Report on GYM 2006
I,Chithra Nair,has been lucky to be one among the national delegates for the Global Youth Meet on health,GYM 2006.I was sponsored by KVHS(Kerala Voluntary Health Services).It has been the first ever Global Youth Meet on health,conducted by the NGO-team Hriday Shan at Agra from November 14th-19th,2006.Now,shall I share my experiences at the Meet?
Before going to the finer details,let us have a look at the chronological order of events to get a broader view.GYM 2006 was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on the 14th of November at the Major Dyan Chand National Stadium,New Delhi.The highlight of the PM’s speech was the emphasis on the need to “respect” and “uphold” the “right to health” of children.Then the venue got shifted to Agra for the real sessions.
In the days that followed i.e.,November 15th to 18th,topics such as (1)Tobacco,Alcohol and Drug Control,(2)Diet,Nutrition and Physical Activity(3)Measures to prevent HIV,Promotion of healthy gender relations,Means to promote peace and non-violent conflict resolutions(4)Environment and Road Safety were covered.Apart from this broad classification of subjects,each day’s sessions were sub-divided into three sections : the Plenary,Group Discussion and Skill Building Workshop.
Here is a day-wise analysis of events:
The first day covered topics ranging from tobacco & alcohol consumption to second-hand smoking.The Global Youth Tobacco Survey, presented by Mr Nathan Jones from WHO,brought out alarming facts such as 1 in 4 smokers had tried smoking by the age of 10.It also brought to focus that 8 in 10 tobacco users had seen pro-tobacco ads.Two of the youth panelists, Anna White/Canada and Tyzon Suzuki/Hawaii,presented their works and echoed the same message: the tobacco industry is targetting the youth and it’s our turn to react.This feeling was endorsed by Mr.Hatai Chinondh’s/Thailand presentation,showing how he spear-headed a mass movement in Thailand against tobacco ads and succeeded in discontinuing the most popular ad-campaigns of the country.
Regarding alcohol consumption,Mr Olcott Gunasekhara/Srilanka was of the opinion that it was influenced by 4As: Availability,Accessibilty,Affordability and Acceptability.With the given resources, one can thus conclude that ,in order to curb the use of tobacco,alcohol and drugs ,we should ban pro-tobacco ads and impose stringent pricing and taxation on the products.
The second day of the Meet focussed on Diet,Nutrition and Physical Activity.Mr Victor Matsudo simply summed up that the number of papers published on health today was inversely proportional to the physical activity shown by the people.Ms Bhavana Mukhopadyay of VHAI(The Voluntary Health Association of India) opined that health & physical activity advocacy campaigns ought to be decentralised.She also brought out the physical activity-oriented rich culture we possess,by citing Kerala’s “Kalaripayattu&Vallamkali” as examples.Another suggestion that came up during the Plenary was the need for the regular monitoring of the alarmingly unchecked growth of global food industries.
The group session and skill building workshop,I attended,was on the Promotion of physical activity in schools.The discussions were highly fruitful and helped us derive conclusive action plans.It emphasised on making physical activity appealable to childern by adding fun and glamour to it,using celebrities as role-models and incorporating health education & regular medical check-ups in schools.
The third day of our Meet was on HIV: Prevention & Promotion of healthy gender relations and Promotion of non-violent conflict resolutions.The later half of the session was missed by me (Mr Farooq,a US-based film-maker,wanted to have an interactive filming session with me shedding the individual experiences of the overall session).
The Indian situation regarding HIV: the number affected & the action taken, along with a few thought-provoking real life examples, was well laid out by the Union Minister Mr Oscar Fernandez.The group session was quite informative as it presented the same problem of gender relations under different conditions and cultures.A common suggestion that evolved during the debate,in which I volunteered to be the faciltator,was that women,being the most vulnerable,ought to be empowered and encouraged.
The skill-building workshop that I attended later on was the most memorable.It dealt with the use of innovative methods,like magic tricks,puzzles and board games,for AIDS-campaigns.It was conducted by two youngsters,under the banner of “The Indian Institute of Young Inspirers”.They proudly claimed to be the products of a similar Meet,held a decade ago.It conveys the message that a group of committed youth can create a change.
Fittingly,the last day’s sessions highlighted Environment and Road Safety.It is quite natural that the waste of one organism forms the food for another.Ms Usha Srinivasan,from an Enviro-NGO,advocated the explorability of the same principle to industry:how far the waste of an industry forms the raw material of another.It was thought-provoking! Ms Sumita Das Gupta,who underlined the importance of better management of water resources,called upon the need of handing over the management of water resources back to the people.
Although the sessions on environment was insrumental in drawing up certain strategies,the session on Road Safety failed to achieve its purpose.Speaker after speaker dealt upon the present bleak scenario rather than spelling out concrete remedies to address the problems.
So much about the technical sessions at GYM.Then we moved back to Delhi for the Valedictory Ceremony.It was held at Sirifort Auditorium and presided over by the Chief Minister of Delhi,Ms Sheila Dixit.It is worth mentioning that,both the opening and closing ceremonies were attended by thousands of school children from Delhi,showcasing well-choreographed cultural activities.
Now,shall I share my personal views?
Apart from the technical sessions, it is the ‘social networking’ at the Meet that makes GYM ever-memorable.The arrangement of providing roomates of different nationalities was quite helpful in exchange of ideas and in knowing more about the region-specific activities.Morover,the socio-cultural gatherings in the evenings,plus the dance parties created an ambience of mutual understanding and a feeling of “We are one for one cause”.
To sum up,this Meet has helped me to “think globally and act locally” as regards to health-related activities.This Meet has been instrumental in widening my perspective on health issues.
I learnt a lesson from the revelations of the delegates from Nigeria and Sudan.I felt that with inadequate infrastructure and lesser funds,they did more!!.
Health and Hygiene,often a subject calling for fire-fighting remedies,has now become a subject that is hotly debated.Therefore,the time has come when we ought to shift from the terms “better health” to “sustainable health culture”.A health culture can be evolved by inculcating the traditional food habits and medicine ,specific to one’s region ,to one’s daily habits; and de-promation of aerated drinks and junk food by de-glamourising them and making eco-friendly products appealable to the masses.
The message of ‘Unity in Diversity’echoed throughout the Meet.Youth from different corners and cultures of the world assembled under one roof to discuss one cause:the health of the present and future generations.Each young advocate of health was encouraged by the fact he/she was not alone.Thus,the Meet has helped me realize the power of committed youth .So,if we strive hard,we can surely create a healthier tomorrow.Now, I have the confidence to disseminate whatever I learnt ,to my peers,whenever occasion permits.
Chithra Nair
02-12-06.
I,Chithra Nair,has been lucky to be one among the national delegates for the Global Youth Meet on health,GYM 2006.I was sponsored by KVHS(Kerala Voluntary Health Services).It has been the first ever Global Youth Meet on health,conducted by the NGO-team Hriday Shan at Agra from November 14th-19th,2006.Now,shall I share my experiences at the Meet?
Before going to the finer details,let us have a look at the chronological order of events to get a broader view.GYM 2006 was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on the 14th of November at the Major Dyan Chand National Stadium,New Delhi.The highlight of the PM’s speech was the emphasis on the need to “respect” and “uphold” the “right to health” of children.Then the venue got shifted to Agra for the real sessions.
In the days that followed i.e.,November 15th to 18th,topics such as (1)Tobacco,Alcohol and Drug Control,(2)Diet,Nutrition and Physical Activity(3)Measures to prevent HIV,Promotion of healthy gender relations,Means to promote peace and non-violent conflict resolutions(4)Environment and Road Safety were covered.Apart from this broad classification of subjects,each day’s sessions were sub-divided into three sections : the Plenary,Group Discussion and Skill Building Workshop.
Here is a day-wise analysis of events:
The first day covered topics ranging from tobacco & alcohol consumption to second-hand smoking.The Global Youth Tobacco Survey, presented by Mr Nathan Jones from WHO,brought out alarming facts such as 1 in 4 smokers had tried smoking by the age of 10.It also brought to focus that 8 in 10 tobacco users had seen pro-tobacco ads.Two of the youth panelists, Anna White/Canada and Tyzon Suzuki/Hawaii,presented their works and echoed the same message: the tobacco industry is targetting the youth and it’s our turn to react.This feeling was endorsed by Mr.Hatai Chinondh’s/Thailand presentation,showing how he spear-headed a mass movement in Thailand against tobacco ads and succeeded in discontinuing the most popular ad-campaigns of the country.
Regarding alcohol consumption,Mr Olcott Gunasekhara/Srilanka was of the opinion that it was influenced by 4As: Availability,Accessibilty,Affordability and Acceptability.With the given resources, one can thus conclude that ,in order to curb the use of tobacco,alcohol and drugs ,we should ban pro-tobacco ads and impose stringent pricing and taxation on the products.
The second day of the Meet focussed on Diet,Nutrition and Physical Activity.Mr Victor Matsudo simply summed up that the number of papers published on health today was inversely proportional to the physical activity shown by the people.Ms Bhavana Mukhopadyay of VHAI(The Voluntary Health Association of India) opined that health & physical activity advocacy campaigns ought to be decentralised.She also brought out the physical activity-oriented rich culture we possess,by citing Kerala’s “Kalaripayattu&Vallamkali” as examples.Another suggestion that came up during the Plenary was the need for the regular monitoring of the alarmingly unchecked growth of global food industries.
The group session and skill building workshop,I attended,was on the Promotion of physical activity in schools.The discussions were highly fruitful and helped us derive conclusive action plans.It emphasised on making physical activity appealable to childern by adding fun and glamour to it,using celebrities as role-models and incorporating health education & regular medical check-ups in schools.
The third day of our Meet was on HIV: Prevention & Promotion of healthy gender relations and Promotion of non-violent conflict resolutions.The later half of the session was missed by me (Mr Farooq,a US-based film-maker,wanted to have an interactive filming session with me shedding the individual experiences of the overall session).
The Indian situation regarding HIV: the number affected & the action taken, along with a few thought-provoking real life examples, was well laid out by the Union Minister Mr Oscar Fernandez.The group session was quite informative as it presented the same problem of gender relations under different conditions and cultures.A common suggestion that evolved during the debate,in which I volunteered to be the faciltator,was that women,being the most vulnerable,ought to be empowered and encouraged.
The skill-building workshop that I attended later on was the most memorable.It dealt with the use of innovative methods,like magic tricks,puzzles and board games,for AIDS-campaigns.It was conducted by two youngsters,under the banner of “The Indian Institute of Young Inspirers”.They proudly claimed to be the products of a similar Meet,held a decade ago.It conveys the message that a group of committed youth can create a change.
Fittingly,the last day’s sessions highlighted Environment and Road Safety.It is quite natural that the waste of one organism forms the food for another.Ms Usha Srinivasan,from an Enviro-NGO,advocated the explorability of the same principle to industry:how far the waste of an industry forms the raw material of another.It was thought-provoking! Ms Sumita Das Gupta,who underlined the importance of better management of water resources,called upon the need of handing over the management of water resources back to the people.
Although the sessions on environment was insrumental in drawing up certain strategies,the session on Road Safety failed to achieve its purpose.Speaker after speaker dealt upon the present bleak scenario rather than spelling out concrete remedies to address the problems.
So much about the technical sessions at GYM.Then we moved back to Delhi for the Valedictory Ceremony.It was held at Sirifort Auditorium and presided over by the Chief Minister of Delhi,Ms Sheila Dixit.It is worth mentioning that,both the opening and closing ceremonies were attended by thousands of school children from Delhi,showcasing well-choreographed cultural activities.
Now,shall I share my personal views?
Apart from the technical sessions, it is the ‘social networking’ at the Meet that makes GYM ever-memorable.The arrangement of providing roomates of different nationalities was quite helpful in exchange of ideas and in knowing more about the region-specific activities.Morover,the socio-cultural gatherings in the evenings,plus the dance parties created an ambience of mutual understanding and a feeling of “We are one for one cause”.
To sum up,this Meet has helped me to “think globally and act locally” as regards to health-related activities.This Meet has been instrumental in widening my perspective on health issues.
I learnt a lesson from the revelations of the delegates from Nigeria and Sudan.I felt that with inadequate infrastructure and lesser funds,they did more!!.
Health and Hygiene,often a subject calling for fire-fighting remedies,has now become a subject that is hotly debated.Therefore,the time has come when we ought to shift from the terms “better health” to “sustainable health culture”.A health culture can be evolved by inculcating the traditional food habits and medicine ,specific to one’s region ,to one’s daily habits; and de-promation of aerated drinks and junk food by de-glamourising them and making eco-friendly products appealable to the masses.
The message of ‘Unity in Diversity’echoed throughout the Meet.Youth from different corners and cultures of the world assembled under one roof to discuss one cause:the health of the present and future generations.Each young advocate of health was encouraged by the fact he/she was not alone.Thus,the Meet has helped me realize the power of committed youth .So,if we strive hard,we can surely create a healthier tomorrow.Now, I have the confidence to disseminate whatever I learnt ,to my peers,whenever occasion permits.
Chithra Nair
02-12-06.
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