On Sunday, October 12 the Syrian Commission for Family Affairs (SCFA) with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) support will be conducting a workshop for United Nations agency heads on the findings of the National Youth Research in support of the National Strategy for Young People.

Dr. Amira Ahmad, Director of the Research Division in the SCFA, will be presenting research findings and implications. The research is being used to help formulate the National Strategy for Young People in Syria.

The research, released last month, covers young people’s empowerment and participation in regard to five critical development areas: Gender, Societal Participation, Living Conditions, 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 at 10am, Sunday October 12th 2008 at the Syrian Commission for Family Affairs.