Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said on Friday that he plans to appoint an Advisor for the Promotion of Multiculturalism, Acceptance and Respect for Diversity, very soon.
Addressing the 7th Youth Summit of European Youth Parliament Cyprus 'Emerging from the past, refueling to the future: Embracing diversity' organized in Paphos by Neapolis University, the President of the Republic said that emerging from the past and embracing diversity, means "to challenge stereotypes, to combat inequality, to fight discrimination, and to advocate for inclusiveness and acceptance regardless of race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, age, physical abilities, religious and political beliefs, ideologies and socio-economic status." This, he said, is key in forging a more inclusive society.
He said moreover that the Government has an obligation to support and empower youth platforms that promote intercultural encounters, pluralism, accessibility, diversity, civil, social and political equality and that combat discrimination in all its forms.
He underlined that above all, the Government must listen and consult with the youth, and form policies that address in a coherent way the needs of the future.
Noting that the EYP's broad representation in 40 countries across Europe over the past 35 years is key in terms of outreach as around 25,000 young people participate in more than 400 events annually across the European continent at local, national and international levels, while the alumni network is over 200,000 people, President Christodoulides said that since its foundation in 2006 the EYP Cyprus has succeeded in establishing the Annual National Conferences with hundreds of participants from both Cyprus and other European countries.
'These are not just statistics; they point to the EYP's prominent role in shedding light on the importance of youth and youth active participation and also on the vital mission it serves: that of inspiring and empowering the young generation to be well-informed, open-minded, responsible and active citizens' he added.
He also stressed that more than 40 per cent of the world population is under the age of 25 and therefore youth forms the backbone of our societies. 'They are also the main agents of progress and engaged citizenship, holding tremendous potential for positive action and innovative solutions' he added.
In his address President Christodoulides also outlined some of the Government's priorities both on youth empowerment as well as gender equality and diversity, such as actions to promote a tangible connection between the educational system and the labor market through the proposed Business Development Agency, the national action plan for the European Year of Skills titled 'Modern Professional Development for the green and digital transition' that aims to train more than 100,000 people - including several categories of young people such as students and soldiers - by the end of 2024, equal opportunities in living, education, accessibility to social health services and combatting the existing stigma on mental health issues so as to guarantee that authorities treat young people as equals in terms of care, protection and treatment.
Furthermore, President noted that in light of the fact that youth participation is a central topic for youth policy within the European Union and a key priority in the European Union Youth Strategy in the period 2019 - 2027, the Government is also working on the formation of a youth digital platform that will facilitate direct communication with the Presidency. 'The voice of youth needs to be heard, and a core part of achieving this is that youth participate in democratic processes, in elections, so that they are represented and heard' he said.
President Christodoulides also said that gender equality issues are high on the Government's agenda and relevant policies are being implemented horizontally in all ministries and deputy ministries, adding that fostering multicultural education is also of great importance for this Government and him personally. 'Multicultural awareness in education is vital for students as it encourages acceptance and pluralism, helping them to effectively tackle the unprecedented challenges of today's rapidly interconnected world' he noted.
He also said that the Government endorses the European Disability Strategy 2021-2030 and the 7 flagship initiatives launched by the European Commission under the umbrella of achieving a European Union of Equality.
Closing his address the President of the Republic congratulate EYP Cyprus, for their work in promoting civic and political engagement, social acceptance, equality and inclusion. 'Such platforms are a valuable asset for each Government that has set high on its agenda the respect of individual rights, fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and democracy' he said.
Pantelis Sklias, Rector of Neapolis University said that local government has a significant role to play in safeguarding youth participation in decision making and that in partnership with central government and youth representative stakeholders can create a fair and honest institutional and operational framework to make the above lessons learned a de facto faits d' etat.
He added that organisations and platforms like the European Youth Parliament can play a crucial role in fostering meaningful engagement and collaboration among various stakeholders.
On behalf of Paphos Municipal Youth Council, Andreas Christodoulou said that the Municipal Youth Council of the Municipality of Paphos is an institutional body of the local authority that was created in 2001 and operates as part of the cooperation program of local government bodies with the Cyprus Youth Organization. He said that the main objectives of the Council are to be a platform for the Youth of Paphos to express themselves, to encourage the participation of young people in the public sphere and to discuss and recommend to the Municipality of Paphos the adoption of a policy on issues concerning young people at a local level.
Source: Cyprus News Agency