Youth Recommendations during the 3rd UNAOC Forum in Rio de Janeiro.

Forum title : Bridging Cultures, Building Peace.

1. As ambassadors of our own cultures, we have been hard at work constructing bridges of intercultural dialogue to alleviate common misunderstandings and stereotypes, which have often been exploited by the media. In order to overcome these problems, we must go beyond this Forum and use this educational experience in our own communities.

2. We, students of the world, believe education is a powerful means of reform. Education must be accessible to each individual and must include media literacy education. We recommend that each of you take the time to consider that our physical space is increasingly diverse and more interconnected. Education must reflect this new reality.

3. We, frequent victims of media exploitation, must be given a platform to voice our real concerns. When youth play an integral role in decision-making, they can reverse the stereotypes that can be generated by media.

4. We, ambassadors of our own cultures, demand the stamp of Human Rights Declaration in our passports so that they are respected wherever we may travel.

5. We, migrants and seekers of mobility, strongly encourage governments to base their policies on an inclusive model of coexistence.

6. We, as those most deeply affected by the current economic and social conditions, strongly recommend that social and economic protection of youth be ensured. More particularly, youth unemployment needs to be urgently addressed by the public and private sectors. Also, investments in the youth sector need to be substantially increased to allow youth to realize their full potential.

7. Following the outcomes of the Youth Event of the Istanbul Forum, and taking into consideration our commitment expressed in the Youth Event of the Rio Forum, anticipate to convene in Baku, in October 2010, for the First Convention of the Global Youth Movement for the Alliance of Civilizations. Your partnership in strengthening involvement of youth from all corners of the world in the Alliance of Civilizations is clearly needed.

8. It is easy for us to give our recommendations, but we, the youth representatives at the Rio Forum, want to assure each of you that we are also taking responsibility for these recommendations. We should each lead by example and bridge our cultures.