Youth leaders meet in Moscow to discuss road safety
YOURS organized a youth meeting for road safety on 18 November in Moscow. The youth meeting brought together youth leaders from the 6 continents and was attended by high dignitaries from the Russian Federation, World Health Organization and Michelin.
Mr Sergey Mikhailovich Mironov, Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia opened the Youth Meeting and welcomed the youth leaders in Moscow. Mr Rashid Nurgaliev, Minister of Inernal Affairs of the Russian Federation, mentioned in the opening ceremony that he will listen to the advise of the young people and together we can make a change.
Mr Patrick Lepercq, Corporate Vice President Public Affairs of Michelin challenged the young people to bring good ideas to the table and hoped for more youth involvement in the future. Finally Mr Etienne Krug, WHO Director of the Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability, welcomed the youth leaders and congratulate them with the launch of YOURS.
After the words of the dignitaries it was time for the youth to share their ideas. Nellie Ghusayni gave a presentation on the global traffic injury problem and global prevention efforts. She told the audience about the high risks young people face and what can be done (helmets, speed limits, alcohol limits, seatbelts and child restraints). Floor Lieshout then explained the background of YOURS and how it evolved in an independent youth NGO. His main message was the importance of global collaboration between and with young people. Young people are the causes of many tragedies on the road and must also be part of the solution.
Jennifer Heatly, vice-chair of the Canadian Road Safety Youth Committee told about the situation in Canada and the national prevention efforts. Their focus is on advocacy and creating a youth network from coast to coast. Axel Druart, European network director, was the final speaker and explained how the youth network is working together in Europe. He mentioned many European campaigns and he is a strong believer of peer-to-peer communication.
At the end of the meeting the youth leaders adopted a Youth Declaration for Road Safety, urging all players in the field of road safety to keep in mind the victims of road crashes, especially all the young people, and to join YOURS in its efforts to change the current situation. This declaration was presented to all attendants of the Ministerial Conference during the opening ceremony of the Ministerial Conference, where YOURS, together with President Medvedev and others, addressed the delegates.
