The semester break is already here, everyone at this time has gone back to their own hometowns to relax for a month. Is it back to university for me? You might be wondering why am I back to university so quickly? Well, it's a UN related event organised by AISEC Sunway, Youth Speak Forum 2019: Start from YOUth!
Once I arrive campus, I head up to the corridor of the JC auditoriums to sign myself up. While waiting, I have a small chat with some delegates who come for the event. We are given the green light to go into JC 1 when doors are opened at 10.00am. We have a little bit of warm up with the tagline: Hey AISEC! What's up?
The first session of the day starts with Dr. Maliki, he talks about the SDGs in Malaysia and how each of these goals can really help to build up the nation. The current project that Dr. Maliki and his team are doing right now is to provide clean water in rural areas in Sabah. This follow by a panel discussion from UNICEF Malaysia, Human Stories of KL and former MGAG Malaysia manager, Mun Yee, on the roles of youths in the country. I raise a question or two during the Q & A session.
Next up, delegates move to their chosen workshops. My senior, Hui Mei and I head to the Star R.age workshop. We have an insight on investigation journalism, how their work is infringed by third parties. Somehow in the beginning of the workshop, it related to one of the topics which I learned in law and ethics in communication. We are tasked to come up ideas that is related to the SDGs, and what we didn't realise is that our ideas will be entered in a competition. We are totally mind blown!
The final segment of the first day is Teach for Malaysia, and we are given a sneak peak that we are going to secondary schools to teach students on the 17 SDGs. It's been awhile I went back to my own high school, SMK Tinngi St. David Melaka. Hopefully we will make it through tomorrow. Now it's off to the second day!
The second and final day of the forum, we head to SMK Bandar Kinrara to educate secondary school students about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Four of us take a ride in Iman's car while the other go to the school by bus. When we reach the school, the security guard won't allow us to go in. After seeing me getting out from the car with my crutches, he lets us in to the school compound.
While we are waiting for the other students to arrive, somehow our Sunway University's logo is promoted at the school, and what's more? The actual students from the university are here! We ask directions from the students, they lead us to the hall which is upstairs. "Kar Marn, are you okay with steps?" my friends are concerned. "I'm okay!" I say.
We set up everything that we need later on, the students start to fill the hall up. Once the hall is filled up, our emcee introduces on AISEC itself as well as the 17 UN SDGs. "Now in a group of 10, we need at least two students in a group," In my group, we have Elizabeth and Soo En- the students, and the rest of us are just AISECE-ers and non-AISECE-ers. We have a little team building game which is using our body language to communicate one another.
After that, it's time for the main part- introducing the 17 SDGs to the students! "Do you know what is Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?" Vanessa asks, Elizabeth and Soo En look at each other, and look at us again. "Okay ladies, relax!" We explain how did SDGs come about and why it is so important. "In Malaysia, we found out that young Malaysians are passionate about these three goals, out of 17 of them, which are: Quality Education (SDG 4), Reduce Inequailty (SDG 10), and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12),"
Here comes the fun part, all we have to do is to come up with ideas which are based on three goals that we have mentioned earlier on. They are still shy, but we give them encouragement as much as we can, because we want to hear their views on how they are going to commit one of the three SDGs. My team and I choose SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production. One of the ideas is really cute: growing a pet!
We sit in a round circle and pledge that which SDG we want to commit. For me, besides SDG 3: Good health and well-being, I'm also passionate on SDG 4: Quality education. Why? Education is the most powerful tool that can change the world! Group photos and videos are taken, and it's time to head back to campus. I'm also kinda practising my role as a UNICEF "ambassador" in some way.
Thank you AISEC Sunway for this amazing events! I hope to join in more related UN events.
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