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What happened during the Civil Society Conference in Nairobi and what role did GNEC play?
The UN civil society forum held in Africa heralds ‘inclusive’ Summit of the Future | UN News
The UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi, Kenya was attended by more than 3600 civil society representatives from 2750 entities registered for the conference, with about 400 representatives of 64 governments, seven inter-governmental organizations, 37 UN entities and over 100 media reporters. Seventy percent of those registered were from Africa and forty percent of all registrants were youth, in the age group 18 to 34. Climate was the top issue for youth registrants. Several Board members from GNEC served as chairs or committee members on the planning committee for the conference.
GNEC Board members: Dr Connie Sensor, Olasubomi Iginla Aina MBE and J. Nadine Gracia attended both days filled with workshops on the first day and presentation of ImPACT Coalitions on the second day. Rather than the traditional outcome document that results after such a conference, this one was unique in that ImPACT Coalitions were formed with like-minded organizations joining together to amplify their voices in partnership with UN member states in preparation for the Summit of the Future scheduled for September 22-23 in New York. The purpose of the ImPACT Coalitions is to provide input to the intergovernmental negotiations for the Pact for the Future, which will be the outcome document of the Summit of the Future and guide the future intergovernmental processes at the United Nations. The three key documents under consideration for the Summit of the Future are the People’s Pact for the Future, the Declaration for Future Generations/Pact for the Future, and the Global Digital Compact. These are working groups that will influence the Pact for the Future and hopefully continue their partnerships working together beyond the Summit of the Future.
GNEC Director Dr. Connie Sobon Sensor representing the League of Women Voters of the United States moderated a workshop convened by GNEC entitled “Innovating Education for Impact: Harnessing AI to Support SDGs in Global Communities.” The presentation was well received and the room was completely full with participants. Speakers included: Uwem Robert OTU, International President, Global NGO Executive Committee who gave the opening remarks,; Hon. Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, OON, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission & Representative of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who declared the workshop open; Hawa Taylor-Kamara Diallo, Chief NGO Section, UN Department of Global Communications, Civil Society Unit; Dr. Kevin Merges, Saddle River Day School; Dr. Eunhee Jung, IVECA; Lola Ibrahim, Women Against Violence and Exploitation; and Jason Xu and Royxu Xu, Hackathon organizers. The workshop aimed to broaden awareness by elevating understanding of the critical role education and technology play in achieving the SDGs, emphasizing inclusivity and diversity; to foster ImPACT by sharing tangible examples and frameworks that NGOs and educational institutions can adopt to contribute meaningfully towards the Pact for the Future; and to drive innovation by introducing novel strategies for integrating AI in educational contexts, demonstrating how these technologies can offer personalized learning experiences and empower communities to engage with global challenges. This workshop explored the powerful intersection of artificial intelligence, education, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It showcased pioneering initiatives where schools and NGOs collaborated to create a hackathon that inspired communities to tackle the SDGs creatively. Successful case studies were presented where AI tools were used to revolutionize teaching methodologies, enhancing support for learning communities and Civil Society Organizations.
The GNEC Hackathon closing ceremony took place during this presentation where the three top winning entries were announced. You can view the winning entries here: https://gnec-hackathon-2024.devpost.com/project-gallery
The Hackathon included over 1000 participants from 70 countries and all inhabited continents with 45 projects submitted by the groups. It was an exciting event.
Connie Sobon Sensor, PhD, RN, CTN-A
Director, Global NGO Executive Committee.
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