Our Stories – Page 10

Global Summit: A Look into the Plenary Session Team

By Ayomide Ajakaiye

As MUN Impact’s first Global Summit draws near, the theme of global citizenship becomes more and more apparent. Being a global citizen is about recognizing all the different pieces that form the larger world around you. It is essential to remember that every person has the potential, no matter their expertise, to make an impact.

Despite their youth, Ananya Balakrishnan and Ananya Prasad, student leaders at MUN@HOME and Jr. OMUN, help make an impact through their work as the Plenary Session Team of the Global Summit. They both share the responsibility of providing an introduction for the session each day, hosting keynote speakers for presentations, rehashing the events of previous sessions, and simultaneously setting the tone for what all the workshops will look like. Each session introduces keynote speakers such as the Assistant Secretary General of the Security Council and other guests as they enlighten participants about important issues that affect our global community. “It’s almost like uniting communities to speak to a larger cause…I’m really excited to have that “forum for thinking,” Balakrishnan states. Both Prasad and Balikrishnan push for youth advocacy and awareness by embodying the values of MUN Impact.

As experienced MUN delegates themselves, both Balakrishnan and Prasad understand both the excitement and nervousness that surround conferences, but encourage participants to realize the importance of the summit. “Be confident with your own abilities…look at the bigger picture of what’s going on around you, what’s happening, and what you’re learning,” Balakrishnan advises upcoming participants.

Both Prasad and Balakrishnan are thrilled to be serving as a part of the Plenary Session Team and have high hopes for the Global Summit. “It’s so easy to feel hopeless nowadays,” Prasad says, “I hope that we can actually show people that they can have an impact beyond just their communities.”

Make sure to tune into the Plenary Team’s Presentation! Many people have different definitions of a global citizen, but for Prasad, “A global citizen is someone who remains actively involved in issues that not only impact them but issues that they have the privilege of not being affected by them.” Ultimately, the concept of the Global Summit unites people together in a time when the world may feel very separate in order to appreciate global citizenship and make a difference.

An Insight into SDG 16 at the MUN Impact Global Summit

By Neha Varadharajan

SDG 16 is focused on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing equal access to justice, and building inclusive institutions. It is immensely important to the well-being of people all over the world. Yet, if education and action isn’t created soon, this goal has little chance of being achieved in the coming years. As a result, several speakers and activists will be speaking topics like these in the upcoming MUN Impact Global Summit. We are pleased to host Gilberto Duarte and Menting Li who will be speaking specifically about Goal 16 and its potentially tangible targets.

Gilberto Duarte is a Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) headquarters in Vienna, Austria. He joined UNODC in 2010 and currently leads the secondary level of the Education for Justice (E4J) initiative, which seeks to produce and disseminate education material on justice and rule of law issues. Previously, Gilberto Duarte worked at the UNODC Liaison and Partnership Office in Brazil, covering Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay in the areas of crime prevention, criminal justice, human rights and international cooperation. At UNODC, he has had extensive experience in organizing training for law enforcement and other criminal justice actors, such as police, prosecutors, public defenders and judges, as well as public policy and legislative reform and guest lectures in universities. Gilberto has a Master’s degree in International Relations, with a focus on International Law. He will be discussing Goal 16 and how it supports progress in other parts of the Global Agenda in his workshop. An informative discussion is due! Join Mr. Duarte as he imparts information about this goal.

Specialized in international affairs and United Nations programs, skilled in communications and media, and fluent in English, French and Chinese, Mengting Li is currently serving as Associate Public Information Officer at UNODC. In prior years, she has worked with several other UN entities on communications, external relations, media partnership, resource mobilization, and involved in various UN-mandated thematic areas, including international human rights, labor rights, child protection, cyber-security, gender equality, education, migration, etc. Li’s workshop–#Act4RuleofLaw with social media and other communication tools–focuses on the exchange between students and the organization, to not only inform but also listen to the opinions of young people; to provide them with guidance and encourage their participation in contributing to the work of the United Nations on the rule of law and justice through online media and other tools. We are looking forward to a great discussion as an experienced personality like her imparts action for the newest generation.

Justice and equality can only persevere in the hands of educated generations with new initiatives and opportunities. This can lead to real change. Register for the MUN Impact Global Summit by July 14 and sign up for these insightful SDG-16 workshops. They are absolutely free of cost as an initiative to provide meaningful opportunities to as many students as possible.

For more details please refer to the Conference Handbook provided on the website for schedule info.

Glimpse into the Global Summit: Connecting MUN to the UN

By Shambhawi Sahoo

There’s a lot brewing behind the scenes at MUN Impact as the Global Summit approaches. Here’s a glimpse at what’s cooking.

Model United Nations has consistently empowered young minds to become more responsible global citizens and approach problems with a wider focus. It acts as a connection between the youth and the United Nations. MUN gives them a small taste of diplomacy, global-thinking, and truly helping people all over the world. Student delegates often dream of what it’s really like to work for the actual UN.

Mr. Brenden Varma will be sharing with us his life at the REAL UN. On staff since 2002, Mr. Varma currently works in the Outreach Division of the Department of Global Communications. The focus of his presentation will be about how the UN coordinates with MUN programs and how MUN debates differ from those which take place in the UN. All questions about the UN will be answered by him in this presentation on July 23rd from 15:00 to 15:45 UTC.

Mr. Kudzai Mukaratirwa, who currently works as a consultant for the UNODC Regional Office for East Africa Youth Programme will give us a glimpse into his journey from a high school Model UN delegate to working in the UN. Mr. Mukaratirwa will be sharing some prized lessons, illuminating participants as to how they can make the most of their lives. “It is like a ‘living library’ workshop, except YOU are the author,” he says. He will be speaking on 22nd July from 12:00 to 12:45 UTC.

Watch these presentations at our Global Summit to understand the relationship between MUN and the UN, and the UN’s role in bringing universal growth while empowering the young leaders. In addition, the summit will be offering workshops on a wide range of topics, so don’t forget to register!

A Sneak Peek into the Global Summit: The Fight Against Climate Change

Everyone in the MUN Impact community is preparing in anticipation of our first ever Global Summit. We can’t wait to hear from MUN-ners, students, entrepreneurs, and esteemed speakers from the UN and around the world. Within this enormous breadth of topics and knowledge, several of our speakers will be presenting on climate change (SDG 13).

Scientists have drawn a correlation between loss in biodiversity and the global progression of climate change. They predict that, if left unchecked, global warming will have devastating consequences. Dr. Charles McNeill, a leader in the UN’s work in environmental management for development, climate change, and biodiversity will be presenting at the Summit; he’ll go over aspects such as discovering the value of biodiversity, protecting forests with the help of indigenous peoples, and will present stories from working with pioneering anthropologist Jane Goodall and renown actor Alec Baldwin.

Dr. McNeill will be speaking on Wednesday, July 22nd (Session 11) at 17:00-17:45 UTC.

But in addition to Dr. McNeill, several students will also be talking about fighting climate change. High school students Faaris Zuberi and Dylan Safai have participated in MUN and have volunteered with non-profits. Both have grown interested in using MUN as a vehicle for real-world action.

With their presentation, they hope to teach young people just how crucial the international response to climate change is. They plan on providing viewers with tips and templates by which young people can use the SDGs to foster effective grassroots change. Although, they admit, that the enormity of climate change makes it a daunting task to combat, it is necessary and quite easy to start making change.

Faaris and Dylan will be speaking on Wednesday, July 22nd (Session 9) at 15:00-15:45 UTC.

Tune in to both presentations to learn more about how you can combat climate change. Ultimately, the Summit is a place where the ideas of students and UN experts converge. It is a platform that connects youth all over the world to the United Nations, and calls us to action to fight for the SDGs.

Introducing MUN Impact’s Global Summit: Participate, Learn and Get Inspired

By Leticia L. and William W.

On July 21, MUN Impact will be hosting it’s first Global Summit. This online gathering will host workshops led by a diverse cast, ranging from educators and students to diplomats and UN officials. The summit will last three days, from July 21-23 and is completely free of charge. It will be open to all middle school and high school students internationally and will focus on the theme: Uniting the world through the SDGs.

The summit aims to raise awareness of the SDGs, teach new and experienced MUN delegates tips and tricks for future debates, and inspire the leaders of tomorrow. Some of the confirmed speakers include Andrew Hudson (the current Head of the UNDP Water & Ocean Governance Programme), Esra Sergi Bertani (Associate Public Information Officer at the United Nations), Sam Altman (MUN alum and co-founder of OpenAi in Silicon Valley) and Evan Wesley (Vice President for Student Activation at Thirst Project). Alongside these speakers, the summit is due to host a variety of students presenting talks and workshops on a variety of topics such as ‘Addressing Gender Inequalities Within MUN’ and ‘World War 3: The Fight against Climate Change’, and in an aim to make workshops as accessible as possible, live Spanish interpretation will be available for select sessions.

One of the most notable presenters will be Dr. Charles McNeil, a senior advisor of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). He was responsible for organizing the forest section of the UN Secretary General’s “Climate Summit” on September 23, 2014 and holds a PhD in Genetics from UC Davis. His contributions to environmental and development issues are distinctly significant to the summit, considering the active need of action in this department from future generations. His participation will grant students the opportunity to hear from an expert in the area.

When asked about the summit, Ms. Lisa Martin (Executive Director of MUN Impact), told me, “The Global Summit allows us to bring together students, professionals and UN officials to hold the conversations and to share information that is the underpinning of active global citizenship. As the world tries to slow the spread of Covid-19 while protests erupt across countries, there needs to be more active engagement in our communities around these pressing issues amongst the backdrop of their global scope.

In addition to attending workshops led by specialists and learning more about the SDGs and their impact, students will also be given the tools and opportunities to create and plan their own initiatives. For more updates regarding the summit, please follow @mun_impact on Instagram. You can register by opening this page and clicking on the “Register Now!” button.

StARS Visits MUN@Home: Stories about Refugee Journeys, Education, and Integration

Imagine stepping into a new country. No family, no friends, no familiarity. It’s as though you’ve entered a maze with all its twists and turns and dead-ends. But with some assistance — with someone who knows the maze — you might be able to find your way out. Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services (StARS) has acted as this guide for refugees in Egypt since 1979. Their vision is to create “a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for refugees in which they can exercise their rights, pursue their aspirations, and live in dignity.”

On June 24th, many MUN@Home participants, who are currently learning about the UNHCR and refugees, tuned in to listen to the Youth Advisory Board from StARS. They heard first-hand experiences about the refugees from the Board, the mission of StARS, and the invaluable work they are doing in Egypt.

Their vision is carried out through client-centered programs which provide financial, technical, legal, and educational aid to refugees, with the ultimate goal of re-integration into society. On their own, this is an utterly unreachable goal for displaced persons. Studies reveal that only 1 in 300,000 refugees globally receive educational opportunities; for many, this means the inability to learn, integrate into society, and live a normal life. However, the Youth Advisory Board from StARS is determined to prevent this unfortunate fate.

All of the Advisory Board members, refugees themselves, migrated from countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea. “My only goal was to cross the Mediterranean, not education,” says member Adulkarim Suliman. Suliman’s honest statement reveals the plight of the refugee’s journey. The gravity and danger of their situation is so great that jobs and schooling are far-off and unthinkable notions. The only thing that matters is escape.

But even on top of their long and treacherous voyages, they continued to face issues like proper documentation and schooling. “It’s not easy to go for an education in Egypt,” Suliman confesses. This is coupled with the barrier of language, alienation of culture, and the trauma of their journey, posing an almost insurmountable wall of obstacles.

In response, StARS provides psychological aid and educational opportunities for both youth (with special recognition to unaccompanied children) and adults, including a six month to one year program for students teaching English and Arabic. Member Yasin, admits that, “the greatest challenge faced by the refugees is language.” When this obstacle is eventually overcome, many refugees must go on to pursue job opportunities, which in some ways present even more issues. The job market is already flooded by Egypt’s existing population, forcing displaced persons into domestic or custodial occupations. But even at this stage, StARS provides additional training and money for refugees to start their own programs. With this model of “supporting refugees by refugees” as stated by Member Birhanu Worku Nisrra, StARS has built a bridge between the mission of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the actual people they serve.

Despite the issues under-funding poses and the new challenges Covid-19 has brought about, StARS remains optimistic and determined to help more refugees integrate into Egypt.

Contributions: Ayomide Ajakaiye, Vinuth Ratnayake, Jonathan Sunkari

Andy Newman’s Sabbatical Journey

Captured by Newman himself, from his blog “Where’s Newmo”, is an image from his journey in the Pacific Ocean. Here, he’s enjoying a break from studying marine life and microplastics as he jumps into the water to take a swim!

By Audrey Pinson

Many from the MUN Impact community know that Andy Newman has been a tremendous influence on the program for the past three years, as an Executive Board Member and Representative to the United Nations Department of Global Communications. However, he is also well known by the John Burroughs School community for being an amazing Fine Arts teacher. He has made many connections with students through his career of teaching photography, becoming Director of Student Activities and Government, being the school photographer, directing the school’s MUN program, and helping advise groups of students during their time at Burroughs. He has been a part of the school’s faculty for over 27 years and is significantly appreciated and respected by all those who come into contact with him.

For about a year, Newman has been on sabbatical with the intention of pursuing his passion for the MUN program. He wanted to accomplish seeing different programs in action and finding new styles of MUN in terms of conferences, debates and teaching methods that he could introduce to MUN Impact and the program at John Burroughs. To achieve this, Newman decided to travel the world to gain first hand experiences that would help him find what he was looking for. When asked how his journey began, he exclaimed, “I started on a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean studying microplastics”. On that boat, Newman travelled for three weeks from Hawaii to Canada and dug deep into SDGs 14: Life Below Water, and 14.1: Marine Pollution, as a way to show his passion for ocean life and reducing plastics. He explained how the experience on the boat changed his personal behavior concerning ways to reduce plastic waste. He attended multiple conferences and spoke about marine life, the impact of plastics, and other environmental issues. All over the world, he has presented about microplastics, not only in terms of what he saw in the Pacific Ocean, but solutions to these problems as well.

Over the course of his sabbatical, Newman travelled extensively to almost 30 different countries consisting of over 80 flights- a total of eight times around the world. He described how the three week boating trip from Hawaii to Canada was impactful to him because he spent that time with the same eight people and got to know all of them very well. Not only that, but they were responsible for cooking, cleaning, and sailing the boat. He later went on to continue his travels to Australia to work on marine conservation and coral restoration. Finally, he described the tour for MUN where Newman travelled to South Africa, India, Singapore, Panama City, the UK, Austria, and many other places around the world. He attended conferences, observing different styles of the program and meeting various MUN leaders. He said the most interesting conference he went to was in Cairo, Egypt because the entire event was turned over to the students to present and speak in front of a 500 person audience. While explaining how he met so many different people and immersed himself in other cultures, he stated, “I went to places where the people were so beautiful, just so friendly. The hospitality in some of these Muslium countries was incredible… they’re just the most wonderful, wonderful people.” While on these adventures, Newman not only went to conferences, studied different people and cultures, and went sightseeing, but he was busy with multiple photography projects as well. One of his most popular projects is called “Where’s Newmo”. It documents every place he has been to, all the research he’s done, and the pictures he’s taken. He also has a portrait series that captures the faces of leaders of various MUN conferences around the world and describes their stories of how they got to the places they are now. In addition to portraying the imagery of these leaders, Newman asked them to pick their favorite SDG and explain why it was important to them. By gathering many personal stories that directly related to the struggles of each of their countries, he was able to express how it affected them.

Although a large portion of this time was for him to travel, the outbreak of Covid-19 put a halt to his adventures. He explained how his excursions officially ended in New York city, only a couple days before the lockdowns were set in place. All of the trips he had planned for the summer to continue his work with MUN, including travels to Kyoto Japan, Lisbon Portugal, and Eswatini in South Africa have been cancelled. However, as his travels have ceased, Newman is still continuing with his sabbatical and is busier than ever, working almost 14 hour days with MUN Impact and getting the opportunity to speak with students from over 50 countries around the world. While everything stopped abruptly, it wasn’t too difficult shifting into remote learning as there was a global leadership team already in place who stepped into leading the MUN at Home program. It has only expanded from there, involving students from many different countries who are able to develop skills and obtain knowledge about MUN and the SDGs.

As Newman continues with his sabbatical, he is finding new ways to stay connected with the MUN program and pursue his passion for the SDGs, whether that looks like a zoom conference, or simply sitting in on online debates and staying in contact with students. He has accomplished so much over the past year and has built strong relationships with people all over the world. His global excursions have not only left an impact on him in his professional life, but in his personal life as well. He hopes to implement the things he learned on his journey into his own life and the MUN community.

A Look Into the SDG Logo Design Process with Natabara Rollosson

By Sarah Cao

Natabara Rollosson, a name that all of us should know by now, has a diverse background, having worked for over seven different UN Agencies. Not only has he helped produce and direct an important and thought-provoking documentary such as Challenging Possibility (2011), he has also appeared in the documentary We Rise Up (2019). He is also the co-founder of Comics Uniting Nations, which is “a partnership of UNICEF, PCI Media, World’s Largest Lesson, PVBLIC Foundation and Reading with Pictures, to make the Sustainable Development Goals accessible to the citizens of the world through comics.” Rollosson’s role with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN has extended past just Comics Uniting Nations, as he coordinated logistics for the High-Level Panel that developed the blueprint for the SDGs. He also was a member of the advisory committee that gave feedback on how to visually bring the SDGs to life.

Most of us have already seen the 17 SDGs and recognize the importance of them, as in Rollosson’s words, “The SDGs are the ultimate “to-do list” for the planet. They bring people together around common goals, giving people around the world a common language and set of targets and measurements.” These goals truly determine the future of the world and they highlight what we should all be fighting towards, with issues such as climate change, education, equality, and sanitation being amplified now more than ever. However, the SDGs are almost unrecognizable without the logos that come with them, and a lot of thought, creativity, and time went into designing them.

Jacob Trollbäck at an SDG design meeting.

With famous designer Jakob Trollbäck leading the SDG logo design team, the advisory committee gave him feedback at different stages of the design. The goals had been previously established, but they needed visual icons to go with them. According to Rollosson, the challenge was “to bring them visually to life and simplify them in the process.” For example, he recalls an early stage of the design “where the color-scheme was heavy on the orange, yellow, and reds (see image 3), so [he] requested to see more deeper blues and greens.” Throughout the entire design process, Rollosson cited that one of the logos that was challenging to design was SDG 4 QUALITY EDUCATION, as it originally had a graduation cap (see image 3), but the advisory committee pointed out that “in many places in the world graduation was either a luxury or not even possible.” With that feedback, Trollbäck improved upon the design, and the cap was replaced with a notebook and pencil, “the common and unifying tools of all students around the world.” Through specific design challenges like this, the team gathered together and collaboratively created the beautiful SDG logos we see today. Rollosson cited that he “felt like [he] was witnessing history, and it only became more apparent as [he] saw the SDGs spread in awareness, influence, and inspiration around the world.”

For the drafting of the original documentation of Sustainable Development Goals, getting global agreement was a difficult job to undertake. Though it allowed for more voices to shine through than ever before since the drafting process was very open and inclusive, Rollosson stated that “there were at least 3 years of drafting discussions that reached out for input not only from governments but also civil societies as well as individual citizens through The World We Want survey/campaign.” Once the SDGs were nearing adoption, Trollbäck —with the guidance of the design advisory committee— spent months creating, discussing and perfecting the visual logos, and it is clear that the end product is an eye-catching yet simple design that should be recognized by everyone everywhere, but receiving the global attention the logos are worthy of has not been an easy task.

So why do so many people still not know about the SDGs, even if they are extremely catchy and instantly understandable? Natabara Rollosson’s answer was this: “The United Nations has limited outreach capability, so it depends on the Member States, civil society, and even the broader global culture to spread the word about the SDGs… One of the reasons MUN Impact was created was to help get the word out to dynamic and engaged youth who could then spread the word and take action in their own communities.” As members of MUN, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are now in our hands, and it is our job to take apart, to tackle, and to plant the seed of these SDGs to firmly root them in our communities.

This entire MUN Impact program is so special because it creates international leaders of the future with the SDGs as a blueprint, valuing what Rollosson says the world leaders need most: oneness. Rollosson sincerely believes that “the youth participating in MUN are growing into tomorrow’s leaders given their enthusiastic spirit of seeking solutions, keen interest in global affairs and their hearts of empathy — helping those who are less fortunate and raising the living experience of everyone.”

An early version of the SDG grid.

Priory MUN: Reducing Plastic Waste One Step at a Time

Priory School Model United Nations (MUN) (located in the UK) is very much in its infancy, launching as a club in September 2019; but it has had a very successful year: at its peak, 18 students attended weekly sessions.

Priory MUNers began doing outreach work leading assemblies and having a MUN Impact table at school open days where they gathered ideas from parents, staff and students about what changes, linked to Global Goals, they’d like to see at school and within the community.

MUN Impact has been key to the founding mission at Priory and the problem of litter, particularly single-use plastic in school, an issue they became increasingly aware of. With disposable cups being given out freely to both prep and senior school children and no recycling facility, they felt they had a mission on their hands to change mindsets and encourage whole school support for SDG 13 – Climate Change, SDG 14 – Life in water and SDG 15 – Life on land.

Within MUN sessions the school researched plastic pollution and students were shocked by their findings. The world is currently producing nearly 300 million tons of plastic each year and although plastic is useful, many of these products are created for single-use; 50 percent of plastic used once and thrown away. Only nine percent of the world’s plastic is recycled — a problem, because most plastics are not biodegradable and typically take more than 400 years to degrade and plastic never fully degrades; rather it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces that are eventually ingested by marine life. Single-use plastics are the worst offenders and include plastic bags, cups, food packaging, and straws.

School support for the MUN Impact mission has been fantastic. After delivering a thorough presentation of their ideas linked to Global goals to school leaders in the boardroom, it was agreed that there would be full support — for what is now — a whole-school-site total ban on single use plastic. There are no more single use plastic cups in the school canteen, nurse’s office or given out at open days or school fayres. In addition to this, the school now has a ban on the selling of or use single use water bottles. They are very grateful in particular to a student-staff team who have got together to make non-for-profit reusable bottles on site. The club now has a recycling team as a branch of MUN in school and have an agreement with canteen staff and a school eco-team, to extend recycling to include crisp packets.

The MUN Impact team will also be planting additional trees in the school grounds next academic year and are encouraging early-years through sixth to form a global goals awareness art project. Small steps by everybody in school to reduce plastic has already bettered the school environment and got many buzzing with ideas about how they can make further change. As a school, they are sending less waste to landfills and into the ocean which ultimately means that their food and water will remain less contaminated. Although MUN is young in its years and has only a handful of students, they have proven that where there is a will, there is a way. Small steps do add up.

MUN Impact Global Summit

Join the first ever MUN Impact Global Summit: Uniting the World through the SDGs. This three day event will feature dozens of workshops led by students, educators, thought leaders, diplomats and UN officials. These workshops will focus on the themes of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Model UN, Action/Impact and HOPE. Learn new skills, plan to make impact, get inspired and connected.

Date: July 21-23, 2020

Location: Online-Zoom

Open to: middle and high school students

Cost: FREE!

MUN Impact is a community of leaders, forward thinkers who will not sit idly by waiting for school to resume. We will continue to engage in conversations, collaborate, and initiate action by planning today for a brighter tomorrow. We hope you will join us for this exciting event