Western Hemisphere Youth Summit - Day 1

Tuesday 15 June 2010

Today was the opening day of the Western Hemisphere Youth Summit, where 44 young women from 31 countries will explore the WAGGGS Global Action Theme (GAT) – girls worldwide say “together we can change our world.”

Although many of the youth delegates only arrived late on Monday evening, and even in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Summit kicked off in the morning with a celebration of the centenary of international Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting and “100 years of changing lives.”

The delegates took part in an International Café where they explored their visions for the future of the Western Hemisphere region, the role Guiding and Scouting has played in shaping their lives and the contribution they think Guiding and Scouting could make to their communities and the wider world.

They then moved on to learning about the Global Action Theme and the Millennium Development Goals and how they might implement the GAT into their own national organizations and community work.

It was then time to venture outside to a nearby park for the GAT Rally, where participants did various activities at eight different stations to learn more about the eight MDGs. They did everything from play board games to learn about the unequal access girls have to education, to creating 10 activities to empower women in their own communities.

Moving back inside the focus was on advocacy and how WAGGGS, MOs and girls and young women can use campaigning, lobbying and partnerships to help strengthen their advocacy efforts.

After a long day, we finished off by presenting MDG case studies the delegates had prepared before the conference on a specific MDG in their country. It demonstrated the great breadth of issues facing girls and young women across the region, as well as the amazing work that Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting is already doing to help solve some of these endemic issues.

The Asociación Nacional De Guías Scouts Del Perú have been absolutely tremendous in organizing and supporting the work going on here. Everything from airport greetings, which as a weary traveller is so uplifting, to registrations, to organizing cultural events and evenings to so much of the operational organization. Many of the Girl Guides in Peru are participating in the conference as delegates, on the service team and as guests as well.

It was amazing and energizing to meet young women, the youngest 16, who are so passionate about empowering girls and young women in their communities and globally. The rest of the summit, then the Regional Conference itself starting on Thursday, will most certainly produce some strong ideas about the direction the region wants to take in helping achieve the MDGs and developing leadership.