IAVE World Youth Summit 2011

IAVE has selected Partners of the Americas to host the second World Youth Summit, which will take place on November 3-5, 2011 in Barranquilla, Colombia. In conjunction with the Universidad del Norte (UNINORTE), IAVE and Partners will bring youth together from all corners of the world to explore ways to increase social inclusion and civic participation through volunteer service.

“It is a tremendous honor to have been selected by IAVE to host the next World Youth Summit,” said Steve Vetter, President and CEO of Partners of the Americas. “And, Partners is eager to move forward and begin planning what I am confident will be a transformational event for everyone involved. All of us working on this will spare no effort to ensure its success.”

Event Will Promote Youth Volunteerism and Celebrate Global Accomplishments
The World Youth Summit is a unique event in the world of volunteering, an occasion when all young people involved in volunteerism unite to celebrate and share their knowledge and experiences. The second World Youth Summit comes 10 years after the first was held in Tokyo in 2001, which celebrated the United Nations Designated International Year of the Volunteer (IYV).  The Summit in Colombia will mark IAVE’s cornerstone event to close the 10th anniversary celebration of the International Year of the Volunteer, or IYV+10. The Summit will feature distinguished international speakers, as well as expert workshop and forum leaders and presenters from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments and the corporate sector.

Partners selected Barranquilla to be the host city for the event, as youth throughout Latin America are increasingly demonstrating active citizenship through volunteer service. Across the region, youth organize projects and fundraisers to address the most pressing needs of their communities – regardless of politics or the global economy. The World Youth Summit will promote youth volunteerism, build capacity, and celebrate the accomplishments of youth globally.  

IAVE will lead efforts to highlight the importance of volunteerism throughout 2011, culminating in the World Youth Summit hosted by Partners of the Americas.

For more information, contact Partners at mclausen@partners.net, mgolladay@partners.net, or +1-202-628-3300.

About Partners of the Americas
Partners of the Americas is one of the largest volunteer networks in the Western Hemisphere. It is an international, grassroots network that connects volunteers, institutions and communities to serve and change lives.  With over 100 volunteer chapters linked in sustainable partnership, Partners builds mutual understanding between diverse cultures and builds the capacity of civil society to contribute to the social and economic development of the region. Partners’ youth programs develop youth to become leaders in their communities through volunteer service. For more information, visit www.partners.net