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Country updates

Kiribati

This brief document outlines Government structures, new policy directions and changes in regard to youth development and their contribution into nation-building, which emphasises upon some of the structural and organisational changes which aimed at the improvement of a living standard for all I-Kiribati. Major plans and activities are also discussed in relation to CYP twenty-first anniversary of its inception and the tenth anniversary of the UN International Youth Year. Most of these activities are built upon youth concerns and needs and therefore are attributed to address them in order to reduce their negative outcomes, as well as in promoting youth participation and involvement within the framework for the general community development process.

The overall total population of the country is estimated at over 7200 thousand people, and out of that about fifty-eight (58%) percent constitutes young people from (0-25) zero to twenty five years old. This is to say that Kiribati has a young population and therefore must invest more towards the development of young people. The annual population growth rate is estimated at around 2.24 percent.

The Republic of Kiribati is located in the Central Pacific at about 1800 km North of Fiji and the nearest neighbouring countries to the North are the Marshall Islands and Hawaii. The country comprises of thirty three islands of mainly atoll and coral formation with a total land area of about 810.5 square kilometres. The islands are widely scattered within three distinct 200 miles of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which cover over three and half million square kilometres of ocean. However, Kiribati gained its independence in 1979 and had selected to become a sovereign republic with the President as Head of State and Government business.

Type of existing Youth Programmes

Government declared Public holiday on the 1st of August whereby Youth in the country conducted activities such as sports, singing competitions etc. Workshops and seminars were conducted (overseas and locally funded) both in urban and rural areas. Such workshops and seminars included

Health of Youth

Nutrition

Youth leadership

Child development etc.

Training Centres were established by church organisations i.e. Roman Catholic, Kiribati Protestant Church and other Churches, where they conducted or run Youth programmes.

Type of Existing Youth Organisations implementing the Youth Programme.

Church Organisations such as:

• Focolare
• Youth Evangelist Sunday School (KPC)
• Assembly Youth Organisation
• Church of God Youth Organisation
• Seventh Day Adventist Youth.
• Church of Jesus Christ Youth Organisation

Youth Organisations such as:

• Girl Guides Association
• Boy Scout etc.

National Youth Population and Number of Youth Participating in Established Programmes

According to our latest National Census in 1995, the total population of Kiribati is 77658, and the Youth Population is 14626. This comes from the age group of 15-25 which is nationally categorised as Youth, and therefore this is an approximate number of young people participating in any Programmes. However Island Youth Assemblies which are our main contact on outer Islands may carry out their Programmes from time to time and forwarded their report to us for information and weekly radio programmes.

Future plans on Youth Programme include:

• implementation of consultative process which will involve a compilation of situation analysis for young men and women, need assessment and identification, organising public seminars, workshops and conferences in which young people will be active participants;
• assist non-government organisations in the formulation of their policies and programmes;
• assist all youth related programmes in establishing and strengthening youth coordinating mechanism;
• enhance the active participation of young people in all government related programmes and activities in the planning and decision making processes;
• promotion of our young people' s health;
• designing competition programmes between every youth associations.

Stated above are some of the future plans, however all the Ministry's plans are well presented on the Policy Statement development plan 1996 - you may refer to it for more information.

Membership of other organisations

Since the Ministry concerned with Youth affairs is an umbrella body coordinating national youth programme within the country, it does not have any membership to other local organisation, except to;

Commonwealth Youth Programme

South Pacific Commission

Other agencies such as UNICEF etc.