International Day of the Girl Event at the UN

The Day of the Girl Summit brings girls and girl-serving organizations together to celebrate the International Day of the Girl and support the advancement of girls' 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.

This year, the 2nd annual Girls Speak Out event will be held at the UN and invites girls ages 13 and older to come on Friday, October 10 from 3-5pm. The event is free and an excellent opportunity for girls! Simply register by September 30 here. This event will feature multi-media performances to tell girls’ personal stories of tenacity, struggles and challenges to shine the light on the irrepressible spirit that binds all girls together from all over the world.

More details on this event as well as other activities around the International Day of the Girl are available here: http://dayofthegirlsummit.org/idg-2014/

Not able to come to the UN? Follow the event on social media through the following hashtags: #IDG2014 #11MonthsofAction, #11DaysofAction #GirlsSpkOut

GenUN Contest: Thank a Peacekeeper & Win a Trip to NYC!

What is GenUN?

GenUN is a national initiative of UNA-USA to engage and energize young supporters around UN issues. As an action-oriented platform, GenUN provides a vehicle for young people to get involved in global issues. GenUN also empowers a new generation of young Americans to be leaders in helping the UN build a better world for all.

About the Contest

Every day, UN peacekeepers assist in implementing peace agreements, stabilizing conflict zones after a ceasefire, disarming and demobilizing ex-combatants, facilitating humanitarian assistance, and building effective governments. Over 100,000 of these committed citizens are working around the clock to deliver peace some of the world’s most difficult conflicts.

Learn more about the details of UN Peacekeeping, sign a Thank a Peacekeeper card, find shareable infographics, and more here.

September 21st is International Day of Peace, and we’re challenging campus chapters nationwide to show us the best way to thank a UN peacekeeper.

Find a creative way to show your support in the form of an event, video, art project, blue jeans for blue helmets day, essay, giant blue balloon display, or something else- the sky is the limit! 

Three winners will be invited to New York City (travel expenses paid by UNA-USA) to participate in the Better World Campaign’s 2014 Thank a Peacekeeper event. Submissions should be entered here by midnight EST on September 30 and follow the guidelines below. The winners will be notified by October 6. Your creative way to show your support for UN peacekeepers should:

1. Involve the membership of your UNA-USA campus chapter; 
2. Engage other students on your college campus on the issue of UN Peacekeeping; 
3. Be shareable online, either through pictures or another form of media.

More details about the contest are available here!

Find your local GenUN chapter here. 

My World: Cast Your Vote & Influence UN Decisions

This past summer at the WAGGGS World Conference, while delegates representing their countries cast votes about WAGGGS budgets and future initiatives, the UN Team was working to get everyone to cast their My World 2015 vote! The UN hast started the My World 2015 vote to engage the general public in what they want for the next round of development goals for the coming years after 2015. According to the My World 2015 website, "The votes matter. The UN is working with governments everywhere to define the next global agenda to address extreme poverty and preserve the planet. The data from MY World continues to inform these processes and be used by decision makers around the world." So far, 4.5 million votes have been cast-- and counting!

At the WAGGGS World Conference this past summer in Hong Kong, we asked girl scouts and girl guides to share their vote and tell WAGGGS and the UN about what matters to them:

Get involved! You can cast your My World 2015 vote here: http://vote.myworld2015.org/?partner=WAGGGS

Also, consider bringing the My World vote to your girl scouts/girl guides troop and start some dialogue about the role of the UN, the importance of voting, and why the voices of women and girls matters! You can also use the interactive survey results to see trends and have a discussion on the importance of data in research: http://data.myworld2015.org/