WFUNA-youth News

WFUNA-Youth is proud to welcome 4 new members from:

UNA-Morocco Email: S_man_L1@hotmail.com
UNA-Sierra Leone Email: lamkainwo@yahoo.com
UNYA-Liberia Email: deddehhoward@yahoo.com  
UNA-Uganda www.unauganda.net  

WFUNA-Youth has now 51 members! An overview of all members can be found here: www.wfuna-youth.de/wordpress/unya-contact-details

WFUNA-Youth launched its online discussion in preparation for the WFUNA-Youth Plenary Meeting in Seoul in August. The discussion is meant to facilitate and organize the decision-making process at the three-day Plenary Meeting. All UNYAs are invited to appoint one or more persons to join the discussion´s e-group. Please send full name, contact details, birth date and e-mail address to coordinating.committee@gmail.com.

In cooperation with UNA Germany, WFUNA-Youth successfully carried out a Train-the-Trainers workshop in Berlin from 22-24 May. Workshop participants from Germany, Switzerland, and the UK were trained in skills needed to facilitate a WFUNA-Youth Project Management Workshop. The training was conducted by Kimon Haars, former WFUNA-Youth Interim Authority and Dania Röpke, Chairwoman of the WFUNA-Youth Coordinating Committee. www.wfuna-youth.org.

From 11-14 June, WFUNA-Youth, in cooperation with UNA-Spain successfully held its first Leadership Workshop in Barcelona. The aim of the workshop was to equip experienced UNYA members with the skills necessary to successfully lead an UNYA branch. The participants came from Argentina, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Norway, Slovakia, and the UK. The workshop was facilitated by Christiane Müller, Perke Jakobs (both UNYA Germany), Dania Röpke (Chairwoman WFUNA-Youth), and Luke Harman (UNYSA UK). www.wfuna-youth.org, www.anue.org/ca

WFUNA-Youth Coordinating Committee member Ben McKay from UNYA-Australia participated in the UNA-UK National Conference from 5-7 June held at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. He gave a presentation on behalf of WFUNA-Youth about how UNYAs can successfully collaborate with their UNAs. www.wfuna-youth.org

World Environment Day Events

The Youth Section of UNA-Serbia organized various activities to mark World Environment Day on 5 June. In addition to the preparation of educational and promotional materials on the topic of "Your Planet Needs YOU - UNite to combat Climate Change", UN clubs in 70 schools in Serbia organized eco-stands, educational workshops, climate change quizzes and other practical activities. unaserbia@gmail.com www.unaserbia.rs

From 5-6 June UNA-Norway and the Norwegian Children and Youth Council (LNU) organized a national Youth Climate Summit. Leaders from the children and youth organizations gathered to discuss climate change and advise the Minister of Environment as well as the rest of the Norwegian delegation to COP 15 in Copenhagen. Many of the organizations brought delegates from their partners in the South. UNA-Norway produced education packs for all participants. www.klimatoppmote.no

UNYA News

On 17 June, members of WFUNA-Youth, UNYA Germany, and UNYA India will meet at the University of Duisburg, Germany for an exchange of best practice session and a half day Project Management Workshop. The UNYA India delegation will be in Germany due to their participation in the DuEMUN-RuhrMUN. www.wfuna-youth.org, www.junges-uno-netzwerk.de, www.ifuna.org

On 18 May, the Dutch United Nations Student Association organized a successful conference in Amsterdam on the prevention of, and intervention in, large conflicts involving grave humanitarian atrocities. Professor Jan Pronk (former UN-SG Special Representative in Sudan), Mr. Gareth Evans (President, International Crisis Group), Dr. James Orbinski (former International President, Médecins Sans Frontières), and Lt. General Jasbir Lidder (Former Force Commander of UNMIS) all gave presentations and participated in discussion. Watch a video of the conference on: www.conflictconference.com.

UNA Youth Division Armenia, together with UN Department of Public Information and the Armenian Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, continues its activities on the establishment of “UN Corners” all around the country. UN Corners operate as resource centers where young people have access to a variety of necessary services (legal/health counseling, computer services, libraries etc.), including training courses to improve their knowledge, employment advice, and volunteer opportunities. UNA-Armenia Youth Division members have been involved in this project since 2007, organizing Model UN debates and leadership trainings, and will continue conducting awareness raising campaigns on UN values and human rights. auna@arminco.am.

 Back to Top

Model UN News

Global Model UN Update
The UN Department of Public Information, in partnership with WFUNA, is organizing the first annual Global Model UN (GMUN) conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, from 5 – 7 August 2009.  Held for the first time under UN auspices, the theme for this University-level Model UN conference will be “The Millennium Developments Goals -- Lifting the bottom billion out of poverty”.  Visit: www.un.org/gmun      

2009 WFUNA Model UN Schedule

11-13 June
UNA-Canada is organizing a Model International Joint Commission conference at Niagara University. The conference will seek to simulate real IJC boards that influence how issues and disputes are dealt with on the ground level. www.unac.org/modelijc  

12-14 June
UNYSA-UK is arranging the second annual Durham Model United Nations Conference 2009 (DURMUN’09). This year’s event will comprise of six committees and a total of 125 delegates will be participating. www.durmun.co.uk  

4-7 July
The 2009 New Zealand Model United Nations will be held at Victoria University of Wellington. This Model UN marks the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Youth Association of New Zealand.  www.unyanz.co.nz/National/NZModelUN2009.aspx  

18-25 July
The second edition of the Sofia International Model United Nations conference will take place in Bulgaria from 18-25 July, 2009. www.sofimun.org   

2-6 August
UNYSA-Austria and the Academic Forum for Foreign Affairs are organizing the Vienna International Model United Nations for students and young graduates from all education levels. www.vimun.at

3- 6 August
“We Model United Nations Conference” 2009 (WEMUNC), co-organized by UNA-China and Weland International, will be held in Beijing, China. It is estimated that more than 1,000 students from all over the world will join this event. www.wemunc.org
        
9-15 August
Prepare for COP-15 (the Climate meeting in Copenhagen, December 2009) through joining one of the climate camps at a Danish Folk High School. Visit www.COme2gether.com - select "sign up" - read the descriptions and pick your school. If you wish to participate in a simulation of a UN negotiation on Climate (a Model UN) you should select "Krogerup", and specify your interest for the MUN in the "Motivation"-box.  If you are connected to a national UNA you could mention UNA-Denmark as a partner organization.

10-14 August
The fourth Eastern Africa Regional Model UN (EARMUN) will be organized in Kampala by the UNA-Uganda, UNA-Tanzania and UNA-Kenya, led by their respective Youth Chapters.

13-16 October
The youth section of UNA-Cuba is organizing the third Matanzas Model United Nations (PUENTES 2009). www.acnu.org.cu

24 – 27 November
The youth section of UNA-Cuba is organizing the first Santiago de Cuba Model United Nations. www.acnu.org.cu 

December 1- 4
The youth section of UNA-Cuba is organizing the second Pinar del Río Model United Nations (ONUPINAR 2009). www.acnu.org.cu

In the context of the ongoing Confidence Building in the South Caucasus project, implemented jointly by the UNA-Georgia, UNA-Sweden and UNA-Armenia, annual Regional Model UN/Summer Peace Camps are held at the UNA-Georgia International Educational Campus in Tskneti,  involving 30 University-level students from Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Please send information about your UNAs upcoming Model UN conferences for inclusion in our calendar to stendahl@wfuna.org.

Back to Top

New Faces at the Secretariat

David Kovatch is the most recent addition to the New York office as the Disarmament Coordinator Intern. David is a candidate for a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, concentrating in international security policy. David’s academic and professional interests include arms control policy, weapons of mass destruction, the defense industry, and multilateral organizations.  Email: Kovatch@wfuna.org. 

Robert Narvaez is an undergraduate student currently doing an internship at the WFUNA Office in Geneva. During his internship at WFUNA, he will be assisting the Director of Programmes in preparations for WFUNA’s 39th Plenary Assembly, the Global Model UN Conference and the Civil Society Development Forum organized in collaboration with CoNGO. He will be finishing his degree in International Relations, with an emphasis in Refugee and Migration Studies, at Webster University Geneva. Email:
Narvaez@wfuna.org.  

Back to Top

 UNA of the Month: UNA Portugal

Established in 2007 by a group of citizens and NGOs committed to the principles and values of the Charter of United Nations, ANUP is one of the most recent UNAs to become a member of WFUNA.

ANUP’s first steps were mostly devoted to building institutional structure, enlarging the base of support, establishing institutional relations and partnerships with stakeholders, defining its own political and social goals, and putting in place management and organization rules.

As a result of this process, ANUP now has: a main office and 11 other offices/representations throughout the country, 47 affiliated NGO partners, more than five hundred individual members, 4 conventions established with public and private entities and 2 working groups supporting the Board activity. The UNA has an NGO Council and a Business Council.
 

To read the article click here >>

Back to Top

Topic of the Month: Microcredit

Overview on Microcredit
By Zsuzsa Biro and Alexandra Hooper

Microcredit has gained recognition as one of the most efficient means of eradicating poverty. It aims at extending small financial loans to the poor, promoting entrepreneurship, and spurring the recipients to make their own living as an alternative to aid dependence.  

When Professor Muhammad Yunus, the “Father of Microcredit”, started micro loans to the poor in Bangladesh in the 1970s, his efforts were treated with skepticism. Since then, results have shown a credit return rate in the microfinance sector close to 100%, and Mr. Yunus’ successful Grameen model has inspired similar initiatives in hundreds of other countries, helping over 120 million families to gain economic independence. Professor Yunus now serves on the board of directors of the UN Foundation, to further promote public-private partnerships to address poverty on an international level.

To read the complete overview on Microcredit click here >> 

Back to Top

  UN Perspectives; Henri Dommel

Henri Dommel from France joined the United Nations Capital Development Fund as the Director of the Inclusive Finance Unit in 2007. He is responsible for leading the Unit's strategy in promoting the access to financial services and the development of inclusive financial sectors in Least Developed Countries.

To watch a video of the interview click here >>

1. How is microfinance used by the UN in its approach to development? Does it play a significant role in the work of United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)?

We have two pillars of activities: one is microfinance and the other is local development. Microfinance plays an important role in our mandate, because we believe that it provides a very useful contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Studies have shown that providing access to financial services for poor people can be very useful in helping them to manage risks, to take advantage of economic opportunities, to develop profit-generating activities, and to be able to deal with crisis during their lives – access to financial services improves their general living conditions. These services include credits, savings and remittances, and microinsurance. At the same time, I recognized that it’s not a panacea for development, we shouldn’t believe that microfinance will solve all the problems, but it has a role to play and can be very useful in many respects.

To read the interview with Mr. Dommel click here >>

Back to Top

 

  NGOs on the Move

Started  in 1997, the Microcredit Summit Campaign brings together microcredit practitioners, advocates, educational institutions, donor agencies, international financial institutions, non-governmental organizations and others involved with microcredit to promote best practices in the field and to stimulate the interchange of knowledge. The Microcredit Summit Campaign is a project of the RESULTS Educational Fund, a US-based grassroots advocacy organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Read more here www.microcreditsummit.org.  
 
 

Joint recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize with Prof Muhammad Yunus for its “efforts to create economic and social development from below”, Graman Bank (GB) began as a microcredit lender. GB reversed conventional banking practice by removing the need for collateral, and created a banking system based on mutual trust, accountability, participation and creativity. GB provides credit to the poorest of the poor in rural Bangladesh. As of April 2009, it has 7.84 million borrowers, 97 percent of whom are women. With 2,554 branches, GB provides services in 84,237 villages. Today, Grameen Bank is owned by the rural poor whom it serves. Borrowers of the Bank own 90% of its shares, while the remaining 10% is owned by the government. www.grameen-info.org.  
 
With subsidiaries in Africa, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Greater Middle East serving over 725,000 clients, the Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA) is among the widest of the leading microfinance networks. FINCA's birthplace was in Latin America, and that region remains the largest in terms of clients served. The programs in Africa, Eurasia and the Greater Middle East are growing rapidly, evidence that microfinance works in very different markets and cultures.
www.villagebanking.org/site/c.erKPI2PCIoE/b.2394109/k.BEA3/Home.htm.

UniversalGiving is an award-winning marketplace which allows people to volunteer and donate to top performing projects in more than 70 countries around the world. Through UniversalGiving, donors have the opportunity to search for Projects, Gift packages, or Volunteer opportunities by issue or region allowing them to select the project of their choice.  100% of all donations go directly to the specified project.  More than $1.5 million has passed through universalgiving.org and nearly 10,000 people have volunteered.  www.universalgiving.org.

  Back to Top

 
Book Recommendations

A Billion Bootstraps: Microcredit, Barefoot Banking, and the Business Solution for Ending Poverty
Philip Smith and Eric Thurman, McGraw & Hill, 2007

A Billion Bootstraps shows why microcredit is the world's most powerful poverty-fighting movement and an unbeatable investment for your charitable donations. It unearths the roots of the microcredit revolution that will change lives and societies forever. The narrative explores how these small loans, arranged by “barefoot bankers,” enable impoverished people to start small businesses, support their families, and improve local economies. A Billion Bootstraps explains how ordinary people can accelerate the microcredit movement by investing charitable donations in specific programs and then leveraging those contributions so the net cost to lift one person out of poverty is remarkably low.
www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/2343.html  

 
Access to and impact of Microcredit in rural Northern Vietnam: A view from the grass-roots
Hannah von Bloh, VDM Verlag, 2008

Microcredit schemes as a tool for economic and social development, poverty reduction and empowerment have recently moved into the focus of attention of the global community. Much light however remains to be shed on the internal dynamics of microfinance programs. A better understanding of the needs of the prospective clients is necessary in order to reach the target-group more effectively and increase impact. How do rural farmers and prospective microcredit clients perceive the services and how do they use them? What influences their investment decisions and what impact does the provision of microcredit services have on a household`s livelihood? These are some of the questions this study strives to answer.
http://lnweb90.worldbank.org/ext/epic.nsf/ImportDocs/9DD70ADB6AB41217852575530077CDD3?opendocument&query=VN

Back to Top

Film Recommendations

Small Fortunes: Microcredit and the Future of Poverty
60 min, 2005, USA, Sterling Van Wagenen and Matt Whitaker

Small Fortunes is a one-hour documentary describing the impact that microcredit is having throughout the world, through the stories of eleven micro-entrepreneurs. Millions of the world’s poorest—mostly women—who are unable to provide the necessary collateral to secure a traditional loan are turning to microcredit institutions for help. These institutions give loans, often less than $100, to those for whom the entrepreneurial spirit is still in its purest, most basic form. Whether it’s through milking a buffalo, selling tortillas, or weaving cloth, most borrowers are able to pay back their loans—and have enough profits to reinvest in their businesses, their homes, and their children. www.small-fortunes.com

Grameen Foundation Video: 'Breaking Through'
16 min, 2006, USA, Microfinance Programs Grameen Foundation together with Rooy Media

For many of the world’s poorest people, access to microcredit is their golden opportunity to forge a better life for their families. Since 1997, the Grameen Foundation has been working across the globe to help sustain or expand small businesses. Breaking Through gives you a glimpse of what this has meant for millions throughout Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East.
www.grameenfoundation.org/resource_center/video_room/video_breaking_through/  

Interview: Muhammad Yunus in Conversation with Jeffrey Sachs
17 min, 2009, USA, The 92nd Street Y

In this video Muhammad Yunus sits down with Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, to describe a new way to use business to tackle social problems from poverty and pollution to inadequate health care and lack of education.
For the interview click here >>

Back to Top