Exchange Programme Research Activities Training Programme Youth in Focus
The Youth Exchange Programme works on several levels, and over the last few years children from all over the world have participated in such schemes.
1999 – The Mongolian – Japanese Friendship Camp.
Silk Road Legends – International Youth Camp – Involved 70 young people from Portugal, Germany, Japan, and Italy.
Mongolian – German Friendship Camp – Involved 30 participants from Germany.
2000 – Youth Beyond 2000 – International Camp – Included 60 German and Korean participants.
Work Camp with street children - Involved 15 young people from Leipzig, Germany.
International camps are organized in the summer months for children aged 14 – 20, for participants to broaden their horizons, learn about other cultures, and enjoy many activities. The children will have the opportunity to participate in group sports and games, and watch and learn about the traditional Mongolian sports of archery and horseback riding. In the 2000 Summer camp they also had the opportunity to stay for 2 days in a traditional ger camp, whilst the remainder of the duration they were based in Nairamdal International Children’s camp situated in a green woodland valley, 30km from Ulaan Baatar.
The International Youth Exchange Programme is intended to create an international network for students from Mongolia and abroad to be able to learn and study in other countries. The First International Education Fair will be taking place from 29th April – May 1st 2001, in the Exhibition Hall at the Chingis Khan Hotel, Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia. A growing number of Mongolian students have chosen to study abroad since 1993, and the aim of this fair is to establish contacts abroad to create working exchange programme, and make the parents of young people and students aware of the types of exchange programmes that are available.
Exchange Programme Research Activities Training Programme Youth in Focus
In order to create a more focused approach towards its activities and programmes, the MYDC has established a youth research centre. Using established questionnaire and interview methods, the MYDC aims to regularly survey youth and other segments of the community to assess the effectiveness of its existing programmes and determine the need for new activities. Funding was supplied by the Australian Aid Organisation. In this way the MYDC seeks to keep its activities relevant to the youth it serves and respond quickly where new initiatives are needed. There will be guidelines with statistics compiled from questionnaires, academic studies, information from social workers and families, and it is hoped that from these figures it will be possible to direct the assistance to the groups and individuals who are most relevant to the nature of the programme.
The ongoing research can also be fed into the youth committees where MYDC is represented, contributing to the formulation of new government policy and direction in youth issues. This also ensures that a cross-section of the youth of Mongolia can have an input into this decisions making process. Forty seven percent of the population of Mongolia is under the age of 20, however at present there are only very limited facilities for the provision of their social education. In order to expand the numbers of young children and teenagers involved, Youth Development Centres are necessary to help and assist children to participate in all phases of their decision making processes during their lives and within their communities.
Exchange Programme Research Activities Training Programme Youth in Focus
The Youth Training Programme is still in a formative stage of development, and the MYDC is in the process of creating an ongoing scheme that will create a process to train the teachers, who in turn once they have received this training will be able to train the youths involved in the programmes. Through the involvement in Youth Development programmes children should be able to gain more comprehensive skills as part of their personal development. Frequently they do not have access to the full spectrum of general knowledge and facilities in their family and school lives that children in modern Mongolia would find beneficial. Therefore the aim of youth research activities is to find means to help children and teenagers be able to form opinions and make decisions from an informed and educated background.
There are specific issues that the programme is hoping to address:
To prevent domestic violence.
To help people become aware of children’s legal rights.
To teach people how to exercise and protect their own rights.
To improve links between parents, other adults and their children.
To educate children about how to look after the younger generation, and help implement programmes aimed at them.
To help those who have left school early to get an education within the framework of a non-formal education system.
To help contribute towards the elimination of illiteracy.
To get youths and children to develop micro social development projects and implement them.
Exchange Programme Research Activities Training Programme Youth in Focus
The youth in focus programme has a varied spectrum of objectives which also work towards the youth research and training programmes. The issues which the forum specifically focuses on will work around a series of forums set up for the Year of Child Development, it has been suggested that a series of quarterly for a would be a good means to encourage the exchange of ideas, information, ideas and experience. The forum would create a context for learning about youth and youth activities in other countries, and a means to conduct training workshops on various topics and approaches.
The Youth in Focus Programme has a series of aims and objectives as follows:
The MYDC will specifically focus on the provision of facilities and opportunities for the development of the physical, intellectual, and creative potential of young people in Mongolia. Such as the organisation of activities for youth groups, creation of youth centres, and the provision of information and education for youth at risk as a result of their socio-economic situation.
MONGOLIAN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
www.owc.org.mn/mydc Email sssmydc@magicnet.mn
Exchange Programme Research Activities Training Programme Youth in Focus