The annual Nord Anglia Education UNICEF Summit took place virtually this summer, gathering NAE students from across the globe to demonstrate how their schools are working to meet the United Nation’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Our student ambassadors, Year 13 students Aini and Fathima share what they gained from participating in the summit.
The NAE-UNICEF Summit 2021 conducted every year for student ambassadors across all NAE schools will definitely be an experience that will always be remembered. Though a trip to New York was really something everyone was looking forward to, it was wonderful to see all students adapting to their roles from the convenience of their homes. We had the chance to interact with a lot of student leaders across all regions to discuss the global issues we live with.
The 5-day long session allowed us to ponder what individuals may consider a current global crisis and it was quite astonishing to see the diversity in answers was caused by the students’ location. Though we all acknowledged that every global crisis is deemed with equal importance, the South East Asian region decided to enhance our thoughts on ‘Immunization.’ With COVID-19, this is not only NAE student ambassadors, but every pupil can relate to as we have experienced the domino effect this has had on mental health. Working with members at UNICEF, we mainly focused on the ways student ambassadors can develop into advocates for our schools or region. It was really enlightening to listen to various solutions that future leaders have and gave everyone a promising assurance for a sustainable future.
Not only did we get the chance to interact in a politically stimulated workshop, but we both also got to witness an actual UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), an event jointly coordinated by the UN General Assembly and the UN Economic and Social Council that talks about the steps countries have been making to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals, a list of 17 interlinked global goals intended to make a better and sustainable future for all. By taking over the positions of Rapporteurs and Journalists, we were able to hear the discussions political leaders were having to sustainably recover from the ongoing pandemic.
This workshop gave various insights into the difference the youth generation can make by advocating for issues that help solve the SDGs. We believe the key emphasis in this event was to ensure the leaders of tomorrow take responsibility to step up and voice their concerns. By honing our communication, discussion, advocacy and problem-solving skills, the NAE-UNICEF Summit is a great opportunity for individuals who strive for the wellness of their community and want to get involved in political events. This was an enjoyable experience for us and will definitely be a promising event for future student ambassadors.
Aini and Fathima
DCIS IBDP Students and Student Ambassadors
Read Aini's reflection NAE-UNICEF Summit 2021: Inspiring each other as student advocates
Read Fathima's text, featured on UNICEF's Voices of Youth website A Youth Perspective on the UN High Level Political Forum
