Celebrate World Environment Day: Pledge to do #OneLess

On June 5, World Environment Day will be kicking off--but what will you do to help protect our planet? The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) will be kicking off this celebration by asking girls to pledge to do one less thing in their life to reduce their environmental impact and share their pledge on social media using the hashtag #OneLess and #WED2015 (also be sure to tag @wagggs_world on Twitter!). 

What are some ideas that you can give up and make a difference? You can work with your troop to do an environment-related activity or badge (find a list here under "Use these resources") and, based off the activity, reflect on how you can make a lifestyle change that has impact. Not able to do it with your troop? Check out the EPA's student guide for global climate change, which gives some great suggestions on what you can do: http://www.epa.gov/climate/climatechange/kids/solutions/actions/index.html

After you've decided what difference you can make, write on a paper or dry erase board what you will you and share on social media (don't forget to include #OneLess #WED2015 @wagggs_world). Like this example:

In order to make real impact, everyone needs to be involved. Therefore, WAGGGS has also released a social media tool kit with other cool ideas on how you can spread the word about #OneLess and get your friends involved: http://www.wagggs.org/en/grab/25872/1/wed-2015-social-media-toolkit.pdf

Be sure to check out the WAGGGS page for other resources, more background info, and ideas here: http://www.wagggs.org/en/internationaldays/worldenvironmentday

Gender-Based Violence & Tech 'Tweetathon' on Friday, May 22

This Friday the UNiTE Campaign will be hosting a 'Tweetathon' in honor of Orange Day, which is held on the 25th of every month. Each month has a different theme, and this month is technology for ending violence against women. To bring about awareness, there will be a Tweetathon this Friday in which people will use the hashtag #OrangeDay to share information on how tech is being used to prevent violence. Use this as an opportunity to share with your network the great work that is being done in this area and to raise awareness about Orange Day. Find out more info & ideas here: http://www.unwomen.org/~/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/what%20we%20do/orange_day_action_plan_may2015_technology_final.pdf

Sample Tweets

• For!#OrangeDay,!we!are!celebrating!the!tech!tools!helping!to!end!violence!against!women!and! girls.!http://owl.li/mlJkg via @SayNO_UNiTE
• 25 May! is! #OrangeDay!! How! will! you! take! action?! Join! us! in! raising! awareness! about! #technology!to!#endVAW!http://owl.li/mlJkg via!@SayNO_UNiTE

Upcoming Orange Day Themes

June – ‘Where’s the money for initiatives to end violence against women and girls?’
July – ‘Youth in action – Orange our future: the Sustainable Development Goals and a future free from violence against women and girls’
August – ‘Step it Up for Gender Equality and an end to violence against women and girls’
September – ‘The new global development agenda: what's next for efforts to end violence against women and girls?’
October – ‘Ensuring access to services for survivors of violence against women and girls’
November – ‘Orange your world: Make a dent’

See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/take-action#sthash.zDsSZWu8.dpuf

UNHATE News Contest: Submissions Due May 31

The United Nations Department of Public Information, in cooperation with the UNHATEFoundation, launched the UNHATE NEWS initiative as part of its efforts to create a world without hate and where human rights are recognized. They previously hosted a contest collecting good news that youth hope to hear one day in the future, and now their current contest is trying to turn this imagined news into reality!

Their current contest is calling for young people (students and young university faculty) ages 18-30 to envision local projects that are in line with the goals of UNHATE in their community. Each finalist will be awarded 20,000euros (approximately $22,000) to implement their project idea!

According to a recent press release, "We now invite university/college students and members of faculty, between the ages of eighteen and thirty, around the world, to develop, prepare, and present a specific initiative at the local or community level that clearly promotes the ideal of tolerance, respect for diversity and harmony within and between peoples as part of the UNHATE Foundation's/UNAI International Diversity Contest... Entries may be submitted by individuals or by groups of individuals who have collaborated in defining the project."

The project should be related to one of the following themes:

• women’s rights 
• maternal health 
• violence against women 
• women and unemployment 
• women’s empowerment 
• women’s health 
• sustainable development and human rights, in particular: 
• religious tolerance 
• the right to water 
• LGBTI rights 
• the right to housing 
• the right to education

A 1000 word proposal, as well as a few other documents, will need to be emailed by May 31. Full details about about what to submit and how to apply are available here: http://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2015/04/compete-unhate-unai-international-diversity-contest-create-world-without-hate-human-rights-recognized/

Here is a video related to the original campaign around the news we want to hear and violence against women: