RIO DE JANEIRO - The WFUNA Global Youth Forum was held from 7-11 November, 2012 in conjunction with the 40th WFUNA Plenary Assembly. Twenty-two youth delegates from 14 different UNAs participated in a set of training workshops on project management, media strategy, and communication strategy. The youth also had an opportunity to visit Favelas and work with local NGOs on a number of different community projects.
Also, youth delegates elected the 2nd WFUNA Youth Advisory Group members. Five individuals from each region were elected along with five alternates who will assist the Secretary General and the Youth Program Associate for the term of three years.
Below is the list of elected Youth Advisory Group and Regional Alternate members:
Youth Advisory Group
South America Gabriel Borda, UNA- Brazil
North America Edgardo Martinez, UNA- Mexico
Asia Vinayak Srivastava, UNA-India
Africa Rosemary Jackson, UNA-South Africa
Europe Ulrika Ronmark, UNA- Sweden
Regional Alternates
South America Pablo Angulo, UNA- Venezuela
North America Todd Blyth, UNA- Canada
Asia Aaron J Yoo, UNA-ROK
Africa Esube Furaha, UNA-DRC
Europe Ida Christoffersen, UNA-Norway
Participant Testimony
"The best thing about the GYF was the passion. It was so inspiring to be around young people who are deeply committed to making an impact in their countries. They contemplate, they ask themselves the right questions and then they feel the moral need to act upon these situations that make them uncomfortable. Honestly, I feel that this generation will accomplish great things. I felt passion combined with pragmatism, I felt intention mixed with preparation, but most of all, I felt courage, the courage that is needed to do great things. I left with a little part of them printed onto me. Todd's energy, Ida's sweetness, Edgardo's humbleness, Rosemary's attentiveness, Gabriel's inspiration, Ulrika's maturity, Vinayak's knowledge, Richard's clarity, Sumit's faithfulness and Eui Yun's commitment. These were great days thanks to WFUNA and UNA-Brazil."
- Pablo Angulo, UNA-Venezuela
"The event, in one word, was life-altering. Beyond the sessions and the friends I made, seeing people so passionate, so committed to a cause has really made me start to look at what I do and see how I can make an impact in the lives on not only those around me, but truly the world. As for the event itself, I found it quite thought provoking. The lessons on one's mission/vision took me back to my university classes and allowed me to see the real world application of my schooling. The integration with the adults allowed me to have frank discussions about issues spanning from the local life in Brazil to how Ghana and Canada can work together to build stronger global citizens. It was always a cultural "eye-opener" to not have things run on time down to the minute. The only thing I think I might have looked to do differently, for the youth, is to have them all at the same location. This fosters unity and furthers that connection. It also makes those informal outings easier to plan!"
- Todd Blyth, UNA-Canada
* You can check out pictures from the 1st WFUNA Global Youth Forum at our WFUNA Youth Network Facebook page!
