MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Meeting of UVU delegation members with President of General Assembly, Ambassador Csaba Koroshi
On March 8th, 2023, Utah Valley University delegation was honored to meet the President of the United Nations H.E. Csaba Kőrösi. This was able to happen due to him being acquainted with Dr. Rusty Butler, main representative at the United Nations for the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, started from the visit of UN official to Utah Valley University in 2012. This was personally such a wonderful experience, Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi was very welcoming to the students and answered questions that the students had. He talked about some of the work that the United Nations is doing. He also took students into the General Assembly Hall which is usually a place that is not open to everyone but only those that have access. Some of the students got to have personal conversations with him and ask him more questions. Meeting the President was such an honor and he displayed a lot of humility. I also got to take a picture in his office which was a great opportunity.
Jokudu Jada Winnie in the office of the President of the General Assembly
UN SIDE EVENT HOSTED BY PERMANENT MISSION OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
On March 8th 2023, during 10:00am-11:15am Utah Valley University students contributed to a side event hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations. The side event was titled, “Advocating for Mountain Women and Girls’ Education Through Student-Engaged Learning”. Preparations for the event were also done through a student engaged learning by Utah Valley University delegation, when students helped with setting up the place for the event, sending out links and invitations, making sure that the technical part of everything was good and there would be minimal issues during the event among other things.
Students preparing for side event. (Checking mics and cameras)
While the Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations, H.E. Aida Kasymalieva opened the event, Utah International Mountain Forum President, Alitha Thompson was the moderator of this side event.
Side event hosted by Kyrgyz Republic.
Panel of speakers included the Member of Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic Sharapatkan Mazhitova, the Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN, Mrs. Aida Kasymalieva, the Permanent Representative of the Principality of Andorra to the UN, Mrs. Elisenda Vives Balmaña, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Austria to the UN, Mr. Jochen Hans-Joachim Almoslechner, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, UNEP, Mr. Jamil Ahmad, and Ms. RosaLaura Romeo, Coordinator a.i. and FAO Officer, Mountain Partnership Secretariat. The Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the UN, Mr. Bakhtiyor Ibragimov intervened in support of the initiative at the end of the event. Speakers from UVU included also Dr. Baldomero Lago, Vice-Rector for Global Engagement, Dr. Rusty Butler, Mountain Partnership focal point at UVU (2006-2016); Dr. Jay DeSart, Chair, History and Political Science and Tristin Juarez-Smith, President of the UVU Rotaract club. While Gulnura Amatova, Nazik Erkinbek kyzy, and Baiyel Abibilaev spoke during the side event as students from the Osh Technological University in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tatiana Panfilenko represented faculty from the same university. Other speakers advocating for the mountain women at the side event included Qian Li, from the Mountain Futures Research Center, Kunming Institute of Botany, China and Priyanka Prem Kumar, independent researcher and data analyst, India.
During the side event, I gave a speech which highlighted the issues women in mountainous parts of South Sudan face and how culture and tradition prevents them from progressing. I presented the Student Engaged Learning Model as a solution to this problem and how it can be implemented in South Sudan. I also talked about my work on campus with clubs such as the UVU Rotaract Club and the Immigrant Refugee Student Union (IRSU).
Jokudu Winnie Jada speaking at the side event.
After the side event, some of the people who attended came to speak to me about how they were impressed by the work we were doing as students and also some of the work they were doing. Among these were Ms. Michelle Burgess, the National Treasurer of Inner Wheel USA, a non-profit organization focused on friendship, community service and international understanding. She told me that they would be hosting an event later in the year that would be highlighting issues faced by women from different parts of Africa and would like for me to represent South Sudan.
This event was such a great experience and also provided great opportunities for me. I was so grateful to be a part of it.
VISIT TO THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE UNITED NATIONS
While in New York for the 67th Commission on the Status of Women, one of our professors met a former Utah Valley University Political Science student, Mr. Ngoyi Ngoyi, who is now a Political Advisor at the Permanent Mission of the United States to the United Nations. Due to this encounter, we were able to visit the Permanent mission which is located across the United Nations Headquarters after finishing our side event. Mr. Ngoyi together with his colleague explained to us the work they do. Mr. Ngoyi mostly works on cases in Africa particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo while his colleague mostly works on cases in Latin America. We were then able to meet the Honorable Richard Mills, United Stated deputy ambassador to the United Nations, who also explained us how Permanent Mission works and talked about priorities for diplomats at the United Nations. Students were allowed to ask questions and they even have been provided advices on what to do post graduation in the career field. Meeting Ambassador Mils and Mr. Ngoyi Ngoyi who was once in the place that we are in as students was so inspiring because it showed that we could also attain our future dream careers.
Meeting the Honorable Richard Mills, United Stated deputy ambassador to the UN, and Ngoyi Ngoyi, Political Advisor at the Permanent Mission of the United States to the UN
UVU STUDENTS VISIT TO THE SOUTH SUDAN PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UNITED STATES
During our visit to New York to attend the 67th Commission on the Status of Women, Utah Valley Students got to visit some of the permanent missions in New York which include; the United States Permanent Mission and that of South Sudan.
Before the trip to New York, I got in touch with one of the employees at the Permanent Mission of South Sudan, Mr. Agok Anyar. I told him that Utah Valley University students would be attending the 67th Commission on the Status of Women and we would be interested in visiting the South Sudan Permanent Mission. On March 8th 2023, some of my colleagues, Natalie Williams, Hendrix Bailey, Stephan Atkinson, Rachel Welker and I went to visit the Permanent Mission of South Sudan located directly opposite the United Nations Headquarters at the Uganda House.
Students at the Permanent Mission of South Sudan. (Left to right: Jokudu Jada, Rachel Welker, Hendrix Bailey)
We were welcomed by Mr. Agok Anyar, while at the embassy, we met the South Sudanese Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, Hon. Aya Benjamin Libo Warille and some of her team. They were preparing for a side event hosted by the embassy.
Meeting with the South Sudanese Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, Hon. Aya Benjamin Libo Warille and some of her team.
We then met the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative, H.E. Mr. Akuei Bona Malwal, who welcomed us into his office.
Students meeting with the Head of Mission (Left to Right; Rachel Welker, Natalie Williams, H.E. Mr. Akuei Bona Malwal, Jokudu Jada, Hendrix Bailey, Stephan Atkinson)
H.E. Malwal talked to us about his experience as a Political Science Student in California. After college, he worked for Chevron and then went back to Sudan before he started working with the Sudanese government. H.E. Malwal also talked about his experience being the Head of Mission of the newest country, South Sudan and the challenges he faces. South Sudan currently has sour relations with the United States and has better relations with Russia and China and so this makes things difficult while facilitating diplomacy. As Political Science Students, we were able to learn a lot from him about South Sudan as a nation, how it interacts with the United Nations and how foreign policies affect the country.
After the meeting, we then attended a side event hosted by South Sudan and a non-profit called International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG). The title of the side event was “Development of Peace Education in the Digital Age for Global Partnership and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls”. This event highlighted education on the status of peace, human rights, and gender equality in each country and education on the importance of international law. This should be done in every country to strengthen the capabilities of women around the world.
Some of the UVU delegation at the side event hosted by South Sudan
In general the trip to New York to attend the 67th Commission on the Status of Women was such a great experience for me,I got to practice a lot of skills that will be useful in the future for example time management, organization, public speech and socializing. I am grateful for the opportunity I got through being involved with UVU Rotaract and would encourage future and current students to use opportunities presented to them.
By Jokudu Winnie Jada, UVU Rotaract Member
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STUDENT REFLECTIVE ESSAYS
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23-03-09-McKay Brooks-CSW 67 Concludes on a High Note
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23-03-09-Priyanka Prem Kumar My Day 3 at CSW67 and Speaking at a Side Event
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23-03-09-Stephan Atkinson-Meeting the President of the GA
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23-03-09-Natalie Williams Day 3 at CSW67 Meeting the President of the GA and other Dignitaries
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23-03-08-Stephan Atkinson-UIMF Advocated for Mountain Women at CSW67 - Day 3
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23-03-08-Stephan Atkinson-Viewing the United Nations Security Council Meeting
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23-03-08-Hendrix Bailey My contribution to the side event on mountain women at CSW67
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23-03-13-Priyanka Prem Kumar My participation during the event The Coded Gaze
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23-03-16-Priyanka Prem Kumar My learning on UN CSW 67 Official Meeting
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