By Zsófia Sztranyiczki, ICUUW Executive Director
March 2023 marked the completion of our year-long International Young Adult Network program, funded in part by the UU Funding Program and the European Unitarian Universalists. The interactive program for young adults from 11 countries, led by young adult co-leaders from Belgium and India, provided opportunities to build and strengthen connections and to spark inspiration for civic engagement and initiatives designed and led by young adults – not only at the United Nations but in the young leaders’ own communities as well.
A core group of this network rallied to create an inspirational event in March 2023 at the NGO CSW67 Forum, the civil society forum of the 67th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. The event titled “Learning and Mobilizing in the Digital Space: Experiences of Global Young Women” featured two program participants – Siân Evans from Wales and Elle Llewellyn Zhang from Singapore – who shared their experiences of the program and of being part of other socially active groups, with a particular focus on the use of digital tools. The third speaker, Parichehr Kazemi, PhD Candidate in political science at the University of Oregon, focused on Iranian women’s mobilization in the digital space. This simulating panel discussion attracted 101 registrants and is available on our YouTube Channel.
As evaluation surveys have indicated a need for more meaningful opportunities to bond and foster personal relationships, we are exploring in-person interaction among program participants at future regional gatherings and at IWC’s Fourth International Convocation of U*U Women and People of Liberal Faiths, Cluj/Kolozsvár, Romania, 5-8 September 2024. Liza Lamar from India, co-leader of the program, is part of the planning committee of the Fourth Convocation, facilitating and shaping plans for young adult programming.