“I Support New Global Citizens because NGC teaches young adults to be globally aware and gives them tools that can be applied to everyday life. It gives its members experience, confidence, leadership, and passion unlike any from other organizations.” -Kamrie Yeung, NGC Team Mentor
“I support New Global Citizens because they are working with young people. Young people are a good investment for the future because they are the light which shines in every nation which leads in good governance, good citizenship, good rule of law and is pro-democracy. The active young people that I have worked with are so honest, so trustworthy. They want to see positive change, and organizations like NGC can help them. When the youth are involved, people in society will enjoy a good life. If we were to follow the brightest of the young people, there would not be any war like what we see today.” – Sakena Yacoobi, NGC Board Member and Founder of Afghan Institute of Learning (an NGC Global Project)
As I head home for the holidays this year, I’m eager for some amazing home cooking as part of my family’s holiday traditions. I love food – it’s a part of my culture, and always the center of celebrations that bring my family together. But as I continue through this season of celebration and abundance, it is important for me to remember and reflect on the fact that in the current state of our world, food is a privilege.
Food security happens when a household has access at all times to an adequate amount of nutritious food, or food that will allow them to live a full and healthy life. For about one seventh of the world’s population, fear of hunger, starvation, or threat of malnutrition is an ongoing reality. These people, an estimated 1 billion worldwide, are food-insecure.
Because children, especially young children, are at vital stages of growth and development, they are at higher risk of negative effects from hunger. Children, who are malnourished, malnutrition meaning they do not get enough of the essential nutritional elements necessary for human health, are not able to develop and are more susceptible to diseases. Each year, 2.6 million children die as a result of hunger-related causes. Although overall the amount of people who are affected by hunger has gone down in the world, in certain regions including Africa, hunger has become more rampant.
There are many factors that allow hunger and malnutrition to persist in out world, but improved access to critical public services such as health clinics, and water and sanitation facilities, as well as increased support care for women and children would be a big step. The United States also still has a huge population that is affected by hunger, about 14.5 percent of households, so remembering that this problem affects our local and international communities is also important. There are many organizations, including some of NGC’s incredible partners, who fight hunger nation and worldwide as members of a global community working towards food security for all.
This post was written by NGC Team Mentor Merry Farrier.
Lucy tabling to raise awareness about global issues in high school.
“I support New Global Citizens, because as a youth, NGC taught me that no matter what I go on to do, whatever I put my passion behind, I have a responsibility to use it for the greater good of society. I am pursuing a master’s in speech-language pathology, and my passions include caring for individuals who have been born with severe disabilities or who have gone through physical trauma that has rendered them unable to effectively communicate. I am working to turn this passion into a skill. I plan to work with and advocate for underserved populations in my own country, as well as in countries abroad.
My goals and dreams have been very much shaped by what NGC taught me so many years ago. They changed what I would have done anyways—found what we love—and ensured that I went on to use those skills and passions to solve the world’s greatest challenges. To me, this is the most incredible piece of NGC. New Global Citizens takes the new generation, and turns their minds and their eyes to the pressing issues of their world. They raise awareness, they instill passion, then they release mobilized, equipped, and influential young leaders into the world. How fantastic is that?” – Lucy Hardy
Why do you support NGC? Send your response to Maggie@newglobalcitizens.org.
NGC Tolleson Team: educating their community and raising funds for GWWI.
This is the sixth year of the Tolleson NGC team. In the past they have advocated on behalf of organizations such as the Afghan Institute of Learning, A Ban Against Neglect, and the Nirvanavan Foundation. This year the team has chosen to sponsor The Global Women’s Water Initiative. This semester, the team has been hard at work raising funds and awareness on behalf of the organization.
The Global Women’s Water Initiative responds to the struggles and burdens that women in East Africa face related to their water collecting practices. GWWI provides training for these women in order to better their communities. They teach the women water, sanitation, and hygiene skills that greatly benefit their communities as a whole.
The Tolleson NGC team has already held multiple events to raise awareness about the organization and its goals. In the beginning of the semester, the team held an “Awareness Week” in which team members dedicated a week to teaching their peers facts about the pressing issues addressed by GWWI, delegating a different focus for each day. They also solicited donations during this event, raising about $160 total. Another event held by the team recently was a “Documentary Night,” in which the team screened the documentary, “It’s a Girl,” which explores the practice of female infanticide around the world. The team used the relevance of the film to advocate further for the GWWI.
NGC Tolleson Team at their Documentary Night.
For the remainder of the semester, the team plans to hold one more large event called “Poetry Night.” The team has hosted this event in the past, usually once per semester. This staple event attracts a large crowd and brings the community together. The purpose of the event is to not only raise funds, but also to educate the community and peers about literacy, education, and the GWWI.
This post was written by NGC Team Mentor Kirstyn Rowen.
We are in the middle of the “I Support New Global Citizens” Campaign and we hope that you will participate in one or more of the following ways:
NGC students also have the opportunity take part in our “I Support NGC” Contest. Students can take part in the campaign by sharing their video on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram (#2 above).
The contest rules of engagement are as follows:
+ Students choose one platform to compete (Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram).
+ Students must like or follow us via the social media platform on which they choose to compete.
+ Entries tag @NGCitizens and use hashtag #ISupportNGC on Twitter, OR tag New Global Citizens and use hashtag #ISupportNGC on Facebook (you must like our page before you can tag/mention us in a post), OR tag @NGCitizens and use hashtag #ISupportNGC on Instagram. NOTE: Facebook privacy settings may prevent us from seeing your post! Please send the Facebook entry link to maggie@newglobalcitizens.org to make sure we see it.
+ The contest begins on November 17, 2013. No entries or social media interactions with entries will be considered after 12:01 AM PST on January 1, 2014.
The top 3 NGC students who garner the most likes (Facebook, Instagram) or retweets (Twitter) will win the following NGC swag:
1st Place: Choice of poster + Set of wristbands + Buttons + Choice of NGC shirt
2nd Place: Choice of poster + Wristbands + Choice of NGC shirt
3rd Place: Choice of poster + Choice of NGC shirt
If you have any questions about the “I Support NGC” Contest, please contact Maggie Broderick at Maggie@newglobalcitizens.org.
Why do you support NGC? New Global Citizens recently launched our “I Support New Global Citizens” Campaign, and here are a few ways you can get involved:
1. Watch/share our #ISupportNGC Launch Video.
2. Share a picture of you holding the I Support NGC sign.
3. Post a video of you explaining why you support NGC to social media. Be sure to use #ISupportNGC. (Email Maggie@newglobalcitizens.org the link if your Facebook posts are private to the public!)
Our work wouldn’t be possible without every member of our NGC Community.
NGC Global Project, Sunshine Charity
Education is a right, like the right to have proper food or shelter. Education serves as a passport to human development and it expands opportunities and freedom for everyone. It contributes to democracy and economic growth as well as improving health and reducing poverty among the people.
Since 2000, more girls have been enrolled in school than before, measuring from primary education to tertiary education. The number of secondary students has also risen substantially, more than four times that increase in the number of primary students. A major reason for the rise in school enrollments in Africa and Asia is the abolition of school fees and the prospect of a midday meal. However, it is also clear that many challenges still remain in creating opportunities for children to receive an education. Poverty remains as the major marker of disadvantage. Other disadvantaged populations include indigenous populations, street children and migrants, the disabled and cultural minorities. There is also an issue with the inability to recruit female teachers and supporting poor families to making the schools more girl-friendly.
Literacy and the equality of education remains among the most neglected of all education goals with about 796 million adults lacking literacy skills. Two-thirds of this number are women. Millions of children are leaving school without acquiring the knowledge and skills that will help them succeed in their futures. There are currently many different measures in increasing the number of enrollment to schools, like the United Nation’s Education For All program. They are striving to increase enrollment and subsequently increase literacy rates globally. Every citizen deserves a right to education and to be able to gain the proper skills and knowledge to succeed in life.
This post was written by NGC Team Mentor Chiao May Lee.
Westwood High School Warriors in action at Homecoming! c/0 m.eastvalleytribune.com
New Global Citizens programs are designed to introduce students to a global perspective and use that knowledge to help solve the world’s greatest challenges. The students at Westwood High School, in Mesa, AZ, are very passionate about being involved in the NGC programs; they are doing what they can to help make a change in the world we live in now.
The NGC team at Westwood High chose to get involved with a great organization called the Colorful Girls Foundation, who serves as a support system for girls between the ages 11 and 17. This foundation was created to help young girls get the resources they need to succeed in the future. Westwood High has done a tremendous job at helping this foundation as they have participated in their high school’s homecoming parade and tailgating event. During this event, the students have created a parade float, flyers and brochures to create awareness among their peers.
Also, being very creative, they started an advocacy campaign in school by writing facts about NGC and the Colorful Girls Foundation on sticky notes and placing them all around their high school campus. The NGC team at Westwood High has shown great initiative to heighten awareness and they are currently very eager to plan their next fundraising event for the Colorful Girls Foundation.
This post was written by NGC Team Mentor Chiao May Lee.
When I first entered high school, my idea of community service involved volunteering at the library and collecting cans for a food drive. Although these are undeniably good deeds, they are restrained to a local scale; I had no idea what was going on globally. Why would I? It was not like a mere 9th-grader could have made a change big enough in the world anyway. Global issues were for the big characters in the world to deal with.
Each of the years I have been in NGC has taught me how very wrong I was. NGC has truly made me a global citizen, one who is not only aware of the global issues, but also that strong individuals all around the world are making improvements, and that I too, can be one of these individuals. I learned the power of awareness, and how it can spark more individuals to make a change. I learned the importance of sustainability, without which, change would be temporary. From the advocacy and community education projects for NGC, I have developed strong leadership and public speaking skills. Such skills have proven to be extremely helpful beyond high school.
New Global Citizens is not an ordinary school club. We are youth teams spread nationally, reaching internationally, promoting a positive outlook on global change.
Kamrie and her fellow NGC Team!
This post was written by NGC Team Mentor Kamrie Yeung.
New Global Citizens 