Youth Forum & the ICPD

July 11, 2019

Youth Forum & the ICPD

One of the three projects I have been working on this summer is the Youth Forum in the Arab Region. This Forum brings together youth, influencers, and high level officials from the twenty Arab states through a competitive application process. I was fortunate to have been able to read applications and help select the participants, which was great. There are so many youth working towards ending Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), supporting LGBTI rights in this region, increasing civil society engagement, working on climate change and clean energy solutions, and so much more. I have high hopes for this Forum with the theme: Knowledge at the Service of Youth in the Arab States. During the conference, there will be four working groups, each based on a topic chosen by youth in this region. Over the course of the Forum, the youth will be working to create a product that will be shared with the private sector, government officials, NGOs, and other UN agencies. Ultimately, the hope is that governments, agencies, and companies will assist in funding or implementing the products the youth have presented at the Forum.

The best part about the Forum, in my opinion, is that it is primarily youth led and directed. While ASRO has been planning it for months with the help of youth from the region, when the Forum begins, that space is for the youth to use. My main task for this Forum has been developing and designing a space where youth can congregate, present TedTalks, debate about harmful gender practices in the Arab region, network with each other and other NGOs, government representatives, and the private sector, and also participate in an Edit-a-Thon. An Edit-a-Thon is when people come together and populate or edit internet pages to provide factual information on an under-researched topic. In this instance, youth will be writing and editing articles in Arabic about a variety of pertinent topics such as youth, food security, women, and girls to be uploaded on Arabic Wikipedia and other websites.

In addition, this space will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population Development with a photo booth and a document for youth and partners to sign, committing themselves to continue to work for the goals of the ICPD. The Forum will be taking place in Tunis, Tunisia at the end of August!

The ICPD marked a revolution in thinking about sexual and reproductive health and rights. © UN Photo

What is the ICPD?

The International Conference on Population Development (ICPD) convened in Cairo in 1994 and set the tone for women’s reproductive health and rights for the future. The Programme of Action that arose from this conference acknowledged that reproductive rights and health were inherently linked with women’s empowerment, and therefore necessary for countries to progress. Specifically, the Programme of Action focused on comprehensive reproductive health care, childbirth services, access to voluntary family planning, access to affordable contraception, safe pregnancy, and prevention/treatment for STIs. To honor 25 years of the ICPD, there is the Nairobi Summit this November to celebrate the accomplishments and reflect on shortcomings since 1994. This event will demonstrate a re-commitment to the goals of the ICPD and reproductive health access.

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In regards to my travel adventures, I have been exploring Cairo and the rest of Egypt!

I went to a concert at Al-Azhar park with local Egyptian bands sponsored by the French Institute and it was incredible - really great music and the park was stunning.

Al-Azhar Park Views!

For my birthday I visited Coptic Cairo, also known as old Cairo. This area of the city is home to most of the Christians and the museums and churches have so much history, especially in connection with the Holy Family when they had to flee King Herod. Two of my friends and I went to the Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church, and a synagogue!

The Coptic Museum

Beautiful mosaic of Holy women

Celebrating my 25th Birthday at Taboula, a Lebanese restaurant!

A different weekend we visited the The Saladin Citadel of Cairo, which was built to protect the city of Cairo from invasion. Today, it is a landmark and houses a museum and some mosques including the Muhammad Ali Mosque (pictured), which is unbelievable. The view from the Citadel looking over Cairo is beautiful and there is a nice breeze, which is super appreciated when it is 103 degrees!

Egypt is also hosting the Africa Cup and we went to a game, Egypt vs. Uganda! Egypt won 2-0 and the whole stadium went WILD! It was a great experience and who doesn't love a live futbol match!

I also did a weekend jaunt to Luxor and Aswan. Luxor was the capital of Egypt during the Pharaonic times and has so much history! I went to the Valley of Kings and saw four tombs, Tutankhamun (King Tut), Ramses III, Ramses IV, Ramses VI. Words cannot describe it. The paint depicting scenes from the afterlife and the hieroglyphics was still so vibrant and the wall carvings incredibly detailed. It was truly an unbelievable experience. I also visited the Temple of Horace, the Philae Temple (Temple of Isis), Luxor Temple, and Karnak Temple. It was a super busy weekend but in an absolutely stunning place!