Arab Urban Development Institute / Child Protection Initiative (MENA CPI) is organizing an international conference with the collaboration of Aleppo Municipality to present gained results of CPI activities within the global partnership and to share lessons learned and best practices issues related to vulnerable and marginalized children and youth in MENA region (6-8 July, 2009 in Aleppo, Syria).
The conference is intended to discuss issues facing children and youth, mainly in the fields of education, training, skill development and employment at the national, regional and the local levels in the MENA region. The conference will address: (a) existing youth employment programs, regulations and policies that reinforce or hinder youth employment opportunities, (b) bridge knowledge gap to prepare a comprehensive approach for smooth school to work transition, (c) identify Mayor’s perception with respect to youth employability, challenges and positive interventions to enhance youth access to jobs, (d) strengthening and scaling-up system of second chance opportunity towards mainstreaming vulnerable children & youth, (e) introduce the concept of “Child Friendly Cities” (CFC) in the MENA region, (f) understanding the extent, nature and magnitude of ‘street children’ who suffer from stretched resources, lack of opportunities, safety nets and social protection.
In addition to the above issues, the conference aims to: (i) highlight the problems facing youth regarding their training, employment and expanding their economic prospects in urban areas, (ii) to identify the role of local authorities and municipalities in addressing youth employment and employability, (iii) highlight the priorities for the education of children, specially disadvantaged and vulnerable children, (iv) to share experiences, lessons learned and good practices regarding policies & programs of youth employment.
The themes of Aleppo conference cover the following:
- Youth employment and employability: (issues of employment programs, regulations, policies, vocational training, skill development and transition from school to work, …etc).
- Mayor’s perception with respect to youth employability, challenges and positive interventions to enhance youth access to jobs.
- The role of municipalities and local authorities in developing and implementing programs and projects for youth employment.
- Problems and challenges facing marginalized and vulnerable children and youth (street children, school drop-outs, CFC …etc).
- Presenting successful regional and international experiences and programs with respect to the above youth issues.
We are honored to invite you to participate in the upcoming international conference by presenting a paper or an example of best practice regarding youth employment and employability. Please see the attached guidance for ‘call for papers’ and General Framework. The papers will be evaluated for their relevance to the needs of the cities of the region. Only a selected number of papers will be accepted due to time limitations for presentations and discussions.
LIST OF HOTELS IN ALEPPO