Delegate: Ms. Dana Vyzinkarova (24 years)
17. Ms. Vyzinkarova (Slovakia), speaking on behalf of Slovak youth, said that young people in Slovakia welcomed the proclamation of the International Year of Youth; she then touched on development education in developed countries.
18. Rooted in the values of solidarity, equality, inclusion and cooperation, development education sought to raise awareness of development policies, sustainable human development, the Millennium Development Goals and humanitarian assistance. Development education was key to worldwide poverty eradication efforts, encouraged personal involvement and informed action. Educating young people in developed countries about development should not be merely a matter of making them aware of poverty in the world. Young people needed to be educated about the issue of development so that they could form their own opinion free from the prejudices that were so often associated with the concept of development and humanitarian assistance. [*5*] [19.]
20. She was happy to note that more and more study programmes in that area were being established, and that development education had been included in official curricula. In her country, development education had been incorporated into all levels of education — primary, secondary and university. At the primary level, it was called “global education” and was incorporated into the general curriculum. A creative approach was taken at the secondary level, including initiatives such as an “Afghan day”, in Slovak schools with a corresponding, simultaneous “Slovakia day” in Afghan schools. At the university level, although few young people opt to specialize in development studies, a formal course of studies on that topic would be established in 2011 for graduates of law, economics and international relations. She hoped that other countries would follow Slovakia’s lead by exposing young people to development education.
UN Doc.: A/C.3/65/SR.3
Cite as:
UN Doc.: A/C.3/65/SR.3, 5 October 2010, p. 4, Youth Delegate Search: https://youthdelegatesearch.org/slovakia-2010/, doi: 10.17176/20221018-194055-0.