The UN-FAO Mountain Partnership 2021 Annual Report highlighted the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at Utah Valley University, (UVU) for the advocacy of the mountain women and families during the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65).
Page 25 of the Annual Report about Utah Valley University students contribution to the advocacy of sustainable mountain development
For the first time, the Student-Engaged Learning (SEL) model developed at Utah Valley University (UVU) was featured in the report. SEL encourages both traditional and non-traditional students to gain professional skills while addressing real-world issues as a group on local and international levels with university faculty serving as mentors. (see P.25 at: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc0547en)
During the United Nations 65th Session of the commission on the Status of Women (CSW65), on March 22, 2021, members of Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at UVU, hosted through SEL the parallel event titled, “Mountain Women Empowerment Through The Inclusive Student-Engaged Learning Model,” which was co-sponsored by the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (RANS), a non-government organization in general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the UVU Global Engagement Office.
During the event, statements were provided by Dr. Baldomero Lago, Chief International Officer, UVU Office for Global Engagement at UVU, Dr. Rusty Butler NGO representative at the UN for the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Clark Merkley, Rotarian and Executive Director at BootUp, and UIMF members such as Samuel Elzinga, Dallas Karren, Abdulrahman Alghanmi, Byan Alghanmi, Yana Anderson, Cody Conklin, Liam Dowling, Jeff Hibbard, Sarah Michaelis. We also had a support team, which was composed of UIMF mentor Dr. Baktybek Abdrisaev, Amy Barnett, Program Director for the UVU Office for Global Engagement, Carlos Alarco Associate Director for the UVU Office for Global Engagement, Albeny Singh, UIMF member, and Marissa Funke UIMF member.
UIMF members and SEL model to advocate for the Mountain Women and families have been recognized in the written statement of the RANS and Utah-China Friendship Improvement Sharing Hands Development and Commerce, (Utah China FISH D&C), another NGO in consultative status with ECOSOC. On December 13, 2020, ECOSOC distributed the statement as an official document of the UN.
Participants of the International Mountain Day observation at UVU on December 1, 2021
The Mountain Partnership Annual Report also highlighted the joint efforts of UIMF and faculty and students from Osh Technological University (OshTU), Osh, the Kyrgyz Republic, in co-hosting through SEL the 12th celebration of International Mountain Day (IMD) at UVU. On December 1, 2021, two students from OshTU, Baiel Abibillaev and Nazik Erkinbek kyzy joined UIMF members, Alitha Thompson, Dallas Karren, Dylan Tweed, Cody Conklin and Camilla Pendleton with their respective mentors, Tatiana Panfilenko, Tariel Talantbek uulu, Dr Almaz Atabekov, and Dr. Rusty Butler, to share in our collective mountain heritage. This marked the strengthening of the partnership between UIMF and OshTU, which was built on the SEL method and advocacy for sustainable mountain development.
Dallas Karren, President of Utah International Mountain Forum
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The UN-FAO Mountain Partnership 2021 Annual Report
