Thousands gather for UNICEF’s Adolescent and Youth Forum in Kazakhstan

15:31, 14 January 2010

ASTANA. January 14. KAZINFORM Over 2,500 people attended the first-ever Adolescents and Youth Forum called 'We are the Peers of Our Country's Independence', held in Kazakhstan's capital Astana on 7 December 2009. In front of an audience including the Minister of Education and senior Government officials, young Kazakhs spoke about issues that directly affect their lives.

"No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth," said UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan Hanaa Singer in his opening speech. The Forum was organized by the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science and UNICEF.

Minister of Education and Science of Kazakhstan Zhanseit Tuymebayev encouraged the adolescents and young people. "You will be dealing with big tasks on the solution of which our country's future will depend," he said. "Your knowledge and success is the guarantee for our state's prosperity. You are the young generation which has to change life for better with your knowledge", Kazinform refers to the press centres of the UNICEF.

See www.unicef.org for full version.

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