Young Amazonians demand public policies and budget in Pará

society

Coalition believes that by focusing specific efforts and resources on this age group

To speak to society about the importance of public policies aimed at the population aged 15 to 29, which in Pará has more than 2 million inhabitants (IBGE, 2022), a coalition formed by youth networks mobilizes signatures for the “Charter of organizations of civil society in the Amazon in favor of the creation of the Pará Youth Secretariat”, open for membership by the public, individually, and by organizations. The document was launched on March 30th, on World Youth Day.

The manifesto, addressed to the governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho, is part of the “We want it now! Youth Secretariat of Pará”, and argues for the creation of the department to formulate and implement public policies aimed at young people in the state. The coalition believes that by focusing specific efforts and resources on this age group, the secretariat will be able to identify the needs of young people, from educational and employment issues to mental health, social inclusion and combating the climate crisis.

The network’s proposals for public policies in the state are described in the “Agenda of Public Policies, Projects and Programs for young people in Pará: The construction we want”, a guide document for public managers, decision makers, organizations and young people with priorities , principles and guidelines for the creation and implementation of effective policies for Amazonian youth in the state of Pará. Built collectively, the agenda heard more than 40 young people, representatives of 33 organizations, seeking to materialize effective changes to guarantee rights in the territories Pará.

Budget

Even though it is ¼ of the population, there is only one management within the Secretariat of Racial Equality and Human Rights (SEIRDH-PA), with a budget for 2024 of just R$20 thousand – which corresponds to almost R$0.01 per young person in the state . According to Karla Braga, project director at the Amazon Youth Cooperation Institute for Sustainable Development (Cojovem), the creation of a Youth Secretariat in Pará is an effective way to allocate budget to public policies for young people.

“Pará will host COP 30, we need to leave a legacy for the forest, but also for those who keep this forest standing. Among these people are young people, who will sustain tomorrow and suffer most from the consequences of climate change. That is why it is very important for us to have a secretariat that can think sensitively about young people, from youth to youth, and have a budget allocated to this”, says Karla.

The campaign for the creation of a Secretariat for youth also aims to mobilize public authorities about the need to increase resources to run programs aimed at young people. Geographer and researcher Pedro Mota, from Cojovem, states that the research “Fala, Juventudes do Pará” shows that more than 60% of young people in the state are in a situation of social, economic and environmental vulnerability.

“This involves employability, precarious studies, urban and rural violence, where they are most affected. We ask ourselves, are we not citizens? Are we not part of this state? What future Amazon will we ensure without young people, who will live the consequences of climate change for longer?”, asks the researcher.

*With information from consultancy

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