The World Youth Foundation (WYF) ” an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations” is an international non-governmental organization which was launched in 1994 with the aim to promote research, development and documentation of youth programmes beneficial to youths worldwide. The Foundation’s headquarters is located in it’s very own complex called The World Youth Foundation Complex based in Malacca, Malaysia. WYF’s is headed by Rt. Hon Datuk Ali Rustam which is also the Chief Minister of Melaka and is assisted by a Board of Trustees.

The Foundation seeks to support the work of the UN and the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond as well as the Millennium Development Goals. The Foundation has organized various seminars/meetings, conferences/dialogues for youth in areas such as population, HIV/AIDS, human rights, education, environment, sustainable development terrorism, racism, entrepreneurship, globalization, culture, drug and substance abuse etc.

Through it’s programmes the Foundation seeks to engage and empower young people on a range of issues, besides giving young people the opportunity to share best practices, networking and learning through people -to-people exchange.

The Foundation has good working relationship with all its major stakeholder i.e the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia, all UN agencies, the World Bank, World Association of National Youth Organization (WANGO), Taking IT Global Canada, Clean Up the World Australia, the ASEAN Secretariat, the Commonwealth Secretariat, local government, non-government organizations, regional and multilateral institutions, donors, corporate companies etc.

In February 2007, the Foundation received the ‘Civil Society Status from United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’ as a recognition for raising awareness among young people on the issues affecting our environment.

VISION
To become a world class youth Foundation by understanding and fulfilling the needs of youth and their organizations.

MISSION
To promote goodwill and understanding amongst youth through organizing training, seminars, conference and exchange programs.

AIM
To promote research, development and documentation of youth programmes beneficial to youth worldwide.

WYF OBJECTIVE
Some of the objectives of the Foundation are:

• To receive, raise, manage and administer funds to further the educational, cultural and socio-economic, political and cultural improvement of youth at national, regional and international level;
• To identify, encourage, promote and facilitate the expansion of innovative and suitable educational, social, cultural, environmental and humanitarian work conducted by youth movements and organizations worldwide;
• To liaise and establish an organizational network with local and international governments and non-government agencies, and financing institutions which are actively involved in the field of Youth and human resource development;
• To provide support facilities for research and documentation in the area of youth development and related challenges
• To promote and strengthen peace, progress and prosperity among young people throughout the the world.

Since its inception the Foundation has provided a platform for the interchange of ideas among youth organisations both locally and internationally. Through its programmes the Foundation seeks to empower young people on a range of issues. The Foundation has organised various seminars/meetings, conferences/ dialogues for youth in areas such as population, HIV/AIDS, human rights, education, environment, sustainable development, terrorism, racism, entrepreneurship, globalisation, culture, substance abuse, peace and conflict resolution etc. The Foundation seeks to support the work of the UN and support the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond.

Young people from across the globe can get involved in the Foundation’s programmes by:

• Jointly co- organising programmes with the Foundation;
• Actively joining the Foundation’s programmes and it’s follow-up process;
• Being a volunteer with the Foundation;
• By disseminating the work of the Foundation and
• Joining the World Youth Foundation E-groups

World Youth foundation (WYF)