YOUth Professionals Latin American and Caribbean

2013 Meetings
Reort for !A"A
During 10 days, YOUth Professionals from various Latin American and Caribbean counties met
in Costa ica to e!change e!"eriences, discuss "riorities and define strategies to develo" the
U#$A % YOUth organi&ation and movement in the region'
(hese meeting )ere "ossible than*s to the organi&ation from U#$A and the su""ort "rovided
in various )ays from C+,+#-.A, g$-C/ Pro0ect, -$,A. LAC and 1A$A' (hey )ere
develo"ed together )ith other regional organi&ations such as the Latin American .et)or* of
Doulas, other .2Os from Costa ica, such as APOLA#A and the Association of Doulas, and
various "ublic institutions such as the #inistry of 3ealth and the ones that constitute the
.ational $reastfeeding Commission'
YOUth from various countries of the region arrived in Costa ica on October 14 and de"arted
on October 54' Logistic )ere develo"ed to facilitate the interchanges bet)een them so that the
richness of the e!changes )ere not develo"ed only during the meetings but also during informal
activities to share "articular and individual e!"ertise, national e!"eriences and needs6 to
develo" ties bet)een them and, to ma" u" 0oint action and net)or*ing'
Main Meetings
a# Regional Latin American Meeting of $o%las and Mid&ifes
Considering the "ea* of the ne) doulas and mid)ifery movement in the region, and that various
U#$A leaders are directly involved in it6 and considering the big im"act the -..+7C+/A+A
cam"aign is having, im"ortance of the 1$1 5018 theme base on #other /u""ort and the fact
that Doulas )ere develo"ing a first legal association in Costa ica su""orted by C+,+#-.A
and some LLL leaders, U#$A considered of strategic im"ortance to facilitate a first meeting
on the issue'
89 "ersons "artici"ated from various cities of Costa ica, from $rasil, Colombia, +l /alvador,
.icaragua, Puerto ico, 3onduras, 2uatemala, Chile, #:!ico and U/A'
(he meeting started )ith a dynamic; 13O - A# % 13-C3 -/ #Y A+A O, 1O< that )as
very im"ortant in sharing "articular information on s*ills such as "regnant, mother and infant
massage, )or*ing )ith "lacenta, net)or*ing and "articular cam"aigning, )or*ing )ith
indigenous communities and various others' -n "articular, U#$A % -$,A. LAC "resented on
breastfeeding and the interaction )ith;
a= the "rogram that is being develo"ed )ith University 2alileo in 2uatemala on (raining and
Continuous +ducation for Doulas and #id)ifes6
b= "ositive e!"eriences and im"act of cam"aigns against obstetrical violence and for natural
and res"ectful birthing "ractices coordinated from Puerto ico6
c= the role of different "rofessionals % Obstetrician, Doula and #id)ife7 during delivery ,
"resented based on the $ra&ilian e!"erience6
d= "lacenta #edicine, base on U#$A leader and -$,A. Coordinator from Chile6
Other "resentations involved the Alternative (hera"ies for mothers> survivors of abuse, the
regional net)or* of doulas, and others such as confronting the stress in mothers life'
'ome Concl%sions
1' Continuous +ducation is necessary for ? bet)een breastfeeding su""orts ?
counsellors and advocates and Doulas and #id)ifes'
5' +arly su""ort "rovided by $, su""orters is im"ortant from early stages of
"regnancy and needs to be included in the doulas and mid)ifes training'
8' .et)or*ing is crucial to learn from each other>s e!"eriences and to develo"
strengthened 0oint regional action and activities in each f the countries'
@' (here is a need to follo) u" and develo" a )ider meeting in 501@'
(he final session on main lessons learned )as documented in video and is a basic material to
"roduce further informational materials'
YOUth Professionals Latin American and Caribbean Meeting
YOUth "rofessionals from $ra&il, Chile, Costa ica, +l /alvador, 3onduras, #:!ico, 2uatemala,
Puerto ico )ere chosen to "artici"ate on this meeting because of their "articular Aualities
involving leadershi", involvement in struggles that develo" their "olitical com"rehension of *ey
issues and commitment to build the YOUth movement'
/enior $, advocates deliver e!"osures on the main trends f the $, movement today )ith the
follo)ing main themes;
$, is a "olitical issue % )orld)ide tendencies
$, and the role of multinationals
U. institutions B13O ? U.-C+,= under "ressure
Conflicts of -nterest % $eyond the Code
$, movement in the conte!t of Private Public Associations
(he need to strengthen "roactive education based on -$,A. and 1A$A ethical guiding
"rinci"les
Other "articular sessions )ere develo"ed;
1A$As strategic "lan, "articularly U#$A 7 YOUth develo"ment Bgrou" )ill
follo) u" discussion and )ill for)ard s"ecific "ro"osals in Canuary 501@=
$, and Climate Change
#ainstreaming 2ender Pers"ective in all our )or* and action
egional cam"aign; At least D months maternity leave
U#$A % 1A$A YOUth action during 1orld)ide ,ootball Cu", $ra&il 501@
BU#$A is follo)ing u" all suggestion by 1A$A to lin* )ith )ider coalitions6 emails
for)arded to 0oin them' Also, U#$A discussed on a much more regional and ca"acity
building a""roach and decided to concentrate efforts in bringing YOUth to $ra&il 501@
from all over the region to develo" Estreet theatreF as this is one of U#$As s*ills, and
to "romote the fight against obstetrical violence and for $,, as this is one of main
strategic actions of U#$A' 1e )ant to bring together all 1A$A "artners, their families
and friends going to the 1orld Cu", to meet in s"ecific dates and "laces to 0oin in street
theatre' $ased on lessons of "revious )orld)ide earth /ummit and -O 50 )e )ant to
im"act much more "eo"le than the one receiving our "osters or visiting our tents' 1e
are develo"ing s"ecific "ro"osal for 1A$A'
,ighting Obesity 7 $ased on #e!ico e!"erience
!"(i g")C' rogramme !orld "reastfeeding (rends )nitiati*e (raining
YOUth )ere trained in 1$(i methodology, "articularly to develo" assessment in 3onduras and
Chile during 5018, and re7assessment in #e!ico and $ra&il during 501@, bet)een other
countries'
)nternational "reastfeeding '+mosi%m
(he last meeting )as organi&ed by -$,A. Costa ica, APOLA#A BAssociation for the
Promotion of $,= and the .ational $reastfeeding Commission % #inistry of 3ealth' (his activity
develo"s every year as a efresher Course )ith "rofessionals from all over Costa ica' (he
sym"osium organi&ed by APOLA#A, -$,A. C and .$,C is declared of "ublic interest by
government' -nternational connote s"ea*ers "artici"ate' (his year, YOUth "artici"ants from
U#$A "resented on Conflicts of -nterest and 3ealth Professional +thical Practice BU#$A
Costa ica= and on $, ,ighting Obesity BU#$A #e!ico=, 5 very im"ortant contem"orary
issues' -$,A. LAC facilitated the "artici"ation of Dr' 3ector #artine&, from Colombia, the
EfatherF of $aby <angaroo techniAue and of Dra' Gilma ChHve& from 2uatemala that "resented
on the ne) tool develo"ed by -$,A. on 1$Ci % 1orld $reastfeeding Cost initiative' A stand
)ith 1A$A, -$,A. and LLL materials )as organi&ed during the sym"osium'