We are less than two weeks into the new year, but goodness 2014 has been incredibly hectic. I recently moved back to UNC and now I feel as though I am moving at 90 miles a minute. This month is full of important dates and deadlines. Although I am feeling very overwhelmed, I am also excited for all that is ahead. This month alone I begin my internship at the Orange County Rape Crisis Center where I will assist the Latin@ Services Coordinator; I will help to host the Students United for Reproductive Justice (SURJ) Womyn's Issues Now [WIN] Conference; AND I will be submitting my rough draft of my WomenNC fellowship paper.
This month is bound to fly by, but at the same time, I hope I am able to enjoy everything. I am fortunate enough to be engaged in activities that are related to my passion for Women's Studies/social justice/public health/gender equality/etc, and I am one step closer to presenting at the UN!!!! I know March is still a little ways away, but I am so excited about the trip. I cannot wait to meet people, present my research, and attend amazing discussions and presentations! I hope all of this goes smoothly and I shall keep you updated!
Happy 2014!
Isabella
Sunday, January 12, 2014
A Research Gem!
Have you ever found a research gem? A stack of old photographs, a bundle of 1930 newspaper clippings, or in my case.... a 75 page report of Youth and the Millennium Development Goals written by researchers from Youth Organizations all over the world. This week's Buzzfeed time was replaced with reading this publication by a 2004 AD HOC
Working Group on Youth and the MDGs.
This report explains the importance of youth involvement in
implementing the MDGs.
As is a trend with my research thus far, this piece was written by researchers from youth groups all over the world, which is awesome! I love that the very authorship of the pieces that I am reading reflects the practice of youth involvement.
There was a quote that stuck with me from the report:
There was a quote that stuck with me from the report:
“Young leaders
represent our hope for the future, and have the greatest potential to push for
realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015, established by
the United Nations.” (page 8)
Prime Minister of
Thailand His Excellency Thaksin Shinawatra
You are correct indeed, His Execellency Thaksin Shinawatra! As I learned in this report, youth ages 10-24 make up 1.7 billion of our human population- that's over a fourth of the population; yet still, we are the most underrepresented groups. Despite all of the apathetic attitudes youth are often perceived to have, the report shows that there are many youth involved in making progress towards the MDG goals. Each of the MDG goals is outlined with attention to how they affect youth, then youth solutions are given and case studies are provided that show specific instances of youth involvement with an MDG that has been effective.
I call this report a gem for a few different reasons. First of all, Youth involvement in Social Justice is not an explicit MDG and I have found it challenging to sift through articles, declarations and reports that speak to my topic. Secondly, the article painted a picture of what youth involvement looks like. I read about 35 person organizations with peer mentorship on the importance of safe sex, online youth forums that give youth networks to talk about their passion and findings for justice work. Lastly, I found out about key sources of adult support for these groups- by donating space, providing mentoring, funding, or the legitimacy of a corporate name, I found how these youth initiatives find support.
I am glad that I spent time with this report and learning more about my topic. May your clicks, scrolls, and searches lead you somewhere wealthy!
Sunday, January 5, 2014
"This is our year!"
If you're anything like me, you have probably promised yourself a time or two in this 2k14 that this is your year. Well, I hope it is, but today I want to flash back to 1985 when millions of youth around the world could truly say "This is our year!"
Check out this excerpt from the United Nations 1985 General Assembly:
"Recognizing the profound importance of the direct participation of youth in shaping the future of mankind and the valuable contribution that youth can make in the implementation of the new international economic order based on equity and justice,"
Considering it necessary to disseminate among youth the ideals of peace, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, human solidarity and dedication to the objectives of progress and development"
It was for this reason that the United Nations named 1985 International Youth Year. During this year
all States, all United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, regional commissions and the international intergovernmental NGOs concerned, and youth organizations came together in recognition that we must implement an effective plan for the youth role in democracy and justice. The full title of the year was "International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace."
Though the year did not mark the very beginning of a global recognition that youth involvement in
social justice and United Nations Engagement was important, it set out of define and measure youth engagement. A decade after IYY (International Youth Year) the United Nations developed the World Program of Action for Youth. These conventions brought together hundreds of youth that would create an action plan with goals and indicators for youth specific issues and youth obstacles of engagement. Here are the goals for The World Programme for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond.
It's cool to know an entire year was dedicated to youth participation in human rights work. It is a reminder that there is a global understanding that we as young, emerging adults have a right to help make decisions that affect our daily lives and a responsibility to the solutions of local, national and global issues.
IYY and its youth forum descendents serve as the foundational base as I explore youth engagement with social justice today. Almost two decades later, I beg this question: Did IYY keep its New Years Resolution?
Additional Source: World Youth Forum Reflects Growing Youth Power
A Transformative Standalone Gender Goal?
Greetings from a sleepy pousada in the countryside of the Brazilian state of Goiás, about four hours from Brasília. While I may be far away from the community of CSW Fellows in North Carolina, it seems fitting to update you all on my topic from an international location.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have a keen interest in the Post-2015 agenda, how the lessons of the MDGs will inform future progress, and how gender is being included therein. Alongside my mentors at WomenNC, I spent a lot of time trying to find an organization working in the community that is also publishing on the Post-2015 agenda. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most North Carolina NGOs are far too preoccupied with preventing domestic abuse, advocating for women at the state legislature, and tackling a myriad other challenges to spent the majority of their time considering this topic. How was I to find and develop a partnership?
Reflecting further, I decided to look at my topic from a more holistic perspective cognizant of my interests and previous work. Of course, as with so many things in life, the answer lay not in the swirling depth of the unknown, but rather in front of my nose.
In the summer of 2011, I interned with IntraHealth International--a local North Carolina NGO that sprang forth from a global health initiative of the UNC School of Medicine. Since then, IntraHealth has completed projects in more than 90 countries, focused specifically on the challenges health workers face in empowering their communities. An entire unit of the organization is dedicated to gender equality. Luckily, while completing my internship in Bamako, Mali, I was also able to connect with many of the gender experts working at IntraHealth. These selfsame experts have expressed much enthusiasm at partnering with me to complete this work and help showcase some of the wonderful work IntraHealth is doing for women all over the world.
My upcoming challenges include determining how to integrate all three levels of the project (local, national, and international) coherently into a final report, while still highlighting the Post-2015 Agenda. Perhaps the proposed transformative standalone gender goal is a good lens from which to approach these topics?
If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments below--
Até mais!
Max
Reflecting further, I decided to look at my topic from a more holistic perspective cognizant of my interests and previous work. Of course, as with so many things in life, the answer lay not in the swirling depth of the unknown, but rather in front of my nose.
In the summer of 2011, I interned with IntraHealth International--a local North Carolina NGO that sprang forth from a global health initiative of the UNC School of Medicine. Since then, IntraHealth has completed projects in more than 90 countries, focused specifically on the challenges health workers face in empowering their communities. An entire unit of the organization is dedicated to gender equality. Luckily, while completing my internship in Bamako, Mali, I was also able to connect with many of the gender experts working at IntraHealth. These selfsame experts have expressed much enthusiasm at partnering with me to complete this work and help showcase some of the wonderful work IntraHealth is doing for women all over the world.
My upcoming challenges include determining how to integrate all three levels of the project (local, national, and international) coherently into a final report, while still highlighting the Post-2015 Agenda. Perhaps the proposed transformative standalone gender goal is a good lens from which to approach these topics?
If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments below--
Até mais!
Max
Friday, January 3, 2014
Organizing Partnerships
Hello again!
I wanted to take a moment to update everyone on my partnerships with organizations. The past weeks have been filled with meetings, conferences, and a whole lot of paperwork. For my research, I've decided to focus on two different organizations--the Science Hut's Imhotep Academy as well as the PURPOSE Institute.
Imhotep Academy is a program that focuses largely underrepresented students (usually in middle school) and introduces them to science, math, and technology. By using many engaging methods, from field trips to experiments, the program opens students up to STEM studies. As fun as the program is on the surface, there's a lot of work that's fueling the program. By taking part in the winter session, I plan to learn more about the Academy's model and what makes it work.
PURPOSE Institute, on the other hand, mainly focuses on faculty development in STEM research. However, when I met with the directors of the program, I learned that they also have many events focused on girls in STEM. Although these programs are still in the works, many of the trial runs have been enormously successful. In the future, I plan on meeting with past participants, to get their own view of these programs.
Now that I've established these partnerships, I plan to see where their models and data will take me, and I can't wait to see how it impacts the research I've already acquired.
Until next time!
Alex
I wanted to take a moment to update everyone on my partnerships with organizations. The past weeks have been filled with meetings, conferences, and a whole lot of paperwork. For my research, I've decided to focus on two different organizations--the Science Hut's Imhotep Academy as well as the PURPOSE Institute.
Imhotep Academy is a program that focuses largely underrepresented students (usually in middle school) and introduces them to science, math, and technology. By using many engaging methods, from field trips to experiments, the program opens students up to STEM studies. As fun as the program is on the surface, there's a lot of work that's fueling the program. By taking part in the winter session, I plan to learn more about the Academy's model and what makes it work.
PURPOSE Institute, on the other hand, mainly focuses on faculty development in STEM research. However, when I met with the directors of the program, I learned that they also have many events focused on girls in STEM. Although these programs are still in the works, many of the trial runs have been enormously successful. In the future, I plan on meeting with past participants, to get their own view of these programs.
Now that I've established these partnerships, I plan to see where their models and data will take me, and I can't wait to see how it impacts the research I've already acquired.
Until next time!
Alex
Thursday, January 2, 2014
New Year, Continued Developments
Hello All!
I hope that everyone has had a fantastic holiday season and that you're all ready for 2014! I can tell this year is going to be big for women's rights--a gut feeling perhaps, but as I delve into my research I can't help but look forward to all the advancements this year will bring.
My research on women's education has certainly been interesting. Most of my data has come from books (many were presents from my family :) and so much of it has captured my attention. However, the most notable book has been I Am Malala.
One of the biggest struggles I've had as a fellow is making the personal connection to the research. Sure I've always felt strongly about women's empowerment and education, but it wasn't until I began reading I Am Malala that I realized why I felt so inspired to delve further into the issue. It was my research on Malala that built up my drive on the subject. When news about the girl named Malala began to circulate around the media, I found myself drawn to her work and words, and became introspective of my own role in women's right to education. On top of that, I found her youth to be one of the great sources of influence. As a young student myself, I was compelled to take action and speak up on the issue of women's education. Thus, I began looking at the educational system around me, and the role of women on the local level.
When I attended the UNA-USA's Post-2015 Development Agenda event (I discussed this in a previous blog post), I felt more aware of the education surrounding me. Coupled with my Malala-initiated call to arms, this event rallied my determination even more. Not only did I feel inspired by Malala, I also felt involved with education on the home front.
After reflecting on why I feel so determined about the issue of women's education, I believe I've cracked the personal element of my own research. With this new awareness, I am eager to see how it takes form in my paper and presentation.
Until next time, friends!
Alex
I hope that everyone has had a fantastic holiday season and that you're all ready for 2014! I can tell this year is going to be big for women's rights--a gut feeling perhaps, but as I delve into my research I can't help but look forward to all the advancements this year will bring.
My research on women's education has certainly been interesting. Most of my data has come from books (many were presents from my family :) and so much of it has captured my attention. However, the most notable book has been I Am Malala.
One of the biggest struggles I've had as a fellow is making the personal connection to the research. Sure I've always felt strongly about women's empowerment and education, but it wasn't until I began reading I Am Malala that I realized why I felt so inspired to delve further into the issue. It was my research on Malala that built up my drive on the subject. When news about the girl named Malala began to circulate around the media, I found myself drawn to her work and words, and became introspective of my own role in women's right to education. On top of that, I found her youth to be one of the great sources of influence. As a young student myself, I was compelled to take action and speak up on the issue of women's education. Thus, I began looking at the educational system around me, and the role of women on the local level.
When I attended the UNA-USA's Post-2015 Development Agenda event (I discussed this in a previous blog post), I felt more aware of the education surrounding me. Coupled with my Malala-initiated call to arms, this event rallied my determination even more. Not only did I feel inspired by Malala, I also felt involved with education on the home front.
After reflecting on why I feel so determined about the issue of women's education, I believe I've cracked the personal element of my own research. With this new awareness, I am eager to see how it takes form in my paper and presentation.
Until next time, friends!
Alex
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Welcome 2014!
The new year has arrived, and it now feels like this fellowship is in full speed. All of us fellows recently received an email reminding us that we are halfway through our fellowship! I cannot believe it has gone by so fast. I am now starting to believe that I really will be presenting at the UN. I am incredibly excited, and I hope I am able to bring interesting research to NY.
After visiting my two potential partnering organizations, I have decided I will mainly focus on Durham Connects. What I really love about the organization is that they go to the people. In this way, every single mother that wants care can receive it, whether or not she has transportation. I would like to do more research on the benefits of going to homes versus expecting patients to travel to hospitals, medical centers, clinics, etc. I am hoping to get this paper done soon and I cannot wait to learn more through my research!
After visiting my two potential partnering organizations, I have decided I will mainly focus on Durham Connects. What I really love about the organization is that they go to the people. In this way, every single mother that wants care can receive it, whether or not she has transportation. I would like to do more research on the benefits of going to homes versus expecting patients to travel to hospitals, medical centers, clinics, etc. I am hoping to get this paper done soon and I cannot wait to learn more through my research!
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