Melbourne, Australia Earlier this month, SimplyHelp sent five college students as honorary ambassadors to the United Nation’s 63rd Annual Department of Public Information Conference.
This year’s topic of discussion was “Advance Global Health: Achieve the Millennium Development Goals.The MDGs are an ambitious plan to improve health standards around the world and control and combat AIDS/HIV, malaria and other infectious diseases by 2015.
Health is the tie that binds all of the Millennium Development Goals together, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chen on the UNs website. “If we fail to meet our target on health, we will never overcome poverty, illiteracy, achieve universal education and meet the other MDG challenges.
From late August to early September, the students, who are pursuing degrees in Public Health and International Education, attended panels on improving and ameliorating the standards of health care around the world. Topics included bridging health gaps, encouraging equality of treatment and access to health care, educating women on reproductive health strategies, and promoting civic activism about health and wellness.
Whitney Clearwater, one of the student ambassadors sent by SimplyHelp, called the conference a “once in a lifetime opportunity.
Clearwater, who is studying global health at the University of Southern California, said the conference was invaluable to her education as a public health student.
“I was not only exposed to experts working with unique populations for the purpose of global health, but I also witnessed the practical collaboration between NGOs in achieving the Millennium Development Goals,†she said.
While many of the MDGs, such as clean drinking water and access to health care, still need to be implemented in developing nations, in the United States, we take them for granted, said Annie Hsu, a student ambassador from Harvard University.
“As human beings, we have an obligation to help our fellow citizens,†said Hsu, a graduate student with a background in psychology and international education. “All human beings deserve the right to good health. If you don’t have the minimum, you begin to wonder if you’re even a human being.
In addition to attending the panels and workshops sponsored by the NGOs, each of the ambassadors was given a specific responsibility, such as videotaping, photographing or blogging about the conference.
Hsu was the official videographer for SimplyHelp. Over the course of the conference, she shot footage on various panels and their speakers, including a workshop sponsored by SimplyHelp on improving women’s health.
Hsu’s video footage and the blogs written by Clearwater can be found on the SimplyHelp website.
Other topics covered by the student ambassadors include health and sanitation practices, environmental sustainability and the role of NGOs in attaining the MDGs.
“NGOs need to work with the communities to develop programs that are culturally sensitive and appropriate for the setting, said Hsu. “It is important to insure that the programs are ‘owned by the community. This way, infrastructure is established to make sure the program is successful and the community can bring their own expertise to carry out the program. With donor handouts, the community may look at these programs as “free†gifts and won’t take action to insure their success.â€
As a member of the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc), SimplyHelp can bring college students and young researchers to two of the United Nation’s annual conferences.
The Department of Public Information holds its conference in September with a different focus and location each year. This year’s topic was global health with an emphasis on attaining the MDGs by 2015.
The second UN conference is the Commission on the Status of Women, which focuses on gender equality and the advancement of women around the world. The CSW takes places at the UNs New York office, typically around March.
“Every year, we bring young students with a passion for global humanity to come meet leaders from worldwide and have a chance to get involved with humanity development, said Andrea Tseng, Director of Community Relations for SimplyHelp.
SimplyHelp is a Los Angeles based non-profit organization dedicated to empowering people living in poverty through education and vocational training. SimplyHelp has been aiding the impoverished since 2000, supporting projects and people in 22 countries worldwide. It became a member of member of UNESCO in 2004
Students interested in volunteering or working for SimplyHelp can apply by e-mail. The foundation is currently accepting application for the CSW conference in March. SimplyHelp requires that all of its applicants be 18 years of age or older, with a strong interest in gender equality. Along with their resume, students must send a letter of interest and two letters of reference to Andrea Tseng at andrea@simplyhelp.org by November 30, 2010. Students must find their own sponsor to pay from their travel expenses.
