regard to youth participation in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and to form cross-regional and cross-cultural youth service networks for action in the region.
The Asia-Pacific Peace and Development Service Alliance (APPDSA) South Asia Sub-region immediately launched the Rise Nepal, a youth and multilateral stakeholder’s consortia committed to further empowering youth and communities across the region to support victims of the earthquake that hit Nepal in April 2015 and raise youth volunteers through youth engagement and volunteerism addressing the Forum’s cluster issues on development and peace.
Now, the APPDSA with its member organizations including United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Global Peace Foundation (GPF), Global Young Leaders Academy (GYLA) and Ministry of Youth and Sports of Nepal jointly will convene the “South Asia Sub-Regional 2nd Forum on Youth Volunteerism to Promote Participation, Development and Peace” on 23-24 April, 2016.
The Forum will focus on strengthening the contribution of both youth engagement and volunteerism addressing cluster issues on development and peace to the scaling up of successful collaboration with the multilateral partners. Particular attentions will be given to improved coordination among sectors, building consensus, partnership and mobilizing resources. A prestigious Global Peace Youth Exchange Camp will be convened on April 26- May 2 at the Pun Hill Mountain area along with cultural exchange activities for youth delegates.