By Emilie Jarrett, Belgium, and Liza M. Lamar, India, Co-leaders, ICUUW's Young Adult Network
Since the ICUUW International Young Adult Network program kicked off in March with 22 participants from 11 countries, the group has met twice a month to explore thematic areas such as environmental justice, LGBTQI+ issues, violence against women, and much more – drawing on resource speakers from a variety of contexts (Bolivia, India, Philippines, Singapore, Ukraine, Rwanda/Uganda). The most recent thematic session focused on refugee issues, with personal testimony from two speakers from the African and European contexts (fleeing war and fleeing persecution).
After a hiatus during the summer, the program is shifting towards more skills-building sessions to prepare for active participation in the next NGO CSW Forum, the civil society side of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March 2023. We are delighted to be offering team coaching sessions led by certified professional life coach Rebecca Balogh. She previously served as a U.S. diplomat and has lived in many countries around the world, making her particularly suited to supporting this diverse group as it prepares to engage at the UN level. Rebecca’s sessions kicked off in September, with a workshop focusing on participants’ values and inspirations. The next two sessions, in October, will build participants’ capacity for resilience and develop hopes and dreams for their own lives and for their communities.
In November and December, other experts will continue the skills-building phase with leadership (what constitutes a leader, leadership of self, team leadership, and decision-making) and project management (planning, budgeting, time management, setting SMART goals, measuring success, etc.)
These practical sessions seek to motivate and empower participants, preparing them for the final phase of the program, which includes forming a young adult delegation to attend CSW in 2023. CSW’s priority theme next year will be “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls,” a topic which we expect the young adults will have plenty to contribute to.