LUXOR: Some 150 young people from three continents gathered in front of the vast temple complex of Karnak on Thursday night to celebrate International Youth Day. The day marks the start of the International Year of Youth, an initiative put in motion by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The principal aims of the year are to encourage youth participation in tackling today's pressing issues and to promote intercultural understanding between young people. “In a world in which different peoples and traditions are coming into closer, more frequent contact than ever before, it is crucial that young people learn how to listen intently, empathize with others, acknowledge divergent opinions, and be able to resolve conflicts,” said the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, in an address in the General Assembly Hall, New York, on Thursday. “Youth should be given a chance to take an active part in the decision-making of local, national and global levels,” he added. The celebration at the temples of Karnak brought together young people from more than 20 countries, including Austria, Burundi, Ethiopia, Japan and Indonesia. The Governor of Luxor, Samir Farag, began proceedings, noting that the temple of Karnak was the site of the signing of the first peace treaty in history, between Ramses II and the Hittites, over 3,000 years ago. A letter to the youth of the world was delivered by representatives of the national youth delegations in ten languages, including Turkish, Korean and Czech, as well as Arabic, French and English. The wife of President Hosni Mubarak, Suzanne Mubarak, under whose auspices the event was held, was broadcast in a video message. “More effort needs to be made in building bridges between nations,” she said. She also called for “commitment and passion” in working for “world peace and secure societies.” The celebration finished with traditional dances from Upper Egypt and Nubia, and a release of balloons into the sky. “It means a lot to Luxor to have this event here,” said Farag, speaking to Daily News Egypt. “The young generation take part and share” in the development of Luxor, recently helping a scheme to paint all the houses in Luxor the same color, Farag added. The event at Karnak came at the end of a week-long Nile cruise organized by Egypt's National Council for Youth. During the week delegations of young people from across the world came together to wonder at the monuments of ancient Egypt, from Philae Temple in Aswan to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, while learning about each other's countries. The trip was aimed at fostering cultural exchange as well as giving young people the opportunity to learn about Egypt and its history, according to the organizers. For the majority of the participants it was their first visit to Egypt, and, for some, to Africa. “It's an experience I'll probably never get in my life again, to meet so many people from different countries and [to experience] such an exchange in culture … I think I'll remember this my whole life,” said Seyeon Chung, 19, from South Korea, speaking to Daily News Egypt. The current International Year of Youth comes on the 25th anniversary of the UN's first year dedicated to young people, which concentrated on the ideals of participation, development and peace. The theme of the new initiative is “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding.” There are over 1.2 billion people aged between 15 and 24 in the world today, and 87 percent of these young people live in developing countries, according to the UN. In recognition of the importance of engaging with this large constituency, the UN is encouraging youth organizations around the world to contribute in their own ways to the Year of Youth.
