Eight youth delegates from across the Pacific and eight young ni-Vanuatu have come together ahead of the conference on the Human Face of the Global Economic Crisis in Port Vila, to identify child and youth focussed strategies in line with the theme of the conference.
About 50 young people gathered at old Parliament House for the second day of the youth meeting.
Annell Husband reports from Port Vila.
"More schooling and more jobs are what the young people at today's meeting most want. Groups of the 24 local students, between the ages of 10 and 16, have outlined how the global economic crisis is affecting them - the eight youth delegates attending tomorrow's high level UN meeting. All groups identified education as an area the global economic crisis is seriously affecting, saying governments should provide free or subsidised schooling. The young people say they sometimes have to go to school without breakfast, many families cannot afford school bus fares and young people are stealing, and selling marijuana to make money. They want their governments to put aside pride and ego, accept their countries have poverty and to take steps to address it."
