Fieldnotes: Blogging on UNICEF's child survival work in the field

Youth unite for climate

Climate change is an issue that will affect generations to come, which is why it’s important for the youth to join the discussion.

UNICEF Denmark will organize the first Children’s Climate Forum (CCF) a new youth event linked to the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Much like the Junior 8 Summit (unicefusa.org/j8), the CCF aims to advance young people’s understanding of global issues and provide a platform for them to discuss and advocate on issues of climate change and the environment.

The CCF is designed to give children a voice in the debate and a chance to influence the important discussions made at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC-COP15). The UNICEF Children’s Climate Forum is to be held in parallel to the UNFCCC-COP15 in Copenhagen from November 28-December 5, 2009.

Approximately 180 students have been selected by UNICEF to represent at least 57 countries. The students chosen to represent the United States are:

• Becca Arbacher, Silver Spring, MD
• Pulkit Agrawal, Hialeah, FL
• Chloe Songer, Menlo Park, CA
• Olivia Zhu, Saratoga, CA

Opportunities for youth to join the discussion are not limited to the Children’s Climate Forum. UNICEF is encouraging young people to join the community at www.uniteforclimate.com. There you can find out how young people are responding to climate change, learn about their experiences, and join campaigns from around the world.

Join the community today!

Posted by Jenner Pascua, UNICEF USA on October 24, 2009 7:41 AM
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Junior 8 member's last days at the Summit

This week's blog posting has been written by Daniel, a member of the U.S. delegation to the Junior 8 Summit in Italy.

We all had something planned that we were going to say to President Obama, but when you are face to face with him, you are overcome with emotion and you freeze up! I sure froze up, but when my turn came all I could say was "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. President". And he responded with "You guys are going to be the next world leaders". So that was a pretty amazing experience. Not only did we get to exchange few words, but we also got to see him take off in his chopper, Marine 1.

Posted by Kristi Burnham, UNICEF USA on July 15, 2009 11:12 AM
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Taking advocacy to new heights at the J8 Summit

While most Americans were sitting by the pool, standing by the grill, or making plans to watch fireworks this Fourth of July, four teens from North Miami Senior High School represented the youth of the United States outside of the historic arches of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. And against this backdrop of ancient Roman ruins, young Pulkit Agrawal, Emmanuella Louisdor, Daniel Morales and Kefhira Pintos stood alongside a giant papier-mâché ear. Calling themselves the "Global Pioneers," the students took advocacy to new heights. Sound odd? Well, I assure you, there's a perfectly good explanation.

As tourists passed by this extraordinary juxtaposition of stone and paper and chicken wire, the teens wrote down the thoughts and suggestions they'd like to share the world leaders attending this year's G8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy. Under the watchful eyes of teacher Ms. Stephanie King, the students expressed their concerns regarding the global economic crisis and its impact on the world's children, the poor, and the environment. And they weren't alone. The Americans were joined by another 40 or so young people representing other G8 countries – specifically, Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom – as well as non-G8 nations like Brazil, China, and Mexico. Though nearly a dozen languages were represented, the young people spoke as a united front by lining up and, one by one, depositing the thoughts they had put to paper into the giant ear – symbolizing their desire to ask the leaders of the G8 countries to listen and to act.

The demonstration was part of the unofficial start to this year's Junior 8 Summit, or the "J8." By July 6, four more teams had arrived – Egypt, India, Japan and South Africa. Now that everyone had arrived, it was time to officially launch the summit. And what better way to launch a summit than with a press conference attended by a number of top officials from the Italian Government, representatives from UNICEF and former J8 participants? The kids left the event charged and eager to get working – and work they did!

In the days leading up to today's conference, the teams spent hours working on policy recommendations about climate change, development in Africa, the global economic crisis and quality education. They broke into focus groups, they created presentations, they organized media spots, and they crafted plans to keep the momentum alive after the close of the summits. But most importantly, they drafted a declaration that was delivered to each of the G8 leaders. This wasn't just any old declaration. Personally, observing the process has been a really remarkable experience. At the end of each session, each of these kids had a certain look to them, a look that I say was reminiscent of Jefferson. Toiling over the text, they scrutinized every preposition, debated the relevance of every word, and critiqued the tone contained within the pages.

The finished product was delivered today (Thursday) – after a two-hour bus ride, security clearance and extensive protocol preparations. After all this, fourteen J8 representatives – one from each team – finally had a face-to-face meeting with their presidents and prime ministers and an opportunity to hand deliver the document on which they worked so hard. The members of this group of fourteen were selected by their peers to ask the leaders to listen to the world's youth and to act on their suggestions.

The world's youth have a right to be heard. This forum provides an excellent opportunity for them to be heard. When policy makers meet and make decisions, children's issues have to be front and center. The J8 makes this happen. This is why UNICEF supports the J8 and other vehicles for youth participation because children's voices are indeed part of the solution.

Posted by Kevin Cavanaugh, UNICEF USA on July 10, 2009 1:59 PM
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Junior 8 Summit team member reports from Rome

This week's blog posting has been written by Kafhira, a member of the U.S. delegation to the Junior 8 Summit in Italy.

"Wow ! That's about the only way I can sum up my experience thus far at the Junior 8 Summit.

On the first day we were able to meet the teams from Egypt, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, and China. The experience was truly incredible and it was not long into the following day that the remainder of the dozens of country teams arrived.

"As the sun rose on my second day in Rome, there was a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. Everyone present was ready and more than willing to begin with the day's activities, revolving around the idea that world leaders need to "LISTEN AND ACT". One of the activities featured a giant paper-mache ear, in which we each put our personal suggestions for the world leaders. Everywhere we turned there was a news reporter asking for an interview or picture. The fact that such serious media outlets turned out to this event and were so intent on getting a breadth of information on the J8 Summit and its participants really spoke to the importance of youth activism, a theme that also really spoke to us all.

"When they say time flies when you're having fun, they're not lying. Following a formal welcome to the J8 Summit and an explanation of the ground rules, the next thing I knew we had begun our discussion on Child Rights and ideas were flying across the room. To see how serious fellow youth from around the world took the very same issues our team was so concerned about was yet another moving scene. The next couple of discussions were the same, all full of creativity and knowledge from representatives of both developing and developed countries alike. In our group discussion, focusing on education, I was surprised by the range of educational experiences the representatives had, and even more surprised by how we share a lot of the same barriers. Overall, my first experiences at the J8 have been exciting, moving, and productive. I can't wait to see what else we have to do and with what enthusiasm this incredible youth council will do it with."

Check back for more updates from the U.S. team—the Global Pioneers.

Posted by Kristi Burnham, UNICEF USA on July 9, 2009 12:57 PM
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Global Pioneers, New York-bound

Last week I blogged about the announcement of the winning team to represent the United States at this year’s Junior 8 Summit in Italy. Global Pioneers, pictured here, and their teacher Mrs. King, are headed to New York City this...

Posted by Kristi Burnham, UNICEF USA on May 14, 2009 10:13 AM
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2009 Junior 8 team named

We're pleased to announce this week the winning team that will represent the United States in the 2009 Junior 8 Summit. From North Miami Senior High School, in North Miami, Florida, the Global Pioneers demonstrated great strength in their knowledge of the issues highlighted at the upcoming J8 Summit. The team, accompanied by their advisor and US Fund for UNICEF staff, will travel to Italy in July.

The Junior 8 Summit (J8) is the youth event linked to the G8 Summit and is sponsored by UNICEF. The J8 program enables young people, ages 13 to 17, to become involved in the topics that concern the G8 countries, their leaders and the broader global community. Drawing from their knowledge, understanding, and perspectives of these global issues, student teams compete via an essay and application process for the opportunity to represent their country at the J8 Summit.

The United State's 2009 winning delegation, Global Pioneers, is comprised of International Baccalaureate students. Their entry presented specific recommendations to key global issues: Global Warming and Climate Change; Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS; and Poverty and Development. The essay was chosen based on originality of ideas, ambition of recommendations, pragmatism, coherence, and grasp of the issues.

We extend our sincere appreciation to all of the teams who submitted essays for their creativity, hard work and thoughtfulness in their entries. The selection process was very difficult as there were a great number of high-quality essays submitted. We look forward to next year’s competition and encourage educators and students during the course of the year to engage in TeachUNICEF resources, available at www.teachunicef.org. To further get involved in UNICEF’s work, please visit www.unicefusa.org/volunteer.

Congratulations again to the winning team, Global Pioneers, from North Miami Senior High School.

Posted by Kristi Burnham, UNICEF USA on May 7, 2009 12:02 PM
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J8 competition deadline this Friday

It’s not too late!

As a reminder, we have extended the deadline for applying to the Junior 8 Summit (J8). The deadline is April 17, at 5PM, this Friday! Applying for the J8 Summit is a great way to discuss global issues with your fellow students and think about real-world solutions that you can share with world leaders.

The 2009 essay topics include: climate change, HIV/AIDS, and an additional topic to be determined by each J8 team. The competition is for young people aged 14 to 17 to participate in the J8 Summit, a youth event convened this year in Italy and linked to the annual Group of 8 (G8) Summit.

To learn more, click here, if you have any questions please contact us. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Posted by Kristi Burnham, UNICEF USA on April 15, 2009 12:55 PM
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Deadline for Junior 8 Summit applications extended

The J8 Summit provides a unique chance for young people to have their ideas heard by eight of the world's most powerful leaders. “I had the chance to meet with so many inspirational young people around the world and...

Posted by Kristi Burnham, UNICEF USA on April 3, 2009 8:11 AM
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