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ABOUT JYAN


The Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) is an initiative of the USAID funded JA-STYLE Project. JYAN is designed to develop youth leaders in the areas of advocacy, public education and capacity building in the areas of sexual and reproductive health, violence prevention, care and protection (including persons with disabilities), employment and entrepreneurship, education and training.


The Beginning
JYAN emerged out of an advocacy training workshop that was held in August 2006 at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. The Advocacy Training Workshop brought together approximately 40 young persons from youth serving organisation, youth clubs, church and community groups, including youths from some of the most volatile communities in Jamaica. At the end of the workshop the participants decided that they would move forward under the name - The Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN). So far some 150 young persons have been trained in advocacy and are registered members of the network.

Our Work
Since August 2006 the Network has developed two proposals for behaviour change communication projects addressing violence, and the need for comprehensive sexuality education in Jamaican High Schools. The network has also collaborated with a number of organizations to advocate for the rights of young people in Jamaica, the Caribbean and the world. These include the UN High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS 2006), International AIDS Conference in Toronto, and the Women Deliver Conference in 2007.

Network members serve as youth educators, youth facilitators, youth advocates, and spokespeople on a number of issues affecting young people.

The members of the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network will:
  • Educate policy makers on the importance of increasing funding for youth development programmes
  • Educate policy makers on the importance of increasing the number of young people who are involved in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of youth development programmes as well as other initiatives which affect young people
  • Increase public awareness on the impact of HIV/AIDS, violence, unemployment, lack of educational & training opportunities on young people internationally
  • Educate local and international media on the issues affecting young people

    JYAN members work with the staff of JA-STYLE, the Ministry of Health and other government ministries and agencies, international donor partners and NGOs to increase support for youth development programmes and youth participation in the decision-making processes in a number of thematic areas, such as SRH, violence prevention, education and training etc.

    To fulfill these goals, JYAN members will organize community, parish and national events, utilize media outlets, develop educational workshops, and lobby policy makers at the parish, national and international level on the importance including young people in the youth development process as well give insight as to what works and what doesn’t for young people.

    JYAN Issue Networks
  • Sexual & Reproductive Health
  • Crime & Violence Prevention
  • Care & Protection (including access for persons with disabilities)
  • Education & Training
  • Employment & Entrepreneurship
  • Music, Culture & Society

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    Vision

    JYAN is the voice of youth promoting participation and demanding positive change in Jamaica across the Caribbean

    Mission
    JYAN is a youth leadership and advocacy body, supported by youth values which seeks to develop, empower and sustain a cadre of advocates to lobby for can e on behalf of youth by promoting positive behaviours, teaching techniques of positive advocacy, advising and guiding policies affecting them and building capacity in Jamaica, the Caribbean and beyond.

    Purpose
    JYAN is committed to consistently increase participation of the youth by providing empowerment and training, while sustaining and securing the necessary commitment to ensure a positive national, regional and global response to youth advocacy.

    Goals

  • To facilitate the development of effective youth advocacy networks in Jamaica
  • To empower and equip Jamaica youth with the skills necessary to participate in the decision making processes that impact them
  • To increase the participation of youth in the decision making processes of the society
  • To have in place an established means by which information is effectively disseminated among members of the network and partners
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