English translation from the official periodical of RAIPON “Мир коренных народов живая арктика” (Indigenous Peoples’ World Living Arctic) No. 9-10, 2002
Darya Kudryashova
Roza Tamazanova
More than 80 young activists from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Murmansk, Salekhard, Yakutsk, Chita, Naryan-Mar, Khanty-Mansiysk, Ulan-Ude, Biysk, Abakan, Khabarovsk, Petrozavodsk and other towns attended the Conference. 22 guests came from Canada, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
The last day of the Conference was devoted to the discussion of prepared proposals for the introduction of a youth network to exchange information and develop the educational component (convening workshops, providing training courses and similar practical instruction) as well as to elaborate a youth program for its subsequent submission to potential donors. Lilya Taibarei was selected as a trainee to be sent to the University of the Arctic to prepare documents for signing contractual relations with the Arctic Council and RAIPON. Darya Kudryashova was unanimously elected RAIPON coordinator for youth programs.
The results of the Conference were summarized in the adopted Resolution given below.
Resolution of the International Youth Conference
“Indigenous Peoples of Russia’s North: Their Present and Future”
Moscow, February 14-17, 2002
We, the participants of the International Youth Conference “Indigenous Peoples of Russia’s North: Their Present and Future”, representing the youth of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation as well as the youth of indigenous peoples of the Arctic region,
Taking into account the document on youth and the document for having a dialogue prepared by indigenous peoples at the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations Organization,
Taking into consideration the Report and the Working Plan for 2000-2002 of the Program “The Future of Children and Youth in the Arctic” submitted by Canada’s Arctic Council Initiative,
Adhering to the principles of sustainable development in the Arctic,
Adhering to the objectives of the Conference,
Taking into account the activities of non-governmental organizations,
Hereby establish the fact that overcoming informational inequality is the task of top priority challenging the youth at present.
As of today, the youth of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East inhabiting only 9 out of 34 administrative regions of Russia has the access to information resources via Internet. In the majority of cases the access to information resources is available to urban young people while the youth in villages is deprived of any information.
Taking into account all the difficulties related to the limitation of access to information we hereby put forward a proposal for setting up a youth network of RAIPON making use of resources available in the regions including the resources of educational establishments, head-offices of regional associations, the Association’s information centers, Internet centers and subsequently searching for additional financing to organize the network operation.
Planning further youth-oriented activities we hereby recognize the necessity of consolidating the work in regions by organizing conferences and workshops at localities.
Welcoming the initiative of the Arctic University in signing contractual relations with RAIPON, and having outlined international cooperation with the Arctic University and other organization we hereby make the first step by appointing a representative of the youth attending the Conference to be stationed at the office of the Arctic University in Rovaniemi (Finland).
Taking into account the necessity of overcoming the language barrier,
We hereby establish the necessity of organizing language and computer training courses for young representatives of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East with a subsequent international training and demand a greater emphasis to be made on the educational component of the youth program as the major one.
Having analyzed the documents of the Youth Conference convened in September 2000 we hereby admit the fact that the program adopted in Tomsk has failed to be accomplished in full. We therefore put forward a proposal of establishing a youth bloc of the Association to simplify the work oriented at the youth policy as well as a proposal to choose a coordinator of the Association’s youth program, entrusting this coordinator with the right to appoint his/her assistants and relieve them of their duties with a written justification of the decision.
To entrust the coordinator on the basis of this Resolution with working out a youth program for the 2002-2005 period and carrying it into effect within the specified time.
To conduct intermediate meetings and workshops during the 2002-2005 realization period.
To convene the next Youth Conference in 2005.