Tuesday October 10th 2006
Filed under: News
Filed under: News
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Statement by the Norwegian youth delegate
Wednesday October 04th 2006
Filed under: News
Filed under: News
Kathrine Sund
Originally uploaded by U.N. Vlog.
Today Kathrine gave a statement on behalf of Norway, and she performed very well. Here is the statement inn full length:
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished delegates,
”Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” These are the words of Nelson Mandela.
Today’s generation of young people is the largest in history. The sad thing is that half of it is living in poverty. Almost a quarter of the world’s youth is living in extreme poverty, on less than $ 1 per day. And young people account for nearly half of all new HIV infections. Every single day, approximately 6000 young people are infected.
This is the world we want to change. And education is our weapon.
Mr. Chairman,
The Millennium Development Goal #2 focuses on primary education. If the world actually succeeds in providing primary education to all children within 2015 it is, of course, a major accomplishment. It is not enough, though. In order for the education to contribute as much as possible to development and an increasing balance of power, there has to be awareness around what kind of education is offered. Children should not be sent to school just to fill up the seats. They should receive an education which is of good quality and relevant for their everyday life.
In order for this to happen, the entire education system has to be strengthened. Secondary and tertiary education are also important. A strong system of secondary and tertiary education is essential in order to empower people to participate in society, to allow them to promote changes and to facilitate the possibility of economic development.
Mr. Chairman,
Without education, one does not have the tools necessary for entering the many arenas of power at national or international level. This does, of course, have a major effect on individuals. And even worse, it has a major effect on marginalizing already suppressed groups, both at national and international level. They are excluded from the arenas where decisions about their lives are being made. This is a mechanism that prevents development; it even enhances the status quo.
Mr. Chairman,
Let me attract your attention to three groups that are especially vulnerable with regards to education and influence.
Firstly, indigenous peoples. Not all types of education are positive. The education system may, instead of empowering marginalized groups, be used to “mainstreaming” them into becoming a part of the dominating culture. Indigenous peoples are often among the most vulnerable groups in a society. It is therefore especially important that their culture and needs are respected within the education system.
Luckily enough, the voice of indigenous peoples themselves can today be clearly heard as it is formulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted this summer by the Human Rights Council. Hopefully, it will also be adopted by the General Assembly. Let its articles 12-15 be the guiding star of all UN activities in the field of education.
Secondly, the discrimination of women and girls is still a great challenge all around the world. The Millennium Development Goal # 3 promotes gender equality in education. Last year, the world missed the first part of this goal; to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005. Still, two-thirds of children denied primary education are girls, and 75 % of the world’s illiterate adults are women. As a consequence, women are being excluded from the arenas of power, and society is deprived of a large part of its brainpower. Action needs to be taken now. The girls and women of the world have already been waiting too long.
Thirdly, I would like to mention children and youth in conflict zones. Out of the 115 million children that are not receiving primary education today, 43 million are living in conflict zones. These children have already lost much of their childhood. Without education they may also loose their future.
Mr. Chairman,
Education is a typical issue where the political decision-making at all levels should include youth participation. So are many of the other issues discussed here at the General Assembly. It is a great honor for me, as a youth delegate from Norway, to have the opportunity to speak here today. It is especially important because youth is on the agenda. I look around, though, without seeing many young people. Here might be many experts on youth issues and challenges. The real experts, though, are the youths themselves. Youth participation at all levels of the United Nations is essential. Not only because we are the leaders of tomorrow. But most of all because we are the experts on the challenges we are facing today.
Mr. Chairman,
- We urge all governments to focus on the strengthening of the entire education systems in developing countries, making the system able to provide an education of good quality, relevant for the everyday life, in respect of local culture and sensitive to the needs of marginalized groups.
- We urge the General Assembly to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- We urge all governments to eliminate gender disparity in all levels of education no later than 2015.
- We urge the international community to take responsibility for the education of children and youth in conflict zones, through ensuring that education as a humanitarian response is resourced and coordinated, and that a percentage of funds raised through UN flash appeals for emergencies are earmarked for the education sector.
- We urge governments to include youth representatives when issues related to youth are being debated, and to send youth delegates to the UN General Assembly.
Mr. Chairman,
In order to change the world we have to forge Nelson Mandela’s weapon of choice. Because only through education can those that are excluded from power be empowered, those lost in poverty be lifted, and those oppressed by brute force or exclusion of knowledge be set free. Poverty, oppression, illiteracy, decease and discrimination are our enemies and education is our weapon. So let us make sure this powerful weapon is made accessible for all, updated for the 21st century and used exclusively in the pursuit of a better life for everyone.
Thank you.
Lotta from Finland before the speeches
Wednesday October 04th 2006
Filed under: News
Filed under: News
This film was shot in the conferance room of the third committee just before the speeches were held by the youth delegates. The first person is Lotta Backlund, who is the youth delegate from Finland. The other one is the Australian youth delegate, Elise Klein.
Kathrine Sund has arrived
Sunday October 01st 2006
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Filed under: News
Kathrine Sund, who is the other youth delegate from Norway, has arrived New York.
Is this the next Secretary General?
Thursday September 28th 2006
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Filed under: News
New Secretary General?
Originally uploaded by U.N. Vlog.
Kofi Annan is this year leading his very last General Assembly of United Nations, and the members of the Security Council are now struggling to agree on his successor.
The hottest name right now seems to be the Foreign Minister of South-Korea, Ban Ki-Moon (picture).
The Security Council arranged a straw poll earlier this month where its 15 members could indicate either “Encourage”, “Discourage” or “No opinion” to the five different candidates. Ki-Moon got 14 encourage-votes, and only 1 discourage-vote.
However, the big question in UN is this: Who gave Ki-Moon a discourage-vote. If it was one of the permanent members, then he is most likely to drop out because of the veto. But if it was a non-permanent member he has far better chances of becoming Kofi Annan`s successor.
People do not think that any of the permanent members (Britain, China, France, Russia and United States) gave Ki-Moon a discouraged vote, but there are several rumours in UN indicating that maybe one of the five permanent members got a non-permanent member to vote “discourage”. Most of those who trust these rumours believe that China forced Qatar to do so.
Everything is open until we know who voted what in the Security Council. When that happens is unclear. The only thing we know for sure is that next UN Secretary General will come from Asia.
Plenary meeting - no interviews
Thursday September 28th 2006
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Filed under: News
There has been some interesting statements in the plenary meeting so far. I liked the Kenyan statement because of its focus on Somalia, but unfortunately I did not manage to get any interviews from any Kenyans.
You can read all the satements here.