7. INFANCY, CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH

        The attention given to the more youthful areas of the population should cover the range from the fist years of infancy on to adolescence. This a heterogeneous population group and its specific and diversified interests and needs should be taken into consideration. The results of work here are long range, but only by acting on all areas of society and from a very early age, will we be able to create a participatory and conscious population.

        To this end, the existence of leisure activity centers in villages and neighborhoods is absolutely necessary, not as places to "park" children but rather as places where attention is paid to self management, self knowledge, respect towards one’s self and others and even social participation. With this in mind, concepts such as cooperation, sports, culture, expression, participation, conflict resolution, etc. will be worked on. Aspects inherent in all ages should also be worked on -- aspects such as sexuality, drug addiction, leisure and free time education, job search techniques, aid in choice of studies, etc. -- according to the needs of each life stage. This should be carried out in a flexible way, taking into consideration that the development of the population isn’t a rigid process. Coeducation will be given special treatment in all age groups.

        Plazandreok aims for politics in which youth participate. We propose the creation of Youth Councils through which the needs and concerns of the most youthful sector of the population can be addressed.

        We feel that one of the main problems of this group is a lack of or incorrect information. For this reason we will work to promote structures from which young people are offered exhaustive information in different areas including education, employment, health, leisure, etc.

        We find it important to help young people interact with each other irrespective of their financial situation. To accomplish this we propose the opening of special meeting centers for young people. These centers can be used as meeting points, for recreation and as places for the creation of their own culture.

PROPOSALS

1. Free and leisure time and formation of special interest groups/associations: Information about the education, sports and associations offered; the publication of guides; aid and encourage the participation of young people in the preparation of holiday celebrations; the creation of youth centers which are self-managed, as well as play schools for children, in the various neighborhoods. With these plans we propose to make use of open spaces and the neighborhood itself in a way that encourages free time activities and relationships among young people.

2. Employment: Basic information related to the labor market, such as jobs available, classes for job improvement, unions, etc.; collaboration in the organization of seminars and courses which aid the incorporation of young people into the job market; aid and encourage the participation of young people in a system of paid professional training in businesses and institutions so that they can acquire the experience they need to become part of the labor market.

3. Education: Information about what educational programs, scholarships and grants, live abroad programs, work camps, etc. are available; aid and encourage coeducation in all programs financed by local public funds.

4. Health: Information about health resources and areas of specific interest (AIDS, anorexia, etc); informative campaigns and the creation of informational structures related to birth control, sexuality, etc.

5. Conscientious objectors and "insumision": Provide information about the different alternatives to military service, such as refusal to serve ("insumision"), and conscientious objection. Guarantee that those who opt for any of these solutions have equal rights on a local level.