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World Non Formal Education Forum

Written by: Claudia Taboada, Member of WFUNA’s Youth Advisory Council

Ten years ago, as I was choosing my career, I remember evaluating if I met the required skills for each of my options. Knowing two languages or more? Check! Knowing how to use Microsoft Office? Check! Most of the desirable skills that were demanded of us could be learned at school. Nowadays, according to Forbes, the most important job skills are things like creativity, adaptability, emotional intelligence and flexibility among others. As our workplaces rapidly change, can traditional education truly provide what will be needed of our future professionals or do we need to start looking beyond it in order to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world?

From December 9th to 11th I had the opportunity to participate in the first World Non Formal Education Forum organized by World Scouts, UNICEF, UNFPA and OSGEY. I represented the WFUNA Youth Advisory Council and for three days in the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil the forum gathered leading youth organizations to address the joint challenges facing the sector and built more support and recognition around the role of non-formal education in the global education agenda.

Non-formal education, although hard to define, is basically all forms of education that takes place outside formal institutions. Non-formal education can take place in workshops, training, courses, trips, simulations and all types of activities where you learn by doing. This approach to learning allows participants to acquire skills and competences in interactive and engaging ways. True to its name, the forum was far from just another conference, each day we had the opportunity to take part in different break out sessions hosted by the participating organizations and learn through non-formal education methods. It was a fun and interactive way of sharing knowledge, best practices and networking.

The forum culminated with the Rio Declaration on Non-Formal Education which sets out an ambitious action agenda. The declaration was the main outcome of discussions over the three days of the Forum and forged consensus among stakeholders for advancing non-formal education. The declaration calls for the right to non-formal education, increased recognition, more innovative learning methods, increased investment, and stronger partnerships.

Global Movement #foryouthrights Geneva

Written by: Sakhile Ndingindwayo (Member of WFUNA’s Youth Advisory Council)

From the 5th to the 7th of November 2019, I participated in a capacity building meeting aimed at mobilising the global movement #foryouthrights at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. I represented WFUNA Youth Advisory Council as one of its 9 representatives in the world as well as the United Nations Association of Zimbabwe (ZUNA). The global movement #foryouthrights was jointly organised by the European Youth Forum and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights with support from the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations (ICMYO). The two and a half days capacity building meeting brought together more than ten (10) membership-based organisations from almost all the regions of the globe, some of the regions represented include Southern, North, East and West Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific, Europe and Central America. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was represented by their regional Youth Officers from the following regions: Middle East and North Africa, West and East Africa, Europe, the Pacific, Central America, and South East Asia.

The meeting was mainly centred on building the capacity of membership based organisations pushing for youth rights in their own context and enhancing collaboration of all organisations working with youth to effectively push for the recognition of the human rights of youth. This was done through demystifying the concept of youth rights, the right based approach vis-à-vis the needs based in promoting youth rights, the UN Youth Strategy and the priority areas it sets out as well as the United Nations Human Rights system and how best to utilise it for the respect of youth rights. Representatives of the organisations present at this meeting acknowledged and agreed that this transition from childhood to adulthood (Youth) comes with its own challenges which can also be aggravated by the socio-economic and political context one is from. Globally 1.8 billion people are in the youth phase and the majority of them live in developing countries under impoverished conditions, some of the challenges they face include limited access to quality sexual reproductive health, quality employment during their productive years, limited civic and political participation as well as quality housing amongst others. Hence, the need to build movement and conversations around the rights of youth.

The meeting was concluded by mapping concrete course of actions to be followed by each and every organisation in their respective contexts and focus areas back home. These concrete course of actions are realistic goals coupled with practical timelines and potential partnerships to be forged in order to promote youth rights. Whilst in Geneva, I had the opportunity to visit our WFUNA office in the Palais Des Nations, I met with Saraana Enkhjin the Education and Training Assistant. We discussed briefly on some of the incredible youth projects the Geneva office is working on and the mobilising the global movement for youth rights meeting that had just ended. I also represented WFUNA in some of the ICMYO side meetings that took place on the 4th and 5th of November in Geneva. ICMYO brings together international and regional membership based youth organisations in advancing global action for youth rights and it holds one of the two (2) seats for young people in the high level steering committee chaired by the UN Youth Envoy.

My main take away from the mobilising the global movement for youth rights is the score card for implementing the UN Youth Strategy’s priority areas whereby each UN Agency should be working with a particular youth organisation so as to advance youth rights. Such an initiative capacitates and legitimises youth movement building and this ultimately results in the respect of their rights at national and even regional level.

Twitter: @SakhieNdingi

Tumblr: @SakhieNdingi

Model United Nations Albania 2019

Written by: UNA Albania

This December, United Nations Youth Association of Albania is organizing Model United Nations Albania 2019 on the overarching topic of “Escaping the Chains of Time: Unblocking Eastern Europe's potential to peace and prosperity in a post-soviet era”. For Albania, it is the first-ever Model United Nations conference of these proportions: 5 days, 70 participants, both international and national, 3 committees, 1 General Assembly and numerous novelties.

MUN Albania 2019 is the fifth conference of this kind organized by UNYA Albania. It outgrew the former MiniMUN Albania Conference, which started with 30 participants up to the last edition that took place in May 2018, gathering 66 participants not only from Albania but also from Spain, Italy, and Hungary, Romania and Poland.

MUN Albania is the culmination of the MUN Albania Initiative, launched by UNYA Albania in December 2018. It stands together with Simulation Game and MUN Lab Albania, a trio of events aiming at further promoting MUN conferences and MUN culture in our country.

For this edition, UNYA Albania joined efforts with the organizers of MUNAPEST in implementing the concept of interconnectivity into this conference: the idea that modern issues and challenges are interdependent and cannot be fully understood if dealt with separately. This conference abounds in innovations. The organizing team of MUN Albania 2019 also introduces Press Corps, which implies that press members of the conference are employees of a News Agency. They will have to work to cover the events of the conference from their Agency’s point of view, providing a certain degree of bias. The cherry on top: there will also be several crisis, unexpected scenarios where delegates have to improvise and handle certain issues interactively.

Moreover, encouraged by the most recent approval of our countries candidacy for the chairmanship of the OSCE in 2020, this edition of MUN Albania will include the simulation of the OSCE's Ministerial Council alongside UN Women and ECOSOC. It is a three-dimensional approach to the main topic: hard security, economic, and human rights that merge in a joint discussion in the General Assembly of December 7. Country delegations come together represented by the Head of Delegations (highest on the diplomacy rank) to debate on the overarching topic with the view of arriving at a common deliberation a.k.a a resolution.

MUNs are powerful platforms of non-formal education for young people. For years, MUNs occurring globally have made an impact on the youth wishing to participate in discussing global matters. It is our belief that such events are hosts to many promising youngsters and it is our purpose to foster such a community within the Albanian youth.

The initiative and MUN are an important arena for young Albanians who want to sharpen their skills (negotiation, public speaking, resolution writing etc.), expand their network, get familiar with the UN system and discuss current issues and policies with their international peers while taking on the role of a real diplomat.

Supported by the OSCE Presence in Albania and its Youth Advisory Group, MUN Albania is guaranteed to be one of the most exciting experiences of the year. We would like to invite youngsters to keep track of our projects so they reserve a seat for the following MUN Albania.

By Linda Kelmendi, Board Member of UNYA Albania www.mun.unyaa.al; https://www.facebook.com/ModelUNAlbania/

Calling all future diplomats and Model UN enthusiasts!

Written by: UNA USA

UNA-USA has created MyDiplomat, a free educational app that puts YOU at the center of UN policy debates!

Calling All Future Diplomats!!

What is the MyDiplomat App?

Ever wondered what it would be like to solve a zombie epidemic or work with other world leaders towards global climate action? With MyDiplomat you can live out those dreams in the classroom or at your next Model UN club meeting!

Diplomacy in the Palm of your Hands

At UNA-USA, we know that the youth are our future world leaders and greatest UN advocates. That’s why we’ve created MyDiplomat, a free educational resource for Model UN members, teachers, and UN enthusiasts! MyDiplomat can be used on a smartphone or desktop and leads players through a number of group simulations. Our simulations teach delegates how to think and act like a diplomat, challenging them to view global issues through a multi-lateral lens. MyDiplomat is a great tool to use when training for an upcoming conference, practicing your critical thinking skills, or if you just want to learn more about how the United Nations works. Our goal is to put the youth at the forefront of UN policy debate!

Choose Your Adventure

MyDiplomat offers you the ability to solve an international zombie epidemic, fight a global climate emergency, and effectively handle a refugee crisis. By creatively and collaboratively working with other country’s delegations, users learn how the United Nations solves real, global issues.

What are my next steps?

Download the app, create a delegation of 2-4 participants, and you’re off! Throughout the simulation, your delegation must work with other countries to solve the global epidemics, crises, and emergencies. But, be careful - each country’s delegation has its own policy agendas and problems! Do you have what it takes to overcome a global crisis? Download MyDiplomat for free from the Google Play or Apple App Stores to find out!

Of The Youth, By The Youth, For The Youth Written by: Se Young Hwang “Youth, Peace and Security in Northeast Asia” workshop was a two-day event held in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. It was the first workshop ever held in Northeast Asian region under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 which aims to give youth a greater voice in decision-making at all levels and set up mechanisms that would enable young people to participate in in peacebuilding processes. I still couldn’t forget my first impression when I entered the conference room on the first day. Frankly speaking, I initially had this feeling (or perhaps a stereotype) that the workshop would be quite formal and somewhat serious, simply because the workshop was co-organized by the UN and government organization. I imagined the workshop be full of officials in suits, and participants are required to speak diplomatic language. Yet, I realized I was totally wrong once I stepped in the room. More than half of the participants were young people with various interests and they all came from diverse background. Some were college students like myself and others were youth leaders, creators, young scholars and government officials. This diversity made the room filled with excitement, enthusiasm and empowerment. Other than the representation of the participants in the workshop, the openness and honesty that the participants had shown toward the topics we discussed proved that my initial thought was wrong as well. Over the two days, we touched upon different topics with regards to youth, peace and security in Northeast Asia. We shared global and regional trends in terms of YPS agenda and discussed about the possibilities of building youth network in Northeast Asia and the role of science and technology in fostering climate of confidence and cooperation. We also had discussions about the identity issue in Northeast Asia, which could be a sensitive topic since it ultimately has to deal with the historical background of our region. Nonetheless, we all went for it with sincerity in the hopes of coming up with solutions to overcome this long-time ingrained historical conflicts. I found the session about forming identity and building Northeast Asian cooperation particularly interesting. It was important to point out this identity issue as a starting point of our discussion when it comes to building regional network. If we, people in Northeast Asian countries, cannot construct a shared identity, it is very unlikely that the network will last for a long period of time. With this problem in our mind, we kept on asking ourselves during the debate: what does it mean to be a Northeast Asian?, what are key features for national identities?, how to foster a better understanding of each other and help to build dialogue?, how to grow existing partnerships? and how to link up with existing regional initiatives? It was never so easy to answer those questions. Thanks to speakers who shared their honest opinions and real experiences, it gave me a chance to contemplate about the issue which I have never thought carefully before. This also showed that youth is in a position that can discuss uncomfortable topics without much burden. Although Northeast Asian countries have enjoyed economic cooperation growth together, the deep seated historical tension is always the hurdle that challenges our attempt to deepen the relations with each other. Still, many in the workshop have consented that the role of reconciliation is the key to moving forward and each governments has crucial roles to play to build regional cooperation. The YPS workshop was a meaningful event that created a space where the youth had an opportunity to think hard of their future and form networks to foster understanding through dialogue. At the same time, it reaffirmed commitments from the government, international community and the youth to work collaboratively in peace and security. Having listened to number of stories from young influential leaders and experts, I was impressed by their perseverance and felt once again the huge potential that the youth has. I have also learned how the youth in other parts of the world has been instrumental in peacebuilding process. Despite the lessons learned, there are more question marks left in my mind than certainty as I left Ulaanbaatar on my last stay. However, as the old saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It will take some time until the question marks become exclamation marks. Until then, I wish this YPS workshop could be held continuously so that more youth from Northeast Asian region could join our long journey to figure out unresolved questions.

WFUNA recently held the WFUNA European UNA and Youth Meeting in Rome Italy. This meeting took place from the 19th to the 21st of May. Read more to get an inside look at Cambridge University United Nations Associations experience at the meeting! Written by: Alex Eaton Jasmine Hull Phoebe McDonell All from Cambridge University United Nations Association _____________________________________________________________________ Cambridge University United Nations Association (CUUNA) recently attended the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) European UNA and Youth meeting in Rome over 19-21 May, along with attendees from 18 other Member States. Key themes of the meeting revolved around the importance of multilateralism in our current age of insular populism, and how individual UNAs can better cooperate, through the liaison network of WFUNA, to build a European movement of young people for a stronger UN. The Keynote address was given by Staffan de Mistura, Former UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Special Envoy for Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon. Mr de Mistura spoke at length about the difficulties faced for multilateralists in the current world order, and therefore how important it is for national UNAs to coordinate with each other regarding their activities and initiatives; this is particularly relevant for youth work. This was followed by presentations from various United Nations Youth Association representatives from across Europe about the work they have recently undertaken, and their plans moving forward. One stand-out presentation was that delivered by Hamsika Premkumar, President of Oslo United Nations Student Association, who described their journey from formation of the Norwegian youth wing in 2017 with just 5 members, through to their UN Theme Week event that took place in March 2019 with 170 organisers and over 3000 attendees. CUUNA presented on their efforts to re-establish the UK’s youth wing, and of how one of its first priorities should be the implementation of the UN Youth Delegate Program – of which the Italian delegation was in attendance at this meeting, and elaborated on how they successfully rolled out their program in 2017. Delegates also attended a panel event at the headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The meeting concluded with a joint session of youth and senior representatives at which the future agenda of WFUNA’s European meetings was discussed, and further possibilities for multilateral UNA cooperation proposed.

The youth commission of the Cuban Association of the United Nations (ACNU) participates actively in numerous educational, cultural, social and recreational activities throughout the year. We are pleased to share with you a short summary of our activities directed at youth. Educational We organized two activities to celebrate the World Cancer Day. One of them was a concert by the renowned rapper Telmarys at the Bertolt Brecht Cultural Center. During the evening, the artist recognized the importance of spending one day in the fight against one of the diseases that so many people suffer worldwide. During the concert, the members of the band and everyone present, mostly young people, carried the pink ribbon that identifies the fight against cancer. The other activity we carried out was a talk at one Secondary School on the subject of cancer and especially on breast cancer. Dr. María Caridad Rubio Hernández, president of the Working Group of the National Breast Cancer Program of the Ministry of Public Health, exchanged with students about the risk factors and the importance of performing breast self-exam, both females and the men. He also addressed the role of the family in the prevention and support of people suffering from this disease. We co-sponsor the 2018 Trazaguas contest which also become a celebration for the World Water Day. Girls, boys and adolescents participate in the different modalities of the contest, for instance audiovisual, art talks, photography, comics, didactic games and poetry. Their creative works, expressed the concern to preserve the water and face the drought. The contest was an opportunity to give visibility to community projects that through the talent of girls and boys promote awareness of the care of the precious resource to become actors of water saving and care of the environment. In the award ceremony, Mrs. María Machicado Terán, representative of UNICEF in Cuba, said: "This is a way of mobilizing girls and boys to raise awareness about the importance of preserving water and educating the rest of the family and the community, of the risk in the face of climate change". On the occasion of the holiday period, the ACNU convened its first Children's Summer Workshop named "I take care of the Environment". During a week, children between 8 and 10 years of age came together to have fun and learn about caring for the environment. Sowing a tree in the Monte Barreto Park, making drawings about natural resources, singing along with the Cu-ban Group on the Net, visiting the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation were just some of the many activities that the participants could enjoy. Likewise, lectures and didactic classes were given on environmental care and the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. Human rights As part of the actions developed by ACNU to support national and international campaigns for the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we convened the first edition of the National Poster Competition, dedicated on this occasion to the theme of Human Rights. The award ceremony was chaired by Abelardo Moreno, deputy minister of MINREX, Fermín Quiñones Sánchez, president of ACNU and Mr. Rafael Cuestas, representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Cuba. The presented works constituted new and refreshing ways, from the graphic, to approach a topic of so many incidences in the full development of the individual and collective capacities of the people, at the same time they denoted a reflection of the authors regarding the achieved and the challenges in the area of human rights in the country. In consideration of the effectiveness of the proposed visual analogy - which relates human rights to full-ness, using a universal code well re-solved graphically - the jury decided unanimously to award the grand prize to the poster presented by Miguel Alejandro Castro Sánchez. This year's edition of the contest is dedicated to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The poster should reflect the challenges, efforts and progress of nations towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which represents an opportunity for all countries in the world to include the reduction of inequalities as a fundamental aspect for the development. We must bet on a future that promotes social solidarity, creates values, and contributes to peace and to the economic, cultural and political sustainability of our nations. UN Models As part of our work as an advisory organization for the United Nations Student Models it was important for the ACNU to attend the UN Model of the Central University "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, called Orbis, which on this occasion was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 150 anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi and 60 years since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. It is pertinent to highlight the modeling for the first time of the International Court of Justice, which was held in parallel with the other elected bodies, namely the General Assembly, the Security Council, UNESCO and the Human Rights Council. We also co-sponsored the XXIV United Nations Model of Havana, HAVMUN, which under the central theme of Promoting inclusive and sustainable economic and social growth for the reduction of inequality, was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Triumph of Cuban Revolution, the 500 Anniversary of the Foundation of the Villa of San Cristóbal de La Habana and the 30th Anniversary of the approval of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In this edition of HAVMUN, the five regional commissions of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) were modeled, as well as three of its functional commissions, the Security Council and the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Liter of Light by: United Nations Association of Malaysia Youth Situated at a 210 metres elevation on the foot of The Titiwangsa Range, Ganggai Village is a hidden gem which remained unpolished for the many years it has existed. It houses over 280 members of the indigenous community, who prospered the land by farming and hunting. They are devoted Christians— we can tell simply by looking through the album bearing pictures of a modest wedding in a church, shown to us by the village chief aka Tok Batin’s wife as I paid a visit to her home. It is one of the very few brick houses built in the area, while the rest is made of dried bamboo strips, completely. She grinned as she pointed out a photo of her granddaughter’s wedding ceremony. All was beautiful, and so was the moment we were in. So, what is the story about this village? The Ganggai village is one of the many indigenous settlements in Malaysia with limited access to electricity. All they have is a generator, which they have to pay at RM4-6 rate per day. Requests made to the state government office were to no avail, hence they resort to only having mock-lightbulbs in their homes. What got us pondering was the very fact that the village is separated by less than a kilometre from the nearest FELDA settlement in Trolak. One minute we were driving pass a proper, well-planned palm estate community residence, the next, we saw a village which bears a drastic difference in terms of basic necessities. As part of UNA Malaysia’s effort to bridge the local youths and the marginalised communities, we partnered with Incitement Malaysia, University of Malaya and Yayasan Peneraju to mobilise a project centred on delivering SDG 4 (Quality Education), 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy), 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities) & 13 (Climate Action). Through Liter of Light, we are not merely lighting up a village, we are also empowering people to create social impact based on what relates closely to them. For a project that was initially a university core subject, we never expected to go down the road which costed us RM35K(~USD8400). But 30 solar-powered streetlights later, we knew the decision we collectively made was worth every penny spent. How can it not? In the time span of 2 days, we understood the simple workings of a solar technology, shared laughter with newfound friends while broadening our networks, and installed the very lights we built the day before. And it was not only for the satisfaction and raw bliss from watching the lights go on as the sun sets, it was the hopeful thought that the lights which we assembled from scratch will be an indirect encouragement for the children in the village to dream far and study hard, towards a brighter future ahead. It is also for the community to acquire better connectivity amongst themselves, which will consequently result in enlarged productivity. Before leaving, we stole some time to chat with a father of 3. He shared with us some of his unspoken aspirations for his children whom are in primary school. I may not have much, he expressed, but I wish to see my children complete their secondary education and enter university. Then (they) will come back and improve the living conditions here. All that was left for us is to engage with the possibilities that the lights we built will eventually catalyse that dream. Farewell, Kampung Ganggai. Perhaps one day, we’ll come back to witness the illumination that goes beyond the darkness. Check out our full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpN3jbCWxAw&t=185s

REFLECTING ON ECOSOC YOUTH FORUM - DAY 1 (JORDAN ARSENAULT) UNA-Canada was at ECOSOC YOUTH FORUM 2019 and this is the first blog of a series covering the Conference. Follow them: @UNACanada Article was first posted here: http://unaciddip.blogspot.com/2019/04/debrief-from-ecosoc-youth-forum-day-1.html _____________________________________________________________________ Day one of the 2019 ECOSOC Youth Forum has come and gone, and it was surely an adventure to remember! Hearing from so many amazing people talk about the projects and organizations they're working with was extremely motivating. New ideas and questions pop up all day as you hear more and more information; it's a perfect place to learn and grow! One of the projects that was mentioned at a side event run by the UNA-Germany is "Bringing the UN into Classrooms", aims to educate high school level students on the processes of the United Nations. It also offers an opportunity to participate in mock delegations within the classroom, providing a platform to discuss common global & local topics while hearing from peers. In a hope to inspire youth to become global citizens, the project helps to educate students on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) put forth by the UN in 2015. These seventeen goals outline the required actions to ensure a safe and healthy planet for future generations to come. The volunteers that go around to the schools are taught the processes and given training on remaining unbiased in discussions. This ensures that the youth are not being persuaded in any one direction, but have the new-found knowledge to create their own opinions, questions, and ideas. With hopes to get youth excited to be active community members and global change-makers, UNA-Germany has done wonderful work to ensure they are well prepared for the world of information that lie ahead them. The informal discussions allow the students to talk directly with UNA-G volunteer tutors and engage on a personal basis, as they were recently high school students themselves. This change in dynamics, from a more authoritative teacher role, allows for a certain level of equality and comfort within the setting. The volunteers take on many different roles to ensure an accurate and memorable experience that may inspire students to be the change they wish to see in the world. A major setback to getting youth involved into politics and policy is simply that they are not exposed to an experience that allows them to grow their knowledge and become more comfortable with the discussions. "Bringing the UN into Classrooms" aims to remove that barrier, giving more youth the understanding of the United Nations and its Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. This is a program that I feel should be in every school, to allow every student the ability to form their own thoughts while expressing themselves in a safe environment. Having youth gain experience with this project will lead to them having a better idea of what the world is all about and how they can be a part of the solution to common obstacles that we overcome. UNA-USA has recently started working on a similar layout, with a mobile application that would help the teachers have access to all the information to guide a session themselves. This classroom workshop is exactly how we educate the public, to get them more involved in the process where they can have a voice. It would be wonderful to see this in classrooms around the globe, as we increase the number of community engaged citizens, and inspire many youth to become a global change-makers. We hope to accomplish the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, as these seventeen steps are essential to ensure the survival of the human race over the next few decades.

UN Youth Australia UN Youth Australia is one of Australia's largest youth-led charities. We run programs across the country designed to empower young people and build respect for the United Nations and its values. We operate as a federal structure, with the national organisation made up of 8 divisions operating in every Australian State and Territory. UN Youth Australia's national Board of Directors acts as our peak decision-making and strategic body. Board members are elected for two year terms by the 8 divisions at our Annual General Meeting. The Board appoints the members of the National Executive Committee on an annual basis to manage the operations of the national organisation. Divisional executive committees are elected by the volunteers who reside in a particular division. More than 15,000 young people take part in UN Youth Australia activities each year. Some of our major initiatives include the Evatt Model UN Competition, our Coordinated Conference program, the Voice Public Speaking Competition, and our Young Leaders Summit program. These events are organised in collaboration between the national organisation and divisions, and are generally held at similar times in the capital cities of the Australian States and Territories. Additionally, at a national level we run a series of programs. These include the national finals for the aforementioned Evatt and Voice public speaking competitions, an annual National Conference, and a host of International Activities which take participants to a variety of locations across the world to learn about given themes. UN Youth Australia also administers the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations program in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Each year we go through a rigorous selection process to pick someone under the age of 25 to be the Australian Youth Representative to the UN. After the candidate is formally appointed by DFAT, we organise a nationwide listening tour to allow the Youth Representative to hear the views and concerns of young people across the country. Generally the Youth Representative conducts over 100 consultations with thousands of students from every part of Australia. At the conclusion of the tour, the Youth Representative is posted to the UN Headquarters in New York with the Australian Mission to the UN. Whilst on posting, they join Australian diplomats to represent the views of Australian youth and take part in relevant UN fora. Upon returning to Australia, the Youth Representative publishes their final report and engages with political leaders to communicate their findings and advocate for the issues they found to be important to young Australians. UN Youth Australia runs many more programs at a local and national level. If you are interested about reading further, you can find more information on our website: https://unyouth.org.au/. Written by: UN Youth Australia

Healthy Rhyme… With Me, by me, for me Health is one of the issues that the young people need to be aware of. It is important that this be at an early stage in life. With this view the secretariat together with the young people from the chapter of Uganda Institute of Communication and Technology (UICT) which is one of the UNAU chapters, set out to have a hands on activity with the students of Kiswa Primary School. The activity involved students in upper primary who were informed mainly on peer influence and the need for these young stars to have their eyes open and be alert when it comes to minding their health and watching what they eat and how they interact with each other. This was mainly on the basis of ensuring that we make strides to the attainment of SDG3. In view of this, many of the Ugandans are now dying from non-communicable diseases which are mainly as a result of their lifestyle. This particular project is aimed at ensuring that the young people grow with a mind that allows them to be physically active and mindful to avoid the usage of things like alcohol and tobacco. This initiative further opened opportunities for partnership with the institution. For example, arrangements have been made for career guidance sessions and trainings in this particular school. The students in the chapter network get to identify various challenges in their communities and how to develop solutions to them. Written by: Linda Asaba UNA Uganda

EU Model Torino 2019: are you ready to face the challenge? For the fifth time, the European Union Model Turin will take place at the University of Turin from the 18th to the 21st March! EU Model Torino is a project organized by the Turin-based branch of the Student Movement for the International Organization (M.S.O.I.), the Italian United Nations Youth Association, and represents the first simulation of the whole Ordinary Legislative Procedure of the European Union in Italy. The activity has been organized in March every year since 2015 at the University of Turin, and each edition has been focused on a crucial topic particularly significant for the political life of the European Union. This year more than 130 delegates will discuss cybersecurity, acting as Members of the European Parliament or Ministers of one of the Member States in the Council of the European Union, or maybe as members of the Press Corps. For these three days they will completely change their life, getting completely involved in their parliamentary or ministerial duties. Will they manage to find a compromise and finally approve the directive proposed by the Commission? Only the outcome of the three-day debate is going to give an answer to that question. The Executive Board of M.S.O.I. Torino and the Secretariat are deeply confident on a successfull result and they are working hard to define the last minute details of the organization of the event. The initiative is addressed to university or high school students and it is preceded by some seminars, called EU Know Preparatory Conferences. The aim of these conferences is to give participants proper conceptual framework in order to face the simulation. Moreover, the experience is enriched by two Training Sessions, conferences where renowned experts give participants the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in the fields of International Organization; two of them will be Pietro Fochi and Fiorella Spizzuoco, United Nations Youth Delegates of Italy. The result of the combination between the EU Know meetings, the simulation, and Training Sessions is a complete formative experience. The objective is to allow participants to deepen their knowledge and awareness on the political and institutional life of the European Union, which now is more than ever essential. _____________________________________ Thank you to UNYA Italy for writing this blog post! We love hearing about your current initiatives. If you'd like to follow what they're doing, check them out on facebook and twitter at: @msoiunyaitaly @msoitorino @sioi

UNA Norway: A short summary of our activities directed at youth SDG games and night walk in Oslo To mark the UN-day in October, the UNA of Norway arranged SDG games outside the city hall in Oslo from October 24 through 26. The games attracted several schools and more than 500 students from elementary schools in the area took part. The games were arranged in cooperation with the county of Oslo and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation – Norad. The UNA of Norway was responsible for shaping the teaching materials to the students and was in charge of the contact with the schools. The grand finale was a night walk on the city hill of Ekeberg directed at the general audience and families where illuminated boxes of the SDGs created interesting discussions for the participants. Kindergarteners and the UN The UNA arranged a celebration of the UN day for more than 1000 kindergarteners in Oslo. The children had all learned about the importance of clean water in advance. During the event, which was held the largest cathedral in Oslo, they were thought more about children’s rights around the world. They also got to meet the UN mascot. The children all got UN flags to bring home to their kindergartens afterwards. Info graphics on the boarders 250 high schoolers in the northern most territories of Norway worked with the UNA and a local designer, Liv Ragnhild Kjellman, to learn more about the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. The students created art shows based on posters they created on migrants and the UN Convention. Human Rights During the last few months of 2018, the UNA oversaw a tour of human rights for UN schools in Norway. The educational material we presented to the students, thought them more about the UN stand on human rights in connection with the 70-year anniversary of the Declaration of Human rights. In November we invited a large group of middle school students to learn more about human right defenders. The event was held at the Nobel peace center, and the mayor of Oslo opened the event. UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights, Michel Frost, participated in the talk with human rights defenders Mariam Kirollos, Nancy Herz and Thenmozhi Soundararajan. 100 students participated. Written by: UNA Norway

Introduction United Nations Association Albania was established on 24 October 2016 by a group of motivated young Albanians passionate about human rights, sustainable development and especially youth empowerment and youth participation. During less than 2.5 years since its creation, UNA Albania has successfully organized 3 Model UNs, several conferences and initiatives regarding the SDGs and has become a well-known NGO in Tirana primarily among youth. UNA Albania was officially accepted as a member association of WFUNA in October 2018 and has recently launched the UN Youth Delegate Programme in Albania. _______ Stories about the beginnings of UNA’s worldwide are at times stories about their first members, also known as the founding officers. As I look back to the commencement of this brief but dynamic journey so far, it seems like the founding officers of UNA Albania were driven by some sort of destiny to accidentally meet and establish together what it is today our organization (me and Eni* attended the same high school and met occasionally in Tirana in 2016 for the first time in 7 years; while Alba** was firstly introduced to the idea of establishing a UNA in 2014 when she was attending the “Human Rights in Action” training organized by WFUNA in Geneva, and joined the team in 2017 right after she saw the call for volunteers by what was then the UN Youth Association of Albania). Unsurprisingly, the peculiarity of UNA Albania resides in the fact that it is exclusively led and organized by young Albanians, which is why it begun as a UN Youth Association focused primarily on youth empowerment and participation, and the implementation of initiatives which seek at disseminating information about the Sustainable Development Goals and creating a platform through which youth can contribute to the achievement thereof. Today, UNA Albania and UNYA Albania jointly operate in implementing common projects. The difference between the two structures is usually referred to – amusingly - as the difference between plain coffee and coffee without cream. Contrary to the myth that UNAs/UNYAs are almost exclusively made of International Relations and Law graduates, our members come from diversified backgrounds spanning from pharmacy studies to economics; social sciences to business informatics. More importantly, they all seek to be active citizens, eager to give their contribution to their communities as well as engage in regional and international cooperation. Together, we aim at transforming individual and mutual aspirations into individual and mutual ambitions, as a first step in enabling youngsters to become change makers. This is why we have adopted the slogan: #bealocalsuperhero. Our main activities revolve primarily around the SDGs and especially around SDS 4, 5 and 17. In this regard, we have implemented the Coffee Talks initiative: a creative idea that brings a relaxing social ritual closer to intellectual activity by spreading the ideas and behaviors that can educate the future generations towards constructive conversations, sharing knowledge and group work around specific SDGs. As for every UNA/UNYA, Model UN conferences are particularly important to us. We have managed to organized 3 small scale Model UN in 2 years trying to turn it into a tradition for Albanian students while keep growing the size of the conference and innovating its concept. Special mention goes to the All Def Poetry project, implemented on 8 March 2017 when several members of UNA Albania used one of the biggest squares of Tirana and the medium of slam poetry to perform famous creations and their very own poems focused on women rights and gender equality. The performances sparked different reactions from the audience and were followed by engaged discussion on and off-stage about women’s position in Albania. However, without any doubt, our biggest achievement to date has been the launch of the Albanian Youth Delegate to the UN Programme (AYD). AYD is built upon the successful models of the UNYDP in various countries incorporating best practices and at the same time reflecting the particularities of the Albanian context. Hence, we have molded the programme in such a way to fully embody the concepts of representation, empowerment and integration giving a clearer definition to the hybrid nature of the youth delegates. The empowerment and integration of the youth delegates has been thought to be enriched by an internship period with the Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs prior to their visit to New York. Such internship would serve a double function: offer the possibility for the youth delegates to better familiarize with the ministry’s work and Albanian foreign policies, and; create a strong relationship between the youth delegates and the ministry’s staff. We are proud to have received the support of the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, different national and international institutions in our country and the endorsement of the UN Permanent Representative in Albania. Although the call for applications is still underway, we see the immense potential of the UN Youth Delegate Programme, not only for Albania but also for the whole Wester Balkan’s region. We have consulted various youth delegates from other countries and have already put the basis for imminent collaborations with other UNAs and WFUNA in this aspect. What makes the timing of the project unique is the opportunity for the Albanian youth delegates to contribute to the historically important candidacy of Albania for a non-permanent seat at the UNSC for the 2022-2023 mandate. Additionally, the AYD has been thought to be complemented with other initiatives, one of which seeks to form a partnership between UNA Albania and UNA Serbia with the support of WFUNA and RYCO*** for the purpose of assisting the remaining countries of the Western Balkans to establish the UNYDP in their countries based on our mutual experience and knowledge. Thus, by creating a platform through which future young leaders collaborate in sharing and promoting UN values, the AYD would also serve the cause of peace and reconciliation in the region. What has characterized us from the early days is a distinct feeling to seize the momentum, gradually raise the pace and quality of our work and ensure the further growth and sustainability of the organization, following the example of other UNAs while creating our very own success story. As many challenges lay ahead of us, ranging from human resources to financing, we are confident that our passion and ambitions outreach our struggles and that we have laid strong foundations for what could soon become a renowned promoter of UN values in Albania. By Kristi Çina President of UNA Albania * Enedia Oshafi – founding officer of UNA Albania; ** Alba Brojka – Secretary General of UNA Albania; *** Regional Youth Cooperation Office Check out UNYA Albania is up to on their socials! Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UNYouthAlbania/ Twitter: @una_albania Instagram: unyaalbania

WFUNA Interviews Young Leader of 2018: Andrea Calzada Morales from UNA Mexico

Q: Please tell us a little bit about yourself!

My name is Andrea. I currently live in a region of the Zacatecas desert. I have always been a restless person, even as a child. My favorite pastime was playing soccer with my sister.

I had a good childhood and by age 8, I was already in love with soccer. I did not want to play anything else. Thanks to soccer, I discovered that you could achieve incredible things, meet other people, create bonds of friendship and most importantly: Learn to be supportive with people on and off the pitch. Sometimes life is put to the test and the most important loss of my life was the death of my father when I was only eight years old. I am very grateful that I have such a hard working mother who set a strong a example for me.

Q: What inspired you to start working towards gender equality?

My interest in working on gender equality was influenced by two aspects, the first part to this was because I was discriminated against when I wanted to do things that were considered "for men"; When I was in elementary school I always asked my PE teacher to let me play soccer with the other boys, but usually she said " soccer is for boys and basketball is for girls", I did not have many options and I started playing. People at my school also always made fun of me for having some soccer shoes that only children can use.

It has not been easy to try to change the important thing is to remember the reason why we committed to change our environment.

Q: What are your goals with this work? What do you hope to achieve during your time as WFUNA Young Leader?

I have several goals that I would like to fulfill as WFUNA Young Leader, one of them is to promote gender equality (SDG5) in Zacatecas, Mexico and the World. For me, the development of my state is a big priority. In Mexico, being a woman is doubly difficult due to the high levels of violence against females

Ideally, my goal is to achieve a just society where both women and men have the same quality of life, women can be leaders, participate in political decisions of the country, and the main thing being that we are not violated in any way. I would also like to be able to establish a system that helps to develop life skills through sports and then replicate that globally. This would generate more opportunities for women and hopefully improve their quality of life.

I want to be able to inspire other young people to take actions to help achieve SDG 5, small actions can make big changes.

#WFUNA #youngleaderoftheyear #sdg5 #gender equality #una mexico #futbol #soccer #women

WFUNA Young Leader of 2016 Appreciation Letter

It has been amazing and humbling to serve as the WFUNA Young Leader of 2016. My gratitude extends to the WFUNA Secretariat, young people of all UNAs and UNYAs across the world, UNA –Zimbabwe for nominating me, Thekwini City Colleges for their open-door policy in partnerships, Junior Chamber International (JCI) South Africa, Court Vision International, Self-Aware Youth Club, and many other partners. The position enabled me to gain regional and international exposure but above everything else, illuminate the world through leading young people to be responsible and accountable actors in shaping the world we want by 2030.

Some of the notable milestones during my tenure of office are as follows:

2017 (Year for SDG 16 and 5)

Launch of the Annual Inter-colleges Sports for Peace Tournament on the 21st of September every year to commemorate the lnternational Day of Peace. Currently, preparations are now at an advanced stage for the second edition of this tournament, scheduled to be held at Westenburg Community grounds in Polokwane, South Africa on the same date.

Launched Project I Pad which is aimed at giving disadvantaged girls peace of mind through men's support of their menstrual health. The program educates men about the importance of supporting all women: our sisters, mothers, friends, and among others. Every month we bring together sanitary pads that we acquire as a way of showing commitment to the cause and give to disadvantaged girls. So far 350 girls mostly from rural areas have benefited directly from this initiative since its launch.

Partnered with Self Aware Youth Club based in Polokwane Rural areas to host the Annual Miss Self Aware Beauty Pageant from 2017 onwards. This is a project aims to empower girls in rural areas around Polokwane to develop a positive self-image and be able to fearlessly stand up for rights in their communities. This year, the pageant is schedule for December in the other part rural part of Polokwane as a way of giving a chance to all girls in rural areas of Limpopo Province in South Africa.

Launched the Peace Always Campaign, an initiative that is aimed at helping Young People show their commitment to peaceful actions. As a promise to continuously display their commitments, young people signed their names in a Peace Pledge Declaration book. The book at the moment has more than one thousand signatures of young people from different backgrounds, nationalities and gender.

Supported a rural community basketball team in Jozini, KwaZulu Natal Province in South Africa with technical and financial support. In collaboration with Court Vision International (https://www.courtvisionconnect.com/), the project was aimed at supporting Young People to get out of drugs and positively channel their energy towards self and community development.

2018 (Year of ensuring Quality Education - SDG 4):

1. Smart Learning Campaign: In partnership with Thekwini City Colleges in South Africa, we are running a program of providing seven-inch customized tablets to newly registered students especially those studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). This is a way of encouraging Young People to venture into this field of STEM, which is one of the central keys in the sustainable development of Africa. Through this program the number of girls registering, especially for engineering courses with the college campuses across the country, has doubled. Thus, this initiative did not only see a positive achievement for SDG 4 but also SDG 5. This is a five-year program running until 2022.

2. Launch of the Nelson Mandela Public Management and Education Bursary under the Bernard Sihlezi Bebe Foundation (https://www.facebook.com/Bernard-Sihlezi-Bebe-Foundation-418770161579994/). At the moment, this bursary mostly covers the costs for textbooks and mentors for students who qualify for financial aid. These students study Public Management and Education across TVET colleges in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The program aims to inspire students to help Public Officials and Educators strengthen the next generation of global citizens. Nelson Mandela’s values, which are peace and reconciliation, selflessness and service to humanity are central to the program’s mission and vision.

Honoured the 67 Minutes of Volunteerism of the Nelson Mandela Day 2018 by vanishing 100 desks at one of the Campuses of Thekwini City College in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Raised awareness among Thekwini City College students about the Global Youth Service Day and conducted a cleanup at one of their campuses and offered them certificates of participation in partnership with Youth Service America (https://ysa.org/ ).This event was well published in two local newspapers (https://reviewonline.co.za/262370/foundation-set-to-better-lives/).

Formulated an online petition and sent letters to the Clerk of Parliament and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC). This petition was aimed at discouraging the use of Hate Speech during the era of political campaigns in the recently held elections in Zimbabwe. After 2 weeks of petitioning, the NPRC came up with a Peace Pledge which was signed by all 23 Political Party Representatives who were contesting in these corresponding elections in Zimbabwe. (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1303852599717513&id=304646782971438).

Also created a peace video in partnership with an upcoming comedian in Zimbabwe. We made the video during the elections campaign period in Zimbabwe. It was aimed at discouraging Young People from indulging themselves in any form of electoral violence. The video was circulated on social media sites, such as Whatsapp and Facebook. (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1705929242859103&id=1262085897243442)

My service to humanity will not end with my term of service as the WFUNA Young Leader of 2016, but rather a lifetime commitment. Looking forward to cordial working relations with the incoming WFUNA Young Leader of 2018. Once again, thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

By Bernard Bebe

#WFUNA #WFUNAYouthNetwork #unazimbabwe #youngleaderoftheyear #sdgs #youth2030

29 July - 02 August 2018: Summer Highlight: UN Youth Conference in Vienna: VIMUN Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear young people from all over the world, The United Nations Youth and Student Association of Austria - Academic Forum for Foreign Affairs (UNYSA-AUSTRIA-AFA) cordially invites students and young graduates from 18 to 35 years from all educational backgrounds and from all nations to our most important youth conference in Vienna. From 29 July to 02 August 2018 the Vienna International Model United Nations (VIMUN) will take place directly at the UN Office at Vienna. A Model United Nations (MUN) is a meeting where students authentically simulate negotiations of specific committees and organs of the United Nations. Participants choose a country and research their chosen country's position regarding a specific topic. After preparation, they step into the shoes of diplomats and represent this country in a committee. They debate, convince, bring forward new solutions and solve a world conflict with their own resolution. Why participate at MUNs? Thousands of students actively take part in MUNs, debating either at training sessions at clubs or at international conferences that are organized all over the world. The motivation for participation in MUNs is simple, yet very convincing: - improve your negotiation and debating skills - become a better team-worker and leader - get an insight into an UN diplomat's work - make practical use of your political knowledge - meet and stay in touch with students from all around the world - earn a valuable certificate VIMUN welcomes experienced MUN participants (some Committees will be exclusively reserved for advanced MUNers) but also attracts students who take part at a MUN for the first time! We will simulate/discuss the following committees/issues: ******************************************************************************* Human Rights Council (HRC) 70 Years Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Right to Privacy in the Digital Age" ******************************************************************************* International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Simulation of a Meeting of the Board of Governors (The IAEA is designated for advanced MUN participants.) "Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management" ******************************************************************************* Security Council (SC) The SC is designated for advanced MUN participants. There will be an authentic simulation of the UN SC (no fictional crisis). "The Situation in the Middle East" (Syria) ******************************************************************************* Just Added to VIMUN: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Simulation of a Meeting of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space "Actual Challenges for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space: Economic Exploitation, Future Tourism and Space Junk" ******************************************************************************* World Trade Organization (WTO) Simulation of a Ministerial Conference (without Observers) "New 'Trade Wars', Regional Economic Alliances and Sustainable Development Goals: What Role for the WTO?" ******************************************************************************* We cordially invite you to find all further information on VIMUN at: http://www.vimun.org The registration form is available at http://afa.at/vimun/vimunregistrationform.htm. You can simply register for VIMUN by filling in the attached oldfashioned form and sending it to [email protected]. Please not that we can only accept applications if you do not need a visa for entering the European Union, as the deadline for visa applications is already over. If you need any additional information we stay at your disposal via [email protected] Thanking you for your attention and looking forward to meet you/your friends at our conference, with all our very best regards, Michael P.S.: Of course you are cordially invited to share this e-mail to all of your friends! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Michael F. PFEIFER """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" President United Nations Youth and Student Association of Austria - Academic Forum for Foreign Affairs (UNYSA-AUSTRIA-AFA)

#wfuna #mun #model un #youth #vienna #vimun

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