2. The Young Professionals in Local
Development (YPLD)
YPLD was established in November 2011 as a
network of professionals aged between 18 and 40
involved in both international and local
development through the nature of their
education and professional activity in response to
the young generations’ increasing lack of interest
in:
Working towards building their communities
Insufficient participation of young professionals
addressing critical development issues
and inadequate access to resources to address these
issues
3. The Young Professionals in Local
Development (YPLD)
YPLD serves as a platform for Young
Professionals (YP) in Local Development (LD) to
share their opinions, grow knowledge and skills
and foster innovation towards a more sustainable
local development.
The movement is a global platform through which
young professionals can express their ideas and
realise their full potential towards dynamic
agricultural research for development.
5. Impact
YPLD enables young professionals to be
actively engaged in shaping the sector’s
future to work towards a sustainable
global community and meet global needs
without depleting its resources
6. Objectives
To facilitate knowledge sharing between young
and experienced professionals willing to
contribute to international and local development
regardless of age, nationality, profession;
To empower young professionals by facilitating
the acquisition of skills so that they can
contribute better and more actively to the
development of local communities on one side
and to relate better with local, regional and
national authorities in order to increase youth
participation in the decision making process;
7. Objectives
To create synergies in regards to international
and local development by spreading knowledge,
information, best practices;
To create networks in order to promote young
professionals through a capacity building process
by developing creative synergies between
different stakeholder groups in LD including
research, academia, NGOs`, CBOs`, public
authorities (local and national) and private sector
organizations
9. YPLD Mauritius
New Country in the YPLD Network
Country Representative appointed in March 2012
Initial activities of YPLD Mauritius would include:
Member recruitment
Promotion of YPLD on social networks (Facebook,
Twitter, Blogger etc.)
Organizing events and running projects on development
issues
10. Current Challenges - Mauritius
Agriculture contributes 4% in GDP
Net food importer (>70%)
Climate change
Ageing Farming population
Lack of youth interest in Agriculture & also lack of
incentives for those in the sector
23.9% of the population are youth
High unemployment rate among youth in
Mauritius (7.9%) & lack of decent employment in
agricultural sector
11. Desired Situation
Higher investment in Agriculture
Involve more youth in Agriculture
Raise awareness on Agriculture and other
development issues, discuss the challenges faced
by young professionals and find solutions through
innovation
A new approach is needed for engaging with
young people, to use their insight to contribute to
new and innovative approaches to problems in
order to tackle the problem in a sustainable and
growth-led manner
12. Future activities of
YPLD Mauritius
Online forums and e-discussions (Topics: Climate
change, Food Security, Local Economic
Development, Civil society Development, Local
governance, Gender Equality and Women
Empowerment)
Create opportunities for YPs to work on projects
Training opportunities for YPs (Web 2.0 for
Development, leadership, entrepreneurship etc.)
National conference for YPs in LD
Seminars engaging all stakeholders in the sector
An office and resource/training centre
Exchange programs?
13. Flow of Activities
1. Promotion of YPLD 6. Prepare Concept
Mauritius on social notes of events and 7. Look for partners
networks projects and Sponsors
5. Identify Local
2. Member 8. Run projects and
Development issues
Recruitment other events
in Mauritius
9. Support other
3. Engage YPs in e- Initiatives by the
4. Organize working
discussions on issues Regional and
sessions for YPs
related to LD International Steering
Committees
14. Want to Join YPLD Mauritius?
YPLD Mauritius is now looking for members to
contribute actively to local development and to a
growing network of YPs’
Members are expected to be open minded,
enthusiastic young professionals (under 40
years), who are willing to work voluntarily
towards promoting the organization’s strategic
objectives and LD in Mauritius
If you are interested in becoming a member of
YPLD Mauritius, please send us an e-mail telling
us why do you want to join us, accompanied by a
2 page CV to ypld.mauritius@gmail.com
