Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The annual Y-PEER (Youth Peer Education Network) meeting within framework of International year of Youth, convened on 25-27 November at a beautiful mountain area of Tashkent region, gathered more than 50 young activists from all regions of Uzbekistan. It was aimed at giving the network members an opportunity for sharing information, reporting and planning, as well as equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed for their volunteer activities.

Y-PEER is supported by UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund and it promotes participation of youth in adolescent and reproductive health issues. It kicked off in Uzbekistan in 2005, and currently brings together more than 350 volunteers nationwide. Working with youth and for youth, the network aims to promote a healthy life style through peer to peer approach and to empower young people to make responsible decisions.

Since it was established in Uzbekistan five years ago, the network continues to grow, carrying away more and more young people with ideas of voluntarism and peer-to-peer education. So the meeting also focused on developing the structure of the network: selecting the team of regional focal points and agreeing on communications flow on the national and international levels.

The event also featured presentations from partners who have programmes targeting youth, such as the network’s main partner - national Centre for Youth Initiatives “Kelajak Ovozi”, UN Volunteers, UN Development Programme, German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) and others.

The planning of network activities for 2011 was done within the framework of International Year of Youth, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly. The year commencing 12 August 2010-2011 celebrates the involvement of youth into development activities worldwide, and calls upon governments, civil society, individuals and communities to support activities related to youth at all levels to mark the event.

On 1-10 December also marks the “10 Days of Activism” campaign – a unique initiative of Y-PEER network globally in support of International Year of Youth. During these 10 days, network activists throughout Uzbekistan will boost their volunteer activities on advocacy and peer-to-peer education on the issues of HIV/AIDS prevention and reproductive health.

“This is my first year with Y-PEER, and the first meeting with activists from all over Uzbekistan. It is amazing how in these three days we all get to know each other better, learn from each other’s experiences, brainstorm and come up with new fantastic ideas”

These are impressions of Mokhigul Juraeva from Samarkand. Mokhigul is relatively new to Y-PEER, but, in her 20, has already delivered a number of training sessions on HIV/AIDS prevention, healthy lifestyle and reproductive health to her peers in Samarkand and the regions.

Karl Kulessa, UNFPA Representative in Uzbekistan, welcomed network members and said: “We at UNFPA are happy to see that Y-PEER is so popular and active in Uzbekistan. Your work is vital in reaching out to young people, who comprise more than 65% of population in this country. We note that scope of activities organized by Y-PEER members have changed, and now it’s not limited to educational sessions in schools and outreach activities, but independently organized training of trainers in regions, and awareness campaigns. This illustrates how Y-PEER network has evolved in last years as one of the leading youth movements in the country”

Before young activists return to their homes and communities, there is one more surprise from meeting organizers – awarding of prizes in various nominations, such as “Best Newcomer Volunteer”, “Most Creative Campaign”, “Most Active Regional Team” and many others. Mokhigul’s team receives an award for the best theatre performance they staged in Samarkand city theatre on the World Youth Day on 12 August 2010.