Let’s reimagine a better world: World Children’s Day 2021
Nov 23, 2021Join us for the launch of our Advocacy Toolkit: “Youth Voices in Health Advocacy Spaces – A Guide for You(th) Advocating in the Childhood Obesity Space” on 23rd November 2021, from 15:00 pm-16:00 pm GMT.
World Children’s Day has been celebrated on 20th November every year since 1954. The day commemorates the adoption of both the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the UN General Assembly. To mark the occasion, Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and World Obesity Federation (WOF) will join forces to amplify the voices of youth advocates around the world.
Childhood and adolescence mark particularly vulnerable yet critical life stages, with significant physical, emotional, and social developments. They are also periods during which youth become more independent, and therefore more susceptible to be affected by the influence of factors in their external environments. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has also revealed that health – and its absence – is often shaped by the society we live in.
Today, our world is home to the largest generation of young people in history. In 2020 there were 1.21 billion individuals aged between 15 – 24 and predicted to rise to 1.4 billion by 2065. Recognising some of the deep-rooted inequalities and systemic flaws in today’s societies, youth are becoming increasingly vocal about the essential role they play in building a better world. However, to do so, we need to ensure youth around the world are given the appropriate tools and information to be strong advocates. HCC and WOF are delighted to announce the launch of our new guide “Youth Voices in Health Advocacy Spaces: A Guide for You(th) Advocates in the Childhood Obesity Space.”
Presenting a roadmap for young people who are ready (or have already started) to explore the world of advocacy, this guide provides an overview of the importance of youth voices to support the establishment of healthier environments, practical strategies, and guidance that can be used to carry out both online and in-person advocacy work. Our launch event will invite youth advocates from HCC’s Youth Arm and the CO-CREATE project.
- Date: 23rd November 2021
- Time: 15:00 PM-16:00 PM GMT
- Provide an overview of the childhood obesity global epidemic and existing policies
- Share experiences of advocacy work from youth around the world to improve overall health
- Provide an overview of the HCC/WOF Youth Advocacy guide
15:00 - 15:05 Opening remarks – Maisha Hutton
15:05 -15:10 Childhood obesity around the world – a snapshot of the situation and existing policies Margot Neveux
15:10 - 15:15 The UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child – what does it mean? - D’Arcy Williams
15:15 -15:20 A Future for Our Caribbean’s Children? – spotlight on the Rights of the Child Kimberley Benjamin
15:20 - 15:30 Navigating your advocacy journey with HCC/WOF’s new Advocacy Guide! - Claudia Selin Batz
15:30 -15:55 Panel Discussion: Let’s re-imagine a better world. A vision for the future.
Moderator: Danielle Walwyn
Panellists: Mafalda Goncalves, Kimberly Benjamin, D’Arcy Williams, Pierre Cooke Jnr
15:55 - 16:00 Closing remarks – Maisha Hutton
- Claudia Selin Batz, Policy and Projects Coordinator, World Obesity Federation
- D’Arcy Williams, Program Officer, Child Nutrition and Food Systems, UNICEF
- Danielle Walwyn, Advocacy Officer, Healthy Caribbean Coalition
- Kimberly Benjamin, Law Student, Hugh Wooding Law School, Healthy Caribbean Youth (HCY)
- Mafalda Goncalves, CO-CREATE Youth Declaration Task Force
- Maisha Hutton, Executive Director, Healthy Caribbean Coalition
- Margot Neveux, Senior Policy Manager, World Obesity Federation
- Pierre, Cooke Jnr, Prime Minister, Barbados National Youth Parliament, Technical Advisor, Healthy Caribbean Coalition
This event has ended
Please contact events@worldobesity.org for further information, or check our events page for future events.
Events