Tune in to the ECOSOC Youth Forum!

Samar Mezghanni, writer and activist, speaks at the ECOSOC Youth Forum

Today and tomorrow marks the UN's ECOSOC Youth Forum. The Youth Forum brings young leaders from around the world to the UN Headquarters in New York. It is a platform for youth to engage in dialogue with Member States and contribute to policy formulation on global economic, social and environmental issues. The forum will discuss ways in which young people can play an active role in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It will also address how the youth can best communicate on the Agenda, bringing on board the innovative use of social media and communication tools.

Three members of the WAGGGS UN Team will be here at the event representing WAGGGS! Tune into the @WAGGGSDelegates on Twitter to follow us live, and you can watch on UN Web TV here: http://webtv.un.org/

You can check out more information on the ECOSOC Youth Forum here: https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/events/2016/youth-taking-action-implement-2030-agenda-ecosoc-youth-forum

Follow the Youth Forum's hashtag at #Youth2030

Global to Local: UN Team Hosts Workshop on New WAGGGS Material

The WAGGGS UN team event, held yesterday in New York City, brought together troop leaders from Staten Island, Manhattan, New Jersey, and Heart of the Hudson! This workshop in particularly aimed at exposing troop leaders to the latest materials from WAGGGS: the new World Thinking Day materials (Connect 10 Million) and the very recent International Day of the Girl materials (10 Million Voices). The WAGGGS UN

Team worked to ensure that the workshop was especially interactive and exciting, allowing the troop leaders to discuss and explore the brand new Global Goals, which World Thinking Day and International Day of the Girl focus on.

What are the new Global Goals? Released on September 25, they are a set of priorities for all countries around the world that will help to address hunger, poverty, and social injustice. Each of the 17 goals focuses on one of the four themes: people, planet, peace, and prosperity. In 2017, each country will have national indicators that will help the public and non-profit organizations to hold their governments accountable to their commitments. As a result, it is essential that all people--young and not-so-young, girls and boys, parents and their children--learn about the goals so that they can be a part of this process and work towards a better world for their fellow citizens and the world.

Below are the resources discussed in the workshop, as well as some additional resources related to the Global Goals and the UN. I will also add these resources to the "resources" tab on this blog so you can find them again in the future!

Resources: 

WAGGGS International Day of the Girl 2015 (great activity ideas you can do right now!): https://www.wagggs.org/en/resources/international-day-girl-10-million-voices/

WAGGGS World Thinking Day (WTD isn't until February, but it is important to start thinking about it now with your other troop leaders, and there are many activities you can use at any time too!): https://www.wagggs.org/en/what-we-do/world-thinking-day/

Kid-friendly (elementary-level) activity book on Global Goals: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=400&nr=1616&menu=1300

Global Goals Lesson Plans: https://www.tes.com/worldslargestlesson/lesson-plans/

World’s Largest Lesson Video: 6.5min https://vimeo.com/137728737 

Global Goals comic book (great resource to discuss the Global Goals with your children! Please note this is a work in progress!):  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kfpfgt1jpu5zl0x/AAClx23QyCi_MeZiYxIQ5N1va?dl=0

Youth Gateway: The UN Youth Envoy has created a “youth gateway” to get youth involved in the Global Goals and holding their governments accountable to the indicators. To be continued as we’re waiting for the indicators to com out (around January), but it is good to sign up now to get their emails and get involved: www.youthgateway.org

Global Goals Background Resources

The following are great resources for troop leaders to learn more about the Global Goals, or for having your girls use to do their own (or small group) research:

Sustainable development goals: changing the world in 17 steps – interactive: Interactive "map" that shows the differences between the MDGs (the goals set for 2000-2015) and the new Global Goals. Click on the Global Goals and it will bring you to a description of the goal: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/ng-interactive/2015/jan/19/sustainable-development-goals-changing-world-17-steps-interactive

Sustainable Development Goals: All you Need to Know: This is a great overview of the goals. Please note that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the "technical" term for the Global Goals: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jan/19/sustainable-development-goals-united-nations

UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (under "Key resources" they list some great resources that might be helpful to leaders to look at before working with girls, or to have older girls themselves look at to do research if needed): http://unsdsn.org/news/2015/10/06/world-leaders-adopt-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/ 

Other UN-Related Resources: 

This is a comprehensive list of UN teaching resources shared by the UN and its agencies: http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/resources/teaching_resources.html

Model UN Resources: http://unausa.org/global-classrooms-model-un/for-educators/resources 

Guardian Article: “How to teach… the UN”: http://www.theguardian.com/education/teacher-blog/2013/sep/09/united-nations-teaching-resources

Committee on Teaching About the UN (CTAUN) Resources: http://www.ctaun.org/teacher-resources/

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:

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

Food Focus Event: Recap!

Girls look out at the view from the Dana Center

Recently, the World Assn of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) UN NYC Team hosted an event "Food Focus: Enough for Everyone!" to raise awareness about food waste. Over 30 Junior girls (grades 4-5) from the Girl Scouts of Greater New York attended the event, which was held on November 9 in the beautiful Dana Center in the north end of Central Park. Girls who participated in the event earned the WAGGGS Climate Challenge Badge (more info on the badge available here: http://www.wagggs.org/en/take_action/activities/climatechange). "Think, Eat, Save" t-shirts and youth magazines on food & the environment were provided by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) for all of the girls who attended the event. Oxfam provided informational booklets on food waste, paper place mats with food facts on them, and stickers for girls to take home. Special thank you to our youth volunteers from the Forever Green Leadership Team (more info on the team is available here: http://www.girlscoutsnyc.org/girls/Environmental-Leadership-Programs/forever-green).

Girls making their own compost bins to take home with them

Resources:

Video

 

"The Rotten Journey" by Wildlife Watch UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jruwgDcK2C0
Discussion Questions on "The Rotten Journey"
1. What did the apple core eventually become? (soil)
2. How long does composting take? (many months)
3. What are some things you can compost? (apple, grass, paper, etc.)
4. What do you need to break down the items into soil? (oxygen, water, worms)
5. What were the benefits to composting? (benefits the plants)

"Food Wastage Footprint" by FAO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoCVrkcaH6Q
Questions on "Food Wastage Footprint"
1. What are some of the negatives of food waste? (wasted food, money, water, land, carbon emissions)
2. If food is not fit for humans, who could it be given to? (animals)
3. What are some other food waste solutions provided in the video? (adjusting prices of irregular shaped food, storing food, food portions, adjust sell by date)
4. What is the base of the food waste pyramid? (minimize landfill)
5. Who can play a role in reducing food waste? (producer, supermarket, household, restaurant, nation)

Girls watch the two short videos

Websites

Oxfam booklets that were distributed at the event are available online here: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/campaigns/food-justice/five-principles-for-feeding-the-planet

TUNZA, the youth component of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), has a website with information for children & youth to get involved in saving the environment: http://www.unep.org/tunza/

A girl presents the "advertisement" she made on composting

YUNGA, or the Youth & UN Global Alliance, has some great information and resources on climate change: http://yunga-youth.weebly.com/

The FAO, or the Food & Agriculture Organization of the UN, which was a co-sponsor of the Climate Change badge, has a ton of climate change information available here: http://www.fao.org/climatechange/youth/en/

Information on composting in New York City: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/compost/compostproj.shtml