They Really Are Listening!

When I got the opportunity to deliver an oral intervention (delivered as comments and questions rather than a statement) at the United Nations on behalf of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts last month, I was worried that my lack of experience would count against me. I thought maybe my comments would be disregarded as I didn't know how to speak the lingo and the style of my presentation was nothing like that of the people who had clearly been doing it for years.

I need not have worried. During the speech itself the chair and the panel were visibly attentive to what I was saying - reinforced by the fact the panellist each answered at least one of my questions in their replies (a great achievement considering there had been around 20 others making points). It helped that the other young speaker, from the Working Group of Girls, made similar points and a united youth voice is every so much stronger! Our points about stronger youth representation and inclusion in UN processes got mentioned at an NGO briefing meeting the next day - we clearly made a strong impression to those who had been in the panel!

However yesterday I came across a news article that made my realise that what I had said, and what Caroline from the Working Group on Girls had said, had really been listened to and recorded. The article can be found here and, whilst they've got a little confused about what organisations we were representing, it's clear that what we had to say has had a contribution to the wider debate around including young people in the processes of the UN.

I am now starting preparations for being part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts delegation to Rio+20 and we had our first skype call last week. I will be taking on responsibilities around the gender aspects of our work at the conference and I hope that we can make an even bigger impact than we managed last month in New York!

Today is the final celebration day for a triennium of centenary celebrations for WAGGGS (don't ask, I don't understand how a centenary can be marked for 3 years either!) and they have launched a new campaign for marketing guiding and girl scouting around the world. You can see the branding on their facebook page or more of the elements of it on their website. I think the campaign does a very good job of summing up what the movement is about. 'Imagine more' is all about how guiding and scouting is more than a lot of people think it is, and how with a little bit of encouragement girls and young women can achieve more than is expected thanks to those who imagine a better world for them.
Our presence at the UN , and especially at Rio this June, is about more than me or you. It's time to imagine the future we want to see!