The Contribution of UVU Student Clubs to the International Agenda of Sustainable Mountain Development
Utah Valley University (UVU) hosted 13th Annual Conference by Faculty on January 18-19, 2012. During that event, John McClure, President of Utah International Mountain Forum at UVU on behalf of the group of UVU faculty made a presentation of a joint paper about the contributions in sustainable mountain development initiatives (SMD) made by the UVU students.
John McClure, President of UIMF speaks at the conference
He started presentation by outlining activities at UVU from the moment when then Utah Valley State College (UVSC), encouraged by cooperation with partner from Central Asia - International University of Kyrgyzstan, decided to join the Mountain Partnership of the U.N.-related Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome (www.mountainpartnership.org) in 2006. The purpose of the Mountain Partnership is to coordinate the efforts of international organizations and global communities on implementing the U.N. Resolution on Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD). International University of Kyrgyzstan (IUK), as experienced institution in promotion of SMD activities since 1998, identified a number of major areas of mutual interest with UVU, and focused on exchanges between legislators, educators, musicians among the others.
The “Woman of the Mountains” was the first international conference organized by UVSC together with IUK on implementing the U.N. Resolution on SMD. The event was held at UVSC campus in Orem, Utah on March 8th-10th, 2007. More than 110 officials, experts and scholars from 21 mountainous states worldwide and 9 Rocky Mountain States attended the event, including representatives of the United Nations, the World Bank, and the U.S. Department of State. The final document of the conference, entitled ““Orem Declaration of Mountain Women” presented a vision of an increased involvement of the Rocky Mountain communities to the global U.N.-supported sustainable mountain development and gender agendas. In addition, the conference led to the creation of the Women of the Mountains website: (www.womenofthemountains.org). Several students of UVU during that time took part at the conference as presenters of a joint with faculty papers on certain issues of gender agenda.
Audience at the conference
Presenter also mentioned, that the second “Women of the Mountains” conference was held on March 8th-9th, 2011 in Orem, UT hosted again by UVU and IUK. At the second conference, UVU student have been involved very actively both as a presenters of the papers and also through the creation of students organizing committee of the Conference, which was working jointly with the organizing committee comprised from faculty and experts. For the first time at UVU history students had an opportunity to host many dignitaries on their own, including envoys from Macedonia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, etc. Students acquired a great professional experience, which will be helpful in their future career. In addition to that students also organized a special advocacy campaign focused on promotion of SMD-agenda not only at UVU, but also throughout the state of Utah. One of the goals of the campaign was to recruit new members of the Mountain Partnership (MP) from Utah. Due to students efforts in addition to the original seven members of the MP from Utah accepted in 2010-2011, five new members including the City of Orem, Salt Lake City, Park City, Provo City and NGO “Hope” had joined the coalition from Rome, Italy. The Foreign Affairs (FA) Club and Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD) Club of UVU were successful in gaining recognition, as well as new members. Before the Conference FA had only a few members and SMD existed only on paper, but after the conference, 15-20 additional students had joined each club.
Another area of focus for UVU students was a raise of awareness of the SMD agenda among high school students across the whole state. For that purpose UVU students’ organizing committee held a workshop on women and children issues for Utah high school students at the Orem Public Library on March 7, 2011. Fifty four high school students representing six schools across the Wasatch Front had submitted essays for the workshop on women and children’s issues. Winners of the contest were awarded by the high awards with $500 for the first place and each participant has received a special certificate from the U.N. related Mountain Partnership.
Following the second International Conference: “Woman of the Mountains” the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF) was created in the summer of 2011. President of the UIMF mentioned in his presentation, that his institution includes student clubs, such as the Sustainable Mountain Development Club, Foreign Affairs Club, Russian/Slavic Club, America Israel Alliance, College Republicans, College Democrats, and Model UN. As a tool to inform people about UIMF activities came creation of the blog for the Utah International Mountain Forum: (Utahimf.blogspot.com).
During the fall semester of 2011 the UIMF by using already accumulated before experience during the second International Conference Women of the Mountains had hosted a number of high-profile events at the UVU campus, including the International Conference “10th Anniversary since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan” with the participation of the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the U.N., Murad Askarov and deputy chief of mission of Afghanistan to the U.N. Ahmad Zahir Faqirih. On December 9, 2011, the UIMF with the Orem Public Library had hosted the celebration of the International Mountain Day, proclaimed by decision of the United Nations in 2003.
With special pride John McClure mentioned that the UIMF had contributed to the report on Sustainable Mountain Development on North America for RIO+20 U.N. Conference in Brazil, which was published on January 9, 2012. The UVU students who had contributed to the SMD report on North America include Victoria Gibson and Jordan Giles (Alaska Range), Kate Woolfe, Alexis Sagen and Sean Edwards (Appalachian range), Josh Harding and Kevin Wrigley (Cascade Range), Nikko Pederson and Jesler Molina (Sierra Madres), Debbie Tudor, Trevor Tippets and Byron Olsen (Laurentian Range), Esteban Nunez and Andrew Reams (Sierra Nevada), Jonathan Latham and Troy Bradley (Rocky Mountains), David Banks, Brooke Hodson, and Lindsey Burton (Coast Ranges).
UIMF plans for 2012 involve hosting a second workshop for Utah high school students on sustainable energy on March 30, 2012. The UIMF also plans to raise funds for a trip to Latin America to take part at RIO+20 U.N. Conference in Brazil and to organize workshop on gender issues in Peru. UIMF will host several VIP guests on SMD-agenda (including Jane Pratt President of the Mountain Institute from Virginia, and Jed Shilling former economic advisor from the World Bank), as well as host on March 2012 the video-conference “Latin American Awareness of Sustainable Development in the Andean Mountain Region.” The participants in the video-conference include CONDESAN executive director, Miguel Saravia, Lima, Peru; His Excellency Luis M. Valdivieso, and Ambassador of Peru to the United States. With the help of the Universidad Andina del Cuzco, Peru the UIMF has on its agenda to set up a series of workshops on raising an awareness of SMD, create joint ventures between the two universities, host a Skype seminar engaging UVU and Andean students to work together on SMD-agenda, as well as involve UVU students from a Latin American Cultural class in conducting research on various issues of SMD in mountainous regions. In addition, on April 2012 UIMF plans to host an Andean Fair simultaneously at UVU and Peru where students will showcase their native origins with broadcast at both universities. During the summer of 2012, the UIMF also plans to host a Skype summit between UVU, Cuzco, and International University in Kyrgyzstan. The service learning projects together with the academic projects in progress for Latin America will perpetuate.
After the presentation John McClure answered on numerous questions from the audience.
Melanie Woodbury, political science student of UVU
***
POWER POINT OF THE JOINT PRESENTATION
***
***
Agenda of the Conference
***
The 13th Annual Conference by the Faculty 2012
***
Link to Photos
Photos of the 13th Annual Conference by the Faculty 2012
***
