#Youth4Disarmament discuss youth engagement in disarmament with Pace University

On 22 September 2021, the #Youth4Disarmament Team discussed youth engagement in disarmament with the students of Dr. Matthew Bolton, Director of International Disarmament Institute of Pace University, during a virtual seminar.

Ms. Soo Hyun Kim, Political Affairs Officer, and Ms. Marykate Monaghan, Youth Outreach Consultant, spoke with undergraduate students about the approaches, activities and projects of the #Youth4Disarmament initiative.

The #Youth4Disarmament initiative’s key principles to engage, educate and empower young people to facilitate their meaningful contributions to disarmament efforts were underscored.

Recent projects, such as the “What If – Spesterra” Youth Video Challenge and #StepUp4Disarmament Youth Campaign, were spotlighted as examples of #Youth4Disarmament’s efforts to engage young people of all backgrounds, expertise and interests.

During a question-and-answer session, the participants and #Youth4Disarmament team discussed the resources available for young people to learn more about disarmament, ways to further engage youth on key topics and the collaboration with United Nations Member States to provide opportunities for youth participation.

The session facilitated a dialogue with students on outreach efforts, exploring avenues to engage youth unfamiliar with the disarmament field.

Whilst the session was held virtually, students attended class in-person and in accordance with COVID-19 guidance by wearing masks and sitting socially distanced.

Before concluding, the #Youth4Disarmament team thanked both Dr. Bolton and the students at Pace University for the opportunity to speak with the group and expressed their interest for further collaboration in the future.