Entry Seven: Durban August 30, Durban

I don't like going to the NGO forums because most of them are not interactive, like GK workshops. At Global Kids workshops we get to express our opinions and at the same time have fun, but at the ones here we listen to one person talking for about two hours.

I am now in another meeting of youth working on the youth declaration that we started at the Youth Summit. I don't know how to feel anymore. I don't know whether the UN is in the wrong when it comes to the Youth Summit (and the follow-up during the NGO Forum) running smoothly or whether we, as youth, are.

I don't exactly know what is happening but many people expect the declaration (whether it is a draft or a working document) to be ready now for us to discuss. Many youth here don't understand that it takes time for something to be ready. But I noticed that in the declaration, many changes suggested earlier by youth representatives were not included. That made me terribly angry. Who should I blame though?

How do I acknowledge that a higher power is doing the damage? What political motive would one have to destroy or eliminate most of the hard work that youths put into producing a declaration? Honestly, this week has been such a mess that I cannot quite understand what is really going on.

Many people say that the youth are not being listening to. I don't know about that. Maybe it's true.

Dezroy has decided to be an activist. I don't know what he is raising his voice for but it must be something important (he'll probably end up being a leader some day).

Annie began to create writing exercises for herself to challenge her writing abilities. The following is one of them, in which the statement runs through the letters of the alphabet.

Anyone out here care about
Big WCAR (World
Conference Against Racism) in
Durban, South Africa? Well, I don't know if
Every country is being represented.
Fortunately there are so many NGO's (Non-
Governmental Organizations) that are
Here, no one would really notice.
I am here with Global Kids' leaders, Barry Joseph and Michele Luc. Two
Kids, Dezroy and me are
Lucky enough to have
Made it to South Africa. We meet
New people everyday at the NGO forum and I have to interview
One person, at least, on how they feel. Different
People, different responses to
Questions, and they are from different places.
Remembering their names is not hard
Since they have name
Tags on. We all speak a
Universal language: Love. Some people are
Victims of racism and
Would like some compensation. They have different
X-periences. Many of the
Youth here, I notice, work on emotion. They are over
Zealous but they are reasonable.

Annie's Journal Traveling Day Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 - 8 Day 9 Traveling Day

Dezroy's Journal Traveling Day Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 & 5 Day 6 Day 7 - 8 Day 9 Day 10 Traveling Day