Networking and Information Servicing

Networking is one of the main activities of SAYEN, at regional ( Asia and the Pacific), sub-regional ( South Asia ), national and local level to help youth understand sustainable development issues, challenges faced and efforts undertaken. Youth across the sub-region are encouraged to share their learning and experiences.

Today, more than 1500 youth organizations, individual youth, educational institutions, NGOs, corporate, Government and national and international agencies are associated with SAYEN.

SAYEN publishes a quarterly e-newsletter as a networking tool.

It gives information on the activities undertaken by SAYEN during the last quarter. The newsletter aims to share information and knowledge on SAYEN projects and other initiatives undertaken by/for youth in the sub-region.

Current Issue

ARCHIVES

April 09 , July 08 , April 08

Capacity Building Youth

SAYEN organizes capacity building programmes to help youth to understand sustainable development issues, challenges and efforts through participating in ongoing projects and initiatives. All projects organised by SAYEN include capacity building as one of its component. Also, there are specific capacity building opportunities for individual youth as well as representatives of youth organizations associated with SAYEN. Few such programmes include:

1. SAYEN Meets- local, national and sub-regional
2. Participation in capacity building programmes of other organizations
3. Internships

SAYEN Meets
SAYEN regional meet is organised once every year with the objective to review last year activities and plan for the next one-year. Strengthening SAYEN, networking and sharing experiences and opportunities are some of the other objectives of the meet. The meet is hosted by one of the SAYEN National Focal Points (NFP) in their respective countries and jointly organised by SAYEN Secretariat and UNEP.

5th SAYEN Regional Meet Report 2007 draft

National and local meets are part of the SAYEN initiatives undertaken at the country level respectively.

• TUNZA International Youth Conference 2005

 CEE along with UNEP, Bayer A.G., Ministry of Environment and Forests and several other partners organised the Tunza International Youth Conference 2005 at Bangalore, India. Over 140 youth from about 50 countries participated in a week long conference, discussing the role of youth in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

Participation in capacity building programmes of other organizations
SAYEN representatives also participate in various capacity building programmes of other organizations.

500 youth oriented to Environment and SD

Mr. Gopal Kumar Jain and Ms. Aparna Susarla, Programme Officer, CEE attended National Level Talent Identification and Exhibition

(NATIEC-2008) organised by Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Sriperumbudur and National Service Scheme (NSS), Annamalai University from 9th to 11th January, 2008 at Annamalai University, Annamalainagar.

About 500 youth including 250 NSS students representing various states of India and 250 NSS students from Annamalai University attended this programme. In addition to this, around 100 youth volunteers were also involved. The participants were divided into 5 groups and each group attended the orientation session on ‘Environment and SD.

The programme was very successful. Many of the NSS students found the session very interesting and made a commitment towards saving the environment. The module was replicated by some of them at their colleges and they have got a good response.

SAARC Youth Meet and National Youth Festival
SAYEN was represented at the SAARC National Meet and National Youth Festival organised at Chennai. At the SAARC Youth Meet, attended by youth from all the South Asian Countries, Mr. Gopal Kumar Jain took a session on Environmental Issues in South Asia and Role of Youth.

Internships
Internship is one of the key capacity building opportunities provided to the individual youth by the SAYEN Secretariat. Internships provided by CEE are an opportunity for the youth to gain knowledge and hands-on experience in sustainable development. The programme offered since 2003, can be taken up by the Youth either as a part of their curricula or to gain work experience on projects related to sustainable development.

Young graduates while starting their career or higher education or for whom it is an academic requirement, join us as interns. The period of internship could range from a month to a year.
CEE provided two types of internship opportunities:

1. Need based-internship: Youth based on their interest on any Sustainable Development issue;location;duration can apply for this internship
2. Structured fixed term internship: SAYEN announces this as an “International Internship”, conducted during a fixed term of the year, around a specific issue.

During internship, youth are involved in particular tasks such as research project, action project, development of communication media and materials and/or documentation activities of an on-going project.
Youth interested to apply for internship can download the form, fill and send it to sayen@ceendia.org . It may take about a month to finalise the internship project and location.

internship application form

Internships at CEE are currently being sought after by many students and young development professionals. The database of internship applicants is uploaded on the web and being updated regularly.
A special internship is provided by UNEP, the SAYEN Parent organization, to one youth representative once every year, as SAYEN internship at UNEP.

International Internships for Young Development Professionals in the field of Disaster Management

Documentation

Documentation is a key activity of SAYEN conducted at local, national, inter-country and sub-regional level. SAYEN members, individual youth and others interested are involved in documentation of SAYEN initiatives as well as case examples from the sub-region related to sustainable development related issues and challenges.

SAYEN members and individual youth were involved in documentation of case examples related to water conservation in India and Sri Lanka and analyzed the energy conservation through such practices. This was conducted as part of the SARI Energy, supported by USAID.

Individual youth were involved in documentation of case examples related to tsunami relief and rehabilitation in India and Sri Lanka. This was conducted as part of the International Internship on Disaster Management, jointly organised by CEE, UNEP and Bayer A.G.

SAYEN members have also been involved in documentation of case examples on sustainable development issues and challenges, identified during the inception workshop for SSDS, organised at Sri Lanka.

Youth are encouraged to document case examples as part of the internship with CEE or curricula projects.

For more details, click here

Awareness Campaigns

SAYEN member organizations organize/ participate in several environmental awareness campaigns. Creating environmental awareness is a key activity of SAYEN, wherein, Youth and Youth Organisations across the network are encouraged to undertake activities and campaigns to create awareness among children, youth and general community.

SAYEN members also observe significant days such as the World Environment Day (June 5) and International Youth Day (August 12)

Some of the awareness campaigns conducted by the SAYEN Secretariat in Ahmedabad include -

Youth and Climate Change Campaign 2008

"Say NO to Plastic Carry Bags" Campaign 2009

Resource Material Development

Resource material support to motivate youth and help them undertake projects/ activities on SD are regularly provided by SAYEN. Communication, media and materials such as wall papers, posters, games, puppet shows, street plays are developed by SAYEN member organizations including NFPs and the Secretariat on SD and related issues.

Some of the key publications by SAYEN include documents such as "We Hold Our Future", "Youth for Clean Air", "Lessons from Asian Tsunami 2004" among others. For more details, click here