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.
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Jordan Arsenault preparing for the Plenary at the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2019
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!
Maham Kaleem and Jordan Arsenault in front of the UN building in NYC
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.
Trusteeship Council April 8, 2019
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.
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