Young social leaders from Latin America visits BKMC to share their work and vision for the SDGs

August 8, 2019

The Global School for Social Leaders (former Latinomics) brought 13 social entrepreneurs and change-makers from Latin America to the Ban Ki-moon Centre on August 8th, 2019. The group consisted of individuals from across the region, including Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Columbia, Argentina, and Honduras and who came to discuss on the topic of global citizenship and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Each individual shared their own ideas and works that are committed to the betterment of their society and to advancing the SDGs. Interesting projects were introduced, including supporting the rights of women prisoners and their children, having food as a core of social transformation, developing a mentorship project online, transforming modules in education for children, and so on.

“You are forging partnerships to make these Goals happen!” BKMC CEO Monika Froehler spoke to the group.

Froehler moderated a couple of exercises with the group to get to know more about the SDGs and global citizenship from diverse perspectives. Presenting the 17 SDG signs, she asked the group “what do you consider as a game-changer for the world by 2050?” by bringing up climate change as one of the biggest challenges the world is currently facing. In the end, every Goal and its impacts were mentioned, which showed how all the SDGs are interconnected and comparable to achieve.

The group then got divided into small groups to work on drawing a character that represents their own definition of the notion of global citizenship. Each character looked different and unique, but they shared many common characteristics such as respecting others, advocating for gender equality, embracing different cultures, preserving resources and nature, and aiming for sustainable development and peace.

Froehler said, “if all these characteristics are implemented into your projects and initiatives, the SDGs can be reached.”

She introduced to the group some of the successful cases of social movements and initiatives such as Fridays For Future, Alibaba, and Global Citizen.

Roberto Arrucha, Director of the Global School for Social Leaders, concluded that

“we need all leaders from all sectors and all directions. By finding these initiators and actors, we can contribute to making changes.”

Ban Ki-moon urges Scout members to be global citizens at the Jamboree!

August 5, 2019

As the former United Nations Secretary-General and current Honorary President for the Korea Scout Association, Co-chair Ban Ki-moon delivered an opening address at the 24th World Scout Jamboree held in West Virginia, USA.

“We don’t have a Plan B because we don’t have a Planet B. That is the most important message for us,” said Ban.

He stressed that climate change is the number one priority and that we should urge national leaders to act as global leaders to abide by the Paris Agreement.

The Scout Jamboree had high visibility of the UN’s SDGs, advocating for the rights of refugees and gender equality through UN Women’s HeForShe Baton campaign. Ban visited global development village and sites to meet and encourage young leaders to act with a global citizenship mindset. He also delivered a talk to the gathered young participants who sat around him about “young people and the future of the planet.”

At the Jamboree, BKMC Board member Ahmad Alhendawi who serves as the Secretary-General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) said that

“if we don’t change all the time, trying to improve the program, we wouldn’t last this long.”

He added that the Scout Movement is built on unity and understanding and that the young members of it “truly set the example of how the world out there should be.”

Photo © Jean-Pierre POUTEAU 2019, World Scouting

BKMC attends the UNESCO Conference on ESD and GCED

July 8, 2019

At the UNESCO Forum on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) held on July 2-3, 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam, BKMC CEO Monika Froehler said:

“In today´s world too many leaders are just focused on their country first. Global citizenship is the opposite. It is putting collaboration before confrontation,” featuring as a speaker on a panel discussion.

With the theme “Learning and Teaching for Peaceful and Sustainable Societies: from early childhood to primary and secondary education,” concerned stakeholders coming from all regions met to learn about and debate on the latest information on the trends, issues and data related to GCED and ESD.

ESD and GCED are part of the 2030 Agenda and were built into the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on education. Target 4.7 prioritizes ESD and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and the appreciation of cultural diversity.

“Set commitments and targets for global citizenship and sustainable development education. Update curricula!”

said H.E. Prof. Dr. Phung Xuan Nha, Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam, who attended the forum.

Froehler pointed out that “the data on GCED and ESD is missing” and that “we need to work together to establish meaningful indicators,”

agreeing to what UNESCO sees as essential to advance a value-based and holistic approach to learning that is truly transformational in taking ESD and GCED forward (UNESCO 2015). For effective teaching and learning, UNESCO stresses that all three learning dimensions need to be developed:

Cognitive: To acquire knowledge, understanding and critical thinking about global, regional, national and local issues, the inter-connectedness and inter-dependency of different countries and populations, as well as social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainable development;
Social and Emotional: To have a sense of belonging to a common humanity, sharing values and responsibilities, empathy, solidarity and respect for differences and diversity, as well as fell and assume sense of responsibility for the future;
Behavioral: To act effectively and responsibly at local, national and global levels for a more peaceful and sustainable world.

Froehler concluded that

“Global Citizenship – no matter which definition you are looking at – always has a component of ‘ACTION’ in it.”

CTBTO Youth Group visits the Centre to talk about the SDG implementation

June 28, 2019

“Half of the world is below age 25, and also half of the world is also women. Not only to have the youth as token voice but also to have youth at the table – is the key.”

BKMC CEO Monika Froehler said to the representatives of the CTBTO Youth Group that visited the Centre today. The group was briefed on the Centre’s mission and work and discussed on the topic of the SDG implementation and rooms for improvement.

Coming from all different countries such as Russia, Mexico, Iran, Egypt, Austria, the US, etc., the young leaders gathered raised issues on the lack of education provided on the SDGs, lack of local, national and regional strategies for implementing the SDGs, and lack of acknowledgement of the notion of global citizenship or awareness on global issues such as climate change.

“Only 7% of humankind knows of the notion of global citizenship,” said Froehler.

She stressed that young people and individuals should take concrete actions, no matter how small they may be: from signing petitions to talking to local politicians and to gathering youngsters to inform them of knowledge and to make changes together. Global Citizen was given as a good example of young people taking actions. It started as a small NGO founded by a couple of young people who made their small steps counted and grew their NGO to now a big entity that has influence on making social and political changes in the international community..

Froehler quoted former President of the United States John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

Our Present – Our Future: Forum on Global Citizenship and Youth Inclusion

June 26, 2019

Young people under the age of 30 accounts for over half of the world’s population. Connected to each other like never before, young people have the capacity to learn from one another’s contributions to the resilience of their communities, proposing innovative solutions, driving social progress and inspiring political change. They are also agents of change, mobilizing to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve the lives of people and the health of the planet.

The Youth Forum on Global Citizenship and Youth Inclusion for the SDGs Peace and Security held at the CTBT Science & Technology Conference on June 24 emphasized yet again that multilateralism must include the younger generations to foster sustainable solutions to complex global challenges.

The Forum formed an integral part of the landmark conference. After welcome remarks by CTBTO’s Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo, Dr Heinz Fischer was asked to deliver a special address, encouraging the young audience to be changemakers:

Dear friends,

Dear next generation,

Unless we raise our eyes above the horizon and take action now, we are facing a climate catastrophe.

Unless we reduce inequalities between and within countries, and reduce nationalism and xenophobia, we will risk war.

So please challenge your leaders, your friends, your colleagues – and even yourselves.

Inspire those around you to care about the world we share.

We should not forget that you are not only the future, you are the present!

Monika Froehler, CEO of the Ban Ki-moon Centre, moderated an interactive panel discussion of young leaders who addressed the challenges they had faced to promote change and shared their insights about youth platforms that work to include young voices in the discussions.

The Forum encouraged active participation by the audience through an interactive online presentation. Through several surveys, the audience was able to share their opinion, make statements, ask questions, and tell a bit about themselves.

Find the results from the online presentation-survey here:

BKMC signs an MOU with the Ban Ki-moon Institute for Global Education

June 21, 2019

The Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens (BKMC) and the Ban Ki-moon Institute for Global Education in Support of UNAI (IGE) at Handong Global University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 21st, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea.

This MOU states that two institutes are in mutual cooperation for joint programs which may include academic programs and courses, forums and conferences, and scholarships and fellowships on the topic of global citizenship.

On the margins of the MOU signing ceremony, BKMC CEO Monika Froehler, Associates Minji Kwag and Julia Zimmerman had a meeting with the IGE Director and UNAI Korea Deputy Director Jeffrey Choi and UNAI Korea Program Officer Choi Bo-woo. The two entities respectively introduced their mission and upcoming projects to each other and sought for further collaborative areas.

Ban Ki-moon Institute for Global Education in Support of UNAI opens at Handong Global University

May 28, 2019

The opening ceremony of the ‘Ban Ki-moon Institute for Global Education’ (IGE) in Support of United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Korea was held at Handong Global University (HGU) in Pohang, South Korea on May 27th.

The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests from around the world, including BKMC Co-chair Heinz Fischer, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Jr., Vice President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Ramu Damodaran, Chief of UNAI.

BKMC Co-chair Ban Ki-moon delivered the welcoming speech as Honorary President of IGE.

In his speech, he stressed that “the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals is not possible without the cultivation of global citizens. That is what IGE is all about. IGE will contribute significantly to realization of the United Nations’ 3 pillars and its 17 SDGs by nurturing global citizens through comprehensive and holistic Global Citizenship Education.”

IGE was established at HGU, a higher education institution, in response to calls by the United Nations and the international community to implement GCED as a new educational paradigm, a paradigm for providing sustainable solutions for transforming the world in the era of the SDGs. Founded and administered through cooperation between HGU and UNAI Korea, IGE will offer such education at its Globally Responsible and Advanced Citizenship Education (GRACE) School. GRACE School will incorporate essential subject areas and the essence of GCED into 6 core courses and offer its students as part of a program leading to a Certificate in Holistic Global Citizenship.

In his congratulatory speech, Fischer said, “I want to stress the importance of Global Citizenship Education (GCED). I am impressed that IGE is incorporating GCED into its curriculum and promoting it as an invaluable tool for sustainable peace and prosperity in the 21st century.”

At the inauguration, IOC VP Samaranch received an honorary doctorate degree from HGU. He shared his vision of olympism as a “philosophy of life” achieved through the “combination of sport, culture, and education.”

Co-chair Ban Ki-moon Speaks at Global Citizen Festival in Berlin Calling for Climate Action

May 21, 2019

On Tuesday May 21st 2019, Ban Ki-moon Centre partner Global Citizen hosted GC Live Berlin, bringing together policy makers from around the world seeking to end extreme poverty and to support African Youth. Former UN Secretary-General and Centre Co-chair Ban Ki-Moon made particular impact through his participation and speech at the event resulting in large coverage across social media and media outlets.

At the event, Nigeria and Zambia made important commitments to water, sanitation, and nutrition. Co-chair Ban, World Bank Chief Executive Kristalina Georgieva, and German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Gerd Müller all made powerful statements on the world’s most pressing issues associated with ending extreme poverty and addressing climate change.

Along with CEO Georgieva and Bill Gates, Co-chair Ban chairs the Global Commission on Adaptation focused on climate adaptation.

During his speech at GC live Berline, Co-chair Ban emphasized:

“Now is the moment to make our lives, our homes, and our communities climate friendly and climate ready.”

BKMC CEO Monika Froehler also attended the event in support of African Youth which underlined the idea of one generation, one future.

In addition to the commitments made by African countries, the government of Germany announced support for 60 million smallholder farmers globally to adapt to climate change.

The event followed weeks of campaigning by Global Citizens around the world. Global Citizens from Germany, South Africa, Nigeria, and 143 other countries took action in the lead-up to the event which earned them tickets to the concert. The event celebrated Africa Day, which takes place on May 25 and commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (now known as the African Union) on May 25, 1963.

Global Citizen Live Berlin was presented in partnership with Engagement Global, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Live Nation.

Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-citizen-live-berlin-global-citizens-artists-and-world-leaders-from-nigeria-zambia-germany-rwanda-and-ghana-took-unprecedented-action-on-ending-extreme-poverty-by-2030-300854704.html

Photo: Global Citizen

#GCLiveBerlin #EineGenerationEineZukunft #SDGs #GlobalCitizens

“Human beings sometimes forgive, but nature never forgives,” says Ban Ki-moon at Stanford

April 21, 2019

“Human beings sometimes forgive, but nature never forgives,” said Ban Ki-moon

as he was giving a speech on the topic of “Multilateralism in a Turbulent World” at Stanford University on April 19th, 2019.

“The world is going through pronounced changes,” he said, regarding the current state of climate change. Ban stressed that there needs to be more action taken to prevent and/or adapt to climate change, and the necessity of the global citizen responsibility — specifically that of the youth and women — is paramount.

“The challenges we face are simply too numerous to be left in the hands of a few leaders,” said Ban, encouraging the audience to act as global citizens.

He also expressed optimism about the Paris Agreement that was implemented at the end of his term and disappointment in the current US government’s decision to withdraw from it. Ban called for further collaboration between the US and China in addressing climate change.

Launch Event – Mentoring Project for Young Austrian Muslim Women

March 29, 2019

This week, the Ban Ki-moon Centre launched its project in partnership with Musllim Youth Austria (MJÖ), “Mentoring for Young Austrian Muslim Women – Global Citizens at work.”

At the launch, mentees and mentors were gathered for the first time in one place. To open the event, Ban Ki-moon Centre Co-chair Heinz Fischer delivered a welcome address emphasizing the need to empower women and to reduce inequalities, both between men and women and between different religions.

After the welcome, coach and speaker Daniela Reiter guided the mentors and mentees through ice-breaker activities and offered an overview of mentoring and the months ahead.

As a way of “formalizing” the partnership, mentees and mentors signed a contract and set goals for their time together. The mentoring period will go from April – September and the pairs are recommended to meet at least once per week. In October, there will be a closing event held at the House of Industry in Vienna where mentees will receive a certificate of completion.

The launch event closed with networking, allowing the mentees and mentors to mingle and to get to know one another.

In the months to come, the Ban Ki-moon Centre will host three skill-building workshops for the mentees on different subjects. One of the workshops will be on “Global Citizenship” and will be led by the Centre’s CEO, Monika Froehler.

As a part of the project, the mentoring pairs will also be asked to complete a small “Global Citizen Project” together. This project will encourage the pairs to take action together to give back to their community.

The Ban Ki-moon Centre is proud to partner with MJÖ on this project and looks forward to seeing the mentoring pairs grow and thrive!