Volunteer members of youth and national networks are promoting dialogue with political candidates on human development, as one of the key activities for the months leading up to the elections to be held in September this year.
Volunteer members of youth and national networks are promoting dialogue with political candidates on human development, as one of the key activities for the months leading up to the elections to be held in September this year.
The Youth Network for Human Development and the National Network for Human Development receive support, training and orientation from UN Volunteers serving as National Human Development Report (NHDR) Regional Facilitators for the 2009-2010 NHDR, 'Guatemala: towards a State for Human Development', coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.
Ronald Recancoj, Gloribel Matta and Sandra Chun, UNV NHDR Regional Facilitators for the South-West, Eastern and Northern regions of Guatemala, motivate, coordinate and assist over 150 local volunteers of these networks.
State representatives and aspiring political candidates from five major political parties participated in June in the public forum 'Political Dialogue for Human Development', facilitated by local volunteers of the Youth and National Networks for Human Development in Chiquimula and the Eastern Region.
The main aim of the forum was to promote and discuss the 2009-2010 NHDR, 'Guatemala: towards a State for Human Development' with aspiring candidates for the national general elections to be held in September this year.
Over 100 party and independent candidates listened to a summary of key indicators and analysis presented by volunteer members of the Chiquimula Youth Network for Human Development on the role of the state and human development, health, education, justice and security, and fiscal reform.
Candidates received copies of the 2009-2010 NHDR, which they studied and consulted in working groups, before each party presented their responses to three questions related to the role of the state in promoting human development: "What to do? How to do it? And how feasible is it?"
Local and national media interviewed party candidates, further highlighting the importance of human development and the role of the state, and providing an opportunity for candidates to publicly confirm their commitment to human development.
Members of the Chiquimula Youth Network for Human Development, and UNV NHDR Regional Facilitator Gloribel Matta invited political parties to integrate human development in their policies when interviewed by radio and TV news programs.
In the months leading up to the elections, human development forums will be held with political candidates in Quetzaltenango and Alta Verapaz. Volunteers for Human Development and UNV NHDR Regional Facilitators will continue to disseminate and discuss human development and the role of the state in creating conditions that facilitate well-being and opportunities for the people of Guatemala.