WFWP UN Vienna Office: Meet and Greet 5 - Women and Youth Working Together for a more Resilient and Sustainable Future for Generations

„MEET & GREET 5“ June 11, 2024, virtual meeting

“Working Together for a more Resilient and Sustainable Future for Generations to Come“ What Civil society can bring to the table to support the UN SDGs for 2030 to Leave No One Behind.

Here it can be watched on You tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SpUHNdz92M

Ms. Kyung-In van de Ven Oliveira warmly welcomed everyone. There were speakers and participants from all over the world.

Ms. Marcia D’Abreu gave the opening remarks. As Secretary General of WFWP-Europe she commended the WFWP UN Vienna team for organizing the “Meet & Greet” under the lead of Ms Merle Soquila – Blaschke as a way to share our knowledge and experiences in different areas.She also highlighted the projects that take place every year somewhere in Europe.

Ms. Julie Hatulan, Representative of WFWP UN New York, read a quote “United we stand, Divided we fall” by Patrick Hendricks. Furthermore she shared about her enriching experience attending the “Summit of the Future” in Nairobi, Kenya and how much it has empowered her. She was also inspired by the US Sec. Gen. Antonio Gutierres who acknowledged the works of the civil society organizations. He emphasized that civil society must continue their great job, press on and pass the torch to the future generations.

Ms Sandra Osei Aboagye, Representative of WFWPI UN Office Geneva, focused on SDG3: Good health and Well- being; SDG4: Quality Education, then she also talked about Gender Equality and shared Nelson Mandela’s quote:“Do not look the other way, do not hesitate, recognize that the world is hungry for action, not for worse action, act with courage and with vision.” She talked about leadership workshops for African students where they can share their ideas.

Ms. Anastasia Lapteva, Representative of WFWP Ukraine, shared about her experience as a refugee in a country in which everything is different and new to her and her son. “For a sustainable peace, it is not just the absence of war. It is the goal and the process of forming a unified vision in society, taking into account the needs of all its segments.”

Mr. Anupam Dutta is CEO of Headway BPO of America. He promoted the social cohesion of social adaptability and then addressing the inequalities to enhance the public health infrastructure everywhere across the globe. He mentioned about a project working together in identifying young www.frauenfuerweltfrieden.org, www.wfwp.org, f: WFWP-Europe FB: WFWP Austria-Österreichische Frauenföderation YouTube: WFWP Europe-YouTube

Global Peace Ambassadors and nurturing them in the right direction. So we need to bring more ideas and come together in community engagement sharing best practices, using digital transformation, economic empowerment and lots of innovation and collaborative efforts.

Ms. Flory Ledwaba, Regional Sec. General of WFWP South Africa. Her journey of over 40 years from the age of 17 is rooted in a deep passion to live in a peaceful, safer and sustainable world for future generations recognizing that the youth are the trailblazers of our future. Her own work is aligned with the vision of this online platform “Meet & Greet” working together for a more resilient and sustainable future for generations to come. Education is a powerful tool for change.

Ms. Priscilla Garces , Disability Advocate, Mentor & Founder of ‘Always Forward’. As part of NGO WFWP UN Chapter NY, she shared her story hoping to encourage and to inspire others to do the same. She thinks it is really a stepping stone in collaborating with other NGOs. She was thankful that all the support needed for her education to accomplish her goals were met. According to her, civil society is very important for organizations that direct services to different causes like the access to opportunities and resources in educating people with disabilities to have a voice.

Ms. Merly B. Barlaan, Director WFWPI Office for UN Relations – New York. In her closing remarks she appreciated and encouraged all the speakers to continue with their efforts to contribute to the goal of working together for a more resilient and sustainable future for generations to come.

The session ended with a video musical performance of Ms Erin Silangil and a group foto.

It was indeed a very inspiring exchange of views and different perspectives. Also contact details were shared on the chat.

We are looking forward to the next “Meet & Greet 6”.

by Merle SOQUILA-BLASCHKE

www.frauenfuerweltfrieden.org, www.wfwp.org, f: WFWP-Europe FB: WFWP Austria-Österreichische Frauenföderation YouTube: WFWP Europe-YouTube