Friday 29 January, 2010

Hurricane Bells & Them Clones LIVE! Workshop & Concert :)

The American Center in association with The YP Foundation, The Ashok and The Hard Rock Cafe, presents

January 30 2010, 12.00pm

Band Craft: A workshop with Hurricane Bells & Them Clones

Moderated by Dhruv Jagasia, Manager, Indian Ocean

Interactive discussions about perspectives on producing music yourself, getting a break or making one happen, marketing and touring bands in India and the USA.

The American Center, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi

Entry is Free, No Prior Registration Required / (Please bring a valid Photo Id to enter)

&

Hurricane Bells & Them Clones Live in Concert:

January 30 2010, 6 pm onwards

Ashoka Amphitheatre, The Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi

Entry is Free

Queries: +91 11 46792243

www.theypfoundation.org / www.theyouthparliament.blogspot.com

About the Artistes

Hurricane Bells is the new project from Steve Schiltz, singer and guitarist of Longwave. After touring the better part of last year around Longwave’s fourth album Secrets Are Sinister ,Schiltz set up shop to create a new project with little else than his MacBook and an Mbox. He wrote, played, recorded and mixed every note himself, arranging what would become Tonight Is The Ghost. Some songs were fully crafted within the past 18 months, while others are newly architected from pieces written throughout his years as a songwriter. The song entitled “Monsters”, went on to become the soundtrack for the major motion picture, “New Moon”. Vagrant Records released Tonight Is The Ghost digitally on November 10, 2009. A b-side, Monsters, appears on the soundtrack of the second film of the Twilight franchise, New Moon.

For more information and videos log onto:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di4GRuZ2l1c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3ECVi3bJoc&feature=related

http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/movies/2009/11/hurricane-bells-interviewnew-moon-soundtrack-debut-video/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/hurricanebells?ref=search&sid=516292615.3386950318..1

Them Clones were created sometime in 2000. “It came about as we were looking to forge an identity as a left-of-the-middle sort of band. The name reflects the general attitude of the band which was to look at their stage personalities as clones of their selves”. Inspired by the dramatic world of rock n’ roll and of course themselves, their tryst with songwriting has directed them across the course of the thoughtful to confessional, from the assertive to the provocative; but has been, consistently, accompanied by a tight groove or a silken melody. Apart from numerous concerts and gigs across, they were the chosen ones at Channel [V] LaunchPad in 2005 and also got voted as the ‘Best Band’ at JD Rock Awards twice in row in 2006 and 2007 along with the emphatic win as 2nd runners up at the Channel [V] AMP Big Break All Asia. Followed with their super successful single release 'My Life' in May 2009, their debut album ‘Love.Hate.Heroes' was released in October 2009, under Counter Culture / EMI records which was marked with a short nationwide tour.

Them Clones has also been nominated for this year's Jack Daniels Rock Awards is 'Best Band' category, along with 'My Life' and 'Love.Hate.Heroes' getting nominated for 'Best Song' and 'Best Album' slot. To vote, log onto http://www.jdrockawards.com

For more information log onto:

http://themclones.com/about/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Them_Clones

http://www.indiecision.com/2009/10/14/them-clones-love-hate-heroes-details/

For Music Videos log onto:

The Bomb Song - Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk1xMgtIZG4

My Life - Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk1xMgtIZG4

Be a fan of Them Clones on:

http://www.facebook.com/themclones

Follow Them Clones on:

http://www.twitter.com/themclones


Tuesday 19 January, 2010

Voice of Youth For A Better Tomorrow


Appeal for the inclusion of improved Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Rights (ASRH)


We would first like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your candidacy for President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka for the upcoming presidential elections and we would like to wish you the best in this fair and free election.


The National Youth Coalition of Sri Lanka (NYCSL) is a youth run entity that advocates for the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) rights and needs of youth in Sri Lanka. The coalition includes the membership of youth organizations based in Sri Lanka and is supported by major international and regional youth coalitions and organizations. The NYCSL developed 9 recommendations through a consultative process in October 2008 (Please refer Annex 1: Recommendations report, REACH NOW 08).


While some of these recommendations have in fact been captured in goal 4, “Promote responsible adolescent and youth behavior” of the Population and Reproductive Health Policy - 1998, which was developed by the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine and most of the action plans developed for the implementation of this policy has not been implemented. (Please refer Annex 2: Action plan of the Population and Reproductive Health Policy, 1998).


As an organization that advocates the ASRH rights of youth in Sri Lanka, we would like to respectfully urge you to focus your action through the implementation of your election manifestos in the areas of youth, health and education based on the recommendations stated below upon your accession to the position of Presidency of our nation.


Background:


In Sri Lanka young people aged 10 to 24 years constitute 28% of the total population of 19.1 million, with a majority of them falling within the adolescent age group. Though there are strong cultural and religious traditions against sex before marriage in the country, the age of sexual debut for both males and females has been found to be early: 15.3 years for males while for females at 14.4 years. A national survey on young people aged 10-19 years revealed that a substantial proportion of school-going youth were sexually active. Six percent of those going to school in the 14-19 year age group reported heterosexual intercourse, while 10% disclosed having homosexual relations. Out-of-school adolescents revealed a higher percentage (22%) of sexually active adolescents[1]. There is a need to promote responsible caring attitudes towards each other, to young persons of both sexes and promote responsible sexual behaviour so that the effects of these social problems and others like STD, HIV and AIDS will be mitigated in the future.[2]


Recommendations


The recommendations have been divided into 4 key areas: Policy, Services, Awareness and Advocacy. The footnotes indicate the corresponding strategy that was developed under the Population and Reproductive Health Policy – 1998

Policy:


a) Ensure the involvement of young people in designing policies that affect their lives nationally, regionally and internationally

b) Develop policies that would ensure ASRH education/capacity building into educational curriculums: including schools, universities, colleges, vocational training institutes, military

c) academies and other such institutions with a high concentration of youth[3]

d) Develop policies that address the SRH needs of young people including those living with HIV, gay and lesbian persons and disabled youth.

Services[4]:

a) Facilitate the provision of youth focused & youth friendly ASRH services and resources island wide

b) Increase and improve access to these youth friendly services , information & resources island wide

c) Focus on provision of ASRH/HIV information to ALL youth (through youth

Organizations/youth networks) Awareness:

Use key influencers including media/CBOs/NGOs, Religious leaders as well as established institutions to provide awareness programmes on ASHR[5]

Advocacy:


a. Develop a legally and state recognized youth advocacy group in Sri Lanka that become a voice for youth in ASRH related issues.

Develop a legally and state recognized youth advocacy group in Sri Lanka that can become a voice for youth on

ASRH related issues


b. Advocate with families, religious institutions and key public figures to include ASRH in formal and informal educational steams.

[6]


We as the National Youth Coalition, believes that, in the occasion of you being elected as the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, you will ensure the full implementation of the above recommendations and we as the NYC will provide our maximum support for the same. We as the NYC will be able to provide the following to your government;


  • Technical Support in the implementation of the said recommendation
  • Youth Mobilization
  • Networking


Milinda Rajapaksha,

Convenor: National Youth Coalition of Sri Lanka

nycsl@gmail.com, milinda.rajapaksha@gmail.com

Mobile No: +94772543307


CC-

  • All Presidential Candidates
  • Media
  • Minister of Youth Affairs
  • Minister of Health
  • Minister of Education
  • Director, Health Education Bureau
  • Director, Tharunyata Hetak
  • Director, National Youth Front


Annex 1: Recommendations report, REACH NOW 08

Annex 2: Action plan of the Population and Reproductive Health Policy, 1998



[1] National Survey on emerging issues among adolescents in Sri Lanka, Colombo: UNICEF 2004

[2] Rationale, Goal 4; “Promote responsible adolescent and youth behaviour”, Population and Reproductive Health Policy, 1998, Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine

[3] Goal 4, Strategy (a), ibid

[4] Goal 4, Strategy (c), ibid

[5] Goal 4, Strategy (c), ibid

[6] Goal 4, Strategy (g), ibid

Wednesday 6 January, 2010

Ringing in the New Year with ReRock!


Wishing everyone a brilliant 2010 ahead - thank you so much for all your help, support and encouragement this past year, it means a lot and pulled us through :) Join us to celebrate with Airtel ReRock on the 9th, entry is free and passes are with us.

- The Team at The YP Foundation _______________________________________________


AIRTEL

Presents

RE ROCK II

The Garden of Five Senses Amphitheatre, Saket January 9th, 2009 6PM - 10 PM

~ Electric Plant ~ White Fang ~ Applied For ~ Unfinished Biz

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Barista Lavazza, Music World, Media Offline, The YP Foundation and PVR Cinemas

Gates Open at 5:00 PM Seating on First Come First Served Basis
No alcohol, arms or narcotics allowed on the premises

For Passes Contact : 011-46792243/44

Passes also available at Barista (Basant Lok Market, Khan Market, GK I, GK II, Kamla Nagar), Music World (Ansal Plaza, Vasant Kunj) & The YP Foundation office (N- 204 Greater Kailash I)