As the global community celebrates the International Youth Day on August 12, UNFPA would like to reiterate that the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot happen without intergenerational solidarity that will help tackling the “leaving no one behind” principle. 

With its Joint Programme on “Empowering and Engaging Youth in Mitigating the Threats of the Health Pandemic” funded by the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) and Participating UN agencies (namely UNFPA, UNICEF, UNODC and OIM), UNFPA promotes the intergenerational dialogue through the empowerment of youth and older persons in two communities of Lebap and Dashoguz velayats.

The first intergenerational dialogue took place this weekend in Dashoguz and connected young volunteers with the older persons in a mutually beneficial way, where they exchanged the ideas on living a secure life free from fear, want, and indignities. Older persons shared that overcoming economic insecurity (i.e. reading books, keeping passion for work) shaped their life choices and anchored their selves in changing environments. At the same time, young people shared with their needs and aspirations seeking for a life advice.

As the JP rolls over, the intergenerational dialogues will continue to expand in format, providing youth and older people with more opportunities to interact. The highlight of this youth-adult dialogue will be a collection of stories by youth volunteers shared by older persons that will be published in a book entitled “Leave your Mark: Life Stories” promoting intergenerational solidarity and social inclusion.        

***

The UN-Government of Turkmenistan Joint Programme on “Empowering and Engaging Youth in Mitigating the Threats of the Health Pandemic” funded by the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) and Participating UN agencies (UNFPA, UNICEF, UNODC and OIM), is aimed at strengthening the dialogue between young people and decision-makers by promoting community cohesiveness, livelihood and dignity. Human security approach is used as an optimal framework as it develops a holistic set of interventions that are people-centred, context specific, comprehensive and prevention oriented.  

The UN-Government Joint Programme aims to empower and engage youth in Lebap and Dashoguz regions by planning, designing and implementing four community initiatives together with representatives of state and public organizations in these regions. The initiatives will integrate the human security approach and focus on insecurities of the most vulnerable groups of people in Lebap and Dashoguz velayats, in line with the principle of “leaving no one behind.”

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund and the Ministry of Sport and Youth Policy of Turkmenistan are the lead agencies in the Joint Programme. Coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other implementing partners are UNICEF, IOM, UNODC and Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Healthcare and Medical Industry, Institute for State, Law and Democracy, Office of the Ombudsman, as well as public organizations and local NGOs working with the communities.

Contact information

Nataliya Chemayeva

Joint Programme Manager, UNFPA

Email to: chemayeva@unfpa.org