DPI

Holocaust Remembrance: Education Against Extremism & Building and Better Future

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In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, NGO Relations, Advocacy and Special Events Section and the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, Outreach Division and the Department of Public Information organized a meeting to discuss the importance of education against extremism. Throughout the briefing, the curator of the Permanent Exhibition at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Dr. Steven Luckert, continually placed special emphasis on the role that propaganda had during the rise of the Nazi party. The Nazi movement was a rapid rise of power. Within a few years, the Nazi party won 230 seats in parliament, becoming for the first time the largest party in parliament. It was advertised as a “party of youth, a party for the future.” Widespread propaganda was so efficiently distributed by the Nazis that it was one of the most effective factors leading German constituents to vote for an extremist party.

Dr. Steven Luckert explained that Adolf Hitler was one of the first German politicians to craft a public persona by practicing and perfecting charismatic gestures, creating a trademark logo, and using slogans that appealed to mass mindsets. Dr. Luckert noted that Hitler recognized women’s influence in Germany. The majority of women voters were swayed by the party as well, although there were no promises of progress for women’s rights. Hitler’s campaign of propaganda was carefully curated. It included influencing children through boardgames and anti-semitic word problems in mathematics textbooks and the promise of protection from Jewish people rather than a war of aggression against them. Dr. Luckert’s in depth analysis of Hitler’s rapid rise to power called for a more careful consumption of widespread modern media and warned of the influences it has on societies today.

Meeting: “Holocaust Remembrance: Educating against Extremism, Building a Better Future” (In observance of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the victims of the Holocaust (27 January)) (organized by the NGO Relations, Advocacy and Special Events Section and the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, Outreach Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)

Date/ Time/Location: Thursday, 26 January 2017; 11:00 to 12:30; UN Headquarters Conference Room 1

Speakers: Kimberly Mann, Manager of the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme; Steven Luckert; Curator of the Permanent Exhibition at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Jamey Fischer, Professor of German and Cinema and Digital Media, University of California, Davis and Director of the Davis Humanities Institute; Thomas Schieb, Minister Plenipotentiary of Germany to the United Nations; Virginie Ladisch, Head of the Children and Youth Programme at the International Center for Transitional Justice; Gillian Kitley, Senior Officer and Head of Office of the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect

Written By: Janice Park, WIT Representative

1 + 4 = 16: Targeting Poverty and Education for Peace

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The DPI/NGO Youth-Led Briefing, “1 + 4 = 16” was conducted to promote Sustainability Development Goals 1 (eradicate poverty) and 4 (provide quality education), and their relationship to Goal 16 (attain peace and justice for inclusive societies and institutions), outlined in Agenda 2030.

Panelists shared their stories of activism in relation to each goal to convey that activism can start at a young age. Ms. Frances Simpson Allen and Mr. Sering Falu Njie emphasized that in order to for the SDGs to be successful, young people must be active and central in the SDG progress.

Ms. Pilar Harris, a NYU student and Urban Practice Fellow and Ms. Umazi Mvurya, Development Fellow of the African Leadership Foundation, both stressed that Goal 4 has influenced and motivated them in their personal activism. Ms. Harris worked on the “Lyrics on Lockdown,” an educational program that works with incarcerated women in Rikers Island Women’s Prison, located at New York City’s largest jail complex. Ms. Mvurya emphasized the need to focus on the quality of education, as students are not provided with adequate resources for success in her home area of Kenya. Mr. Austin Schiano, Partnership Director of the Give Me 5 Campaign, expressed that his campaign is integral to Goal 1. The Give Me 5 Campaign focuses on the fact that only 5% of global military funds are needed to help alleviate, and eventually eradicate, global poverty.

Each panelist highlighted the importance of their work in relation to achieving Goal 16, which is to promote peaceful and inclusive communities centered on sustainable development. By granting every child access to quality education and in working to eradicate poverty, Sustainability Goal 16 can move societies away from exclusive practices and towards a reality where all can prosper.

Meeting: DPI/NGO Youth-Led Briefing, “1 + 4 = 16, Targeting Poverty and Education for Peace.”

Date/Time/ Location: Thursday, 3 November, 2016; 11:00 to 13:00; United Nations Headquarters, ECOSOC Chamber

Speakers: Maxine Davila, Youth Representative, WAFUNIF; Jadayah Spencer, Youth Representative, New York Metropolitan Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolence; Jeff Brez, Chief, NGO Relations, Advocacy and Special Events, Department of Public Information; Mitchell Toomey, Director, SDG Action Campaign, UNDP; Pilar Harris, NYU Student, Urban Practice Fellow; Sering Falu Njie, Deputy Director, Policy, UN Millennium Campaign; Austin Schiano, Partnerships Director, Give Me 5 Campaign and Member of Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs New Leaders Program; Umazi Mvurya, Development Fellow, African Leadership Foundation; Frances Simpson Allen Programme Management Officer, Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth at United Nations

Written By: Leticia Murillo and Donna Sunny, WIT Representatives

Partnerships for Success: NGOs, Youth, and the UN

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B-TAcMtIEAACyG6The DPI/NGO Briefing Division organized and led a panel to discuss topics centered on Partnerships for Success: NGOs, Youth, and the UN. Dr. Hunter opened up the panel by asking what youth empowerment means to the audience, and then went on to state that there are over 400 youth representatives that speak on behalf of NGOs worldwide. The next speaker, Ms. Nesheiwat emphasized the point that all youth representatives had the same underlying mission–to create a better future for the world. Ms. Viktoriia then stated, “youth is not an excuse for inaction or an excuse for lack of awareness or responsibility.” She continued by saying that creating a strong network of youth professionals would benefit not only the youth, but society and the United Nations as a whole. Giving a platform to speak about causes important to the representatives is central to empowering the youth. Ms. Taveras listed some of the successes of the UNADR, such as reaching out to over 6,000 students at the International Conference of the Americas. She also expressed social media engagement with youth as a key factor in worldwide change. She then spoke on behalf the Seton Hall School of Diplomacy, and its role in global involvement through its Center for UN and Global Governance Studies. Ms. Taveras spoke passionately about youth involvement,  saying that having a strong desire to change the world is unstoppable. Ms. Ukaigwe discussed ENDA’s various collaborations, such as their Youth in Action Team that partnered with the African Movement of Working Children and Youth to ensure the achievement of all Millennium Development Goals related to children. She also claimed that many of ENDA’s initiatives coincide with the SDGs. She, too, was animated when she discussed youth engagement, convincing the audience of the impact of youth action.

Meeting: Partnerships for Success: NGOs, Youth and the UN
Date & Location: 26 February 2015. Conference Room 2, UN Headquarters, New York
Speakers: Dr. Bill Hunter, Director, International Outreach; Lehigh University, Lehigh University representative at the United Nations; Ms. Amanda Nesheiwat, Youth Representative, Foundation for Post-Conflict Development; Ms. Viktoriia Brezhenuik, Youth Representative, World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations; Ms. Gabriela Taveras, Youth Representative, Seton Hall School of Diplomacy and the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic; Ms. Joy Ukaigwe, Youth Representative, ENDA Tiers Monde (Environmental Development Action in the Third World, Dakar, Senegal)
Written By WIT Representatives: Elise Freeman and Daniel Cho
Edited By WIT Representative: Philip Bracey

United We Stand

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Image From: www.un.org

Image From: http://www.un.org

The meeting opened with spoken word by Ms. Imani Woomera, whose poem “Cultural Choice” celebrated diversity. She then performed the poem “Mosquito” with her son, Zion, about environmental sustainability. The title refers to how something so small can impact people, much akin to how one person with one action can have a profound effect on the world around them. Following this, Ms. Morris, a survivor of 9/11 in the 88th floor in one of the twin towers, gave a heartfelt recollection of the attack. She described descending numerous flights of stairs before receiving a car ride from a stranger to see her four-year-old daughter at her school in Midtown.

Next, Mr. Abouelnaga, with his organization Practice Makes Perfect, supplies over 500 low-income children with education tools. Despite the modest living conditions of his neighborhood, he desired to help the children in his community rather than focus on his own need. He was resourceful in attempting to fund Practice Makes Perfect, sharing his cause on social media and writing to wealthy donors. He emphasized that change comes from within, in that the solutions for environmental sustainability and positive world change stem from the will to act and make connections with their fellow communities.

Title: Inspiring Voices: Transforming the World, Lives and Communities

Date/Location: Thursday, 22 January 2014; 11:00-12:30; Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium

Speakers: Imani Woomera, Lyricist and Poet; Zion Miyonga, high school student; Roszel A. Morris, Counter-Terrorism Committee, Executive Directorate United Nations; Karim Abouelnaga, Founder and CEO Practice Makes Perfect;

Written By: Elise Freeman

Edited By: Modou Cham

Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights and DPI

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imagesThe NGO Committee and Department of Public Information celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The briefing opened with Mr. Jennifer Tang outlining three articles detailed the rights of the child which were to respect for the views of the child, the right to freedom of expression, and the right to free association.

Ms. Formsma represented children who are indigenous by saying, “Often the participation and voices of indigenous children is not being heard; in developed countries, some indigenous children live in third-world conditions” She also stated how we must listen to young people because they know and understand what their community needs; they just need the support and resources to help develop the needs of the community. Chenor Bah told a story about his personal experience of being involved in the war of Sierra Leone; he became a refuge and thought to himself during all of the hardship, “This is not right; children should have a voice in this war.”

Dr. Flores revealed data about a survey taken children and adults throughout the world. The results revealed issues that matter most to children and their families: good education, better healthcare, better job opportunities, an honest and responsive government, protections against crime and violence, and phone and internet access. Dr. Flores outlined a few principles of democratic participation for children: power in relationships and decision making process must be transparent and understood by children; children should be involved in the initial stages of any process or project; all children should be treated with equal respect; demonstrate to children that they are being heard by actively listening; provide encouragement so children will speak, participate, and learn to make decisions.

Meeting: DPI/NGO Briefing: Have you heard us? Children’s Voices in Creating a World Fit for ALL: Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights and the Department of Public Information
Date/Location: November 20, 2014; 11:00-12:45; Conference Room 1
Speakers: Ravi Karkara, Global Expert Advisor; Children and Youth with UN-Habitat and Advisor to the UN Millennium Campaign on Child and Youth Engagement; Therese Folkers Plair, Co-Chair; NGO Committee on Children’s Rights; opening song by Young at Arts – Amani Choir; Jennifer Tang, Research Associate, Children’s Environments Research Group; Jocelyn Formsma, Indigenous Child Rights Advocate; Public School 333 Manhattan, 4th – 5th Graders; Chernor Bah, Co-founder and Youth Engagement Coordinator, A World at School; Dr. Roseanne Flores, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Hunder College of the City University of New York; Kaylee Beree Weinberg, Ramapough Lenape Student Speaker; closing song by Carrie E Tomplins, Elementary School
Written By WIT Representative: Eman Osagie

Edited By WIT Representative: Aslesha Dhillon

Global Citizenship through Multilingualism

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A special event on youth and multilingualism, co-organized by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), Department of Public Information (DPI) and ELS Educational Services, was held at the United Nations Headquarters today. The event was held to celebrate the power of languages to connect people around the world by bridging divides and enriching our understanding of the human experience.Image

Sixty highly-talented students from twenty-six countries representing all regions of the world, were selected through an essay writing competition, and honored with the opportunity to make presentations on the UNAI principles relating to education and global citizenship.

Mr. Launsky-Tieffenthal congratulated the students for their highly commendable linguistic skills as they were asked to write essays on global citizenship in a language that is neither their mother tongue nor their usual medium of instruction. Mr. Launsky-Tieffenthal emphasised on the ability of the youth to address complex global issues and articulate a vision for an interdependent world by bringing creative energy, fresh ideas and new paradigms for the future. He further added that the students embodied the spirit of the United Nations Charter, which lays out the outline for a more peaceful, balanced and a harmonious global community.

Students highlighted the importance of global citizenship and proposed ways of achieving it. The proposals extensively focused on the purpose of equal education, which is to make every child gain access to more opportunities through education. Investment in quality education will foster interest in the minds of the youth to know, understand and experience other languages and cultures. Students also laid stress on the importance of solidarity for achieving peace. The world needs to be united to resolve global problems and the key for discussing and advancing ideas for global citizenship is education. Thus, educational institutions should aim to promote global oriented programs for their students in order to prepare them for the future.

Meeting Title:Global Youth Forum on Multilingualism: Many Languages, One World
Chair: Mr. Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information
Location: General Assembly Hall, North Lawn Building, United Nations Headquarters, New York
Date: 27 June 2014
Written by WIT Representative: Nusrat Laskar
Edited by WIT Representative: Sophia Griffiths-Mark

 

Forum on Youth 2014

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In accordance with UN General Assembly resolution 68/1, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) should further promote the integration of youth into its deliberations, building on the past positive experiences of informal youth forums.

From the 2-3, June 2014 the United Nations was home to youth delegates, representatives from the Children and Youth Major Groups, youth representatives from Member States, including those from National Youth Councils, representatives of regional youth organisations as well as youth-led and youth focused organisations and networks, including those in consultative status with ECOSOC.

The aim of the Youth Forum was to bring the voice of young people into discussion on addressing the challenges for meeting the Millennium Development Goals and shaping the post-2015 development agenda. During the opening ceremony, Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon remarked, “There is a world of need out there, but also a world of opportunity. So I urge you to keep doing your part. Keep showing your leadership as global citizens” while urging attendees to “keep making a difference”. The Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi spotlighted five thematic areas; education, employment and entrepreneurship, health, peace and security, and governance  as the greatest concern that threaten youth development in nation states. These areas were condensed after engaging more than 1.2 million young people through the My World 2015 survey and a crowdsourcing platform convened by UN agencies and partners. World Information Transfer’s DPI Representative, Apurv Gupta, was ranked 5 in the overall community, sharing recommendations on all thematic issues.

It was observed at the forums conclusion that employment was the key area young people wanted world leaders to focus on during the construction of the post-2015 development agenda. Currently, 75 million youth are unemployed, and more than 600 million jobs need to be generated globally in the life span of the new development agenda to absorb current unemployment levels and provide jobs to new labour market entrants.

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Meeting Title: ECOSOC Youth Forum 2014
Speakers: H.E. Ban Ki Moon, Secretary-General, United Nations, H.E. Martin Sajdik (Austria), President of the Economic and Social Council, H.E. Csaba Kőrösi, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations and Co-Chair, Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goal, Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy for Youth, Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Youth Representatives.
Location: United Nations HQ, Conference Room 1 (CB)
Date: 3 June 2014
Written by WIT representatives:  Apurv Gupta and Aslesha Dhillon