According to the United Nations…..

1. There are over 1 billion of US in the World According to the United Nations…..

2. We come from different places…… From different background…. With difference perceptions

3. We listen to a different kind of music We dress in our own unique ways When it comes to technology, we are hooked up by all means

4. When we are optimistic, the world is pink When we are pessimistic, the world is blue

5. UN states that 200 million of us live in extreme poverty, 130 million of us are illiterate, 88 million of us are unemployed, 10 million of us live with HIV/AIDS.

6. While some of us have opportunities that others before us never had…

7. Besides the similarities and despite all our differences a DREAM binds US all

8. WE DREAM OF A BETTER FUTURE !

9. With all the… ENERGY MOTIVATION HOPE …we have

10. We are YOUNG and we just have an unusual way of looking at the world.

11. If you are between the ages of 16 to 25, YOU are ONE of US!

12. If you are young and looking to make a change your way through the diplomatic highway, THIMUN Youth Network Invites YOU to PARTICIPATE In the THIMUN Youth Assembly!

13. What is the THIMUN Youth Assembly? a space to share ideas, to create innovative solutions and to act together with like-minded youth A place for youth to become involved in issues of real world politics at a local and international level A youth-run conference in the city of The Hague, the Netherlands, acting as a international think-tank

14. How Can YOU Participate? The upcoming conference, TYA January 2009 will take place between 25th and 30thof January in The Hague, the Netherlands • You may apply online by providing: • Committee Choice Explanation • Application Essay • A text of relevant experiences • Letter of Recommendation

15. Which Committee to Join? The conference is divided into committees, with 10-20 participants and 2 coordinators each. Each committee has a project based on a topic selected from current international issues, particularly those on the UN agenda. When you apply, you will rank 8 committees in order of preference. Upon acceptance, 2 months prior to the conference, you will join your committee online for a preparation phase. Committees will meet in the Hague for the conference week and continue with a follow-up as needed.

16. Committees of TYA January 2009 • Committee on Sustainable Development and Youth • Committee on Water and Youth • Committee on Child Development and Children’s Rights • Committee on Accountability for Biodiversity • Committee on HIV/AIDS • Committee on Global Citizenship and Youth • Committee on Discrimination and Youth • Committee on Millennium Development Goals

17. Committee on Water and Youth "When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water." ~ Benjamin Franklin According to the United Nations, there are still over 1.1 billion people forced to use unsafe water sources. Water-related disease is the second biggest killer of children worldwide, after acute respiratory infections like tuberculosis. TYA has spent also almost decade working within the water topic, and the projects that our participants create are making an impact on our world. Keeping with a TYA tradition this water committee will be organic in nature whereas, the participants will given the tools to use their creativity for their own personalized and unique projects.

18. Committee on Sustainable Development & Youth "No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline." ~Kofi Annan Living sustainably must not be a dream. It is rather a challenge we must take upon ourselves. This committee will work on a document that will include the roles and responsibilities designated to the youth and other relevant Major Groups by a number of prominent United Nations treaties. Furthermore, the committee will draft resources like slide shows and booklets to better inform the youth on living a sustainable daily life.

19. Committee on Child Development and Children’s Rights "One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade." ~A Chinese Proverb Since 2001, the participation of child soldiers has been reported in 21 on-going or recent armed conflicts in almost every region of the world. This committee will address two important aspects of a Child’s life; their development and rights as humans. The committee will create a campaign such as "Homework Club" or "Sports Club" to promote youth development and comradeship An awareness program aimed at promoting and raising awareness of children human rights.

20. Committee on Accountability for Biodiversity "For if one link in nature's chain might be lost, another might be lost, until the whole of things will vanish by piecemeal.“ ~ Thomas Jefferson Reports show that vertebrate species populations have declined by about one-third in the 33 years from 1970 to 2003. At the same time, humanity’s Ecological Footprint has increased to the point where the Earth is unable to keep up in the struggle to regenerate. The committee will work on a comprehensive booklet that will act as an "awareness" guide. This guide will showcase important information, facts/statistics and upcoming projections on the earth’s health, and will raise awareness on how fragile and important biodiversity is for humankind.

21. Committee on HIV/AIDS "HIV infection and AIDS is growing - but so too is public apathy. We have already lost too many friends and colleagues." ~ David Geffen According to UNAIDs, last year alone 33.2 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and more than 2 million died. Last year had the highest amount of newly infected people with 3 million persons. The HIV/AIDS committee will conduct research for information pertaining to HIV/AIDS at the micro and macro level. The committee will work on finding out important information such as; information on testing centres, laws and statistics about HIV/AIDS, local groups dealing with the disease and much more. This TYA original project could be the difference in many peoples’ lives.

22. Committee on Global Citizenship & Youth "I am a citizen of the world." ~ Thomas Paine At the THIMUN Youth Assembly it can be argued that we might be acting as Global Citizens and not even realize the empowerment and participation we are forging. The mandate for youth participation and their legitimacy as "global stakeholders" is under the mandate of the Division for Social Policy and Development This committee will develop new methods on how youths can be globally competent individuals; as well as constructing a database to facilitate youth participation. This database will give youths more opportunities to be involved and act like global citizens.

23. Committee on Discrimination and Youth "From the viewpoint of absolute truth, what we feel and experience in our ordinary daily life is all delusion. Of all the various delusions, the sense of discrimination between oneself and others is the worst form, as it creates nothing but unpleasant." ~ Dalai Lama Everyday millions of people are persecuted based on unfounded prejudice and stereotypes. Acts of discrimination could be based on race, ethnic background, religion, sexually orientation, height and weight, disabilities and many more. Participants will interview and research a person or group of people who have been discriminated against in their local communities. The committees’ collective interviews and research will create a "production play" that will be disturbed to high school and universities around the participants’ local communities.

24. Committee on the Millennium Development Goals In an historical agreement at the end of the twenty-century, all 189 Member States of the United Nations signed and ratified the Millennium Development Goals accord. The goals are: 1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger2) Achieve universal primary education3) Promote gender equality and empower women4) Reduce child mortality5) Improve maternal health6) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases7) Ensure environmental sustainability8) Develop a global partnership for development Participants will work on creating a project that will address the progress of the Millennium Development Goals in his or hers own community. Furthermore, before the conference participants will implement a small scale project to raise awareness project at their local educational institution and/or workplace.

25. What is it like and what happens after TYA? Having attended the THIMUN Youth Assembly and completed a project with your committee, The TYA experience is what you make of it! You will become eligible to apply for roles in other projects of the THIMUN Youth Network and for participating in TYN Delegations to international conferences.

26. TYN Activities and Projects • TYN organizes • the THIMUN Youth Assembly in January and July • the TYN Summer Symposium on International NGO Politics

27. TYN Activities and Projects TYN has been the organizer for the Global Youth Service Day in the Netherlands and Belgium TYN has been the one of the organizers of Youth World Water Forum that ran simultaneously within the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico, March 2006

28. TYN Activities and Projects TYN sends delegations to international conferences TYN delegations have attended: World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, South Africa 2002, World Summit on Information Society PrepCom, Geneva, Switzerland, 2005 Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD+14), New York, USA April 2006 4th World Water Forum, Mexico City, Mexico 2006 World Summit on Information Society in Geneva, Switzerland 2003, Youth Employment Summit Alexandria, Egypt 2002, 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan 2003, World Conference against Racism Durban, South Africa 2001, XVI International AIDS Conference

29. THIMUN Youth Network is a youth run programme of the THIMUN Foundation, an NGO in roster consultative status with UN ECOSOC

30. Application DEADLINE for TYA January 2009 is October 18 (FOR COORDINATORS) November 15 (FOR PARTICIPANTS) To apply and For More Information log on to www.thimunyouthnetwork.org