Engagement Opportunity: UN World Humanitarian Summit

YOU can help choose the priorities for the World Humanitarian Summit! Show your support for the actions needed to transform humanitarian action!

Under the "Dignity" section, there are two options that might be of particular interest to those following this blog: "Guarantee protection and education for children, and engage youth as partners in emergency preparedness and response," and, "Close the gender gap by ensuring funding and programming enables women and girls to realize their rights, including protection from gender-based violence." If these options resonate with you, it would be great if you could take the survey and select them to show that women/girls and children/youth are important parts of the humanitarian process when responding to crisis!

Click HERE: http://voices.worldhumanitariansummit.org/ Share this with all your friends and networks to show our leaders, and the agencies and organizations that WE care about YOUTH and GIRLS and want more support and more youth leadership in humanitarian action!

Event hashtags: #WHSyouth #ReShapeAid

More Info on the World Humanitarian Summit

The UN's first World Humanitarian Summit will be held in Istanbul on 23 and 24 May 2016 and will bring together governments, humanitarian organizations, people affected by humanitarian crises and new partners including the private sector to propose solutions to our most pressing challenges and set an agenda to keep humanitarian action fit for the future.

Girls Speak Out UN Event: Oct. 9

Registration is filling up fast for the UN's International Day of the Girl celebration. Troops have the opportunity to come to the UN and watch performances acted/sang/spoken by girls that were submitted by girls around the world for this event. Registration is required at: www.dayofthegirlsummit.org

What is International Day of the Girl?

The Day of the Girl Summit brings girls and girl-serving organizations together to celebrate the International Day of the Girl. The Summit has become a movement; a year-long, action-oriented virtual platform for change makers to leverage community resources in support the advancement of girls’ human rights. This year, thousands more of girls, boys, adults, teachers, leaders, politicians and hundreds more of organizations, will show their support for the celebration of the unique and special role girls play in the world.

TONIGHT: UN Team Members Featured on Radio Show

UN Team members Erin Mosier and Kristen Grennan will be featured tonight on a radio show discussing how girl scouting has influenced their life goals, their Gold Award projects, the importance of volunteerism, and their role on the WAGGGS United Nations team here in NYC.

The interview will be from 6-6:30pm EST, so be sure to check it out while on your commute home or over dinner! Listen LIVE online here: https://www.hofstra.edu/academics/colleges/soc/wrhu/wrhu_listen.html
OR, if you live in Nassau County, western Suffolk County, or eastern NYC, TUNE IN to 88.7FM.

Upcoming UN Team Event for Older Girl Troop Leaders

The UN Team will be hosting a training event for troop leaders to learn about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (aka, Global Goals), which are being officially launched this September. These Global Goals are established by the UN and will set a goal-oriented agenda for nations around the world to tackle issues such as poverty, hunger, and inequality. This event will explain what these new goals are and how you can discuss them with your troop in a way that will engage girls in thinking about the global sisterhood. The event will also look at how these global issues can become part of a discussion on local issues as well.

Who: Troop leaders who work with older girl scouts
When: Saturday, October 17, 9:45am-2pm
Where: Dana Center, Central Park North, NYC
Cost: $10

More info here:

UN General Assembly Volunteer Opportunity!

The One+1 and UN Millennium Campaign are teaming up to bring in a team of lucky volunteers for the rare opportunity to assist in the UN General Assembly (UNGA)! The General Assembly happens once a year at the UN in NYC when the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN convenes to make decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority. This is a special time when major heads of state and UN staff come from around the globe to discuss important issues and welcome in new leadership. This is also a special year in that it is the 70th anniversary of the UN! Volunteer opportunities to the UNGA are rare, so don't miss your chance!

Volunteers would be working as docents, helping to acts as guides and run information tables. Volunteers MUST be available two full days per week from 9am-6pm starting Saturday, September 19 until Wednesday, October 7! These days must be consistent each week, meaning you can sign up for Mondays and Thursdays, or Saturdays and Tuesdays. You have to be available the full days each week for the duration of the GA. 


Volunteers receive a certificate for their work as well as a small gift. This is also a great networking opportunity, as you will be volunteering right in the UN and will have the opportunity to meet with Heads of State, high level officials, etc.

In order to sign up, email networkforbetter@gmail.com with the following information:


1. Phone Number:
2. Email:
3. Emergency Contact Name:
4. Emergency Contact Info:
5. Volunteer Time Preference: (Mon-Sun):
6. Which days are a definite NO:

Please also considering following Network for Better on Facebook!
More info on Network for Better available here: http://www.network4better.com/about/
More info on the Millennium Campaign here: http://www.endpoverty2015.org/about/

Nominate an Advocate for the UNA-USA Leo Nevas Human Rights Youth Award

Are you a college student and passionate about the UN and human rights? Apply today for the 2015 Leo Nevas Human Rights Youth Advocate Award. If selected for the honor, you will be recognized for your commitment at the UN Foundation/UNA-USA Global Leadership Dinner in New York on November 3. The Global Leadership Dinner is a high-level annual event which has been attended that the UN Secretary General, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, and countless other high-level diplomats and philanthropists. Now’s your time to shine!

Applications will close on September 14, 2015 at 11:59PM EST.

Every year, the UNA-USA Leo Nevas Human Rights Task Force gives a Leo Nevas Human Rights Youth Advocate Award, recognizing the work of a young person who has earned distinction for raising awareness of the UN and human rights mechanisms. The Youth Advocate Award winner is invited to join UNA-USA for the annual Global Leadership Dinner in New York and be recognized for their efforts among high-level human rights advocates, leading, and policymakers. Previously, the UN Secretary General, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, and diplomats from around the world have attended this electrifying event.

The UNA-USA Leo Nevas Human Rights Task Force is an advisory group of distinguished citizens knowledgeable and vitally concerned about international human rights and the role of the UN and the U.S. in protecting those rights. Since its establishment in 2007, the Task Force has been active in urging the U.S. to seek membership on the UN Human Rights Council and, as a member, to appoint a knowledgeable ambassador to the Council so as to maximize U.S. engagement and leadership.

The Task Force works to promote robust and effective U.S. participation at the Human Rights Council, and to improve the effectiveness of the Council. The Task Force also encourages constructive U.S. engagement through other UN human rights bodies to promote the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, American values and human rights interests, as well as progress toward a more just and peaceful world.

Past Youth Advocate Recipients: Past award recipients include Rana Abdelhamid (2014), Elizabeth Alarcon (2013), Marlow Svatek (2012), Karen Woodin-Rodriguez (2011), Ryan Kaminski (2010), and Ibrahim Diallo (2008). 

Apply here: http://genun.unausa.org/leo_nevas_youth_application

ABOUT UNA-USA

United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) is a membership organization dedicated to inform, inspire, and mobilize the American people to support the ideals and vital work of the United Nations. For 70 years UNA-USA has worked to accomplish its mission through its national network of Chapters, youth engagement, advocacy efforts, education programs, and public events. UNA-USA is a program of the United Nations Foundation. UNA-USA and its sister organization the Better World Campaign represent the single largest network of advocates and supporters of the United Nations in the world. Learn more about UNA-USA’s programs and initiatives at www.unausa.org. - See more at: http://unausa.org/about-us#sthash.6WLPNERi.dpuf

WAGGGS at UN Youth Day

WAGGGS UN Team Members at Youth Day: Emily, Maria, Jen, and Kristen

To celebrate the International Day of Youth on August 12, four WAGGGS youth delegates living in the New York City area participated in activities at the United Nations headquarters! Kristen (USA), Jen (USA), Maria (Chile), and Emily (USA) met with three Girl Scouts from the Greater New York Council who were also attending the event with their leader.

Be sure to keep your troop in the loop with these kinds of opportunities by signing up for updates from the WAGGGS UN Team Blog! See the "Follow By Email" box at the top right of your screen.

Girl Scouts NYC attending the event!

The theme for this year’s International Youth Day was “Youth Civic Engagement,” advocating for the involvement and inclusion of young people in decision-making processes. We attended the main event of the day, which included remarks by the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. He said, “Young leaders have contributed fresh ideas, taken proactive measures, and mobilized through social media as never before.” We are the most interconnected and interdependent generation in history, and we are global citizens.

Ban Ki-moon speaking to youth at Youth Day

Ban Ki-moon said, “young people will be the torch bearers in the new Sustainable Development Agenda.” In September, countries will formally agree on the Sustainable Development Goals, which are the world’s new set of targets covering a broad range of issues, including ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, and protecting oceans and forests. The engagement of girls and young women is critical to achieving these new goals!

Professor Mark Brennan said, “Empowering youth is not only the right thing to do – it is the single most important thing to do.” All of the panelists were inspiring and gave examples of how youth are agents of change. Following the main panel sessions, we attended a luncheon with youth delegates from all over the world, representing various youth organizations, UN agencies, and governments.

Post by Emily Rodriguez, originally shared to the WAGGGS website here: http://www.wagggs.org/en/news/23699