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International Association for Political Science Students’ UN75 Regional Consultations

By September 4, 2020No Comments

Organization Contacts: 

Justin Patrick (President of IAPSS Global): president@iapss.org

Rory Mondshein (Director of Civic Engagement and Strategic Diplomacy): diplomacy@iapss.org 

Dates:

  • IAPSS Asia: September 2, 2020 9:00 EST & September 8, 2020 8:00 EST
  • IAPSS Latin America: September 4, 2020 17:00 EST
  • IAPSS Oceania: September 8, 2020 5:00 EST
  • IAPSS Africa: September 12, 2020 6:00 EST
  • IAPSS USA and Canada: September 12, 2020 19:00 EST
  • IAPSS Europe: September 13, 2020 9:00 EST

ABOUT IAPSS

The International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS) is a platform for political science students and students interested in political science issues. The association is international, politically independent, non-profit and student-run, and aims to have global impact in the political science sphere. IAPSS seeks to strengthen the academic profile and skills of all members by offering various opportunities for development.

With twenty years of existence behind its back, IAPSS is a democratic student government representing political science students around the world. It evolved from a loose network to an association with an official address and mailbox in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, while the IAPSS Board is working internationally on a daily basis to initiate and coordinate projects and activities.

Through such projects, IAPSS strives to give its members a sense of responsibility concerning their role in creating an improved political and social environment, as well as the skills and knowledge necessary to act in this direction. It does so by organizing conferences where students from all over the world can exchange their knowledge (IAPSS World Congress and Academic Convention), a Winter School and Summer School and by organizing Study Trips, which grant first-hand insight into the live of political institutions, and by regularly creating and distributing academic and opinion publications (POLITIKON – the IAPSS Journal of Political Science, Encuentro Latinoamericano – Revista de Ciencia Política, A Different View – the IAPSS online blog).

For more information, visit: iapss.org

IAPSS ASIA CONSULTATION 1: 

Youth and Civic Engagement

DATE: 8th September 2020

TIME: 8AM EST*

Asia faces significant fluctuations in youth and civic engagement. In a number of instances, student governments and youth organizations face challenges in terms of collaboration beyond their campus or national frameworks. Other factors like differences in language, forms of government, security and conflicts bring additional layers of complexity.

Young people participate in political life for a multitude of reasons and in a wide variety of ways. The discussion under youth civic engagement will broadly touch upon key areas of young people’s participation in politics (students and electoral), governance & leadership, community involvement, youth reforms & movements and socio-political inclusion of marginalised youth in the main political realm. It will address the importance of youth civic participation in these areas and will talk about the challenges being faced by them with reference to Asia. 

In recent times, failures of government structures to effectively address the needs and challenges faced by young people has led to widespread discontent among youth. The young population in Asia within the frame of these concerns are now demanding a greater say in governance and policy development, better economic and employment opportunities, and equal participation in society.  On one hand, social media is increasing the online presence of youth in Asia to be more extensive and innovative, allowing them to engage with local and global communities and share their ideas. While on the other hand, there are regions and countries in Asia who do not have access to open internet or have to rely on alternative tools to participate or access facilities.  Adding to that the existing institutional and legal barriers also limit them to lead and participate further.

The Asian politics has noticed a slight drift in youth civic participation moving away from institutionalized structures towards greater involvement in cause-oriented political activism. Involving youth as leaders, decision makers, collaborators or even team mates, can create a wide impact on society, bring social awareness among communities and inculcate democratic values. It can serve as a gateway for broader engagement in finding solutions to local and global concerns like fighting injustice, checking on access to political power, equal representation ,peace building, political activism, environment awareness, and educating the existing and future communities. Youth civic engagement can be shaped by emphasizing on skill development and intentional learnings and guidance to youth at their community and academic level. Therefore, the consultation will also throw light on recommending ideas and practices for youth participation and intervention in politics and policy that can be adapted at the community, national and international levels. 

The future of youth civic engagement in Asia will likely be framed against the degree to which youth and student organizations are able to collaborate with one another and the rest of the world.

QUESTIONS OF DISCUSSION:

  • How far the local, national and multilateral institutions and processes in Asia are engaging  with youth?
  • How can we use UN75 to strengthen youth engagement in the region? 
  • How do we create a unified multilateral structure and strategy across the continent, especially considering regional variation and tensions? How can youth be part of this movement? 
  • What are the challenges being faced by the young population in Asia when it comes to their participation in politics and policy processes?
  • Do you think that initiatives made by the government structures in major Asian countries focusing on providing opportunities to marginalised youth, are enough to reduce the inequalities and empower them to participate in the mainstream civic engagements? 
  • What can be the innovative ideas for ensuring civic participation of young people in the society they live in and how these ideas can help them to initiate dialogue and actions?
  • How can young people be better engaged to address the concerts under SDGs in Asia?

FORMAT: Zoom to Facebook

Session: Moderated Interactive Panel Discussion (Pan-Asia)

Where: Online (Zoom or Meet); Likely to be streamed live
Duration: 1 Hour & 30 Minutes
Open to audience participation

Contact: Rutaba Tariq, IAPSS Asia Regional Chair

Email: asia@iapss.org

IAPSS ASIA CONSULTATION 2:
Youth, Conflict, and Peacebuilding in the Middle East

DATE: 2 September 2020

TIME: 9AM EST

(POTENTIAL) SPEAKERS: Graeme Simpson (Interpeace) (tbd), Ahmad Alhendawi, (Secretary General of World Scouts Movement, Former UN Youth Envoy)(tbd), Mridul Upadhyay (UNOY Asia) (tbd), Irena Grizlej (Independent Researcher & Consultant: Sustaining Peace/ Youth, Peace & Security Expert) (tbd), Adam Bensaid (Strategist, Policy, and Development and Investigative Journalist TRT World) (tbd), Arne Gerrit Halvorsen (Advisor, GPI) (tbd), Agatha Lydia (Head of International Relations, ASEAN Youth) (tbd)

Concluding Remarks: Secretary Sports & Youth Affairs Department, Government of Sindh (Pakistan) (tbd), Margo Lazaro (TBD), and UN2020 (TBD)

The Middle East continues to be at crossroads, inflicted with conflicts and complex security dynamics that continue fuelling them. The effects of these conflicts now stand exacerbated at the backdrop of COVID-19 and a rapidly changing world order, exposing the deeply troubling fault lines in the regions’ social, cultural and political dynamics. Amid this backdrop, young men and women stand highly affected by conflicts and its explicit and implicit consequences, making the region one of the most dangerous places in the world for adolescents and youth to live in.

While there has been a growing recognition in the international arena of the role young people can play in building peace and challenging violent extremism, it is still in its nascent stage. It has only been five (5) years since the UN Security Council’s first Resolution on Youth, Peace, and Security passed and we are far from ensuring a comprehensive involvement of young people in the decision making processes for better informed policies that can warrant lasting peace in the region. 

TOPICS/QUESTIONS OF DISCUSSION:

  • What has UN’s  progress been so far with respect to:
      – our understanding of the problems associated with young people in conflict zones?
      – our understanding of youth involvement in peacebuilding?
  • Is the UNSC’s Resolution on Youth, Peace & Security enough? Is there room for improvement? 
  • What has been done to ensure maximum inclusion of local voices and dynamics in the peacebuilding processes in the Middle East? What hindrances have been faced in making the process inclusive? What can be done to overcome these hindrances? 
  • How are we measuring the success and impact of youth led-interventions? Do we have enough data to both inform our policies, its shortcomings and potential successes?

Session: Moderated Small Group Discussion (Sub-Regional)

Where: Online (Zoom or Meet)
Duration: 1 Hour

Contact: Rutaba Tariq, IAPSS Asia Regional Chair

Email: asia@iapss.org

IAPSS USA & Canada UN75 CONSULTATION

The Eradication of Structural Racism as a Key Factor in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

DATE: September 12, 2020

TIME: 7:00 pm (EST)

TOPIC: The Eradication of Structural Racism as a Key Factor in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

The issue of racism is missing in all Sustainable Development Goals. One of the main goals of the 2030 Agenda is to leave no one behind, thus eradication of structural racism is a key factor in achieving SDGs. The UN should identify indicators that measure the elimination of inequalities, and place people at the centre of sustainable development.

TOPICS/QUESTIONS OF DISCUSSION:

  • How do we involve people of African Descent and Indigenous people in public policy and governance?
  • What is the importance of including the voices of minorities not as ‘complementary’ but equal to all others?
  • What types of data should the UN collect to assess progress in the elimination of racial/ethnic inequalities?
  • How to place people at the centre of sustainable development?

FORMAT:

  • Zoom to Facebook Live
  • The consultation will be framed as an interactive dialogue, with the presentations/speeches of speakers, and the discussion afterwards.

Contact: Oleksii Zahreba, IAPSS USA and Canada Regional Chair

Email: usacanada@iapss.org

IAPSS OCEANIA UN75 CONSULTATION:

Life Below Water Event

DATE: September 9, 2020

TIME: 7:00PM AEST / 5:00 EST

TOPIC: The Future of Oceanic Small Island Developing States in the 21st Century

A discussion centered around SDG 14, Life Below Water, in which the effects of pollution, rising water levels, and failing biodiversity are considered in the context of small island nation states within the South Pacific and Oceania as a whole.

The event will be conducted as a round table, beginning with a speaker or panel outlining their views on the topic as informed by prior professional experiences and education. This being followed by an open and honest discussion from all present, completed under the broad framework of a Q&A.

TOPICS/QUESTIONS OF DISCUSSION:

  • Effects of increased water pollution on fishing industries in small island nations states
  • Are developing/developed states regionally doing enough to curtail water pollution.
  • Is further regional cooperation and collaboration on the issue likely, and if not how can this be addressed. 
  • How do fishing fleets which travel well beyond territorial sea borders impact the south pacific islands, if at all.

FORMAT: Roundtable discussion in which speaker outlines topic for a maximum 15 minutes (for a total of 40 minutes dependent on speaker number), followed by a roundtable discussion from those in attendance.

Contact: Mitchell McIntosh, IAPSS Oceania Chair

Email: oceania@iapss.org

IAPSS AFRICA UN75 REGIONAL CONSULTATION: 

UN75 Dialogue on Youth, Peace and Development in Africa

DATE: 12 September 2020

TIME: 12h00-15h00 CAT / 6:00AM EST

The African Union has committed to “Silencing the Guns” in Africa by 2020, yet today millions of people on the continent still face the scourge of conflict, displacement and violence. A large portion of those affected are young people who die on all sides, who have their livelihoods destroyed and their futures snatched away. On 14 July 2020 the UN Security Council unanimously adopted UNSC Resolution 2535 placing youth (18-29 years old) at the centre of peacebuilding and international security. The resolution explicitly identifies youth as a group in society that is “adversely affected by armed conflict” and highlights that the youth’s “access to quality education and economic opportunities has a dramatic impact on durable peace and reconciliation.” The resolution goes further in reaffirming the responsibility of national governments and authorities in ensuring the meaningful participation of youth without discrimination of any kind in both development and peacebuilding. 

As the international community moves to reflect on the current state of the United Nations and the next 25 years that are ahead, it is as pertinent now as ever that the conversation on youth empowerment, inclusion and upliftment is brought to the forefront. Given the urgency of achieving an Africa that is at peace with itself and in honour of International Day of Peace on the 21 st of September 2020, the International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS) Africa regional chapter will be hosting its first UN75 Dialogue on Youth, Peace and Development in Africa to consolidate and elevate the views of young people in Africa on building a better UN that can help deliver the future we want. 

TOPICS/QUESTIONS OF DISCUSSION:

  • What does youth-centred peacebuilding look like in the African context?
  • What does youth-centred development look like in the African context?
  • How can the UN work to empower, include and uplift youth in Africa?

FORMAT:

  • Zoom to Facebook Live. 

Contact: Funmi Olorunkalu (IAPSS Regional Chair)

Email: africa@iapss.org

IAPSS EUROPE CONSULTATION: 

Multilateralism in the EU

DATE: September 13, 2020

TIME: 9AM EST

Multilateralism in the European Union is vital to preserving peace, security, and prosperity for EU nation states. With significant challenges like COVID-19 and the related economic downturn, mass migrations, rising populism and isolationist sentiments, and lingering effects from Brexit, cooperation within the EU is needed more than ever. As a continental governing body, the EU’s level of internal multilateralism, or lack of it, can have substantial effects at the international level for the United Nations, NATO, and other global regulatory and governance organizations.

TOPICS/QUESTIONS OF DISCUSSION:

  • What historical trends in multilateral development can help us understand the current EU political landscape?
  • What is the future of EU multilateralism?
  • How can we use UN75 to strengthen multilateralism; and how will this affect the EU?
  • How can young people advance multilateralism in the EU?

FORMAT:

  • Zoom to Facebook Live

CONTACT: Melis Kritilli (IAPSS VP, Academic Affairs), Bassem Chakroun (IAPSS Europe, Regional Chair)

Email: academics@iapss.org and europe@iapss.org

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