September 2009

The more I encounter issues about artisans, the more I try to see how others have solved and overcome similar challenges. Of course there are individual issues according to the craft and sometimes local social issues. But many times there is much to be learned from others' mistakes. Which has really made me step back and think about how generally countries are grouped into regions.

This month, we’re talking about food on Youthink!, and how so many people don’t have enough. I recently came across a couple of blogs on the topic of food security—one had some good news, and the other not so good. Let’s start with the bad news first.

Deforestation is happening at alarming rates in many parts of the world. We often hear about the disastrous impact this can have in terms of climate change and biodiversity loss. Deforestation also poses a huge threat to food security. In fact, did you know that in the developing world, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their food, fuel, and livelihoods? This blogger has seen deforestation and its consequences happen first-hand in his hometown.

Did you know that in many regions, unemployment among youth is easily 2-3 times higher than for adults. Especially in developing countries, the school-to-work transition can be a long and tedious process, during which young people leave school, become jobless and spend time moving between unemployment, inactivity and informal employment. In fact, youth have often been found to effectively act as a "buffer," absorbing shocks disproportionately during negative business cycles, but not benefiting accordingly during economic booms.
What is it like for youth in your country? And is the global financial crisis impacting the situation still further? 

The World Bank's Y2Y Global Youth Conference is holding an essay contest on this topic, and wants your ideas on the questions: 

What are the constraints to youth entrepreneurship in your country? Has the global crisis changed the dynamics? How can governments help young entrepreneurs to create and further develop their social and productive ventures?

For more info, visit the Y2Y Community website.