Hanny, 16, Singapore: The youths of today are exposed to various influences. Their world now revolves around the whole society, their friends and the people they come into contact with. Gone are the days when youths are more innocent. With the development of technology, they are constantly exposed to media -- both positive and negative. Many no longer seriously take their parents' advices. To them, the outside world seems to hold better words of advice. As such, they engange in risky behaviours, thinking that these are the norm and are acceptable. To prevent such occurances from continuing, I personally feel that education plays an important role. Since young, people should be taught to differenciate the right from the wrong and the consequences they may face in lieu of their respective actions. Sexual education should be implemented since young to educate them with regards to the various sexual transmitted diseases. Teachers' pool of wisdom should also be tapped. They can be a source of help for youths to turn to when they encountered trouble. Proper trainings should be provided for these teacher such that they will be able to carry their duties with professionalism.

Farai, 22, Zimbabwe: l think in most situations the young people are only included for the photo galleries to reflect them but in actual fact they are not being given a chance to implement policies for themselves, it is the adults who are at the forefront instead of letting the youth do it and they only serve as advisers not implementers.when it comes to policy formation , again it is the adults running the show forgetting that they are not youths and therefore they dont know what the youth needs.let the young people say what they need done for the betterment of theie lives and again adults should stand as advisers.till when should the young people's lives and destiny be chosen by the adults?please empower us the youth for we are the ones living the life tomorrow not the adults.

Rahul, 20, India: DEATH!! The word has such a dull sound to it. Almost seems suited to its dreaded meaning.

Social problems such as conflict, violence, drug abuse and AIDS are suddenly gaining importance in a very 'in your face' kind of way.

Even on the slightest of assesment it is not very difficult to find the cause of such predicaments. It points towards lack of social infrastructre of the country. It may sound pretty obvious but let us analyse what this actually means.

Education is the beginning and the end of all problems. Countries which have engaged themselves in quality social education of its youth have already half the battle won. By education i just dont mean techinical education, on the contrary in todays times social education acquires far more importance.

Hicham, 27, Morocco: One very important issue is that Human Development leads to economic development; and vice versa if and only if people want that.

My idea is to build places for homeless people; and one for females who work in sex industry. This will target females who want to stop that. Then they will be trained to do things like knitting ... They can even Build FAMILIES with homeless males. Marriage of this kind should be highly adopted and cared about from the state.

I have participated in the last census in Morocco; and part of the people I interviewed are(or let's assume it good WERE) women working in sex. My duty as a hired employee was to ask for information. As a human though, my duty was a mission to help with Hope even to these kind of people. What I concluded is that the women are not satisfied with their job ! One female stated that here dream is to GET MARRIED. And hence I got the idea.

One other thing to decrease frustration is to support the institution of the Family or help youngs get married. Many will not think to make terrorist attacks if are linked to a wife and children. Migration will decrease too; and even if it happens, it is likely that immigrants will be back to their families. However assuming that there is no intention to be back, so at least these immigrants will be Good ones for the sake of their families.

Moreover many unemployed will be enforced to get a job or work hard to satisfy the need of his wife and family. More important is to sate how having a partner like a wife is to the human mind and soul. It will decrease that feeling of frustration. Needless to note that only Serious people who should qualify to receive The Marriage Relief. My idea here is Collective marriages each year.

Medically, getting married will make people be linked to their wives. This backs the idea of having sex with only one partner. ; and then limiting the transfer of the desease.

Chris, 30, Nigeria: YOUNG PEOPLE CAN ONLY BELIEVE WHAT THEY KNOW AND WHAT THEY ARE CONVINCED ABOUT. THEY NEED TO BE INFORMED. THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH SOME AREAS AND THIS HAS BEEN THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, WE COULD IMPROVE ON THIS BY GOING DEEPER, INTO THE VILLAGES TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE GETS THE MESSAGE RIGHT BY USING LOCAL LANGUAGES AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.

IN EVERY AREA OF LIFE THE AFRICAN YOUTH HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO ABSORB IDEAS NOR CREATE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT WELL INFORMED. THIS IS THE MAJOR CHALLENGE AS WE STEP INTO THE NEW MILLINIUM. INFORMATION IS VERY IMPORTANT IN LIFE, IT HAS THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME SITUATIONS BY FIRST ELIMINATING IGNORANCE AND BY EXPOSING THEM TO REALITY. THIS IS THE TRUE FIGHT AGAINST AIDS.

Mahboobullah, 21, Afghanistan: If you want to hear my opinion. I can have an easy way. Please stop exploiting people; espcially adults. The exploitation is the main reason for sex and then for the transfer of the HIV+ disease. If there shouldn't be any sex movies, any sex sites, any sex discos any pimp or colgar stations, we will be successful in saving many lives. Of course, we prevent other ways of transfer, as from syrnge, blood donation and blade cut etc. But the most difficult thing is only sex. So try to stop SEXXY SITES. Request the movie makers to make the films that should have not sites as sexy ones. Every lady either school or those working in the organizations should wear complete clothes; this will deffinitely finish this problem.

I am from the idea that Islam is the complete religion as it prohibits in every bad attitude like sexual affairs with other ladies except your wife or like drinking alcohol; that is loses your sense of humor and you want to do bad and dirty things as sex when you are unconcious.

Nothing is impossible and you know this old saying that impossible is in the dictionary of mad people. Let's make it possible. Let's do good things and let's bann on the sexxy sites, movies, centers, pictures and behaviours.

I thank you for giving me the chance to write my opinion.

Salim, 45, Bangladesh: Only awarnes progrqams.

Waroonyupa, 21, Thailand: What youth can do is to change the wrong social value about sex. Having sex should happen only when having reached both emotionally and intelligently maturity. Apart from concerning of their main roles of studying, youth must be proactive to investigate nearby people such as relatives and friends whether they have risky behavior, or not. And, if some of them have the deviant behavior, youth should advise, give suggestion, and persuade them to do beneficial things to the society instead.

Right now policy and program for youth security are not enough. Only few organizations and the government help, but all of them still lack of practical measures which can implement effectively. For example, when youths are attacked, there is no guarantee that they will not be attacked again especially from the attacks from people in their families.

Developing Programs to promote quality of life in both education and health are not throughout to youth in rural up-country regions. Youth participation and awareness of the social problems are in very small. Only the small amount of them pays attentions and dedicates to solve the problems untiringly. It is because most youth are likely to be influenced by the capitalism and fade their focus out from the social problems, which is different from the old generation who concern of it more.

Melvin, 22, United States: Governments are starting to recognize the voices of youths because of the high risks related to health, conflict, violence, and drug abuse. Groups like the Glocal Youth Parliament have become this era's instrument of mobility on both the global and local levels. Encouraging youth to take ownership of their ‘well being' as well as taking the lead in the well being of the future for humanity. Just that statement alone holds so much potential and power that the government can't turn a death ear when youth begin to question the current methods of the adults in charge. What can be improved upon: the level of priority within societal view demonstrated through the dollar amount; the amount of action present by volunteerism; the level of development identified by the structuring of generational comprehension? By using these items as guides can open doors of opportunity for global and local bodies to blend together through hard work and determination towards a single goal: This is what Glocalization is all about. This is what empowering the youth is all about. This is what it's all about: Being One Body, One World.

Jorge, 16, Colombia: We have two choices to improve the youth's health status: research and prevention. Specifically for AIDS, these two paths are clear:

1) educate youth in the areas where AIDS is growing, and also in those where AIDS is known by less people, and support prevention programs.

2) Increase resaerch on counter-AIDS medication. From these two paths, only education could lead to a healthier youth in the long run. Even if medications and vaccines would reduce the number of deaths by AIDS, they wouldn't reduce the number of people than acquire the disease every year, and they won't keep people from getting other sexually transmitted diseases.

Whizzy, 21, Zambia: I think the government has a major role to play in all this. Iam currently studying in Russia. What i have noticed is that the government here likes to keeps its youth in the dark. Its like they want to pretend there is no HIV/AiDS in Russia so u have them rarely and not seriously educting their youth. Only recently did they start advertising the use of condoms and even they are few and very far between. Most educational programmes on aids are broadcast late in the night when most people are sleeping! Meanwhile their girls are sexually active at the age if 14 or even younger. What the government needs to do is go out on a massive campaign! only when they make it a big thing will the youth realise exactly how serious this is. Prevention is better than cure(and there is no cure). The rates might not be as high as we have in Africa but if the situation is left as it is, they might rise.

Iiris, 22, Finland: I think what we need to do is take a deep, intense look at the very ethical values, that are shaping our society, and how everything we do every day relates to the world. That may be a naive thing to say, but this is what I try to stand for in my everyday life, myself, at least. Looks like a great project, keep up the good work at the bank, please!

Geoffrey, 23, Kenya: The transition to a healthy lifestyle, what an important quiz.It is crucial to first note that young people can only avoid the direct consequences of risky behaviour if they are aware of the risks themselves. Further more, intergrating the youth into policy formulation processes prepares them to responsibly tackle some of this risks. For instance, at my University in Kenya, the administration has installed female condom dispensers in the halls of residence of the girls, but a spot check reveals that most of the girls do not know how to use them,others do not like using them and a larger fraction still regards condom use a preserve for the men.This exposes the to the risks mentioned above. Women need to be empowered in all fields and especially in matters pertaining to their sexuality.

Enos, 25, Kenya: Young people should accept this challenges as they come and be taught to be responsible.programs should be put in placefor people affected by conflicts etc.Unfortunately our young people are out of touch for such arrangements.This calls for such organisations as the WB to redirect their efforts towards young people.

Humphrey, 25, Kenya: According to the UNFPA-Supporting Adolescence and Youth Report, half of the World population constitute of persons under the age of 25 years (young people). 87% of them are from the transitional countries (MOSTLY AFRICA). Such statistics calls for an immediate Gobal shift of focus to young people.Efforts to minimise the risk of succumbing to risky social behavior,should be spearheaded by: responsible community opinion leaders,peer leaders, religous leaders, teaching institutions and government leaders. Fighting rural poverty through sound educational and health schemes by goverments with special focus on the youth. Streamlining gender disparities between the youth( young men and women)to be given a level standing ground in all socio-economic spheres.Moreso,political stability and conflict resolution will go along way of safeguarding young people from participating in social evil like Wars and doing drugs.

Liga, 16, Latvia: I think that a lot of informatoin about drug abuse, sex, ways of solving problems, etc. should be learnt at school. And it is happening in many schools around the world but it's not done the right way. Children don't always believe theyr teachers that's why there should be people invitde to lessons who have gone through it: people suffering from HIV, ex drug addicts, people who have suffered from violance. Children have to hear true stories and see the consequences of risky behavior. That's the only way to show them that it's not worth changing "fun" for life.

Toluwase, 23, Nigeria: What i think the leaders of various government should do (especially, third world countries) is to empower their youth economically. If they are empowered, in the process weath will be created and the level of povert will be reducing. Therefore, youth will know what its takes to manage scarce resources rigth from their youthful age. If it continues in that way the society of each nation and the worlld as a whole will enjoy peace. Because these youth are the people who bad leaders use as a thuggery. Thanks.

Gerald, 24, Kenya: To help young people, there is an urgent need of assigning resposibilities as was a case in the past and give young people a real exposure of working environment and attachments with serious conditions. From my own experience, this reduce idle mind and also shape future aspirations. Education can not be ignored. But most important is to make sure during holidays, free time, young people got a serious intern to keep their mind engaged.

Aadhar, 16, India: In my view both the developing and developed words are suffering from this problem. Developed world: In the developed world there is a lot of awareness about sex and aids,etc. and thus HIV is on the decline there but the problem of obesity has crept in.So many people today are drinking more and more beer and going for junk food instead of home cooked health food. Developing and Under Developed World: Here junk food is making its way but the major problem is still that a lot of people eat food with oil and that many of them eat unhygenic food from roadside vendors.And regarding information about aids and other std's the little i say the better it is because the awareness is very very low.

Minkoulou, 22, Cameroon: Do we really have to make a transition into a healthy life? I think the question works for the young africans of today, we deserve more.In cameroon specifically I can see how many of us are involved in the Hiv prevention programs, but I believe the state should do more, how can it be that most of us live beyond a dollar per day and have to pay for preservatives, we need a world Aids free, but we are what we want to be.

Chiran, 22, Canada: I believe that education should be a crucial part in helping young people avoid then consequences of risky behavior. Many times, young people are unaware of the effects of their actions and generally engage in risky behavior due to this. Also, with education must come solutions to this and looking at the root causes of why young people engage of risky behavior.

It may be that due to lack of opportunities or other things for young people to do in a community, many will opt into engaging in risky behavior. Informing of the effects and also offering young people alternative things to do can change this dire statistic.

In many situations, even in a developed country such as Canada, policies exist in paper but little is there in terms of programs. Creating and implementing programs to encourage young people to engage in activities that are positive for a healthful lifestyle are very important.

Going through the stage of adolescent is not easy with many negative things young people are prone to, but with right encouragement and education, this trend can be reversed.

I think one of the main faults with many policies and programs is that young people's voices are not taken into consideration when crafting and implementing them. Youth have a lot to say about issues which affect them directly, and ignoring this important perspective and the participation

Nir, 15.5, Israel: First and foremost, youngsters are to be involved in all kinds of prevention measures programming in order to improve the prevention effectiveness. I believe that if we wish to make a real change, especially with young ones, we must increase awareness to HIV and the consequences of un-protected sexual relations throw educational systems. the problem with our currant way of action is that we are directing most of our ‘awareness resources' to the first world countries, since we are well aware of the fact that there will be no use of this kind of resources in third world countries which are with the most high percent of sick people. Therefore the problem is the fact that many of the third world countries are without any substantial education system—due to that fact the long term measure that is to be taken is the establishment of education systems throw out most of the African countries. This is the only real way to fight the disease. Apart from which, the distribution of medicines must grow immediately to save as many people as we can.

Elissa, 20, Canada: I think the concept that abstenence will HIV/AIDS needs to go! I can't believe that certain right-wing governments and religions are still pushing this as a way to avoid the spread of the disease.

Conflict, violence and drug abuse can be helped by developing better youth employment programs. Young people need meaningful work.

Some youth organizations address these issues- but they need financial help so bad! They are doing great work, they are very resourceful but they need finances. In my experience youth NGOs spend half our time trying to track down money- then evaluate our projects and report on them. That leaves us with very little time to actually do the projects!

Tero, 20, Solomon Islands: Dear mam/sir, As I read through your website, I am very interested. Regarding your question above, I think I have something to say in response, but first of all, I am going to let you know a little about myself. Well, I am from the Solomon Islands; My province is Gizo and my village is Nusabaruka. In my village there are about 2000 people. The life in my village is devastating; I mean really in bad shape. People do not know anything about how to keep the enviroment clean and know nothing about health at all. They do not bother to build any proper toilets instead, they love to just do their ‘pooping' thing in the ocean and that is why I am so interesting to study to become a Registered Nurse. To become a medical doctor is my longterm goal, but that will happen if I get any grants or schollarships, somehow. I am now studying in one of the community colleges here in U.S.A.

My dream is to get as much knowledge about health and what should be done about improving rural life and will return to home, Solomon Islands and help my village to know that they need to make a change not only for them, but for the little ones, yet to come. My dream is to build a library, so they can read books about diseases and know anything about the health; I also dream of building a proper public toilets, so no one is to use the sea again as the toilet because I love to eat fish. I am very serious in my dreams and I hope that by reading this message, this project is willing to help make this dream of mind comes true. I am willing to do anything you decide that we both know will bring a change in my village. This is the change I am so much looking forward for it to spring up in my village. Building a center for volanteers would be another great idea too, but for now what do you say? Please, feel free to e-mail me back; I can not wait to know more from you. Yours, Tero

Chawapol, 22, Thailand: Risky behavior of youth to receive HIV/AIDS can vastly decrease only if we focus not only promoting through media or organizing youth-related activities to let youth know how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. The missing puzzle of this solution is to empower youth to play a leading role in organizing the activities to promote it.

"No one knows youth better than youth!"

And, even there are millions way to provide the pre-vaccine for youth before becoming HIV/AIDS carrier, the best vaccine must be produced, distributed, and injected by youth in order to generate the lifelong strong immunity against HIV/AIDS.

Peerada, 20, Thailand: The young people are sensitively to social value. So the policy that help young people to avoid the risk behavior is giving them the knowledge and persuade them to faith in the moral value but still have the mercy mind. The youth that affected by the bad environment will have more possiblility to be a bad guy or fell in the darkside. The government should provide improving mental program or bring them to be in a good environment. Because the youth is the next force that develop this world, quality of them is an important thing that the people must consider.

Nancy, 19, Ghana: Young people can be helped from HIV/AIDS and drug abuse by being engaged in useful activities(craftsmanship and apprenticeship programmes).This will occupy them and help drift their minds off sex which usually sets in as a result of idleness.Young people being affected by conflict,violence must be approached by youthful organisations and made to know that they still have hope and could still be useful to themselves and the world at large.Yes there are:but are not being implemented in many countries.No ,i think there aren't young people involved.

Ndzana, 26, Cameroon: The prime responsability of our today globalized society should be insuring the better conditions for young people to live in a world delivered from diseases such as HIV/AIDS and any kind of violence. In Africa, the task of providing such an environment is critical because of extreme poverty which creates conditions for violence and the propagation of diseases. The task, in my own opinion should be creating enabling conditions for the future generation involvment in their lifes. Concerning the global fight against HIV/AIDS spreads in Africa, the question in to know if the policy makers and other development partners have creates conditions to first of all listen and learn to understand young people. I think, the response is NO. because, the figth against HIV/AIDS remains a political figth which doesn't involv and concern the future generation. As an exemple, in my own University Campus at Omar Bongo, the figth against the killing deasease only involv student in december the 1st. and after that, they are all alone. In addition, the price of condoms remain high (50 FCFA/unit), this creates enabling conditions for nex infections because of the poverty of student. The fight against HIV/AIDS should be a constant and long term fight which concern all the people of a given society.

To raise awarenss on such critical issues, we have set up alongside with some other student an organization called AFRICAN STUDENT DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES (ASDI). our main mission is to raise awareness on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and mainly to bold one of reversing the HIV/AIDS spread on young generation. In doing so, we're hardly convinced that this cannot occur whithout a concrete action and policy of reducing extreme poverty. In fact, poverty creates conditions for the propagation of HIV/AIDS. Because Without a proper policy of poverty reduction and capacity building on young generation, they will not really be concerned by any kind of HIV/AIDS and poverty reduction. Reducing poverty can help to eradicate HIV/AIDS, this can be done in connection with Job creation and capacity building on young generation.

Pairach, -, Thailand: What can be done to helpyoung people avoid the direst consequences of risky behavior, such as death from HIV/AIDS, now the deadliest killer of girls in many countries?

AIDS can be infected in many way so that there are diffrent ways to protect young people. Direct consequences of AIDS is to be infected. I suggest the only important solution to help them that is to educate for both young people to know the way to avoid these risky behavior and adult espeacialy parent to how to teach and persuade their chirldren in the right way because family is the heart of this solution.

What about youth affected by conflict, violence and drug abuse?

Nowaday the source of violence which harm youth is theirown family. Affect from these violence are tangible (children were hitted and have no education chance) and intangible ( their mind were destroied and hard to recover)

Are there sufficient policies and programs with regard to the health and life security of the world's youngpeople?

There are many programme which concern about public health and also women and children violence in Thailand such as . They also were provide many grant and bdget from government.

The problems are in the practical all policies which were good for all did not work and some could not be used due to besines incooperation such as a case of 7-eleven which not folowing the rule that prohibit ciggeratte show in front of the shop. So these policies and programme will sufficient if they can be use in practical.

Are young people involved in the formation and implementation of such?

Yes, some of them are involve but most of involving youth are good man. All kind of chilldren (not all chirldren just their representatives) should be involve in these policies and programme with no transation cost.

Ahmed, 60, Syria: it is difficult to isolate one of the social subjects of the others ,it is impossible to solve one problem , without solving the others , so we are in need to put a packege for all subjects that faces the world specialy in the poor countries .and so easy to start when the international communitee has a dicision , political dicision.

Golden, 44, Zimbabwe: For a lot of communities in remote rural areas in the so-called less developed nations non-formal education has greater value in the passing on of oral histories, group identities, and vital life skills. While formal school curriculum is designed with good intentions there is a general oversight to leverage on local knowledge.

V.S., 60, India: I am confident that the education system approach if reconstructed to suit the mental thinking process of young generation, it can definitely cope up with the demands of drop outs of primary schools all over the world. Presently the young kids of primary schools have more attractions to divert their minds from stable, creative human nature to fast living & quick happiness which ends abruptly. This makes them disillusioned, depressed & unhappy. They loose faith in values of life & develop destructive nature. The only way to get them back to secondary & higher education is make the curriculum of studies attractive, hopeful, job oriented & to look forward to bright future. The curriculum must develop in them confidence that the new subjects will not only be enjoyable attractive , challenging but will give them due earnings for betterment of their life. This is the challenge to educationist, career guidance experts. The non formal education need not to be bookish but should be acceptable approachable, practical & result oriented.

Servaas, 50, South Africa: Curriculum must focus much more on vocational and job/task related issues. Must we not change our views of education from the traditional western way of class rooms to an african system, because there is a critical shortage of schools, teachers and resources. How can you have one uniform system of schooling for the first and third world groups in one country like South-Africa. To make education now ‘average' is unfair to both sides.

L., 65, Botswana: Give up the propaganda of abstination. Teach young people of save sex. Make old traditionalist aware of a new thinking and new values on life.

Too much information can also make people not listen.

Edgar, 44, Guatemala: We may start by contributing to the creation of a collective utopia in the new generation. Something that may make their life worthwhile?, a long term plan shared by a generation. Without such a target, why should they care about living 20 or 80 years?

Venkatachellam, 56, India: It is indeed essential to educate the young children of the importance of healthy habits and avoidance of early sexual activities. It becomes imperative therefore sex education should be made compulsory in all Schools. In India talking of sex is a taboo which should be changed by making effective introduction of new and modern thoughts with regard to sex and sex abuse as well as drug and drug abuse.

Towards this end, all attempts to make transition to a healthy and healthful lifestyle by imparting the importance of clean habits, maintaining cleaniness and also understanding and appreciating the bad effects that would cause by drug abuse and sex abuse. The curriculum of syllubus should be so changed to meet the modern era where the system of education should evolve not only pupils studying in schools but attempts should be made to impart these eduction to the uneducated people in the rural areas by screening appropriate films on sex education which would avoid infection of HIV/AIDS.