HOW IS THE OPEN SPACE CONFERENCE RELATED TO THE UNESCO YOUTH FORUM?

The UNESCO Youth Forum is a biannual meeting of young minds that takes place as an integral part of the UNESCO General Conference and has, since its inception in 1999, become a unique space for debate and reflection on how to make young people part of the solutions to the manifold problems confronting them. This year in October, youth representatives from 192 countries from all over the world are meeting again for the 5th time in Paris. During the previous UNESCO Youth Forum, in 2005, young participants strongly suggested the organization of Regional Youth Forums on the theme of 'Young People and the Dialogue among Civilizations, Cultures and Peoples', in preparation of the 2007 UNESCO Youth Forum.

Following up this recommendation, the UNESCO Section for Youth, Sport and Physical Education is organizing a series of preparatory regional UNESCO Youth Forums in six regions of the world, in 2006-2007. Part of this series of Forums was the UNESCO Euro-Med Youth Forum on "Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue to Ensure Peace", that took place last year (16-19 November 2006) in Cyprus.

The Open Space Conference on Intercultural, Civic and Peace Education "Youth Opens the Space" was a follow-up initiative to the Euro-Med Forum and will continue elaborating on recommendations related to education, training, raising awareness and networking that were adopted in Cyprus. Just like the recommendations of all Regional Youth Forums and of their follow-up projects, the conclusions of our discussions will be channeled into the preparations of the 5th UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris in October 2007.