Servas Youth Representative - "Peace Boat" Experience
by
Earlene Cruz, SERVAS Youth representative to DPI
“While there is an innumerable amount of summer programs for youth, the Peace Boat
provided me with the unique opportunity to travel to Latin America “through the lens of
the SDGs” — we met with government officials and farmers alike, much as we do at the
UN, but this time, we were on the ground with them, having a tangible learning
experience.
We stayed with the Embera Quera Indigenous tribe in Panama and learned, as
best as one could, what it means to live sustainably. Also in Panama, we met with the
UNDP regional office, which shared how the SDGs are being implemented in Latin
America. On board the ship, we hosted a Peace Forum with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
in El Salvador.
As a youth scholar for the SDGs, I was invited to present on the SDGs that I
closely resonated with, ran workshops on Social Enterprise and Design Thinking, as it is
related to promoting the SDGs. The experience complemented my recent completion of a
Master’s degree in Food Studies and Social Entrepreneurship. This truly emphasizes the
importance and autonomy that is given to youth as part of this program, which I am
eternally grateful for”.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) was established in 1946, by General Assembly resolution 13 (I), to promote global awareness and understanding of the work of the United Nations. DPI undertakes this goal through radio, television, print, the Internet, video-conferencing and other media tools.
ReplyDeleteThe Department reports annually on its work to the UN General Assembly's Committee on Information. The Committee, which meets once a year, is responsible for overseeing the work of DPI and for providing it guidance on policies, programmes and activities of the Department.