AFI Young Changemakers Education Summit in Conduction with UNESCO

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ARIEL FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL 2022 ISBN: 978-1-958662-04-5

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Editors Dr. Ariel Rosita King Abigail Oppong Cover Page Artist Austin Dowling

AUTHORS Austin Dowling, Bermuda "Recognizing the impact of COVID 19 on education" Jason Eappen, USA "Math Education gives Kids a Successful Future" Selin Hara, UK "The Value Of Education And The Arts" Caden Harris, USA "Early Financial Literacy for Kids" Yasmin Hassoobh, Saudi Arabia "The Gender Digital Divide: Engaging more girls in technology at an earlier age" Rehman Hassan, USA "A Critical Analysis of Federal Mental Health Legislation in the United States" Murat Kutlu, Turkey "Music Education" Mwangala Maunga, Zambia "Setting the trends on Climate Justice from early childhood" Sahil Sood, USA "Increasing Science education accessibility for middle and high school student" Bernice Wambui, Kenya "Chess - A tool for empowering kids in education"

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction.......................................................................................................1 Recognizing the impact of COVID 19 on education.................................................2-4 Math Education gives Kids a Successful Future.........................................................7

The Value Of Education And The Arts.........................................................8-9 Early Financial Literacy for Kids .............................................................................13 The Gender Digital Divide: Engaging more girls in technology at an earlier age..........................................................................................................................16-18

.‫ إشراك المزيد من الفتيات في التكنولوجيا في سن مبكرة‬:‫الفجوة الرقمية بين الجنسين‬

A Critical Analysis of Federal Mental Health Legislation in the United States.....................................................................................................................27-30 Music Education.........................................................................................................33 Setting the trends on Climate Justice from early childhood..............................................................................................................35-36

Increasing Science education accessibility for middle and high school student............................................................................................................39 Chess - A tool for empowering kids in education................................................41-42 Author Profiles........................................................... .........................................44-54

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INTRODUCTION

The Ariel Foundation International Education Summit took place on the 13th November 2022 in conjunction with the UNESCO World conference on Early Childhood Care and Education Summit: Early Investment for better learning and brighter future During the presentations from our speakers, the young leaders spoke about various topics connected to education such as financial literacy, arts, music, climate and STEM. Present at the summit were our Board of Director Chair, Ambassador Ireneo Namboka, the President of AFI, Dr. King Ariel, Young leaders of Ariel Foundation International, Friends and families across the globe Read and enjoy.

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RECOGNIZING THE IMPACT OF COVID 19 ON EDUCATION Austin Dowling, Bermuda Good morning. As mentioned, my name is Austin Dowling. As a student who went through COVID 19 in the middle of my high school career I can attest to the difficulties many students were facing. When COVID hit Bermuda, my school went into online school for the rest of the year. As a result of abrupt change and social distancing I lost a lot of the social connections and educational rigor I needed to uphold a good academic standing. But I’m one of the few who had access to online resources and a household that could sustain a healthy learning environment at home. Many students were not as fortunate. Still, COVID created social problems that the internet could not accommodate. I eventually decided to move to the US in order to gain more social and educational access. It was, of course, difficult to move away from my home and adjust to different cultures and education styles but I got through it and have been able to grow past the problems that COVID created for me. While this helped me, the move was not ideal, and most students had to deal with a completely transformed educational and social landscape in the wake of COVID. Today, the unequal effects of COVID 19, as some communities were hit harder than others, have inevitably put many students at a disadvantage. The effects of educational inequalities that existed before the pandemic, such as unequal access to technology, tutoring, skillful teachers, mental health care, and a stable home environment, have been significantly increased.

With regard to access to technology, the statistics are troubling. From the results of a survey from the US Department of Education, before COVID, only 15% of schools had computers for students take home, 50% of schools had teachers that were trained to use technology, 45% of schools had computers at the school accessible to students, while 34% of schools said outdated technology was an issue. From a pre COVID lens, these statistics might have seemed like a minor issue; however, we now understand the importance of having good online access during a pandemic.

Furthermore, another huge problem is mental health. COVID has done a lot of damage.

According to the CDC, in 2021, more than a third of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 44% reported they persistently felt sad or hopeless during the past year. That’s in the US alone. Worldwide, as reported by the OCHA, half of the children living in fragile and conflict affected countries expressed a need for mental health and psychosocial support as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. And this rises to 70% for refugee and displaced children. Clearly, mental health is worsening Globally as a result of the pandemic. This calls for action, especially in schools.

These mental health problems in conjunction with domestic violence and other problems at home, can make a bad situation a living nightmare. The CDC reports that at least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year. Also, the Harvard Gazette reports, “A lockdown increases the risk factors for domestic violence in multiple ways: there are more financial stressors because of income loss due to unemployment; there is also the loss of the ability to have breathing spaces for people who are in risky relationships.” Similarly, SAMHSA states, “Children are specifically vulnerable to abuse during COVID-19.

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Stressed parents may be more likely to respond to their children’s anxious behaviors or demands in aggressive or abusive ways.” Therefore, even homes that did not previously experience domestic abuse could have been a very dangerous place for students during the pandemic.

So how do we respond to these problems in an effective way? We have to fix the damage caused by COVID while being prepared for another COVID like situation, to truly move on from and rise above it. We can start by urging our policy makers to draft legislation that requires access to quality technology and resources in all public schools. This is a base level step that will be crucial to prepare for another pandemic and accommodate immunocompromised students. We should also destigmatize mental health care while making it cheaper and easier for students to access. An example of this is having free therapy sessions available in schools. Finally, in the event of another health crisis, our local communities need to provide students with programs that host social activities with a low risk of infection and, barring specific cases, require that students attend these activities. Having an active social life is critical for humans of all ages but especially teens. Schools have a duty to provide students with a healthy social environment and during a pandemic, this could be as simple as group cycling, outdoor painting classes, gardening, and other outdoor, community focused activities.

Overall, we as a community have a responsibility to improve access to education across the board and ensure a stable social life for all students. Education for students today will determine the nature of our society tomorrow. Thank you.

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Works Cited Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse Considerations ... - Samhsa. 21 Apr. 2020, https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/social-distancing-domestic-violence.pdf.

Mineo, Liz. “'Shadow Pandemic' of Domestic Violence.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 29 June 2022, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/06/shadow-pandemic-of-domesticviolence/#:~:text=A%20lockdown%20increases%20the%20risk,who%20are%20in%20risky%2 0relationships.

“New CDC Data Illuminate Youth Mental Health Threats during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 Mar. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0331-youth-mental-health-covid19.html#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20new%20data,hopeless%20during%20the%20past %20year.

“The Silent Pandemic: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing of Children in Conflict Affected Countries - World.” ReliefWeb, 28 Apr. 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/world/silent-pandemic-impact-covid-19-pandemic-mental-health-andpsychosocial-wellbeing.

Use of Educational Technology for Instruction in Public Schools: 2019–20. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2021/2021017Summary.pdf.

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SIR AUSTIN'S PRESENTATION

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MATH EDUCATION GIVES KIDS A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE Jason Eappen, USA Education has become a centerpiece of society for generations. When we analyze the value of education for children, it not only sets them up for their future but also develops a more productive nation. Outside of the growth of countries, each child that has an education allows them to have a plethora of positive outcomes. This includes: importance of civic duties, following laws, high paying jobs, and less crimes. All of these can trace education to a reason why these outlooks exist. Math itself uniquely provides a multitude of benefits for children.

Mathematics provides an effective way of building mental discipline and encourages logical reasoning. When a child is young, if their math strength is very good it can be a great predictor on how the child will do in their future schooling. Having that mental rigor of math can prepare students to be ready for harder subjects and fields. Understanding, learning, and applying math skills can really help children succeed in real life as well. For example, figuring out distance, time and cost for travel, understanding loans for cars, trucks, homes, schooling or other purposes can allow children to set themselves physically and financially for the future.

Math is essential to open many opportunities for people to have a stable job as well. People who have a strong grasp on math can get jobs in many fields. For example, economics deals with money and an aspect of it involves math. Meaning, children who have a strong math background will have an easier time understanding economics. Being an economist is a great job that pays very well. This means kids can help their families improve their socioeconomic status by sending remittances back home. Even if kids do not like mathematics as much, understanding math can help play a crucial role in understanding the contents of other school subjects such as science, and social studies which again opens many opportunities for jobs.

Overall, mathematics is a valuable subject to learn and kids all over the world should be taught this subject. Unfortunately, with limited resources, there are some children who are deprived of this subject. The world should ensure that education is a human right. The current leaders need to support the next generation by giving them the resources and the education to help them have a better future for themselves and their families.

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SIR JASON'S PRESENTATION

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THE VALUE OF EDUCATION AND THE ARTS Selin Hara, UK

Art is a meaningful journey that enables the ideas that come to life in our imagination to meet the real world. While the journey of some of us starts from the world of drawings and colors, the journey of some of us is guided by the symphony of words.

Dance, drama, music and visual arts in the school curriculum enable children to develop selfconfidence and self-understanding, problem-solving skills, perseverance and discipline, focus and concentration, creativity, self-learning, collaboration and many more .

Another valuable aspect of the arts in education is is that young people discover the power of their own expressive potential, which is vital to our psychological well-being and happiness.

Another aspect of art's educational value is its power to develop our inner senses for the unfolding of human potential. Sound, color, texture, etc. Although it plays with our physical senses and can be perceived as very pleasant stimuli, beauty and meaning (for me theatre is more about meaning than beauty) are perceived not by our physical senses, but by our inner senses.

It is clear that in order to perceive something, we need to develop organs of perception. We need to develop eyes to be able to see, we need to develop ears to be able to catch sound waves. Without our nose, smells and smells would not be for us.

However, seeing and hearing alone is not enough for us to perceive beauty. Anyone with healthy ears can hear a piece of music, but not every person can resonate with its beauty. The difference lies not in the physical sense, but in the internal sense. To be able to appreciate the beauty of music, dance or poetry, or the deep meaning of a game, we need to develop our inner senses.

Probably, we all have some experience of how our inner senses grow and develop over time.

Exposure to the arts and the possibility of practicing an art should be part of every good education..

Without the proper education, the beauty and meaning of the greatest works of art would probably not exist, just as there is no color to a blind person. Great art needs an education to be appreciated.

An education that includes only the arts will ensure that the greatest works of art continue to be sources of strength and inspiration for future generations.

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In the early 20th century, The Waldorf Education was established by Rudolf Steiner stating, “Waldorf Education is not a pedagogical system but an art – the art of awakening what is actually there within the human being.”

We probably all have an experience of how our inner senses have grown and developed over time. A piece of music that did not touch us when we were younger has now become very beautiful. A book we read some time ago and which was maybe not particularly interesting then, is suddenly full of meaning and we can hardly believe that we have read that book before. What has changed? Not the notes of the music or the words of the text, but our inner ability to perceive their beauty and meaning. It seems that while our physical ability to see and hear diminishes naturally with age, our inner senses grow over time, and we are able to see more with our heart and the eyes of our mind.

The characterization of the performances in the west end musical 'Matilda', which I saw as a young child, drew me into the world of theatre. Seeing the director's vision, in which a famous literary work is brought to life through music and drama, fascinated me as it is a book that I love so much. From literature to screen and stage, especially being able to see these characters in three forms has inspired the development of my inner potentials and my future planning with the support of my education. My biggest goal in the future will be to contribute to the visibility of problems for a better world by combining my soprano voice and acting performance.

British Ambassador of the AFI Organization

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LADY SELIN DOING ARTS

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PRESENTATION

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EARLY FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR KIDS Caden Harris, USA

I’m Caden Harris, I’m the CEO of Caden Teaches where I specialize in teaching kids financial literacy. I’m an advocate for teaching kids financial literacy as well as entrepreneurship.

As our youth and future leaders we don’t have to wait until we’re 18 to learn what dividends are, what assets and liabilities are, or how to start our very own businesses. I visit several schools where teenage kids don’t even know the basics. Money is something we have to be smart with, no matter what the currency is. Many school systems in the United States are setting standards making it mandatory to take a financial literacy class to graduate. But that isn’t enough. We all need the same resources and opportunities.

I understand that my country isn’t set up like other countries. In many countries women and kids aren’t able to take advantage of the free enterprise system. They don’t have the ability to start businesses or earn their own money. In a world where things are constantly evolving, some things remain the same. But we can change that, we can start in our homes, we can start more conversations with our schools and we can connect online all over the world.

Money isn’t everything but it’s a tool that can solve a lot of problems and help a lot of people.

Money is neither good or bad, it takes on the character of the person that has it. If a good person has money they will just do more great things with more money. This is why teaching financial literacy is important. Raising financially savvy kids will give us better schools, better cities and amazing communities.

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A MOMENT OF SIR CADEN'S JOURNEY

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SIR CADEN'S PRESENTATION

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THE GENDER DIGITAL DIVIDE: ENGAGING MORE GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY AT AN EARLIER AGE Yasmin Hassoobh, Saudi Arabia AFI Leaders under 18, Delegates, Friends and family, I would like to give a warm thank you for having the opportunity to speak at this event and participate in the issue of the gender digital divide.

Did you know that…

According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), more than 50% of the world’s women are offline. This is more pronounced in developing countries, where the internet penetration rate for adult women is 41%, compared to 53% for men.

The gender gap for global internet users grew from 11% in 2013 to 17%in 2019. In the world’s least developed countries, it hovers around 43%.

The above statistics are crucial to consider as we begin to discuss the early investment in female youths for bridging the gender digital divide.

For that reason, understanding the factors leading to the limitation of females accessing technology is necessary.

The gender digital divide is the inequality between males and females regarding access to information and communications technologies. Solutions in the past have been made, with many decisions and policies drafted to solve the issue. However, these solutions have been effective to an extent, as there was a lack of sustainability. Therefore, we need to enhance the gender digital divide agenda by involving female children on board different technology educational opportunities to get exposed earlier. By doing so, we can ensure that a larger number of females are introduced to the technology sector and are aware of how to use technology.

Barriers Holding Girls Back

● Poverty and lack of affordable access to devices ● Lack of exposure to ICTs and lack of training in digital literacy ● Lack of relevant content, particularly in local languages and in formats that can respond to women's lower literacy rates in poorer countries ● Concerns about online safety ● Entrenched gender stereotypes and cultural norms ● Lack of visible female role models in an industry still overwhelmingly dominated by males.

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How do we start to bridge the gender digital divide?

1. Building digital literacy can be transformational and is key to closing the gender digital divide for girls. This can be done by prioritizing education in ICT subjects at school. Having solid ongoing programs for female children is crucial for bridging the technology gender gap. Starting early is the best way if we want to ensure that women can foster these skills as they grow up.

2. Including girls’ voices is essential when developing any digital products or services, or any digital development programs.

3. Digital literacy training can give parents positive perceptions of digital technology and the internet. It can help them understand how they can support girls to stay safe online, rather than view the internet as a dangerous place.

4. Provide developing areas with a proper internet connection, devices, and training.

What do we do to help in the gender digital divide?

All the speakers at this summit under 18, fellow delegates, and all online viewers…

Girls and women will merely fall behind if they do not have access to, control over, and full use of technology. We need to bridge the divide, which is why we're having this conversation today. Girls and women will fall further behind if the gap expands.

● Together, we must ensure that we advocate for better and more effective opportunities to be set for the long run to ensure that all girls have an idea of technology and its importance in our world. We must provide such programs to educate or equip women and young girls with the right skills to excel in our digital world.

We must shift the narrative away from targeting abusers towards supporting and empowering them.

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victims.

Ensure best practices for the safety of all internet users, particularly women and girls.

● ● Lastly, we must seek to encourage and empower females to get involved in the tech industry in order to bridge the gap.

Where do we start?

- Between 2013 and 2019, the gender gap in internet users increased across the

Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, and Africa, while it remained significant in Latin America. The focus of fixing the gender digital divide should start in the Middle East and African regions as these areas have one of the highest gender digital divide gaps.

- School is often the first place children are introduced to technology and learn the literacy and numeracy skills to make the most of these digital tools. Therefore, we ensure girls and women have equal access to learning relevant technical skills and digital literacy in school and through training programs to be able to take advantage of technology and digital tools.

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I will end by saying.. ​L et's collaborate to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to access, use, lead, and design technology in a meaningful way, regardless of gender, nationality, or economic status.

We rely on every single one of you to prioritize gender equality in all of your efforts. We can create a more technologically advanced and egalitarian future. ​T he fundamental decisions we make now will affect us for many generations to come as our digital ecosystems expand and become more complicated.

We have an opportunity to transform the world thanks to digital technologies.

Every day, we must work to prevent the long-standing injustices of our analogue; world from being repeated or even made worse in the digital era.

Thank you.

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LADY YASMIN'S PRESENTATION

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‫الفجوة الرقمية بين الجنسين‪ :‬إشراك المزيد من الفتيات‬ ‫في التكنولوجيا في سن مبكرة‬ ‫‪Yasmin Hassoobh, Saudi Arabia‬‬

‫المندوبين‪،‬‬ ‫‪،‬األصدقاء والعائلة‬ ‫‪،‬وجميع المشاهدين عبر اإلنترنت‬ ‫أود أن أتقدم بخالص شكري إلتاحة الفرصة لي للتحدث في هذا الحدث والمشاركة في قضية الفجوة الرقمية بين‬ ‫‪.‬الجنسين‬ ‫‪ ...‬هل تعلم ان‬ ‫ا‬ ‫فإن أكثر من ‪٪ 50‬من نساء العالم غير متصالت باإلنترنت‪ .‬وهذا أكثر وضو ًحا) ‪ )ITU ،‬وفق اللتحاد الدولي اللتصاالت‬ ‫ً في‬ ‫البلدان النامية ‪ ،‬حيث يبلغ معدل انتشار اإلنترنت للنساء البالغات ‪٪ ، 41‬مقارنة بـ ‪٪ 53‬للرجال‪ .‬نمت الفجوة بين‬ ‫الجنسين‬ ‫لمستخدمي اإلنترنت في العالم من ‪٪ 11‬في عام ‪ 2013‬إىل ‪٪ 17‬في عام ‪. 2019‬وفي البلدان األقل ن ًم وا في العالم ‪ ،‬فإنها‬ ‫‪.٪‬تتأرجح حول ‪43‬‬ ‫اإلحصائيات المذكورة أعاله ضرورية للنظر فيها عندما نبدأ في مناقشة االستثمار المبكر في الشابات من أجل سد‬ ‫الفجوة الرقمية بين‬ ‫‪.‬الجنسين‬ ‫‪.‬لهذا السبب ‪ ،‬من الضروري فهم العوامل التي تؤدي إىل تقييد وصول اإلناث إىل التكنولوجيا‬ ‫الفجوة الرقمية بين الجنسين هي عدم المساواة بين الذكور واإلناث فيما يتعلق بالحصول عىل تكنولوجيا المعلومات‬ ‫واالتصاالت‪ .‬تم تقديم الحلول في الماضي ‪ ،‬مع العديد من القرارات والسياسات التي تمت صياغتها لحل المشكلة‪.‬‬ ‫‪ ،‬ومع ذلك‬ ‫كانت هذه الحلول فعالة إىل حد ما ‪ ،‬حيث كان هناك نقص في االستدامة‪ .‬لذلك ‪ ،‬نحن بحاجة إىل تعزيز أجندة الفجوة‬ ‫الرقمية‬ ‫بين الجنسين من خالل إشراك الفتيات في الفرص التعليمية التكنولوجية المختلفة ليتم الكشف عنها في وقت مبكر‪.‬‬ ‫من خالل‬ ‫‪.‬القيام بذلك ‪ ،‬يمكننا ضمان تقديم عدد أكبر من اإلناث إىل قطاع التكنولوجيا وإدراكهن لكيفية استخدام التكنولوجيا‬ ‫الحواجز التي تعيق عودة الفتيات‬ ‫الفقر ونقص الوصول إىل األجهزة بأسعار معقولة‬ ‫قلة التعرض لتكنولوجيا المعلومات واالتصاالت ونقص التدريب عىل محو األمية الرقمية‬ ‫عدم وجود محتوى ذي صلة ‪ ،‬ال سيما باللغات المحلية واألشكال التي يمكن أن تستجيب لمعدالت محو األمية‬ ‫المنخفضة لدى النساء في البلدان الفقيرة‬ ‫مخاوف بشأن األمان عىل اإلنترنت‬ ‫القوالب النمطية واألعراف الثقافية الراسخة‬ ‫عدم وجود نماذج نسائية ظاهرة في صناعة ال تزال تسيطر عليها الغالبية العظمى من الذكور‬

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‫لهادئكيف نبدأ في سد الفجوة الرقمية بين الجنسين؟‬ ‫الجنسين؟‬ ‫بناء محو األمية الرقمية تحوي ًل يا ومفتا ًحا لسد الفجوة الرقمية بين الجنسين بالنسبة للفتيات‪ .‬يمكن القيام بذلك‬ ‫من خالل‬ ‫إعطاء األولوية للتعليم في مواد تكنولوجيا المعلومات واالتصاالت في المدرسة‪ .‬يعد وجود برامج قوية ومستمرة‬ ‫أللطفال من النساء أم ًرا بالغ األهمية لسد الفجوة التكنولوجية بين الجنسين‪ .‬البدء مبك ًرا هو أفضل طريقة إذا أردنا‬ ‫التأكد من أن المرأة يمكنها تعزيز هذه المهارات أثناء نموها‪.‬‬ ‫يعد تضمين أصوات الفتيات أم ًرا ضرو ًر يا عند تطوير أي منتجات أو خدمات رقمية أو أي برامج تطوير رقمية‬ ‫يمكن أن يمنح تدريب محو األمية الرقمية اآلباء تصورات إيجابية عن التكنولوجيا الرقمية واإلنترنت‪ .‬يمكن أن‬ ‫ا خطي ًرا‪.‬‬ ‫يساعدهم في فهم كيف يمكنهم دعم الفتيات للبقاء آمنين عبر اإلنترنت ‪ ،‬بداًل من اعتبار اإلنترنت مكاًن‬ ‫تزويد مناطق التطوير باتصال مناسب باإلنترنت واألجهزة والتدريب‪.‬‬

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‫ماذا نفعل للمساعدة في الفجوة الرقمية بين الجنسين؟‬ ‫جميع المتحدثين في هذه القمة الذين تقل أعمارهم عن ‪ 18‬عا ًما ‪ ،‬والزمالء المندوبين ‪ ،‬وجميع المشاهدين عبر‬ ‫اإلنترنت لن تتخلف الفتيات والنساء إال إذا لم يكن لديهن إمكانية الوصول إىل التكنولوجيا والسيطرة عليها‬ ‫واستخدامها بالكامل‪ .‬نحن بحاجة إىل جسر الفجوة ‪ ،‬ولهذا نجري هذه المحادثة اليوم‪ .‬سوف تتأخر الفتيات والنساء‬ ‫أكثر إذا اتسعت الفجوة‪.‬‬

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‫ًم عا ‪ ،‬يجب أن نضمن أننا ندعو إىل توفير فرص أفضل وأكثر فاعلية عىل المدى الطويل لضمان حصول‬ ‫جميع الفتيات عىل فكرة عن التكنولوجيا وأهميتها في عالمنا‪ .‬يجب أن نقدم مثل هذه البرامج لتعليم أو‬ ‫تزويد النساء والفتيات بالمهارات المناسبة للتميز في عالمنا الرقمي‪.‬‬ ‫يجب علينا تحويل السرد بع ًي دا عن استهداف المعتدين إىل دعمهم وتمكينهم‪.‬‬ ‫ضمان أفضل الممارسات لسالمة جميع مستخدمي اإلنترنت ‪ ،‬وخاصة النساء والفتيات‪.‬‬ ‫أخي ًرا ‪ ،‬يجب أن نسعى إىل تشجيع وتمكين اإلناث اللنخراط في صناعة التكنولوجيا من أجل سد الفجوة‪.‬‬

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‫من اين نبدأ؟‬

‫بين عامي ‪ 2013‬و ‪ ، 2019‬زادت الفجوة بين الجنسين في مستخدمي اإلنترنت في الدول العربية وآسيا والمحيط ا‬ ‫وأفريقيا ‪ ،‬بينما‬ ‫ظلت كبيرة في أمريكا االلتينية‪ .‬يجب أن يبدأ التركيز عىل سد الفجوة الرقمية بين الجنسين في مناطق الشرق األوسط‬ ‫وأفريقيا ألن هذه‬ ‫المناطق بها واحدة من أعىل فجوات الفجوة الرقمية بين الجنسين‪.‬‬ ‫غا ًل با ما تكون المدرسة هي المكان األول الذي يتم فيه تعريف األطفال بالتكنولوجيا وتعلم مهارات القراءة والكتابة‬ ‫والحساب لتحقيق‬ ‫أقصى استفادة من هذه األدوات الرقمية‪ .‬لذلك ‪ ،‬نحن نضمن حصول الفتيات والنساء عىل فرص متساوية لتعلم‬ ‫المهارات التقنية ذات‬ ‫الصلة ومحو األمية الرقمية في المدرسة ومن خالل برامج التدريب ليتمكنوا من االستفادة من التكنولوجيا واألدوات‬ ‫الرقمية‪.‬‬ ‫سأختم وسوف اقول‪...‬‬ ‫دعونا نتعاون لضمان حصول الجميع عىل فرصة متساوية للوصول إىل التكنولوجيا واستخدامها وقيادتها وتصميمها‬ ‫بطريقة هادفة ‪،‬‬ ‫بغض النظر عن الجنس أو الجنسية أو الوضع االقتصادي‪.‬‬ ‫نحن نعتمد عىل كل فرد منكم إلعطاء األولوية للمساواة بين الجنسين في جميع جهودكم‪ .‬يمكننا إنشاء مستقبل أكثر‬ ‫تقًد ما من الناحية‬ ‫التكنولوجية والمساواة‪.‬‬ ‫‪.‬ستؤثر علينا القرارات األساسية التي نتخذها اآلن ألجيال عديدة قادمة مع توسع نظمنا البيئية الرقمية وتصبح أكثر‬ ‫تعق ًي دا‬ ‫لدينا فرصة لتحويل العالم بفضل التقنيات الرقمية‪.‬‬ ‫كل يوم ‪ ،‬يجب أن نعمل عىل الحيلولة دون تكرار الظلم الذي طال أمده في عالمنا "التناظري" أو حتى تفاقمه في العصر‬ ‫الرقمي‪.‬‬ ‫شك ًرا عىل استماعكم‪.‬‬ ‫ياسمين حسوبه‬

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LADY YASMIN'S PRESENTATION IN ARABIC

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A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF FEDERAL MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION IN THE UNITED STATES S

Rehman Hassan, USA

Introduction A 2022 World Health Organization report gravely emphasizes the extent to which depression and other mental health illnesses continue to plague the world, with large amounts of people being diagnosed every day [1]. Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes the prevalence of mental health concerns with its studies identifying that 36.7% of its nationally representative sample of adolescents having persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness and 18.8% had seriously considered attempting suicide [2]. Other reports, evaluating the same CDC data, have clearly established that over the last years, rates of mental health concerns have significantly grown[3]. This dangerous trend reflects the extent to which mental health concerns impact young people, especially, indicating that an inability to access mental health services as well as systemic inequity may cause these extremely high rates of mental health concerns[4]. This article aims to explain why these mental health inequalities may be occurring, especially among youth and how educational policy changes may allow for a better future across the world.

Mental Health Legislation and Schools Many laws allow for mental health legislation to be left up to state and local systems, which vary significantly in their extent and their applications [5] [6]. This system is especially harmful in schools which can prevent them from having the tools necessary to provide mental health support [7] [8]

This lack of legislation continues to fail youth across the world, often making it impossible to access mental health support without parental consent. In a time when mental health is so highly stigmatized, this requirement of parental consent can be especially dangerous and even impossible. Moreover, this lack of support to young people can impact school performance. In fact, mental health can be a strong indicator of academic performance[9]. This poor performance can stay within children forever 10] thus limiting future opportunities and deteriorating one’s selfimage11]. Thus, existing mental health legislation is ineffective in protecting youth from mental health challenges, sometimes even inhibiting access to mental health support.

Policy Priorities

A common motif through this review seems to be the lack of centrality and accountability present in mental health legislation. This system prevents the meaningful implementation of important policies which contribute to disparities, often divided based on ideological and socioeconomic boundaries

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.

Another common motive is the lack of access to mental health care for youth outside of school environments. Often events of suicide among youth within the summer, when school is not in session[16]. This reflects the lack of access to mental health access outside of school environments.

Thus, policy changes that emphasize the importance of preventing negative mental health events, such as suicide, without a reliance on existing school networks is importance. This means that although schools are extremely important in their role against negative mental health events, educational systems must be accountable to educate students and urge them to learn important coping strategies. By teaching children important life skills and evidence-based practices to prevent these harmful mental health situations, schools can set children up for a long life of success. Moreover, mental health legislation that educates students of coping strategies and ensures access to support networks during the summer may be especially beneficial.

Conclusion It is imperative that steps are taken to mend future policy concerns through regulations and mandates allowing for efficient implementation of current and future laws. Future studies evaluating state laws and mandates as well as those comparing the factors that impact mental health metrics are needed for a better understanding of the best practices necessary for reversing the mental health crisis in the world. .

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[8]"The Landscape of School-Based Mental Health Services | KFF." 6 Sep. 2022, https://www.kff.org/other/issue-brief/the-landscape-of-school-based-mental-health-services/. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[7] "New Data Show Most Texas Schools Aren't Getting Mental Health ...." 30 Aug. 2022, https://txchildren.org/posts/https/txchildrenorg/new-data-show-most-texas-schools-arent-gettingmental-health-fundi ng-from-the-legislature. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[6] "Youth data 2023 | Mental Health America." https://mhanational.org/issues/2023/mental-health-america-youth-data. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[5] "Youth data 2022 | Mental Health America." https://www.mhanational.org/issues/2022/mental-health-america-youth-data. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[4] "Mental Health and Substance Use in U.S. and 10 Other Countries." 21 May. 2020, https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2020/may/mental-health-conditionssubstance-use-co mparing-us-other-countries. Accessed 10 Nov. 2022.

[3] "US National and State-Level Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders ...." 11 Feb. 2019, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2724377. Accessed 10 Nov. 2022.

[2] "Data and Statistics on Children's Mental Health | CDC." 3 Jun. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html. Accessed 10 Nov. 2022.

[1]"Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders."

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1[6] "How Summer Affects Suicide Rates - Centerstone." https://centerstone.org/our-resources/health-wellness/how-summer-affects-suicide-rates/. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[15] "A Political History of Federal Mental Health and Addiction Insurance ...." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2950754/. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[14] "Mental Health and Political Representation: A Roadmap - Frontiers." 23 Dec. 2020, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpos.2020.587588/full. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[13] "Who's to Blame? Partisanship, Responsibility, and Support for ...." https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2378023120921652. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[12] "Socioeconomic status, work‐life conflict, and mental health." 17 May. 2020, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajim.23118. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[11] "Mental Health and Academic Achievement." https://www.education.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt326/files/inlinedocuments/mental_health_and_academic_achieve ment.pdf. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[10] "Educational Success and Adult Health: Findings from the Chicago ...." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3797998/. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.

[9]"Mental health predicts better academic outcomes: A longitudinal ...."

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SIR REHMAN'S PRESENTATION

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MUSICAL EDUCATION: FREE MINDED PEOPLE Murat Kutlu, Turkey

Hi, it is Murat Eren Kutlu from Turkey and I will talk about how the musical education should be. First I will start with how it is in Turkey.

In Turkey, they do not really care about musical education in schools. For students it is a kind of a lesson to rest. And most of the music teachers are unqualified. So if you want to learn music you should go to either a course or to a musical school which you can only take lessons about music. This is the first problem here. I hope you all know Atatürk. There is a quote of him which I really like. “A nation without arts has lost its lifeblood. The arts is a lot important to a nation to stand. Actually not just for a nation, for a person itself.

One of the biggest chaotic problem in the world of today is the sameness. Everybody follows the ideas which is popular and trend. Almost nobody thinks if it is true or not. They are just like sheep led by shepherds. And the shepherds are not free neither. They are just being led by trends. So none is free and self expressive in this system. It is just like another dark age we are going through.

And we need another renaissance.

Music is one of the greatest channels to Express yourself, your ideas and your feelings. Music is not to listen what is popular. Nowadays, it is a lot common. Nobody have their own taste. They are just listening what is popular. This explains the why the world is going to sameness. And they bully the others who are different. This system is racist. Everybody tries to be same which they call perfect. But everybody has their own perfectness and they need to have their own identities not someone else’s.

And the music is actually a great part of a persons identity. So, to be able to Express yourself with music is really important to break these norms of the community of sheep. That’s why everybody needs to learn music and have their own taste in music. So the musical education needs to be placed in the education system if we want to create free minded people.

Now, I will talk about the musical schools. In Turkey the musical schools mostly teaches the ancient theory of music. If you learn the ancient musical theory, you will be able to play like Bach, Vivaldi or Mozart. But you will not really be able create your own music in your own style. So the ancient theory of music is not able to create a lot of types, genres of music. So it is not the way we create free minded people who can Express themselves with music. I do not say that it should not be thought but it is not enough. Now we have the modern music theory which has a lot of variations that some of them still waits to be discovered. This is the way to create people with their own identities.

And now last of all I will talk about being a musician. It is really hard to get what you worth if you will walk in the way of music. I have 2 bands which I am walking in this way with. Th prices to play in studio is not cheap and to record your own music in these studios is a lot expensive in Turkey standards so we are just make recordings with mobile phones for now. Is not there any associations to support the musicians? Actually there are. Also I am a member of one of them. But these are not really enough. Because there are a lot of people and students who cannot reach these associations.

And there are a lot of them who does not even know them. So in my opinion this support should be start in schools. The schools need to encourage the students to use their own creativity in music.

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SIR MURAT'S PRESENTATION

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SETTING THE TRENDS ON CLIMATE JUSTICE FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD Mwangala Maunga, Zambia

AFI LEADERS UNDER 18, DELEGATES, FRIENDS AND FAMILY. Thank you for this great opportunity to address you on a very critical and life-threatening topic.

Did you know that according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, population Division world population prospects 2022, that the world’s population is projected to reach 8 billion by mid November 2022, which is just a few days from today?

The latest projection by the United Nations further indicates that the global population could grow to around 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion by 2050 and 10.4 billion by the year 2100.

These are very important statistics to consider as we begin to engage and talk about early investment for better learning and brighter future for children across the globe.

In this regard understanding population trends and anticipating demographic change will be very critical to Setting trends on Climate Justice from early childhood.

Climate change is the crisis that we are grappling with today, Solutions to Climate change have been generated, discussed at high level meetings of World Leaders resolutions have been made even policies drafted, unfortunately implementation has been at a very slow pace. We need to enhance the climate justice agenda by bring children on board at an early age to be part of the solutions as they will be growing into well informed, responsible and knowledgeable citizens of the world, this should start from home, community, school, national and international levels.

How do we start?

1. Climate Justice should be a compulsory stand-alone subject upon entry into school pre-grade level up until university this should be a law for each country of the world.

2. By the time a child is enrolled into any form of school before they go to the first (1) grade they would have planted a tree proof of certificate awarded or given by the Department of forestry under the Ministry of Natural Resources in conjunction with their Education counterparts.

Thereafter each year going forward every child will have planted a tree of a year spent in school.

3. Integration of environmentally friendly practices into their everyday lives.

4. Engaging children in active climate justice advocacy like being part of programs like the Cartoon Network Climate Champions and Plant for the Planet Ambassadors to mention but a few.

What do we do to have an impact on Climate justice?

Fellow delegates, all the speakers at this summit are under 18, meaning I am 16 years by 2030, I will be 25 years old, by 2050 I will be 45 years old by God’s grace further those part of the 8 billion born in November 2022, by 2030 they will be 8 years and by 2050 they will be 28 years old, we don’t want to be seen as though we did not plan for our leadership roles as we take up our positions at the decision making platform from our parents as we are doing today.

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Collectively we must continue to advocate for better, practical and effective Climate justice systems to be put in place for ourselves and generations to come, hence appealing to world leaders of today that PLEASE LEAVE US A BETTER WORLD. The blame game between Developing and developed nations must be sorted out like yesterday, currently the COP27 Summit is taking place in Egypt Africa with a call to compensation for the distraction of the world by the developed world is not helping us to have a better Climate agenda.

The United States of America and China who collectively account for 40% of distraction and pollution of our planet must lead in the championing of Climate justice by dealing and paying for a better world for all.

It is my hope that by the time COP28 to be held in Dubai next year, we as the next set of leaders (AFI LEADERS UNDER 18) will be given a platform to express ourselves and appeal to the world Leaders to leave us a better Planet, because we are the ones who will be in charge and be answerable to 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion by 2050 and 10.4 billion people by the year 2100.

I will end by quoting part of the speech of the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres at the COP27 conference in Egypt I quote: “How will we answer when Baby 8 billion is old enough to ask: What did you do for our world - and for our planet – when you had the chance?

This UN climate conference is a reminder that the answer is in our hands.

And the clock is ticking. We are in the fight for our lives. And we are losing. Greenhouse gas emissions keep growing. Global temperatures keep rising. And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make Climate chaos irreversible.

We are on a highway to Climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator”. End of quote.

Let us all unite and go back to basics by starting the journey of purpose which encourages children to be active and being part of solutions from the moment the start going to school and move together for a common cause as one united people of the world as we only have one Planet to live on.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Mwangala Maunga.

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LADY MAUNGA'S PRESENTATION

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INCREASING SCIENCE EDUCATION ACCESSIBILITY FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT Sahil Sood, USA Across the world, thousands engage in the pursuit of novel research, seeking to make an impact on the growing body of knowledge that is science. Spanning hundreds of fields within science, researchers blend laboratory work with computational tools to facilitate progress in sciences, making strides toward developing and perfecting future innovations.

However, it is crucial to understand that the utility of research is futile without the ability to society to glean its practical applications. As of the status quo, the United States ranks poorly on a global scale for STEM education metrics, with low rates of STEM literacy, especially in impoverished areas. This is critical; even if students choose not to enter a STEM field, experts estimate that over 1/5th of all jobs utilize skills associated with STEM in some manner, making STEM literacy an issue of paramount importance.

Herein, I would like to discuss efforts I have taken within my community to increase access to science education, especially within youth forums. By targeting youth, I am to facilitate a long-term shift toward increased STEM literacy within future generations, solving this issue at its root.

As the founder of an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, I have spearheaded a project in my local community to promote STEM literacy among middle school and high school students. In conjunction with my state’s Department of Education, we have begun a pilot program for a rural science education initiative, curating virtual courses to engage students with rudimentary scientific concepts.

Alongside these courses, my organization has constructed a multifaceted network of over 100 volunteer tutors, spanning 4 states with a wealth of knowledge in scientific topics. A subsect of these tutors assist the students enrolled in the aforementioned virtual courses, ensuring that they remain up to progress with their work. The remaining tutors have been enrolled in a virtual platform, developed in partnership with another organization. These tutors facilitate quality scientific education for impoverished students across the country, providing thousands of dollars in educational services to support these students in becoming STEM proficient.

Ultimately, the impact of STEM literacy is profound. By ensuring others are able to understand the practical applications of scientific research in their lives, my organization strives to foster dialogue between the scientific community and society as a whole. The purpose of scientific research is to build toward innovation with a societal impact, such as a therapeutic that can treat a prevalent disease, and STEM literacy allows the community to engage in that process. By enabling the cross-pollination of ideas between researchers and the community at large, those developing the innovations have a nuanced grasp of what the community needs and how they can fill that need.

This lays the foundation to drive tangible change toward the betterment of humanity.

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SIR SAHIL'S PRESENTATION

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CHESS - A TOOL FOR EMPOWERING KIDS IN EDUCATION Bernice Wambui, Kenya

When people think of Chess, they mostly picture old men sitting around the table in the park playing the game of the old. However, they fail to consider how the game significantly benefits childhood cognitive and social development. Chess is a strategic skill game that allows children to develop multiple highly sought skills making a child excel both in the real world and in the classroom (Foley, 2019).

Chess is an exercise for the brain. There is a universal adage that “knowledge is power,” but have you ever considered your brain as a muscle that requires be exercising, constantly moving, aiming at making new synapses and diverse connections? Integration of this fact with research by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that explains that the ability of the human brain to develop is highest in the earliest years of life indicates Chess as one of the best brain workouts (Lazarof, 2020). When children are playing Chess, they are taught and learn of the importance of careful observation and concentration. The player should concentrate on multiple moves or gambits, and this has been identified as one of the crucial development of observation skills in children (Lazarof, 2020).

The game also equips children with strategic skills since they learn how to think ahead before making a move. Consequently, a child can pay attention to small details and consider long-range aims within the board. Often, a good chess player would have a strategic plan ahead of the opponent (Foley, 2019). The juggling of several options and planning ahead are critical skills and brain exercises that make children efficient in simultaneously evaluating multiple factors in real life and making the right decision or move.

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Moreover, Chess allows children to use both sides of their brains since it depends on both pattern and object recognition. These two brain functions are utilized in both left and right brain hemispheres and have been scientifically proven as important in enhancing conceptual thinking and solving mathematical problems (Lazarof, 2020). Similarly, children develop visualization skills as they have to identify the patterns in their brains, moving pieces around in their brains before making any move. This skill is similar to what scientists refer to as “mental math,” the ability to see the bigger picture before making any advanced move.

Another fundamental skill developed when playing chess discipline logical and critical thinking skills. A child has to make several decisions from multiple options provided. This requires efficient evaluation of the consequences of specific moves and actions as well as the sequence of play that would emerge from the options available before making a move. This assists the children in real life in making logical decisions, efficiently evaluating options, and critically assessing the available options before making a decision (Foley, 2019). Moreover, a player should be patient to avoid impulsiveness, a factor that establishes discipline in handling other activities apart from the game (Lazarof, 2020).

In conclusion, although chess is a critical source of enjoyment, it is also a crucial educational tool in childhood development. Apart from stimulating brain development, it instills a love for learning skills; children who start playing Chess at an early age tend to become decision-makers and problem-solvers. Thus, empower children to play Chess and enjoy their cognitive development, social, discipline, and other significant skills.

References Foley, J. (2019, December 14). Chess in Schools, Education, Families, Girls, Teaching, The Future of Chess in Education, Women. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from LondonChessconference .com: https://londonchessconference.com/category/the-future-of-chess-in-education/ Lazarof, D. (2020, August 27). Benefits of Teaching Chess to Young Kids . Retrieved November 10, 2022, from Chess Master: https://www.chessmatec.com/post/benefits-of-teaching-chess

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LADY BERNICE'S PRESENTATION

44

OUR AWESOME

SPEAKER (AFI LEADER UNDER 18)

AUSTIN DOWLING

Austin Dowling is a 17 year old young man from Bermuda; however, he currently resides in the USA as he prepares for university. Austin has a particular passion for math, literature, and the arts. He fosters his creativity through woodworking, 3D rendering, and video editing and his talents through jazz and classical piano and trumpet. With his sights set on Architecture and Aerospace Engineering, he hopes to give back to the many communities that have nurtured his talents and intellect while also investing in the lives of other young people. In the meantime, Austin is in his senior year at Greater Atlanta Christian School and continues to grow in leadership, by leading high school chapels, being the librarian of the marching band and working as the Vice President of the math Mu Alpha Theta club. He actively works toward civic engagement through volunteering at the Salvation Army and going on missions trips to help neighboring church communities.

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OUR AWESOME

SPEAKER (AFI LEADER UNDER 18)

JASON EAPPEN

My name is Mr. Jason Eappen. I am the co-founder of an international non-profit as well as a representative of an international human rights advocacy group. Throughout all of my initiatives I am a firm believer that education is a human right. Education is the first step for people to gain the knowledge, critical thinking, empowerment and skills they need to make this world a better place.

My passion stems from educating the youth to help the next-generation. Within my non-profit, we help spread stem education to the youth in rural areas to help them dream about their future. We partner with pilot organizations and the state government in order to target rural communities and expand educational access to thousands of students in rural school districts.

My second initiative is mental health. I am one of the core leaders of a state-wide movement known as whisper. All over the world, COVID- 19 puts a massive strain on the mental health of thousands of students. Through organizations like whisper, we help give voices to those in the shut out or have been hurting. Conversations and being vulnerable has helped hundreds even thousands of students hear the message of whisper that opening up about problems we all face is the first step towards a solution of a more open and accepting society. With a podcast in the making, everyone around the world will be given a voice and a safe place to be themselves through whisper.

My third initiative is food insecurity. Throughout the world, food deserts are visible throughout. With many kids going without key meals and being deprived of key fruits and vegetables. Seeing this, I helped create an environmentally-safe, nutrient-filled, and sustainable hydroponic gardening system. This system maximizes crop yield by using scientifically formulated nutrients placed into the garden to help not only produce more nutrient rich fruits and vegetables, but helped thousands of families get access to cheap/affordable food.

Regardless of which initiative I work on, I always uphold myself to the highest of standards by being genuine and always trying to make a positive impact on the community around me. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and binge watching marvel movies.

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OUR AWESOME

SPEAKER (AFI LEADER UNDER 18)

SELIN HARA She has a particular passion for literature, writing and reading, swimming and cycling. She also likes singing songs in different languages. She wants to study law as well, but at the same time She wants musical theatre to be in her life. She is interested in philosophy and that’s why she joined the P4C (Philosophy for children) program weekly because she likes questioning things in depth. She is bilingual, she likes to travel to different countries and it’s her greatest desire to understand to see historical places all over the world that have distinct features and beauties. She notices all cultures are inspired by each other.

When she visited Prague in Czech Republic, in all corners of the city, She could see the effects of the medieval times that we read in history books. When planning a travel, she gets extremely excited that she will visit museums and historical places and get closer to the history, art and literature of a country. She loves helping people in the world, that’s why she has donated to charity most times. She always likes donating food in supermarkets and they give the foods we bought for homeless people and one day she hopes she can do more. She finds it really important to help people with no homes, no food and she feels like everyone should be grateful for what they have because a lot of people don’t have what they have.

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OUR AWESOME

SPEAKER (AFI LEADER UNDER 18)

CADEN HARRIS

Caden Harris, is an award winning 12 year old CEO, author, speaker and money teacher. He specializes in equipping kids with financial tools so they can earn, save, budget and grasp money rules. His business is unique because it is for kids by a kid. His financial literacy course, books, flashcards and newest project his financial bus is helping teach kids financial principals all over the country. Caden’s goal is to teach over 500,000 kids through his products and mobile financial classroom. His business has been featured on Fox 5, NBC, Black Enterprise and several other publications.

This brand is created by a true change maker who is on the rise and preparing to help learners across the globe.

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OUR AWESOME

SPEAKER (AFI LEADER UNDER 18)

YASMIN HASSOOBH

Yasmin Hassoobh is an ambitious youth advocate whose mission is to create change in the Tech industry by involving more Arab women to join the science and innovation field.

To accelerate her impact, she founded Saudi Steminist, a non-profit multimedia platform that aims to inspire and encourage more Arab females to join the scientific and innovative field. It connects over 200 women across the Middle East and aims to bridge out globally. In addition to that, since the age of 12, she has always had a vision to widen her circle of impact and create something meaningful that can have a long term impact. Therefore, she also founded a youth initiative called Ensani. Ensani is dedicated to inspiring a new generation of young helpers to create a meaningful impact while educating, exciting, and encouraging the youth at the same time. Ensani helps youth from ages 5 to 14 collaborate together in the holy month of Ramadan to create meals for people in need in mosques.

Ensani has helped feed more than 3000 people. Not only that, but Yasmin has led 3 programs in robotics, financial literacy, and health care. Yasmin is a firm believer in helping develop the new generation of children as a key to the future.

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OUR AWESOME

SPEAKER (AFI LEADER UNDER 18)

REHMAN HASSAN

Devastated by the loss of his grandparents due to cancer and heart disease, and realizing the many preventative measures that could be taken to prevent non-communicable diseases, Rehman founded an international public health organization in 2016, iCure Health, when he was in the seventh grade. iCure aims to educate and bring awareness to common diseases such as cancer and heart disease. In addition to bringing awareness, one of iCure’s major missions is to improve access to preventative care measures such as depression screenings, mammograms, fecal immunochemical tests, and colonoscopies. So far, iCure has helped physicians perform over 20,000 tests. Rehman serves as the CEO and founder of iCure and constantly works to help improve iCure’s reach and impact. In the last seven years, iCure has been fortunate to reach over 45,000 people around the globe from Bayamón, Puerto Rico to Doha, Qatar. iCure has over 30 chapters all over the world including chapters at Yale and the University of Toronto with most chapters formed in high schools, universities, and medical schools.

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OUR AWESOME

SPEAKER (AFI LEADER UNDER 18)

MURAT KUTLU

He believes that all children have right to education and not to die of starvation and or diseases preventable by vaccines.

When he was in 3rd grade, he organised a fair at the school and donated its income in aid of LOSEV ( The foundation for children with leukemia). Ensuing years, he has carried the torch with his friends; make handmade bracelets, love beads and toys and sold them in support of ONKODAY (a social association to support cancer patients and their families).

He likes to meet children from different countries, that’s why he has participated in CISV (Children’s International Summer Village) Youth Meeting Turkey team for years.

When he was 11, he participated in a JMUN Turkey conference as a member of Norway delegation commitee to present the system of education and child rights in Norway.

He learned so much about the children’s livings, standarts, cultures and rights in so many countries in the end of this conference, it expanded his awareness about the children’s problems in undeveloped and underdeveloped countries.

Since his mother is a volunteer educator at TEGV (Turkish Education Volunteers Foundation), he has joined her lessons with children having inadequate education and lead them by sharing his experiences, encourage them to do some simple science experiments. In the end of these days, he feels himself happy and peaceful.

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OUR AWESOME

SPEAKER (AFI LEADER UNDER 18)

MAUNGA MWANGALA

Mwangala Maunga, is a 16 year old child activist, with an above average attitude owing to the vast achievements that she's had as a young African girl. Among Mwangala's notable achievements are the Power Puff Girls Awards as the best innovator in the Science and Tech Category; the PUSH WOMEN Awards as an emerging young African leader (Brenda Muntemba Award); Child Online Protection Brand Ambassador for ZICTA and Zambia National Stem Foundation; Cartoon Network Climate Champion and Plan International Online Influencer, as well as youngest STEM Changemakerf Award from Genius Education Zambia. Mwangala is extremely invested in advocating for various causes, some of which include STEMinism (STEM Feminism), Climate Justice, Children's Rights, Safety in the cyber space and Human Rights. Mwangala aspires to be someone who will go down in history as one who led from the front and never was scared of any challenges, and one who stayed true to her craft. Mwangala is the founder of the Girl Power Platform Zambia.

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OUR AWESOME

SPEAKER (AFI LEADER UNDER 18)

SAHIL SOOD

As a seventeen-year HOSA member, Sahil’s HOSA journey has encompassed a myriad of experiences, all of which have been instrumental in shaping his vision as he serves as the International Eastern Region Vice President. As a senior at Lambert High School, Sahil aspires to become a neurooncologist by investigating the intersection between science and communication to facilitate innovation in neuroscience. As a younger member of the IEC, Sahil aims to synthesize a conduit between HOSA’s members and the International Executive Council to forge lines of communication that ensure adequate representation of all HOSA members. He realizes the power HOSA possesses to unite students from a multitude of backgrounds and ages, and hopes to utilize his influence to foster collaboration amongst all divisions of HOSA to create a multifaceted, well-equipped coalition of future health professionals. His passion for advocacy and communication has invigorated him towards pursuing his mission of empowering those without a voice to democratize access and promote equity within healthcare. The transformative nature of HOSA has nurtured his growth as a student, leader, and scientist, and he is elated to have the opportunity to catalyze the same growth in members that he saw in himself. Outside of HOSA, Sahil is an internationally ranked debater and published scientific researcher. In his free time, you can find Sahil swimming, watching basketball or football, listening to music (send rap and R&B recommendations!), and cooking different recipes he finds on TikTok.

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OUR AWESOME

SPEAKER (AFI LEADER UNDER 18)

BERNICE WAMBUI

She is the Global Youth Ambassador of The Gift Of Chess Foundation. She is leading in spreading the game of chess to the less disadvantaged in Kenya and Africa at large. She has been involved in training kids chess in the children homes, slums and in public schools in Kenya. This year she has been able to reach to over 200 centres in Kenya, reaching to over 5000 kids. The benefits of teaching Chess to kids extend far beyond academic capabilities. Chess students learn to analyze, to plan and to perform, both over the board and in real life. The children learn how to concentrate, how to think ahead, how to solve complex problems, and how to make difficult decisions—all valuable life skills.

Bernice is the Kenya National Chess Champion, Under 12 Open Category 2022 – She has represented Kenya in several international chess championships including the just concluded 2022 World Cadet chess championships in Batumi – Georgia.

She is the winner of the Prestigious Award of Fair Play Medal in the Africa Youth Chess Championship (AYCC) in AccraGhana in year 2021. Bernice is also one of inaugural ambassadors to the UNICEF voice of children - a program to use her voice and urge leaders to take action to better children’s life in Kenya.

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ABIGAIL OPPONG

'Rather than standing or Speaking for Children, we need to stand with children speaking for themselves. We don’t need a political movement for children [ we need to] build environments and policies for our collective future’ Abigail Oppong is a humanitarian young African lady who passionately work to impact life. She is a Young Speaker, Mentor, Changemaker, Young Activist and a Social Entrepreneur.

Abigail Oppong is the Youth Ambassador for Ariel Foundation International focusing on Africa and making the voices of African Voices heard. Being a changemaker, she is passionate about social impacts project that seeks to empower women, children, and youth. She is part of the Board Members of Women Media and Change working hard to make sure young women’s voices are represented well in the media.

Passionate about engaging more women in Technology, she is part of several women in TECH organisations working hard to make sure women are represented well in the STEM Industry.

Abigail is skilled at Information Technology, Project Management, Entrepreneurship, Humanitarian, Communication, Design Thinking, Graphic design, leadership, Personal Development, Public Speaking.

She is a Recipients of the “Young Leaders Creating a better World for All award” at the Women Economic Forum, 2019 and the first youngest leader to receive such an international award from the Women Economic Forum.

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AMBASSADOR IRENEO NAMBOKA AFI BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CHAIR

Ambassador Ireneo Namboka Namboka Ireneo Omositson, Rtd. UN Staff – ( June, 2010 after 15 years of service) Mr. Namboka participated in three United Nations peacekeeping operations: Haiti, Rwanda and Liberia. He was Desk Officer for Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia at the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) HQ, Geneva (1998/2003.

He was the Regional Programme Officer for the Southern Africa (SADC) regional office of OHCHR in Pretoria from February 2003 to June 2004.

In July 2004 Mr. Namboka joined the United Nations Department for Peacekeeping (DPKO) in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) as the Protection Advisor and served till June 2010.

Since leaving the full time United Nations service in June 2010, Mr. Namboka has maintained activities in the defense of human rights, transitional justice, peace-building through creative writing, training module designing and conference work.

From March to September 2012 Mr. Namboka served as the international consultant (Advisor) to the Co-Chairmen of the Provisional Commission of reflection on national réconciliation, Guinea.

As an expert with UNITAR on the protection of civilians in post conflict- countries he developed a Training Module for serving and intending Peacekeeping military, police and civilian personnel, mainly in Africa including taking part in the documentary realized by the Government of Australia and UNITAR. In 2008, Mr. Namboka served on special assignment as Senior Advisor to the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) in the United Nations Office for West Africa (2008) in the capacity of Head of the Human Rights and Gender Affairs division – June to October.

Mr. Namboka has conducted a wide range of workshops and seminars for government officials, police and military as well as for members of civil society/ non-governmental organisations. Currently he part of the team of trainers with the King’s College of London NGO – Africa Office based in Nairobi Kenya. Prior to joining the United Nations service Mr. Namboka served in the Uganda diplomatic service for 13 years starting in 1974 under the Idi Amin Dada regime at headquarters and abroad at the Ugandan missions in Gabon, Great Britain and France. _____________________ Mr. Namboka is an alumni of Makerere University, (BA Hon. Political Science); University of Paris I – Sorbonne Pantheon (Ėtudes du 3ème Cycle Droit – International Public); Centre d’Études Supériuères Industrielles (CESI)Aix en Provence –MA; United Nations Staff College, Turin – Italy and the United Nations University, Amaan- Jordan(Diplomas). He attended King’s College Budo, Bishop’s Senior School, Mukono in Uganda and received the specialized endurance and leadership training from the East African Outward Bound Mountain School, Loitokitok, Kenya. He is a holder of the highest Boy Scout’s badge in his country.

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DR. ARIEL ROSITA KING, MPH, MBA, PHD (UK), DTM&H, PHD (FRANCE) AFI FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

DR. ARIEL ROSITA KING, MPH, MBA, PhD (UK), DTM&H, PhD (France) Dr. Ariella (Ariel) Rosita King (www.drarielking.com) founded The Ariel Foundation International (www.arielfoundation.org) in 2002 as a nonprofit organization with an international focus on children and youth inspired leadership and participation worldwide.

Dr. Ariel King is a Rotarian for over 20 years. She is the Main Representative at the United Nations (Geneva, New York and Vienna ) for AFI, with Special Economic, Cultural and Social Council Special (ECOSO). She has also represented other NGOs in Geneva since 2008, the United Nations in Vienna (UNOV) since 2010 and United Nations in New York since 2000.

Dr. King is also an NGO Representative at the European Parliament. Dr. King’s life focus is on inspiring leadership and participation of worlds’ children and youth. Ariel Foundation International is a member of EuroChild, Dr. King was a Trustee for Children’s Rights Alliance England (CRAE), Now Just for Law Kids, and the Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) United Kingdom.

Dr King is also the Founder (2000), and President Ariel Consulting International, Inc., that creates and enhances PublicPrivate Partnerships in international diplomacy and policy. She has over 35 years of experience in international public policy and international management in government, business and NGOs. As a Professor in International Health, Management, Policy and Environment she has taught at Universities in the USA, Europe and Africa. Dr. King has published on the topics of Kangaroo Newborn Baby Care, International Health Policy and Management, Medical Ethics, Organ Transplantation, National Essential Drugs Policy, HIV/AIDS; Breast Cancer; Violence Against Women; Youth Participation at the United Nations and Children’s Human Rights. _____________________ Dr. King completed a second research degree (PhD) in Sociology on Community Engagement in the Psychosocial Care of Their Traumatised Children – A Case Study of Botswana, Liberia and Morocco at the Unitersité de Franche-Comte, France (December 2018). She also has completed advance certificates in the study of Children’s Human Rights, from the UER Droits de l'enfant/Children's Rights Unit, Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch (IUKB) in Switzerland. Dr. King holds a Diploma Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H); Doctorate (PhD) in Philosophy in Public Health and Policy from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London; a Master in International Health Management (MIM) from Thunderbird School of Global Management; Master in Public Health (MPH) in international Health from the University of Texas School of Public Health; and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.