On October 25-28, 2010, the International Association for National Youth Service (IANYS) will convene youth civic engagement professionals for the 9^th Global Conference on National Youth Service in Alexandria, Egypt. (Registration is now open. Click here to register!)

The 2010 Global Conference is organized by IANYS Secretariat – Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) – in partnership with the Library of Alexandria and the John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at the American University in Cairo.

It is an exciting opportunity for professionals in the field of youth development to come together to exchange knowledge and discuss current developments with other policymakers, practitioners and researchers.  Participants will include professionals in the field of youth civic engagement from across the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region and from around the world.

The 9th Global Conference on National Youth Service will draw considerable attention to the importance of youth engagement throughout the world, with tremendous benefits for youth community engagement efforts. It will provide a significant opportunity for increased networking and collaboration among youth service stakeholders from different countries globally.

Participants at the 8th Global Conference in Paris

The conference will also enable youth policy practitioners to learn from other professionals, ranging from those working in well-established and successful programs to those just beginning to consider the potential of youth service.

The 9^th Global Conference will take place over the course of three and a half days and will include a special multi-session track on the connection between youth service and employability; a track for policymakers and others interested in National Youth Service policy development; and sessions to explore other theoretical and practical themes of service, such as peace building and post-conflict reconstruction, service and technology, impact evaluation, private sector funding for youth service and more.

This programming will provide participants with the chance to hear perspectives related programs and policies at all stages of development and will also provide important insight into how successful youth service programs benefit all young people and communities. More information, including the preliminary conference agenda, can be found at www.icicp.org/ianys

The last conference in Paris in 2008 saw the largest single gathering of participants and the most diverse representation of countries in IANYS history, with more than 120 participants from approximately 40 countries attending.  Given this growing interest in youth civic engagement globally, IANYS expects a similar level of participation at this year’s conference in Egypt.

As today’s youth population is the largest in history making the transition to adulthood, coupled with the significant challenges facing the world today, it is vital that we tap into this valuable resource in every nation around the world. Through this conference, participants will help advance youth service as a strategy across the world by contributing ideas, knowledge and experience.

New Libraray in Alexandria, Egypt

The location for the IANYS 9^th Global Conference, the new Library of Alexandria, is a state of the art establishment in Alexandria, Egypt, with a library that holds millions of books, four museums, four art galleries, a planetarium, nine permanent exhibitions, eight academic research centers and more! The city of Alexandria, known as “the Pearl of the Mediterranean”, is equally captivating, with its abundant historical landmarks, multi-periodic architecture, limitless antiquities and stunning Mediterranean Sea coastline.