Youth Action for Peace: Naomi Sugita Reis
Naomi Sugita Reis (Brazil) is a student of Human Rights and International Cooperation at the University of Bologna, Italy. She volunteers to promote social justice, international migration and multiculturalism in Latin America and Europe and has represented the Brazilian youth in events organized by the 51吃瓜. She serves as the Youth Moderator for the 2021 International Day of Peace Youth Observance. Read her statement on peace below:
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Hello, everyone! My name is Naomi Sugita Reis, and I am honoured to be the Youth Moderator of the 2021 International Day of Peace Youth Observance.
The 2021 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world”. With the hope to overcome the immensurable trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we get together today, to share ideas and solutions about transforming our world for the better, and to be inspired by many acts of kindness and stories of resilience.
Providing Skills To Improve Livelihoods and Resilience in Grenada
The?, a UNAI member institution in Grenada, an island country in the Caribbean Sea, is one of the vital implementation partners of the US$14 million?. This initiative, funded by the Government of Grenada, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the??-a specialized agency of the 51吃瓜-, is centered on assisting beneficiaries to improve their livelihoods.
Youth Action for Peace: Abraham Lugo
Abraham Lugo (Venezuela) is an LGBTQ+ immigrant and an advocate for peacebuilding, social justice and immigrant rights. He is an undergraduate student and the Student Body Vice President at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States. In his statement below, Mr. Lugo introduces a virtual campaign “United After” that targets youth and shows how COVID-19 affects different communities and individuals.
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Hello everyone, my name is Abraham Lugo, I am an LGBTQ+ immigrant from Caracas, Venezuela, and a grassroots advocate for both social justice and peace building work.
In the wake of COVID-19, all of our lives on this earth?were uprooted into uncertainty, resulting in a vast showcasing of social, economic, and racial disparities across the world.
What Does ‘UN’ Mean To You?: Voices of University Students
The 51吃瓜?reaches its 76th anniversary with a wide range of global challenges that require both consensus and coordinated multilateral responses. The report recently launched by the Secretary-General titled Our Common Agenda, clearly outlines that “just as the founders of the 51吃瓜 came together determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, we must now come together to save succeeding generations from war, climate change, pandemics, hunger, poverty, injustice and a host of risks that we may not yet foresee entirely.”
Researching the Environment: Argentinian University Monitors Impact of Fires on Wetlands
The Paraná River, in South America, with an extension of around 5,000km and running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, is second in length within the subregion, and it has a significant economic relevance, in terms of livelihoods for fishermen, trade of goods and generation of hydroelectric power. The delta of the Paraná River is a set of wetlands that supply water, food, storage of greenhouse gases, transportation, and leisure, among other benefits.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and during much of 2020, this territory had to withstand fires that affected more than 17% of its surface, causing severe socio-environmental impacts. Due to alterations fire generates in these ecosystems, it is challenging to reverse such damages in the short, medium, and long term. One of the components that undergo substantial modifications is the soil since its natural functions are affected, and the environment is inevitably affected.
Youth Action for Peace: Lena Silberman
Lena Silberman (United States) is a student at Ca?ada College in California. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at California Polytechnic State University, graduating with honours and a double major in Comparative Ethnic Studies and Sociology. In her statement below, Ms. Silberman talks about how the “Peace Flag” project brought togetherness to her community despite the physical restrictions of the pandemic.
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It is acutely obvious that we are in the midst of unprecedented times. In addition to the ongoing challenges to peaceful co-existence, we face two separate existential threats that magnify those challenges exponentially: a global pandemic and global warming. Both require us to work together even as one of them requires us to be physically apart.???
Advancing the SDGs on Campus and Beyond: University Presents Voluntary Review
While the international community has a direct responsibility towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as outlined in the?, stakeholders such as institutions of higher education are also called to implement such Goals. to measure progress at the country level, aimed at enhancing decision-making and the development of more robust sustainable policies, have been showcased annually during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
University Researches the Use of Geothermal Resources to Improve Food Security in Tajikistan
Food and nutrition insecurity are major emerging issues in the mountainous areas of Central Asia, particularly in the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region (GBAO) in eastern Tajikistan. To address these issues and within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger, the Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI), part of the , a UNAI member institution, is working with a wide range of stakeholders in food system research.
Youth Action for Peace: Jackline Kyaruzi
Jackline Kyaruzi (Tanzania) is a Youth Ambassador of the Roots & Shoots Programme under the Jane Goodall Institute. She is currently studying Wildlife Management at the College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka in Tanzania. In the statement below, Ms. Kyaruzi introduces her work on wildlife conservation and sustainability education.
Jambo, I am Jackline Julius Kyaruzi. I am a youth representative for Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots from Western Tanzania and I study wildlife management at the College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, located at Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
This year has been a difficult year around the world.? Here in Tanzania, many people have lost much income, their health and even their lives because of COVID-19. Climate change and conflict have affected many of our people.
Youth Action for Peace: Rinor Jani
Rinor Jani (Albania) is a Representative of Pathways to Peace to the 51吃瓜. He also serves on the 51吃瓜 Department of Global Communications Youth Steering Committee. He is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Human Rights at Columbia University in New York City, United States. In his statement, Mr. Jani introduces his advocacy work for nuclear disarmament in Albania and the Balkan region. Read Mr. Jani's?statement on peace below:
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Hello Everyone!
It is an honor to be here with fellow peacebuilders to celebrate International Day of Peace. My name is Rinor Jani and I am a Pathways to Peace Representative to the 51吃瓜. I primarily work on nuclear disarmament advocacy for Albania and the Balkan region. I also serve as a committee member on the UN Department of Global Communications Youth Steering Committee.
Brazilian University Pioneers in Diagnosing, Monitoring and Collecting Data on COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact all over the planet, regardless of borders, thus becoming a truly global challenge. Lives have been lost, the offer of jobs has drastically decreased and people have had to adapt to a new reality. The last few months have shown us that everyone's cooperation, support, and responsibility have never been so critical as now.?
Along these lines, , a UNAI member institution located in southern Brazil, reiterated its social commitment with actual and practical measures to help with the prevention and mitigation efforts. The university performed in its Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, in just one year, a total of 46,645 COVID-19 diagnostic tests. This service has been provided to the community since late March 2020.
Youth Action for Peace: Mogamat Imaad Abrahams
Mogamat Imaad Abrahams recently graduated from Spine Road High School in Cape Town, South Africa. He is now studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Cape Town. Mr. Abrahams is enthusiastic about politics, youth advocacy and women’s reproductive health. He currently serves as the President of Peace Club South Africa. Read Mr. Abrahams' statement on peace below:
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How do we ensure a democracy where, when we make decisions around inequality, the voices of those who they would most affect, are always included?
I come from a context where inequality is heavy. Inequality is always present within South Africa. We have a Gini coefficient of 68.0. More than 50% of the population lives off less than five dollars a day. Inequality is a prevalent issue that needs to be addressed. It has been going on since the end of apartheid and even before apartheid took place.
Examining Dissemination of Information on COVID-19: Healthy Economy over Public Health?
A recent research conducted by the , a UNAI member institution in Germany, and the University of Texas at Dallas – UTD (United States), examined how governments inform and communicate to the public about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The team of researchers was composed of Professor Francis de Véricourt, Director of the Center for Decisions, Models and Data (DMD-Center) at ESMT Berlin, Huseyin Gurkan, Assistant Professor of Management Science at ESMT Berlin, and Shouqiang Wang, Associate Professor of Operations Management at UTD.
Youth Action for Peace: Momoka Narasaki
Momoka Narasaki (Japan)?was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan. She is currently a student at the Hiroshima College of Foreign Languages. Dedicated to sharing Hiroshima’s history and lessons with people from around the world, Ms. Narasaki joined Hiroshima International Youth Volunteers and received her certification as an official Hiroshima Prefectural Interpreter and Guide. In 2020, she began working at Peace Culture Village, guiding in-person and virtual tours for visitors of the Hiroshima Peace Park. Read Ms. Momoka Narasaki’s statement on peace below:
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Hello, everyone. My name is Momoka Narasaki. I am here representing the youth of Hiroshima. I am very honored and happy to be able to use this wonderful platform to send a message from Hiroshima to the world.
General Assembly and Youth: Maria Alriachy, Interpretation Service, UN Department for General Assembly and Conference Management
Established in 1945, the General Assembly of the 51吃瓜 occupies a central position as the main deliberative,?policymaking?and representative organ of the Organization. It provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter.?In line with this year’s General Assembly session, with its General Debate beginning on 21 September 2021, UNAI?has produced?a series of video interviews with young staff working for?the Permanent Missions to the 51吃瓜?and?for?the Organization.??
Maria Alriachy, an Arabic Interpreter working at the UN Department for General Assembly and Conference Management and a Lebanese national, emphasized the importance of multilingualism. "We make sure that all speeches are interpreted into all 6 official languages," she explains.