Go the special rapporteurs - but does anything happen. Great reporting Ben throughout your time there. Loved reading every single one……

Hi Ben

We have not met before but i wanted to share some thoughts with you after just reading the statement you presented to the UN General Assembly ealier this month - I have no doubt the Guatemalan delegate was spot on! Firstly though, congratulations on the obviously amazing amount of time, energy, inspiration and passion you have contributed to this role in your trvaels around Australia and whilst on the delegation - you’re doing us proud!

I have just reutrned from a 3 month internship at UNHCR (High Commissioner for Refugees) in Geneva, which was an amazing experience being able to work with some inspiring individuals with decades of experience and the general exposure to the goings on “inside” the UN, how decisions are made and filter down to affect people’s lives, and so much more. At the same time, being privy to the frustrations of those who have worked for UNHCR or other UN agencies for some time, in terms of their ability to affect change effectively - both in the field (when you shouldnt listen to headquarters if you want to get you “job done” - ie to protect refugees) or if at headquarters and not wanting to be a full time paper-pusher. It was an interesting and brilliant 3 months!

At the beginning of October I attended the UNESCO Youth Forum as the 2nd Australian Delegate (along with Alan Wu, the Youth Representative on the UNESCO National Commission), and that was quite a unique and amazing experience - with young people form 128 UN member states and over 200 of us in all, discussing issues of cultural diversity, sustainable development, and peace and reconciliation. The Report of the Youth Forum was then presented at the opening of the UNESCO General Conference for all 191 Member State delegations listened and acepted the Report. Personally I learnt so much from the other delegates of their unique experiences (for instance, the perceptions of young people from Liberia and Rwanda on what peace and recinciliation really mean to them).

But here is my question for you - what to do with it all? What specific people can gain from such events, as an entity what it can do…it seems all to be lost now even a month on and who knows how much impact the report of the Youth Forum ever had, if at all…Many of those who participated in this unprecedented event in Paris were cynical and a little pessimistic about the Report outcome and how this would actually make a difference in UNESCO’s work and making the role and work of “youth” mainstreamed and institutionalised - many were concerned about that place for the “voice of youth” was still token and not really taken into consideration.

I would have to agree with you on the comments that people talk about the importance of youth ‘for the future’ - but, hello, look at what so many young people are already doing all around the world creating positive change - that isnt recognised enough.

Apologise for this rant! I thought you might be able to provide some wise words of wisdom!!

Hope everything is still going well over there and keep up your positive attitude!

Cheers, Sarah

hello,
i am nzenwa uchechi.male by gender.i am a nigerian student studying statistics .i am a finalist.i believe in australia.

ben, i must say ,you are a rare gem,a socialist kind of.you worry about other people’s problem.that is the kind of leader’s we need nowadays.
more power to your elbow ,ben.

i believe one of these days we will share a considerable amount of knowledge.this “blog” of a thing sounds to strange or vague to me please explain.

BEN-DAG!!
thankyou, and congratualtions. your bit on the UN helps to explain some of that mythical organisation. you’ve done something special and inspiring for us, the youth, and made it seem like anyone could do it. thats talent.
anyway, im rambling now, so i’ll just say keep up the good work and all that stuff.
paz, Kate-dag.
oh, and i think that the web page is finally on the way…after 2 years. jajaja, after all that time, better late then never, i suppose. go the dags!

Hi Ben,

Your report is fascinating. I think you did a fantastic job representing Australian youth at the UNGA.

Makes me want to sign up !!

Cheers !