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State YMCA of Georgia, Inc.

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ImageEvery year in July, representatives from many of the 40 State Youth in Government programs participate in the YMCA Conference on National Affairs (CONA). This conference is held in Black Mountain, NC at the YMCA Blue Ridge Conference Center. Each year, participants have the opportunity to meet other delegates from different states, and create and debate legislation of national and international relevance. Additionally, those Youth Legislature delegates elected Governor from their respective states hold a Youth Governors' Summit in Washington, D.C.

Purpose and Objectives

The YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs (CONA) was started in 1968 as a follow-up to the outstanding state programs in Youth In Government conducted by YMCAs throughout the USA. The success of the conference is directly attributed to the leadership of many YMCA professionals and volunteers, but primarily to the dedication of the youth involved.

The specific objectives of the conference include:

  • To gain an awareness of national concerns and issues.
  • To increase understanding of Federal government and its relations to state, national, and international matters.
  • To have and use a means for communicating concerns about national affairs to appropriate persons and groups at federal government levels.
  • To develop an increased understanding of needs, responsibilities, and opportunities.
  • To work creatively together with young adults and adults.
  • To help youth and adults to better understand and strengthen their values for living through the Christian objectives of the YMCA.

Opportunities

This program offers unusual opportunities for a young person to do research in the area of national and international concerns, organize this information into a document proposal, engage in intensive discussion, and debate these proposals with outstanding young people from other states.

Advisors and young people who have participated in CONA are unanimous in their belief that this experience makes a vital contribution to helping citizens learn more about the democratic form of government.

Qualifications

Students desiring to participate in CONA must have participated in both Youth Assembly and GUNA.

Also, each youth delegate must prepare a proposal on a matter of national or international concern.  The proposal must express the views of the author. The objectives and content of the proposal are far more important than the form.

Youth delegates wishing to participate in the Conference Newspaper Program do not need to submit a proposal. The newspaper reports on the events of CONA, with students serving as writers, editors, and photographers.

 
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