The Ministry of Youth and Sports is launching a program of activities dedicated to the International Youth Year and themed “Our Year – Our Voice”. The program is designed to last until the first half of 2011, during which the youths will be engaged in developing policies and participate in numerous activities, including contests, Info-Prim Neo reports. Oleg Tulea, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, told a news conference on Thursday that a highlight of this program will be the Active Youth Participation Week, during November 10-17, when the Ministry will also hold the State Youth Awards ceremony. This year, apart from the traditional awards, for the first time awards will be also given to the two most active youths working in NGOs or initiative groups. A new competition is also announced: the town that will present the best action plan on youth issues will be recognized as the Youth Capital of Moldova. Kaarina Immonen, UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova, has said that the involvement of youths in diverse activities is crucial for the achievement of the development goals and for the success of a country, mentioning that UN is conducting multiple activities to support these initiatives through local and regional networks. Sandu Coica, the chairman of the National Youth Council of Moldova, said the youths should not only be passive beneficiaries, but also get involved in planning, developing and implementing various actions, because only they know best what they need. “This is the only way to see a real progress in youth policies nationally and this is the only way to make the youths' voice be heard”. An information campaign, themed “Youths are a Resource”, will be launched in September, followed by a National Youth Forum, aimed to enhance communication between young people. Early next year, a national apprenticeship program will be launched to encourage youths to come back to the country.