World Bank Essay Competition

Current world population includes an estimated 1.2 billion young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years, which is about 24.7% of the world’s working age population. Worldwide youth unemployment is high, almost three times higher than the adult unemployment rate. With the economic downturn, the worldwide youth unemployment is expected to reach 15% in 2009 (International Labor Organization, 2008). In certain parts of the world, i.e., Sub-Saharan Africa, youth unemployment rates can be as high as 60%. More than one third of the young people in the world are unemployed, have completely given up looking for a job or are working but still living below the $2 a day poverty line (ILO), or have migrated. Young job seekers face increasing difficulties finding work in the current economic scenario.

How can youths be part of the solution?

The Essay Competition invites youths to share ideas on:

How can you tackle youth unemployment through youth-led solutions?
Please answer both questions:

1. How does youth unemployment affect you, your country, town or local community?
2. What can you do, working together with your peers, to find a sustainable solution for job seekers through youth entrepreneurship? Think specifically about the barriers youths face in the labor market and how to tackle difficulties in accessing capital for business startups.

We encourage you to give concrete examples if you have personal experience as a young entrepreneur and if not share your ideas about how you would go about creating a business/ work opportunities in your local community/ town/ country.

Length and format

General: All work must be submitted by individuals, group work is not allowed.
One participant may only submit one work per category. However, one participant may (but doesn’t have to, of course) submit work in both categories, that is: one essay and one video.
All submissions must be made online via the Essay Competition website. Videos are submitted via YouTube.

Submissions can be made in English, French or Spanish.

Essay: Your essay may not be longer than 4000 words (about 10 pages of standard text). Essays are accepted in the following formats: .doc or .pdf.
You are also required to provide a summary of no more than 250 words. The summary will be used by the jury to make a pre-selection.

Video: Your video may not be longer than 2 minutes.
To submit a video, you must create a YouTube account and upload your work on the YouTube website. Additionally, you are required to submit a form via the Essay Competition website, which will allow us to identify your work. Details of the submission process please click here.

Half of all adults with a disability have trouble coping with daily tasks - study

MORE THAN half of all adults living with a disability say they have experienced difficulties going shopping, getting away for a holiday, taking part in community life and socialising in public venues, according to a new study.

The National Disability Survey from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) also reveals that 56 per cent of people with a disability who live in their own homes get help with everyday activities.

Family members are the main source of support for people with disabilities living in the community with 42 per cent of individuals receiving assistance with routine tasks from relatives who live with them.

One-third of adults with a disability who live in private households said they experienced difficulties doing routine tasks inside their home because of their disability. A further 19 per cent said they had a lot of difficulty carrying out everyday activities on their own.

The study shows people living in nursing homes and hospitals had higher levels of difficulty doing everyday activities such as washing and cooking.

Some 86 per cent of adults living in healthcare settings are unable to take a bath or shower by themselves compared to 31 per cent of people who reside in their own homes.

While some adults with a disability said they had made improvements to their home to help assist them carry out tasks on their own, 52 per cent of adults in private households said a lack of money meant they were unable to adapt their homes.

People with a disability who live in their own homes are far more likely to take part in social activities than those residing in nursing homes.

However, more than half of people with disabilities in private households reported having had problems when out in public settings such as bars, restaurants and shops.

Three-quarters of people with disabilities in private households said they did not regularly use public transport with most saying this was because they experienced difficulties getting on and off buses, trains, the Dart or Luas. Many respondents also reported problems transferring from one service to another and to getting to transport hubs.

Fine Gael said the study findings showed that the Government was failing in its duty to offer assistance to people with disabilities.

‘‘The problems identified in this survey concern activities that most of us would consider integral to our daily lives. I see no reason why people with disabilities should be forced to face barriers like this in the 21st century,’’ said the party’s disability spokesman David Stanton.

‘‘It is very obvious that much more needs to be done to improve the lives of people with disabilities. The Government must fulfil its commitments to these people and their carers,’’ he added.

India: With more and ‘exclusive’ hands, disabled welfare dept overcomes its disability

Nearly 15 years after it was formed, the Department of Disabled Welfare of the state government has finally overcome its “disabilities”, as it will have its own officers posted in the districts.

So far, the responsibility of district disabled welfare officer was discharged by officers from the social welfare department.

The first batch of 25 disabled welfare officers, who have been recruited by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC), will be posted in 25 districts. The department hopes that by the end of the year, all 71 districts will have their disabled welfare officers.

On Wednesday, the 25 officers attended a sensitisation workshop in Lucknow along with director disabled welfare and other senior officials. The workshop was jointly organised by the state department and Sense International (India), a Gujarat-based NGO working on multi-disabilities.