World Thinking Day Got Me Thinking!

Aarti Singh is a Washington D.C. Global Citizenship Fellow. Did you know there is a World Thinking Day? Well — neither did I! World Thinking Day is a day when Girl Scouts all around the world honor each other and give thanks for their international friendships. This year’s themes for World Thinking Day — “together we can save children’s lives” and “every mother’s life and health is precious” —  aligned perfectly with UNICEF’s mission to end preventable child deaths.  I was honored to be invited to speak about UNICEF’s work at a World Thinking Day event on February 23.

World Thinking Day in Washington D.C.

 

I came to the event  wanting to inspire these girls. I wanted to empower them and leave them with the understanding that they could do anything. I wanted them to know that change begins with them.  I wanted to speak to them about the power of their own voices. What I didn’t anticipate though, was the inspiration that I would walk away with. The girls all knew Malala’s story and had done awareness activities at their schools. Some had written papers about the conflict in Syria and wanted to know how they could get involved with UNICEF’s efforts there. Hundreds of hands went up across the room when I asked who had participated in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. Who am I to empower these future leaders? They are well on their way! These young women are part of the generation that will work diligently to achieve ZERO. They represent not only the Girl Scouts,  but all the world’s children. Won’t you join them?