On Sunday 12 October 2008 the Parliament, in cooperation with the Syrian Commission for Family Affairs and the support of UNFPA will conduct a one-day workshop for members of parliament in the north-eastern area of the country on the findings of the National Youth Research, which will be used to develop the National Strategy for Young People.
The workshop is targeting members of the Environment and Population Committee and parliament members of five governorates, representing the twelve committees. The workshop aims to orient the parliamentarians with the processes and findings of the research in order to provide youth with safe and supporting environments, supporting development of youth’s knowledge and skills in a variety of ways, engaging youth as active partners and leaders, and promoting healthy lifestyles and instilling positive patterns of social behavior.
Parliamentarians will also visit a Syrian Family Planning Association Center, in Deir Ez-zour. There will be presentations and panel discussions on various issues. This will enable parliamentarians to see the reproductive health related issues of services and challenges and aims to instill ideas in the parliamentarians about the efforts they could undertake to support reproductive policies.
The research, released in August, covers young people’s empowerment and participation in regard to five critical development areas: Gender, Societal Participation, Education, and Health including Reproductive Health. It is the result of quantitative research with over 6000 young men and women between the ages of 15 and 24, and qualitative research with more than 30 focus groups with young people, families, and decision makers in all governorates. Over 200 researchers, specialists, and technical professionals from the Colleges of Law, Education, Medicine and Sociology at University of Damascus contributed to the research, as well as a technical team from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Revolutionary Youth Union.
The workshop begins Sunday, 12 October 2008 at the Cham Euphrates Hotel in Deir Ez-zour, including the field visit to the Syrian Family Planning Association Center on Sat.11 October 2008.