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In this page, you can witness and see the programs and events that VOICE OF THE YOUTH NETWORK has been involved. Hope this picture will help to inspire, inform and involve all the Filipino youth especially the VOTY NET Coordinators to do more in their own communities.
VOTY LOGO
As you can see in this logo, we can notice that it's a symbol of a youth. You can make the word VOTY in this symbol. The reason why there are two symbol is that the first logo symbolizes the older youth and then the smaller one is the new generation of youth leaders. So meaning, the older one will inspire, inform and involve the younger one and when the time comes the legacy will continue. You can also read the V. O. T. Y letter that represents the ACRONYM of the group.
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GIVING YOUTH A VOICE ON ISSUES AFFECTING THEM
Giving youth a voice on issues affecting them
Pocholo Gonzales
Quezon City, Philippines
According to a recent survey of youth in the Philippines, young people view poverty, crime, and government-related issues to be the most pressing challenges facing the nation. At the same time, respondents overwhelmingly answered that they feel helpless in addressing such challenges.
How do you empower young people to make a difference? How do you maximize the efforts of youth leaders who are actively promoting social change? Such questions have long motivated Pocholo Gonzales, now 24, in his work as a youth organizer. Pocholo sees great promise for engaging the active participation of Philippine youth in helping to ameliorate a range of urgent social problems.
With young people, ages 15 to 30, making up one-third of the Filipino population, they play an increasingly large role in the development of Philippine society, says Pocholo. Their attitudes, values, mindset, and priorities have a critical role to play in shaping the future of our country.
With that in mind, Pocholo and four other youth created Tinig Katataan, or the Voice of the Youth (VOTY), in 1996. Initially, VOTY founders, themselves possessing skills as young broadcasters, voice talents, and singers, focused their efforts on launching a youth radio program. For more than four years, the program aired for two hours each Sunday, giving young people the opportunity to voice their ideas and opinions on a range of issues impacting their lives. Over the years, VOTY members have been invited to present at local, national, and international conferences, and have been featured on national radio and television programs, as well as in newspapers and at school and community events. Today, VOTY has grown into a collaboration of youth organizations in nearly all 78 provinces of the Philippines. Its goal is to maximize the impact of young people working to make a difference. VOTY provides networks, tools, resources, and recognition for youth leading positive change in their communities.
Among its efforts, VOTY is developing a peer-to-peer learning environment where youth may teach one another valuable skills. Its also working to create a national platform to enable youth voices to be heard and acted upon.
With young people... making up one-third of the Filipino population, they play an increasingly large role in the development of Philippine society. A critical component of VOTYs efforts is the use of the Internet to facilitate communication and information-sharing. VOTYs website (www.freewebs.com/tinigkabataan) contains information on youth participation; a calendar of local, national, and international events; publications; and relevant links and statistics. E-mail discussion groups also enable young people to share what they know and network with one another.
Currently pursuing a masters degree in broadcast communications, Pocholo sees great promise in utilizing todays communications technologies to strengthen youth participation and leadership. I believe that the media radio, TV, and the Internet offers a powerful tool to inspire, inform, and involve youth, he says.
VOICE OF THE YOUTH NETWORK
The VOICE OF THE YOUTH NETWORK is an incubator of national partnerships among youth organizations in the Philippines; its mission is to facilitate youth participation and intergenerational partnership in national decision-making, to support collaboration among diverse youth organizations, and to provide tools, resources, and recognition for positive youth action to change our country.
TINIGKABATAAN or (VOICE OF THE YOUTH NETWORK) is a national youth network in the Philippines, led by youth, empowered by technology.
VOTY brings together young people in more than 78 provinces within national networks to collaborate on concrete projects addressing national problems and creating positive change.
A powerful new force engaging youth in national development, VOTY provides young people with:
inspiration to make a difference,
information to realize their potential,
involvement where their voice counts,
action opportunities where they translate their ideas into reality, and;
connection to a nationwide community -- to take it global. Our
Vision:A nation in which young people, empowered learners, join together to bridge social, economic and technological divides; where young and old work hand in hand to dismantle cultural and geographical barriers; shaping, exploring and expressing lives rich with meaningful and fulfilling experiences.
Our Purpose:
To inspire young people to follow their dreams.
To inform young people about the wealth of opportunities that surrounds them.
To involve young people in online and offline communities where members & mentors contribute to, and gain from the Voice of the Youth experience while fostering a sense of national, global awareness, collaboration, and leadership.
info@voty.org
VOICE OF THE YOUTH NETWORK WON THE 2ND QUEZON CITY YOUTH ACHIEVER'S AWARDS FOR COMMUNITY WORK CATEGORY
The Quezon City government through the Office of the Vice Mayor Herbert M. Bautista recently paid tribute to winners of the 2nd QC Youth Achievers Award, An award of distinction highlighting the remarkable deeds and accomplishments of outstanding youth organizations and individuals, in simple ceremonies held at the Amoranto Multi-Purpose Hall in Scout Chuatoco, Quezon City. Vice-Mayor Bautista said, "this event conferred fitting honors to deserving Quezon City youth organizations as well as individuals who have excelled prominently in any of the four available categories."
Bautista identified the over-all winner for Community Works Category as the VOICE OF THE YOUTH NETWORK.
This citywide search evaluates the merit and importance of the results of the projects conducted by youth organizations, be it school, community or church-based. The technical working group of the awards is composed of personnel coming from Quezon City Vice-Mayor Office, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Youth Commission, QC Social Services Development Department and QC Division of City Schools.
Bautista has broached the idea of giving the youth such awards since, "the youth, being an integral component of our population, constitue a powerful force contributing immensely their labor and talent for the growth and well-being of the nation."
Bautista said the new system of reward ushered in a fresh meaning and vigor that not only bestowed to the awardess the honor and distinction and receiving the award but enabled them also to implement projects that are indeed exceptional, innovative and noteworthy.
The award of distinction, Bautista said, likewise highlighted the remarkable deeds and accomplishments of outstanding youth that inspired others, even, as it identified the awardees' benchmark of contribution and service to the community, to the academe, as well as to the nation.
The granting of citation, he said, was also in keeping with the city government's policy of elevating its level of service to the public with the intend of mustering their support to the city government's mandates.
pocholo@voty.org
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